The Butcher | No need to worry about Korean invasion, unless led by Kim Jong-un

There was a time I flew Korean Airlines simply because I enjoyed its in-flight movies. I found the materials of these films original – with every twist and turn of the stories truly riveting.     

But now, Korean entertainment is all over and very accessible. It has become a global phenomenon. The Korean film Parasite even won Oscar best picture in 2019!   

The past week saw Senator Jinggoy Estrada getting the flak for thinking aloud about the possibility of banning Korean features in the Philippines. To be fair to him, he was just venting his frustration – disappointed over the fact that Philippine television and local cinema couldn’t even come close to Korean entertainment’s success. This happened during the budget hearing at the Senate for the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), now ably headed by actor Tirso Cruz III.     

No, Senator Jinggoy wasn’t going to file a bill banning Korean films and series in the Philippines. He just wishes he could do so because he feels the Korean invasion is hurting Philippine entertainment.     

I did not get to read all the comments on social media, but – as expected – there were a few questioning Senator Jinggoy’s acting abilities. Again, to be fair to him, he matured as an actor in the latter part of his acting career. So far, he has garnered two Gawad Urian nominations: for Jose Javier Reyes’ Katas ng Saudi, a comedy drama about returning OFWs, and Mel Chionglo’s Bente, a political thriller that was one of the more socially relevant films in 2009.

It was his father, Joseph Estrada, who contributed a lot more to the local motion picture industry – both artistically and, well, financially. He established the MOWELFUND, which provides monetary and even burial assistance to cash-strapped movie workers. How many times did he bail out this organization in the past?  

Joseph Estrada may have been chased out of Malacañang in 2001, but he still deserves a lot of respect as an actor and producer. Had his reputation not been tainted due to politics, he could have been made National Artist for Film – maybe even ahead of Fernando Poe, Jr. His movies always bore sentiments of the Filipino urban poor.     

Ironically enough, Joseph Estrada entered the movie scene at a time when Filipino filmmakers turned to Korea for artistic inspiration. It was then a nation in turmoil and our screenwriters lost no time mining the drama of the Korean population.     

It was the height of the Korean war and the Philippines had troops fighting there. Yes, we were involved in their war.     

Rosa Rosal, then at her most curvaceous, even became the Pinoy soldiers’ poster girl. It was her pictures that helped ward off their loneliness while fighting in Korea.     

In Lamberto Avellana’s Anak-Dalita, Rosal’s leading man, Tony Santos, plays a Korean War veteran who has a lot of inner conflicts after losing one hand during battle. This now-classic film is regarded as one of the best Filipino movies of all time.     

There’s also Korea, which chronicles Benigno Aquino. Jr.’s journalistic exploits during the Korean War. Nida Blanca plays a Korean lass in this movie, which gave her the best supporting actress trophy in the first ever FAMAS Awards.     

Basically forgotten is 1956’s Ulilang Bituin. Directed by Susana de Guzman, it tells the story of a Korean War bride (Charito Solis) brought home by her Filipino soldier husband, played by Mario Montenegro. Her life becomes miserable because Montenegro’s mother, Rosa Aguirre, refuses to accept her as a daughter-in-law.  

In many of the dramatic confrontations, Aguirre simply addresses her as “Koreana.” “Hoy, Koreana,” she snarls at her – like it’s a shame to be Korean.     

Half a century later, Filipino fans now idolize Korean artists – copying their fashion sense and hairstyle. Korean dramas are now part of the Pinoy’s regular entertainment fare.     

Everything started with Korean music not so long ago. And then, the networks began to Tagalize Korean dramas. There’s was no turning back after that. These days, the various entertainment platforms online make it possible for anyone in the world to access anything Korean.     

So what happened? Why did Philippine entertainment fall so low – even our major actors look up to Korean stars and openly flaunt their admiration for K-pop groups?     

Korean entertainment getting a huge chunk of the Pinoy audience should not be viewed as the problem. While Korea was at war in the 1950s, Philippine cinema was much admired in the rest of Asia. Filipino artists were always a force to contend with at the Asian Film Festival.     

But everything began to spiral down for local movies when the Philippine government started to turn the entertainment industry into a convenient cash cow. Even in the mid-1960s, the Philippine cinema was already being bled dry in terms of onerous taxes. The Filipino artist was taxed for everything and for his every move. Every roll of film the director used had a corresponding amount of tax.     

When the E-VAT was launched during the time of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, among the first batch of people to be subjected to this kind of taxation were TV and movie stars. That new tax law saw the need for most celebrities to keep their own accountants on a retainer basis – unlike in the past when they could file their income tax on their own every April 15.     

The one good thing the government did for the industry was the creation of the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB). Established under the umbrella organization of the FDCP, the CEB’s original function was to give tax rebates to quality Filipino films.     

A graded A movie was entitled to a 100% rebate on amusement taxes. Another film project could actually be bankrolled with the money from that rebate, especially if the graded A picture turned out to be a blockbuster hit.        

But trust politicians to spoil everything for the industry. A congressman pretended to play hero by filing a bill lowering the taxes for motion pictures – both local and foreign.     

Did Filipino producers jump up and down with joy? Not necessarily so. That bill brought more benefits for foreign films. As it turned out, the family of that lawmaker was involved in distribution of foreign movies.     

Another problem of the CEB was that some cities and municipalities didn’t want to comply with the law and refused to turn over the amusement taxes to the producers even if their films were entitled to rebates. And now, the CEB had been left useless. Some powerful people lobbied for CEB to lose its teeth and perform its original function of giving tax rebates to outstanding films.      

And so, do you still wonder why local movies couldn’t keep up with the standards set by Korean pictures?     

In Korea, the entertainment industry is fully supported by the government. This is the reason why Korean movies and series have such enviable production values. And now, the entire South Korea is benefiting from the seeds sown by the government.     

No, we shouldn’t fear the Korean invasion. The Koreans are not the villains. The enemy is from within.

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