PH could be the next creative producing hub in Asia

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The Creative Content Creators' Association of the Philippines (SIKAP) and the other creative entertainment sector organizations hope to establish the Philippines as the creative producing hub in Asia and the country should grab the opportunity to penetrate the global creative entertainment market.

“We have that capacity. We have that opportunity. The time is now. The window of the world is looking at us (Southeast Asia, including the Philippines) but that window won’t be there forever,” SIKAP president Magoo Del Mundo said in his presentation during the virtual Cebu Creative Entertainment Week (CEW) Original Content Forum on October 7.

SIKAP is an association specifically for copyright owners/holders whether they be individuals or studios, not only in Manila but also in Visayas and Mindanao.  It creates original content with the vision of global consumption in the creative sectors of animation, games, music, comics and character.

Del Mundo urged the creative entertainment sector to co-create a sustainable industry for the Filipino creators. “Our stories and narratives are breaking into a global audience.  We are looking at a very big industry that is untapped in the Philippines. We have the foot in the door, we’re not just getting through.”

He added that the country has a lot of folklore, a lot of stories that could be translated into different mediums of narrative.

Marla Rausch, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Animation Vertigo and Animation Vertigo Asia and the Managing Partner of Kampilan Productions, also stressed the importance of creating content that showcases Philippine culture.

The Philippines has been part of the creative supply chain for decades, but the development of its own content has not grown as fast – there are a lot of unique stories that the world is waiting for, Rausch noted.

She highlighted that IP, if done correctly, can provide returns for a lifetime through various mediums, each of which has value. This contrasts with the mind-set that IP only generates earnings just once, like, say, a fee for service.

As of 2020, Rausch disclosed that the US market alone for intellectual property authorship focused activities reached US$6.6 trillion. This does not include other big markets like China, Asia, and Europe, which means this is even higher.

 Funds and financing creative projects

Gin Kai Chan, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Producer of Silver Media Group, said that grants from film commissions and tourism agencies in the Philippines and other countries can provide funds for creative projects.

Other funding sources include loans, equity and sweat investments as well as presales, Chan said. However, he warned that there could be potential pitfalls.

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chairman and CEO undersecretary Mary Liza Diño said that FDCP also provide various financing assistance for various creative entertainment projects.  She noted that the creative industry in the country is a massive growth sector that contributes considerably to the national economy.

 “With services aspects or original IP continually on the rise, we Filipinos are gaining ground and recognition in what our content creators are achieving and how far we can go with talent and industry connections,” Diño said.

Diño stressed the importance of sustainability of the country’s arts by treating these as business, and she is confident that with partnerships like SIKAP with the CCCI that route will be shorter, faster and more meaningful, she added.

 Comics creators must contend with high printing costs

In another forum on Comics on October 6, Hugo ‘Boboy’ Yonzon, Executive Creative Director of Yonzon Associates Inc., disclosed that the country’s comics began on a high note with national hero Jose Rizal created The Monkey and the Turtle comics that was included in Trubner’s Oriental Record.

The golden age of the Comics industry occurred in the late 1940s when legendary comics creator Mars Ravelo came up with a super heroine called Varga, which is believed to be the forerunner of popular heroine Darna.

 

However, comics creators have to contend with high printing costs, so the comics industry faced difficulties, recalled Yonzon, who is a publisher, writer, director, photographer, graphic designer and cartoonist.

There were efforts to help revive the comics industry. Yonzon spearheaded the Philippine International Cartoon, Comics, & Animation (PICCA) festival to create and increase awareness of the Philippine comics sector. They held the festival in various venues like shopping malls and schools.

He noted that the country’s comics industry has bright prospects. “Mahusay tayo sa story-telling. Marami tayong maikuwento. Marami tayong pwedeng ibato,” Yonzon said.

He suggested that cartoon content creators veer away from superheroes. “Daanin nalang natin sa iba’t-ibang paraan.” He noted that during recent competitions, there were no cartoon entries with superheroes as main characters.

According to Jeff Velayo, Co-Founder of Jump Jet Comics that he and other enthusiastic comics lovers were inspired to create a group in Cebu to give a chance to aspiring comics creators.  While they drew their inspiration mostly from western and Japanese manga, Velayo explained that they wanted to create comics that feature Cebuano culture and mythology.

They wanted to introduce to the new generation local mythology such as the Bakunawa, he said. Bakunawa is a serpent-like dragon in Philippine mythology.  “Maraming talented comics creators here in Cebu who are shy so we give them inspiration so they would not hide their talent in comics,” Velayo added.

He also noted that while comics in print form are almost non-existent, social media can still provide the platform for comics artists. “I hope the future of comics will be the same as in Japan.”

Comics artists are also given the chance to showcase their talents through the Philippine Komiks Convention (Komikon).  John Zamar, Creative Head of Komikon, and Sherry Zamar, Komikon Program Head, explained that the event aims to provide a venue for different comics creators and publishers.

The event focuses on Filipino comics, made by Filipino comics creators that are published independently or through a publisher using various styles of drawing and encompassing numerous genres.  “We would also like to bring to people’s awareness the current state of the Philippine comics industry,” they added.

The two forums are part of the CEW, an activity of the 2021 Cebu Business Month (CBM), an annual activity of CCCI.

The CEW is in partnership with the Animation Council of the Philippines Inc. (ACPI), Cebu Creative Hub, and Creative Content Creators Association of the Philippines (SIKAP) and the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP). (Photos: CEW/Google Images)