Gov’t out to ‘frame’ art to serve big business

The Linangan ng Kulturang Pilipino, an organization committed to promote nationalism through arts and literature, joins workers in the music sector in opposing House Bill No. 4218 or the “OPM Development Act of 2014.”

The bill declares as policy State support for “original Filipino Music and guard against preferential treatment of foreign music in the Philippines.” This may read like a nationalist declaration but it is actually within the framework of the State’s globalization policy, as revealed by the phrase “guard against”—meaning, the State will exert its “best effort” not to allow preferential treatment, but it does not guarantee against this.

The bill’s intent is for “the promotion, protection and development of the Philippine music industry”—a phrase “that relates to the music entertainment business but does not necessarily include the musicians, songwriters, performers and other workers in the music sector.

The bill grants the organizations OPM (Original Pilipino Music) and AMP (Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino) the power to collect “equity” from foreign productions. The two organizations are not representatives of the music sector with their limited and inactive membership.

At present, OPM and AMP, by virtue of a memorandum of agreement with the Bureau of Immigration, collect fees from incoming foreign productions. However, the bigger community of workers in the music sector are unaware of how much they collect, how much has been collected, and how the funds are used.

The bill grants “additional powers and functions” to be vested on “the National Committee on Music (‘NCM’), which is under the Subcommission on the Arts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).” Among these functions is the collection of “equity fees.” This is not the concern of government. If government collects these fees, they should be called taxes. The collection of “equity fees” comes from the assertion of artists’ unions for the protection of their jobs and for their welfare.

The bill entitles “broadcasting organizations broadcasting a minimum of four (4) Original Filipino Music in every clock hour of a program to a tax credit.” This is already a law (Executive Order No. 255 series of 1987), as stated in the Explanatory Note of this bill itself. The government should hold the implementing agency of this law (the Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas) accountable instead of rewarding its members with tax credits.

This bill is yet another scheme of the State to relinquish its obligation to develop local arts and culture. Nowhere in President Aquino’s 16-Point Agenda can you find the word “art/s.” In fact, funding for government cultural institutions (e.g., CCP, national museums, etc.) has been decreased, and dependence on the NCCA for additional funds has been encouraged.

This leads us to believe that this scheme is in line with the Aquino administration’s public-private partnership policy. Under this system, artists are left to fend for themselves—to “beg” for their livelihood as artists from rich individuals and big corporations. This will oblige artists to create works of art that will spur culture that complements the needs and wants of the elite and big businesses.

We join music groups and organizations actively opposing HB 4218 and embrace their struggle for the right to organization of Philippine music artists and work force. We affirm our commitment to fight for artists,’ and the Filipino working class’ political rights, economic security and social welfare.

—JULIE L. PO, board member, Linangan ng Kulturang Pilipino