Grace Poe Sponsors Local Film Tourism Bill

Sen. Grace Poe urged the passage of the Film Tourism bill, which promote the Philippines and create jobs and opportunities for Filipinos at the same time.

In sponsoring Senate Bill 2272, or the Film and Television Tourism Act of 2014, Poe said, "Films serve as a virtual brochure of a country. Tourists become inspired to experience the scene locations captured on films. From there, marketing opportunities are generated when the film is premiered, and, at the same time, other business opportunities also open through film tourism."

Poe, who also chairs the Senate committee on public information and mass media, proposed the creation of the Philippine Film and Television Tourism Authority (PFTTA), a one-stop-shop system for foreign film or television entities, to encourage producers to choose the country as their shooting destination and address industry concerns on ease of doing business.

The PFTTA will facilitate the promotion and marketing of the Philippines as a location site through a website or manual, providing easy access to information on how foreign productions can shoot in the country. It will also assist in the implementation of reward and incentive package for foreign production interested in shooting in the Philippines, as well as in the processing of documents and permits. "More than selling the Philippines as a tourist destination through films, the main objective of this bill is to generate more employment opportunities and jobs for our kababayans: not only as part of the technical production like actors and crew members but in the entire business services involving film production and tourism," the senator stressed.

Poe noted a spike in tourist arrivals in New Zealand following the shooting of blockbuster hits The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit in the said country. South Korea also enjoyed a boost in its tourism industry due to the popularity of Koreanovelas.

"Film tourism has been successful in boosting the tourism industry of other countries. We can also do it here if done properly. Our country is blessed with pristine white beaches and breathtaking landscapes and we have locations similar or even better than locations featured in A-list movies," Poe said.

"We should take advantage of our beautiful scenery and use it as a tool for national development," the senator ended.