“We want to do a big historical film every year with possibly a Hollywood actor in it so we can also distribute it abroad and not just locally,” he says. “We have to tell the story of our forgotten heroes as this will be significant in reviving nationalism, especially among the millennials today na hindi alam kung ano ang pinanggalingan nila. Most of them are not proud of their heritage and we cannot blame them kasi hindi nila alam masyado ang ating history. So we want to start with Sultan Kudarat, the one sultan in Mindanao who was never conquered by the Spaniards in the 1700s.
The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) honored 10 Filipino-made and two foreign-crafted movies for their valuable contributions to the country’s tourism. Cesar Montano acknowledged the efforts of Filipino directors as well as the staff and crew of all the participating films that were shown in 2016 and 2017.
He says: “Sa mga nakaraang taon, nakita natin kung paano napupunuan at natutulungan ng pelikula ang industriya ng turismo. Kami na po sa TPB ang unang kikilala sa mga benepisyong kayang anihin from Film Tourism: increased revenues for tourist attractions; jobs for locals; patronage of local food and handicrafts.”
The 10 Filipino-made films honored during the first are: 1) “Sakaling Hindi Makarating” by Director Ice Idanan that features scenes from Ilocos, Siquijor, Batanes, and Zamboanga; 2) “Lakbay2Love” by Director Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil that showcases Timberland Heights, and Benguet ; 3) “Paglipay” by Director Zig Dulay that was set in the mountains of Zambales; 4) “Camp Sawi” by Director Irene Villamor, filmed in Bantayan Island; 5) “Patay na si Hesus” by Director Victor Villanueva; 6) “Apocalypse Child” by Director Mario Cornejo that features Baler; 7) “Siargao” by Director Paul Soriano, which showcases the island of the same name; 8) “I Found My Heart in Santa Fe” by Director Bona Fajardo, set in Santa Fe in Cebu; 9) “Requited” by Director Nerissa Picadizo, which features Mt. Pinatubo; and 10) “Kiko Boksingero” by Director ThopNazareno that was filmed in Baguio. The South Korean films “Mango Tree” directed by Lee Song-Sung that was shot in Cebu and “Romantic Island” by Cheol Woo Kang which was shot in Boracay received special CineTurismo citations.
