While 22 Catholic bishops gave her a failing grade, and Pinoy netizens bid her good riddance on Facebook, outgoing president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is not totally out of grace.
Her staunch supporters rated her as one of the best presidents the country has ever had.
This time, however, Mrs. Arroyo has earned the good graces of the Motion Pictures Association Asia (MPA) as well as other players in the local film industry.
The MPA is thrilled that the President signed the Anti-Camcording Act of 2009 on May 13, saying in a statement Tuesday that this signals the country's intensifying efforts against piracy and illegal camcording activities in the country and in Asia. The law is considered as milestone legislation not only in the Philippines but also in Southeast Asia
“The passage of the Anti-Camcording Law is a welcome advantage in our battle against film and video piracy," said Philippine Motion Pictures Producers Association president Orlando Ilacad. “Piracy has crippled our industry to a point that most of the players have already stopped their businesses due to losses. This law might be the shot in the arm that we have been waiting for."
Apart from intensifying the fight against movie piracy, the new law will be a big boost to the film industry. “The recent passage of the Anti-Camcording Law will play a critical role in helping protect the interests of the Philippine movie industry which is still struggling from huge losses due to piracy," said Ric Camaligan, president of the Motion Picture Anti-Film Piracy Council.
"Through this law, we are also counting on the help of other industry players to reinvigorate the industry and eventually create more business and employment opportunities for all the members of the industry," Camaligan said.
“I see jobs saved and jobs created as a result of this legislation. I also see much needed growth in movie attendance arising from early and legitimate access to movies due to decreased digital pirated material from illegal camcords," said Vic Cabrera, managing director for Columbia Pictures, Philippines and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Philippines.
"Improved returns in movie industry investments will encourage the private sector to pump much needed capital back to the industry," he said.
According to him, "additional capital will provide more resources that will help prepare our theaters to accept global state of the art formats (digital and 3D) as well as enable local producers to continue to produce commercial movies in various formats and standards acceptable globally."
Introduced by Rep. Irwin Tieng and sponsored by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Manuel Roxas II, the law is expected to boost the local movie industry, which suffered huge revenue losses from the copying and proliferation of pirated DVD and CD movies.
Under the new law, the Philippine National Police with the National Bureau of Investigation, the Optical Media Board, the National Cinema Association of the Philippines and its member exhibitors, and owners of cinematographic films or audiovisual work and other soundtracks would enforce its provisions.
With the Anti-Camcording Law in place, any person caught using or attempting to use an audiovisual recording device to transmit or make a copy of any part of a performance in an exhibition facility of any cinematographic film or other audiovisual work will be charged with a fine of P50,000 to P750, 000 or $ 1,000 to $17,000 and given jail terms of six months and one day to six years and one day.
The Anti-Camcording Law will be considered effective and in force 15 days after the publication of the Act and its provisions. With strict enforcement of the law’s provisions and with the full government and industry support, it is expected to effectively bolster anti-piracy efforts in the region.
"With this development, we can all look forward to a stronger movie industry, ensuring the livelihoods of all industry participants, from cinema operators, to film producers and distributors, and the assurance that Filipino moviegoers will continue to have access to quality local and foreign movies in state-of-the-art cinemas," said Francis Soliven, general manager of Warner Brothers Philippines and 20th Century Fox Philippines. —VS
