"eSave Natin ang Pasko" fundraising campaign to support children’s learning needs

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Christmas is the most awaited season for most Filipinos, especially children, but the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the way the upcoming holidays will be celebrated—it’s going digital!

Save the Children Philippines is launching e-Save Natin ang Pasko, an online fundraising campaign that encourages everyone to unite in saving the Christmas spirit through a series of joyous and meaningful activities to provide joy and hope to children. These include 22 million learners, who have been experiencing major challenges such as the lack of access to learning materials and internet connection, as they struggle to learn from home.

The proceeds of the Christmas fundraising campaign will support the learning needs of children in poor households in Metro Manila, typhoon-stricken places in Eastern Visayas, and the conflict-affected areas in Mindanao. It will also support children with disabilities, those from indigenous communities and from hard to reach areas.

“Even if classes are conducted through distance learning or will resume via face-to-face, millions of children will still need our support as they continue to be deprived of their right to education since their families do not have the means to support their learning needs,” said Atty. Alberto Muyot, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Philippines.

e-Save Natin ang Pasko also promotes the importance of a nurturing home through the “Mapagkalingang Tahanan” advocacy – where every member of the family, especially children, receives the support they need so they learn, survive, and are protected.

“Mapagkalingang Tahanan” emphasizes the critical role of parents, guardians, and caregivers in the continued learning of children and aims to provide them the knowledge and skills to facilitate their children’s learning.

Also, in keeping with the tradition of Christmas caroling, e-Save Natin ang Pasko features “Namamasko po!” – a fun group activity by schools, families, and companies showcasing their musical talent and creativity.

eSave Natin ang Pasko will be highlighted by a digital concert “Awit para sa mga Bata” in December where famous singers will serenade the audience in the Philippines and those living abroad with Christmas songs. The digital concert will be produced by prominent theater artists Menchu Lauchengco Yulo and Michael Williams, together with Save the Children Philippines’ Bianca Elizalde.
Donors and participants who will pledge their support to eSave Natin ang Pasko will receive tokens of appreciation and a chance to be featured on the social media pages of Save the Children and its Ambassadors Katarina Rodriguez, Xia Vigor, and Ria Atayde.

“Education empowers children especially those in dire situations, and supporting their learning needs will save their lives and their future,” said Muyot.

FDCP Leads Philippine Delegation to Busan International Film Festival 2020

Wazzup Pilipinas!

FDCP to sponsor the “Screen Talk: Asian Production Bounces Back” webinar on October 26 and host the virtual Philippine Cinema Night on October 27

Four films, one film project, and 10 production companies are among the representatives of Philippine Cinema in the 25th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea.

“Death of Nintendo” by Raya Martin, “Cleaners” by Karl Glenn Barit, “How to Die Young in Manila” by Petersen Vargas, and “Kids on Fire” by Kyle Nieva are part of the BIFF Official Selection.

Sheron Dayoc’s “6th Finger” is the only Filipino project in Busan this year while 10 production companies are part of the Philippine Pavilion spearheaded by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

The FDCP is also the organizer of the Philippine Cinema Night as well as the sponsor of the webinar “Screen Talk: Asian Production Bounces Back” featuring FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño as one of the speakers.

“The Busan International Film Festival has been a crucial platform for the global track of the Filipino film industry. This year, the FDCP continues to be one with the BIFF in promoting Asian Cinema especially amid the COVID-19 crisis,” said Diño.

The BIFF, which runs from October 21 to 30, has limited film screenings in Busan while the programs and events concurrent with the festival have been migrated online.

Filipino films show unique local flavor

Of the 192 films in the BIFF Official Selection, the Philippines is represented by two full-length features and two short films. The four Filipino titles have one screening each at the Busan Cinema Center.

“Death of Nintendo” by Raya Martin, a Philippines-United States production that had its world premiere in Berlinale 2020, is part of the A Window on Asian Cinema section together with Karl Glenn Barit’s “Cleaners,” which had its international premiere in Busan on October 21. 

Both coming-of-age films were selected for A Window on Asian Cinema to demonstrate different visions and styles of filmmakers from Asia. “Death of Nintendo” will be shown at the Haneulyeon Theater on October 27.

The two Filipino shorts, “How to Die Young in Manila” by Petersen Vargas and “Kids on Fire” by Kyle Nieva, are in the Asian Short Film Competition of the Wide Angle section for short films, experimental films, and documentaries that show a vast range of cinematic viewpoints and a marked vision.

“How to Die Young in Manila” will have its world premiere on October 28 while “Kids on Fire” will be shown on October 29. Both shorts, which also deal with the struggles and issues concerning the youth, will be screened in Cinema 2. 

Asian Project Market seeks to boost international collaborations

The FDCP wishes to promote technical and cultural exchanges among local filmmakers and their global counterparts, and one way of doing so is through project market participations.

The Asian Project Market (APM), which will be held online from October 26 to 28, gathers emerging filmmakers of feature film projects so that they can meet international investors, producers, and distributors and land co-production opportunities.

Lone Filipino project “6th Finger,” which has Sheron Dayoc as director and Alemberg Ang as producer, aims to garner international partnerships while it is still in the development stage. 

The project under VY/AC Productions and Southern Lantern Studios revolves around a 10-year old boy with a sixth finger, who has been subjected to bullying. He comes from a remote village where a mysterious plague takes the lives of children.

QuaranCinema at Philippine Cinema Night




Another online event of the FDCP during the BIFF is the Philippine Cinema Night on October 27. This Zoom conference will gather government guests, filmmakers, and local and international industry movers in celebration of the Filipino film industry’s participation in BIFF.

Welcoming Addresses will be delivered by Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez and Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat while the Opening Address is courtesy of FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

Through the Philippine Cinema Night, the FDCP will recognize the filmmakers who made it to the prestigious BIFF Official selection as well as the APM participants and ACFM delegates.

Moreover, the FDCP will have a presentation on QuaranCinema Productions, which are Philippine works that were ideated, created, and screened during the pandemic lockdown. The short film “Heneral Rizal” of Tanghalang Pilipino and Voyage Studios and the online series “Taguan” of TBA Studios are among the featured works.

Other QuaranCinema Productions are “Lolo Doc, Lola Doc & Ang Dalawang Junior” of Tanghalang Pilipino and Voyage Studios, “Pamanang Pahina” of Tanghalang Pilipino and Anino Shadowplay Collective, “Oh My Sexual” of Taurean Pictures and Greenlight Studios, “Hello, Stranger” of Black Sheep, and “Gaya Sa Pelikula” of Globe Studios.




Launching the ASEAN Co-production Fund in Busan

Another highlight of the Philippine Cinema Night is the presentation of the ASEAN Co-production Fund (ACOF), the latest initiative of the FDCP’s FilmPhilippines Incentives Program.

This selective fund will grant up to USD 150,000 to feature film co-productions of companies from the Philippines with companies from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). ACOF flyers are also made available at the virtual Philippine Pavilion at the ACFM.

The ACOF launch shows how the BIFF has been a crucial platform for the global track of Philippine Cinema. In 2018, the Philippines was named as the Country of Focus while in 2019, the FDCP launched the “Let’s Create Together!” campaign, a partnership with the DOT.




How Asian Cinema is coping with the pandemic

Finally, the FDCP is the sponsor of the ScreenDaily Talks Live Q&A series webinar entitled “Screen Talk: Asian Production Bounces Back.” It will feature FDCP Chairperson Diño, Singaporean producer and screenwriter Jeremy Chua, South Korean producer Kim Hyo-jeong, and Hong Kong-based producer and production director Jacqueline Liu.

The “Screen Talk: Asian Production Bounces Back” speakers: FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño, South Korean producer Kim Hyo-jeong, Singaporean producer and screenwriter Jeremy Chua, and Hong Kong-based producer and production director Jacqueline Liu. Photo courtesy of ScreenDaily  

Diño and her fellow speakers will talk about safe filming protocols, production practices in the new normal, film financing trends in Asia, and tips on securing co-production deals during the pandemic. The ScreenDaily Talks webinar, which will be held on October 26, will have Screen International Contributing Editor Wendy Mitchell as the moderator. 

The Philippines is among the 68 countries participating in this year’s BIFF, which is among the largest and most significant film festivals in Asia. Most of the BIFF events are online along with the Asian Film Awards, Forum BIFF, and Asia Contents Awards. 

TRB: Tollway operators ready for cashless transaction; extends installation of RFID stickers beyond Nov 2

Wazzup Pilipinas!


The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) has confirmed the readiness of toll operators to implement the electronic toll collection system at their respective tollways on November 2, 2020.

Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) Executive Director Abraham Sales welcomed the readiness of the expressway operators to shift to contactless transactions, as he stressed that the directive of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) mandating the implementation of cashless toll collection takes effect on November 2 as a measure to promote contactless transactions, and as a means to ensure a more efficient flow of traffic.

ED Sales noted that although all expressways will be implementing cashless toll collections, motorists without RFID stickers will still be allowed entry to the toll plaza, but will be led to an area where their vehicles will be provided with the RFID stickers.

“It’s all systems go at the toll roads. All lanes will be RFID lanes. Those without RFID stickers will be allowed entry to the toll plaza and will be led to a nearby area for their RFID subscription before being allowed to proceed with their expressway travel. Further, to avoid overcrowding at toll plazas and to accommodate infrequent toll road users, the operators have extended the RFID installation.” Sales said.

The DOTr earlier issued Department Order 2020-012 which ordered cashless toll collections at the expressways in line with the government’s thrust to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and to facilitate ease of passage. Under the Order, the TRB, an attached agency of the DOTr, shall ensure that operators install electronic tags or other cashless systems for all motorists and motor vehicles using the expressways and transact only thru the cashless mode of payment.

MPTC operates the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX), the C5 Link and the the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) expressways. The SMC meanwhile operates the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), the Skyway System, the NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX).

MPTC extends RFID installation beyond November 2

In a statement, the MPTC said that its toll roads are ready for the electronic toll collection.

However, MPTC is aware that this is also a transition period for the motorists who have paid cash for the longest time.

Thus, motorists who will not have Easytrip RFID stickers installed by November 2 will still be allowed passage in NLEX, SCTEX, CAVITEX, C5 Link and CALAX, but will be directed to the RFID installation lanes where they can have their RFID stickers installed. The corresponding toll fee charge for their passage on that particular day will then be deducted from the initial load that they paid in getting the RFID stickers.

“We will convert some of the remaining cash lanes in all toll plazas of MPTC expressways to RFID installation lanes. At the same time, the off-site customer service stations will continue to operate and install RFID stickers,” MPTC Chief of Technology and MPT South President and General Manager Roberto V. Bontia said, adding that, “the stickers will remain to be free except for the initial load.”

This means that motorists can still have the RFID stickers installed on their vehicles even beyond November 2, 2020.

MPTC said it will open RFID installation lanes in all entry toll plazas to serve motorists who are yet to install their Easytrip RFID even after November 2. Aside from drive-thru installation lanes, other RFID installation and reloading sites in various locations will remain open. At NLEX-SCTEX, there will also be drive-thru reloading lanes in Balintawak, Mindanao, Bocaue, Angeles, and Tipo. RFID Assist Squads will also be positioned at the toll plaza to help motorists. At CALAX, tents will be installed along lanes to augment the number of booths.

The tollway company also reminds the public to avail of their Easytrip RFID stickers at authorized customer service stations, the location may be found in NLEX-SCTEX, CAVITEX-C5 Link and CALAX social media pages.

SMC-operated tollways extend RFID installation up to 30 November

Meanwhile, SMC expressways will also extend to November 30 the free installation of its Autosweep RFID stickers, as it expressed readiness to start a 100% cashless toll collection operation on Nov 2.

In a statement, the SMC said a surge in the number of motorists rushing to convert to the Autosweep RFID system have resulted in long queues at the installation stations, particularly over the past two weeks. Many motorists have yet to secure their RFID stickers, even as the date of implementation draws near, the SMC added in a statement.

For this reason, the company said it would be extending the issuance of its free RFID stickers to November 30.

“By November 2, all lanes at our toll plazas will be fully capable and converted to electronic toll collection, in full compliance with the government’s mandate. However, after careful study and deliberation, and especially in consideration of so many motorists who have not been able to secure an Autosweep RFID account because of the volume of applications we have today, we have decided to extend the deadline to November 30,” the company said in a statement.

“This means that from Nov. 2 to 30, vehicles without RFID will still be allowed to enter the expressways. Hopefully, this will give more time for motorists to get their RFID stickers,” SMC added.

SMC emphasized that November 30 will be the absolute deadline. After which, vehicles without RFID stickers will not be allowed to enter SMC-operated tollways including Skyway, SLEX, NAIAX, STAR Tollways and TPLEX.

To provide more convenience to motorists, SMC has set up installation and reloading lanes at toll plaza entry points, in addition to the installation and reloading stations already set up in strategic locations in Metro Manila and Luzon provinces.