Landbank, Malate, Manila
19 March 2014
President Benigno S. Aquino III graced the first Pinoy Music Summit 2014 organized by different groups, stakeholders and artists calling to revitalize the Original Pilipino Music (OPM) industry held at the Landbank Plaza in Malate, Manila.
President Aquino mentioned several government initiatives in support to the OPM and Philippine cinema through an anti-piracy campaign headed by the Optical Media Board (OMB), which he added has confiscated more than P9.1 million from 2011 to 2013. Collaborative efforts between OMB, Philippine National Police (PNP) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) have also resulted in clearing 2,705 establishments selling pirated CDs and DVDs.
The President also cited the Executive Order 225 signed by President Cory Aquino in 1987 that directed all radio stations to play a minimum of four OPM songs per hour to promote local music.
He added that the World Intellectual Property Organization Internet Treaties is now being implemented, ordering all nations to come up with a framework of basic rights that will be the guidelines for proper compensation of artists for their creative work.
“Hangga’t may kababayan tayong lumilikha ng awiting may himig, laman, at ritmong tugma sa kaisipan, kultura at damdaming Pilipino; hangga’t may mga kompanya at organisasyong naniniwala at handang mamuhunan sa talentadong Pilipino; hangga’t nariyan ang sambayanan, nakikinig at tumatangkilik sa sa sarili nating musika, at buo ang suporta sa buong industriya — kumpiyansa akong hindi tayo mauubusan ng mga komposisyong kukurot, kikiliti, magpapakilig, magpapa-indak o magpapaalab, hindi lamang sa damdaming Pilipino, kundi maging sa buong mundo,” he said.
Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr. has recently filed a house bill called the Development Act of 2014, creating tax incentives to radio and television networks that will help promote music following E.O. 225 of 1987. It also seeks a reciprocal equity fee to foreign artists performing in the country which will be gathered to fund musically gifted Filipino children.
“OPM is dead, patay na ang musikang Pilipino,” says Noel Cabangon, musician and president of Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (FILSCAP) Inc., relating how these talks permeate in today’s social media and even in traditional media. He said that through this one-day summit, it hopes to rekindle and revive OPM’s role in cultural identification and nation-building.
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