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Migz bats for a 2nd film festival

Senatoriable Migz Zubiri has a soft spot for the showbiz industry and its workers since he once hosted the show “Team Explorer” for years on ABS-CBN.

He wants to provide steadier employment for movie workers by launching a second film festival besides the annual Metro Manila Filmfest (MMFF), and he is looking at June 2014 as the launch date of the mid-year event.

“Plano na namin ni direk Joel (Lamangan) yan. Naudlot kasi nag-resign ako ng maaga (as senator),” he said at the presentation of the 15 graduating scholars of the Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Pelukulang Pilipino (NMPP). Zubiri gave educational grants to the scholars through his Priority Development Association Fund.

Zubiri revealed that he already spoke with PAGCOR officials for possible sponsorship of the mid-year filmfest. He added that he can ask his friends from politics and business to sponsor the filmfest.

“Maybe we can ask MVP (business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan), na ninong ko sa kasal,” he goes on.

Zubiri believes a second filmfest will boost the dying local film industry and give jobs, especially to small movie workers like the cameramen, production assistants, stuntmen and other crew members.

“Ang kagandahan nito may assurance of work ang mga kababayan natin (sa pelikula).”

Zubiri also noted that one can’t beat strong competition from big-budget and better-produced foreign films by limiting their entry into the Philippine market. The solution, he explained, lies in increasing the number of film festivals devoted to local cinema.

“Walang foreign film na papasok for two to three weeks. Panay Pinoy lang talaga. That’s a much better incentive.”

The former senator is also eyeing the development of a showbiz village for movie workers somewhere in Metro Manila.

He said that the low-cost housing program will benefit most of the NMPP’s 2,000 members, who can avail of loans to help them pay for their future homes.

The 15 NMPP scholars are Jennifer Manlutac, Joan Guevarra, Dave Gabad, Christine Joy Paloma, Dickson So, Vincent Nota, Rose Ann Riyos, Lara Bahian, John Christ Magcamit, Rolly Ruta, Sailit Toporcadillo, Pamela Jane Riego, Bryan Daguyo, Victor Paloma and Ramon Esperanza.

The eldest, award-winning sound engineer Rolly Ruta, is 67 while the youngest is 17.

Ruta said the scholarship made him learn the new digital technology used in filmmaking. This, in turn, kept him gainfully employed.

Among the showbiz personalities who attended the affair to support Zubiri are Lamangan, Rez Cortez, Soxie Topacio, Amay Bisaya and writer-actress Raquel Villavicencio.

Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed.