CLASSIC Filipino films may soon be preserved and made more accessible to the public after the House Committee on Creative Industries on Monday approved the consolidation of House Bills Nos. 5053 and 8298.
House Bill No. 5053 seeks to establish a National Film Archive of the Philippines, while House Bill No. 8298 proposes the establishment of a Film Restoration Program for classic films under the proposed “Film Development Council of the Philippines Act of 2026.”
Committee Chairperson and Negros Occidental Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez underscored the need to modernize the “Film Development Council of the Philippines Act of 2002,” noting that significant changes have taken place in the film industry since its enactment.
According to Benitez, the growing popularity of streaming platforms has opened new opportunities to better support the Philippine film industry.
In the explanatory note of House Bill No. 5053, Camarines Sur Rep. Luigi Villafuerte, one of the principal authors of the measure, said the proposed National Film Archive of the Philippines would be mandated to formulate and implement programs for the archival administration of cinematographic films, as well as the acquisition of digital masters and film prints with enduring archival value.
Villafuerte added that conducting archival research would help ensure the systematic preservation and archiving of Filipino films.
In sponsoring House Bill No. 8298, Batangas Rep. Ryan Recto said the measure aims to restore classic films and make them accessible to the public through museums, digital platforms, and other avenues.
He said the films covered by the program would remain subject to existing copyright laws, ensuring that future generations would have the opportunity to view and appreciate them as cultural assets.
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe expressed support for the measures, citing the challenges involved in archiving and restoring old films, particularly due to high maintenance costs.
“With these measures in place, it will greatly help Filipino filmmakers in conserving their works in their original form,” Poe said.
Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez also expressed support for the proposed measures. He recalled seeing old film negatives being used as improvised noisemakers during the holiday season.
Gomez lamented the neglect of old films, noting that the destruction of remaining film negatives could result in the permanent loss of valuable cultural assets.
