MANILA, Philippines?We?re glad that former president and film icon Joseph Estrada recently went out of his way to remind his industry colleagues of the original reason for putting up the Manila (now Metro Manila) Film Festival in the ?70s. Joseph should know, because he was the one who initiated the Filipino film showcase, along with then Manila Mayor Antonio J. Villegas.

The Manila film fest was initially opposed by powerful distributors of US films and some theater owners, because it required moviehouses to show only Filipino productions during the lucrative Christmas play dates.

New lease

But Estrada and Villegas stuck to their guns ? and, a good thing, too, because we can say with no exaggeration that the Manila Film Festival gave local films a new lease on life that led to a new golden age for the entire industry.

Truth to tell, before the festival, only a few theaters regularly showed Filipino films, while imported movies lorded it over the theater circuits. The festival challenged our filmmakers and producers to come up with their best films, and that?s exactly what they did.

At first, movie people were afraid that viewers would snub the films they made for the exclusive cinematic showcase, since watching local movies in the ?70s was thought to be baduy.

But, thanks to the ?surprisingly? high quality of the movies that were showcased in the first Manila Film Festival, local viewers surprised Filipino film people in turn by warmly embracing the movies they made for the festival, which turned out to be a big hit.

At about that time, Joseph and other industry icons also put up the Movie Workers? Welfare Institute (Mowelfund). Since we were writing scripts for him at the time, he asked us to co-direct (with National Artist Lamberto V. Avellana) the first Mowelfund fundraiser at the Araneta Coliseum, which also turned out to be a hit and raised a lot of money for the new welfare organization.

So, those early years of Mowelfund and the Manila Film Festival were ?symbiotically? fruitful and productive, with high standards being set and badly-needed funds being raised. It was a great pity, therefore, that, years later, the Metro Manila Film Festival lowered its standards, became too shallowly commercial, and lost its original focus on raising money for Mowelfund due to the cupidity of some politicians and industry ?leaders.?

Disappointment

Estrada, too, was disappointed, and said that, if he had his way, the management of the MMFF would be brought back to the Film Academy of the Philippines, where it properly belongs.

Needless to say, the lion?s share of the festival?s income should go back to Mowelfund, which is in dire financial straits and has a hard time attending to the medical and financial needs of the many film people and their families who depend on it for succor and surcease.

Estrada also made our day by recalling that the Manila Film Festival was created to showcase the best movies that Filipino filmmakers were capable of producing, not the most shallowly commercial. We trust that, whoever wins in this year?s polls, he will take that urgent reminder to heart.