Film archives building also needs preservation
Acclaimed director-screenwriter and Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chair Jose Javier Reyes did not mince words in describing the controversy surrounding the unfinished Philippine Film Heritage Building in Intramuros, Manila.
“That’s corruption and we are the victims,” he said in Filipino during the closing ceremony of Philippine Film Industry Month (PFIM) on Saturday night.
The facility, envisioned as the centerpiece of the government’s film preservation and restoration efforts, has yet to be turned over to the FDCP.
Reyes said “We have entrusted that matter to DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways).”
“I’m not hands-off, it’s just that every detail I get each day about that building drives me crazy. The workmanship is truly substandard.”
‘Substandard projects’
Reyes said the FDCP was assured the building’s turnover by the end of October. But a recent inspection showed flooding in the vaults after heavy rains and mold in the toilets.
“We haven’t moved in yet but the toilets are already molding. Where do you see that happening? It was admitted during the recent Senate hearing that all their projects are substandard,” he said.
Records from the DPWH-South Manila District Engineering Office showed the P200-million project was awarded to Great Pacific Builders and General Contractor Inc. owned by the contractor couple Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II and Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Cruz Discaya.
The couple are under investigation for their alleged involvement in anomalous multimillion-peso government flood control projects.
The Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board has already revoked the contractors’ licenses of nine of their companies.
First lady’s inspection
On Sept. 4, first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos inspected the building and called it a “rotten monument of incompetence,” citing leaks, cracks and other unfinished works.
“Leaking roofs, cracked walls, unfinished theaters, ceilings already stained with water—all in a building that hasn’t even opened. Seriously?! Have some shame! Even this, you’ve robbed of dignity,” Araneta-Marcos said on social media the day after her visit.
“Our artists deserve respect—not this rotten monument of incompetence,” she added.
Despite the setback, Reyes said the FDCP has continued to operate and Congress has already approved the agency’s budget.
Limited resources
“[But] we still need about P200 million for incentive projects and restoration. Hopefully they will give it. Of course they won’t give all of it, but hopefully something. Let’s wait and see,” he said.
He added that the agency often runs on limited resources, with Reyes himself having to frequently shoulder expenses as FDCP chair.
“For our trip to Korea [for the Busan International Film Festival], I had to use my own credit card,” he said.
Reyes added that even while abroad, the FDCP followed events at home. “We were in Busan during the Sept. 21 rallies, but we were watching. All of us at FDCP wore white in solidarity,” he said.
