Amid COVID-19 pandemic, DOTr activates 3 ports as crew change hubs in one month

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Subic Bay Freeport Zone starts as hub today, August 22

Facing restrictions imposed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the country’s maritime industry, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), through its Maritime Sector, is now activating crew change hubs to address the global need for fresh crew of ships operated by around 1.5 million seafarers, 378,000 or 25% of which are Filipinos.

“This month alone, the DOTr maritime sector was able to open and activate three crew change hubs in the country. These are located at the Port of Manila, Port of Capinpin in Bataan, and today, at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. It is my hope for the Philippines to become a major international hub for crew change,” Secretary Tugade said.

On August 19, Port Capinpin in Bataan joined the Port of Manila as a crew change hub. Other ports for activation include Batangas, Davao, and Cebu.

Crew change is essential to ensure seafarers’ safety, health, welfare and employment as they can only serve on board a vessel without leave up to a maximum of 11 months based on International Labour Organization (ILO) 2006 Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).

The activation of crew change hubs will primarily benefit seafarers, recognized globally as key workers, who are stranded onboard ships with expired contracts due to travel restrictions aimed to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

“To guarantee that the health and safety of seafarers and the public are protected while we work on this endeavor, the DOTr and its attached agencies are activating hubs in close coordination with various government agencies and units involved in crew changes,” OIC-Assistant Secretary for Maritime Vice Admiral Narciso Vingson, Jr. said.

Today, August 22, the DOTr, through the Office for Transportation Security (OTS), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) also activated the Subic Bay Freeport Zone as a crew change hub. This is made possible after series of consultations with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the local government of Zambales, Bataan and Olongapo City.

OTS Administrator and Head of the One-Stop Shop (OSS) Undersecretary Raul Del Rosario revealed that under IATF Resolution No. 53, Subic Bay is actually identified as one of the crew change hubs in the country.

“The strategic location of Subic Bay makes it ideal for crew changes due to its proximity to countries with high trading activities. The maritime industry in the area is also actively performing, with excellent port facilities and safe harbor to serve the needs of internationally-flagged vessels. Basically, Subic Bay can offer everything shipping principals are looking for in a crew change hub. We have also established the One-Stop Shop (OSS) to ensure that the health requirements are met,” Usec Del Rosario noted.

For his part, PCG Commandant Admiral George Ursabia Jr. said that the crew change hub abides by the established health and quarantine protocols of the Department of Health (DOH).

“The DOTr Team, composed of the Central Office, OTS, PCG and MARINA, has also been meeting with the DOH, Bureau of Immigration (BI), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and SBMA to ensure that the hub will conform with all requirements, especially health and safety protocols including quarantine procedures. To ensure the smooth flow of operations, we have conducted a dry run which was witnessed by the public,” PCG Admiral Ursabia Jr. said.

Meanwhile, MARINA Administrator Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad underscored the need to establish crew change hubs in the country especially now that there is a pandemic.

“This has been a significant cause of worry, as seafarers of all nationalities are already experiencing immense physical and mental fatigue brought on by overstaying onboard ships at sea. If this continues, delivery of essential cargo will be affected. Having crew change hubs in the country will solve this problem and give our seafarers the advantage of swift processing due to the established protocols,” Administrator Empedrad highlighted.

Aside from facilitating the transfer of stranded marine personnel off their vessels because of the pandemic, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago likewise stated that crew change hubs in the country are also expected to generate economic activities and revenues in the areas where they are located, with the collection of port dues and charges from ship dockage or anchorage.

“By becoming a crew change capital of the world, we would not only prime up our seafaring and maritime industry. We also expect to boost our hospitality industry,” GM Santiago emphasized.

In the last four months, a total of 734 ships docked or anchored in the Port of Manila for the purposes of crew change. A total of 34,000 seafarers were served, wherein 28,000 seafarers disembarked while 5,800 joined the ships.

For ship turnaround, cargo ships usually stay for about 6 to 12 hours while cruise ships stay for a week up to a month if they serve as quarantine facilities.

“We can look forward to the same maritime traffic in other hubs as more foreign shipping principals are expected to patronize our ports for crew change. Aside from opening our ports for crew change, the Joint Circular for Green Lane for seafarers provide speedy movements of seafarers in our country. Three major shipping companies of Japan already bannered our green lane program in the conduct of crew change. We expect other flags to follow their lead,” GM Santiago added.

*Photo credit to MB

FDCP’s FilmPhilippines Awards First Cycle of Applications to Its Brand New Film Incentives

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The first cycle of application of the Film Location Incentive Program (FLIP)
and the International Co-production Fund (ICOF), since their launch in January 2020, leads to four awardees.

Four international productions, with two shot in the Philippines and another two co-produced with a Philippine company, are the first recipients of incentives from the FilmPhilippines Office (FPO) of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

Through the Film Location Incentive Program (FLIP), the Filipino line producers of “Almost Paradise” and “Survivor Russia” will receive a 20% cash rebate on their Qualified Philippine Production Expenses (QPPE). The minimum spending requirement is PHP 8 million.

Epicmedia is a co-producer for another ICOF recipient, “Kapag Wala Nang Mga Alon (When The Waves Are Gone)” by Lav Diaz, the acclaimed Filipino auteur recognized by the Berlin, Locarno, and Venice International Film Festivals. Snowglobe from Denmark and Films Boutique from France are also producers. Diaz’s latest film, a revenge drama with locations in Lisbon, Portugal and Manila and Tagaytay in the Philippines, will receive PHP 6 million. Snowglobe produced “BezBog” which made it to Locarno and Toronto while Films Boutique produced the Academy Awards-shortlisted film, “Bird of Passage.” Diaz and Epicmedia worked together on Berlinale Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize Winner “Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis (A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery).”

FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño-Seguerra is grateful for the support of international production companies that took a chance on FilmPhilippines and trusted the Filipino film and audiovisual industry. “The goal of these incentives is to open up the industry for collaboration with the rest of the world, for people to discover how talented we are, how good we are in providing service, and how the Philippines can be a global creative hub for films,” she remarked.

“We need to highlight what sets the Philippines apart from the rest of Asia: English is a second language to us. That's a significant advantage. We are also flexible when it comes to accommodating sudden changes in production. We certainly make things happen,” added Diño-Seguerra.

On top of the financial incentives provided by FLIP and ICOF, the FPO has a third incentive called Film Location Engagement Desk (FLEX), which assists local and foreign productions in all government transactions. FLEX also endorses international productions to Filipino producers and production companies that are duly registered with FDCP’s National Registry.

Among the projects that have received assistance from the FLEX incentive are “Survivor Europe” and feature film “CounterPlay.” “Survivor Europe” is produced by Banijay with local line producer Philippine Film Studios, Inc. while the action thriller “CounterPlay,” directed by Pedring Lopez and starring Hollywood actor Sam Worthington, is produced by MAM Media (Pte.) Ltd. of the US with BlackOps Studios Asia, Inc. as the local line producer.

The US television/video on demand (VOD) series “Almost Paradise” is the first FLIP recipient. It wrapped up production in Mactan Island, Cebu province just before the community quarantine was imposed nationwide. Directed by awarded director/producer Dean Devlin (“Independence Day”, “Geo-Storm”, “Universal Soldier”, etc.), the action-drama on the adventures of a former US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agent who moved to the Philippines had 10 episodes that aired on WGN America. The US production under Electric Entertainment had Philippine broadcasting giant ABS-CBN Corporation as its line producer.

Even before the creation of FLIP, the Philippines is no stranger to the “Survivor” reality TV series, with several episodes and editions filmed in the Southeast Asian country’s pristine beaches. This year, “Survivor Russia” filmed 13 episodes in El Nido, Palawan province. Mastiff Russia, with Managing Director Anton Goreslavsky and General Producer Cyril Lounkevitch, partnered with Philippine Film Studios, Inc., which was involved in “Survivor Finland,” “Survivor Israel,” and “Born on the Fourth of July,” which won the Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Director for Oliver Stone.

As for the select International Co-production Fund (ICOF), full length feature films can receive up to PHP 10 million. Filipino companies in a co-production agreement with international counterparts with at least PHP 5 million worth of QPPE are qualified to apply for the ICOF.

The supernatural thriller “Nocebo” by Lorcan Finnegan will get PHP 6.5 million from the ICOF. Set in Ireland and the Philippines, the film revolves around the revenge story of a Filipino helper against an Irish family. It is a co-production among Wild Swim Films from the UK, Epicmedia Productions, Inc. from the Philippines, and Lovely Productions from Ireland. Wild Swim’s filmography includes BAFTA Outstanding Debut by a British Writer winner “Under the Shadow” while Epicmedia produced the Venice Orizzonti Prize recipient “Engkwentro” by Pepe Diokno. Lovely Productions, which Finnegan set up with Steven Courtney and Brunella Cocchiglia, produced Finnegan’s “Without Name” and “Vivarium” which had a Cannes premiere.

Epicmedia is a co-producer for another ICOF recipient, “Kapag Wala Nang Mga Alon (When The Waves Are Gone)” by Lav Diaz, the acclaimed Filipino auteur recognized by the Berlin, Locarno, and Venice International Film Festivals. Snowglobe from Denmark and Films Boutique from France are also producers. Diaz’s latest film, a revenge drama with locations in Lisbon, Portugal and Manila and Tagaytay in the Philippines, will receive PHP 6 million. Snowglobe produced “BezBog” which made it to Locarno and Toronto while Films Boutique produced the Academy Awards-shortlisted film, “Bird of Passage.” Diaz and Epicmedia worked together on Berlinale Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize Winner “Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis (A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery).”

FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño-Seguerra is grateful for the support of international production companies that took a chance on FilmPhilippines and trusted the Filipino film and audiovisual industry. “The goal of these incentives is to open up the industry for collaboration with the rest of the world, for people to discover how talented we are, how good we are in providing service, and how the Philippines can be a global creative hub for films,” she remarked.

“We need to highlight what sets the Philippines apart from the rest of Asia: English is a second language to us. That's a significant advantage. We are also flexible when it comes to accommodating sudden changes in production. We certainly make things happen,” added Diño-Seguerra.

On top of the financial incentives provided by FLIP and ICOF, the FPO has a third incentive called Film Location Engagement Desk (FLEX), which assists local and foreign productions in all government transactions. FLEX also endorses international productions to Filipino producers and production companies that are duly registered with FDCP’s National Registry.

Among the projects that have received assistance from the FLEX incentive are “Survivor Europe” and feature film “CounterPlay.” “Survivor Europe” is produced by Banijay with local line producer Philippine Film Studios, Inc. while the action thriller “CounterPlay,” directed by Pedring Lopez and starring Hollywood actor Sam Worthington, is produced by MAM Media (Pte.) Ltd. of the US with BlackOps Studios Asia, Inc. as the local line producer.

To be the next FilmPhilippines incentive recipient, enter the Cycle 3 application that will run from September 1 to November 27, 2020. The application period remains up and running amid the pandemic to provide support for filmmakers affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The Cycle 3 is the last chance for productions to apply for the FLIP, ICOF, and FLEX this year. Grab the chance to shoot or work in the Philippines or be in a co-production with a Filipino company, and experience the ease and wonder of filmmaking with the incentives of FDCP’s FilmPhilippines.

Buknoy Glamurr: Influencer or Clout Chaser, Awra Reacts

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Walking the streets at night with a black shiny dress violating health and safety quarantine protocols - not wearing a mask, and shouting, cursing and everything! Scripted or not, it is unbecoming of a so called influencer.

Is it a trend to be ignorant on social media then make an apology video afterwards?

Kailan pa naging tama yung hindi paggamit ng facemask sa labas at paggala ng may curfew at paglabas ng minor ?

I’m against sa mga hate tweets about Buknoy pero sana magreflect rin siya for his or her own growth. It's not defamation. It's pointing out what she or he did wrong.

Isn't he or she ashamed of herself or himself  for being so irresponsible social media influencer? He or she doesn't even deserve to be one.

Palagi niyang scapegoat yung “di ako perfect” at “God bless”.

Kelan siya magbabago? Kelan siya magiging mabait?  Kelan niya aayusin buhay niya?

*Adding fuel to the fire po. Ayan tinulungan na kita ah. Synonyms daw po kasi ang flame and fire. Ayan naloka na sya pati grammar namali na.

And what's this about his or her quarrel with another bayot?

Instead of public apology for the video, you're now saying that Awra is dragging you down? and BTW what's with the "kala mo ang ganda"? Isn't that a real "dragging down" thing? Before uttering/posting such words, make sure it ain't reflecting to you, dear.

Real success begins when you start acknowledging your mistakes and learn from them. And more than that, you should start DOING actions. Hindi 'yung kino-contradict mo 'yung sarili mong mantra. Nakakasuka na, sis.

I’m not a fan of Awra, but I’ll choose her overy Buknoy. Wala pang mga pills yan ha.

Awra is  a natural public figure, he or she has the proper behavior should an influencer possess.

I think Awra shouldn't mind this freaking feeling privilege Buknoy. I mean, girl DON'T STOOP DOWN TO HIS LEVEL!! Remember, you have some class and elegance while him or her, he'll or she'll going to be that stupid TRASH!!

@buknoyglamurrrr  is not an influencer.
HE'S A CLOUT CHASER!

This personality is NOT a public figure he is just a pa famous and wanna be that people love to hate. Stop supporting this person if we really want to get rid of him.

People be hating on Macoy Dubs for the wholesome Auntie Julie content, pero tangina si Buknoy Glamurrr na unabashedly problematic yung value system sa content nya, at si Wil Dasovich na takot manindigan as an influencer, me mga enablers pa.

Social media, you can be so problematic sometimes.

The only content we should cancel are content that are exploitative, unapologetically politically or socially incorrect, fake news, state-sponsored propaganda, or content that go against the very core our humanity.

Someone take Buknoy's phone away from him or her and take away his or her access from social media, please. Someone do it. I can not take this problematic content anymore.