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MANILA, Philippines—While many people are scrimping owing to hard times, theater-owners say they are still drawing full houses if the movie is a good one.

After all, for most people, especially those who belong to the A-B sectors, movie-watching remains the cheapest form of entertainment, says Ric Camaligan, vice president for operations of SM Leisure Group, which operates the country’s largest cinema chain.

“The A-B market is still very capable of watching movies,” Camaligan told the Inquirer. “Film buffs would even watch two movies a week.”

Those in the lower-income groups, Camaligan says, could watch only one movie a week. “They would prioritize basic necessities, like food and shelter, and they consider movie-watching a luxury.”

Still, despite the economic difficulties that have confronted many sectors in recent years, if there is a “good movie,” theaters can still draw SRO crowds.

“This is true for both local and Hollywood movies. ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Caregiver’ were both jam-packed,” Camaligan says. “In the end, it is also highly dependent on the quality of the movies.”

Rolando Atienza, chair of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, says that that was what the 2006 SWS survey indicated: “An ‘educated’ market demands high-quality movie products (and) value for their money.”

Top 3 biggest hits in past 5 years

In the last five years, the country’s top three biggest hits were produced by Star Cinema: “Sukob” (2006), P210 million in gross earnings; “Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo” (2006), P190 million; “Ang Tanging Ina” (2003), P185 million.

A heads-up for the discerning: Tallying box-office results is generally perceived as an inaccurate undertaking in this country as most studios are reluctant to present records of earnings. The revenues of the two-week Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), however, are disclosed every year.

The box-office performance of MMFF movies can be likened to a roller-coaster ride: Gross earnings of P328.8 million in 2003 went down to P301.2 million in 2004. A year later, they went up to P351.97 million.

In 2006, MMFF films posted an all-time high P415.82 million in gross earnings. Last year, they went down to P377.3 million.

Pacman phenomenon

There’s a recent development in entertainment, said Camaligan. Boxing matches featuring Manny Pacquiao, which are beamed live via satellite to a mall movie house, have been consistent crowd-drawers.

Camaligan sees “an element of patriotism” in that.

“Pacquiao prizefights do much better than WWE wrestling matches,” Camaligan says. The theater screenings, he explains, make use of digital technology. “It’s like pay-per-view, but in a theater.” A ticket would usually fetch from P350 to P450.

When SM had “exclusive rights” to Pacquiao fights, ticket sales reached P21 million per bout, according to Camaligan.

“But Pacquiao’s most recent bout with David Diaz grossed only P13 million at the cineplex,” he says. “That’s because hotels, restaurants, other cinemas and venues also offered screenings. In one stadium, a ticket cost only P50.”

It’s a mall world

Camaligan says that mall traffic is both affected and unaffected by the economic crisis. “For the A-B classes, it’s still business as usual. It’s the marginalized sectors that are hard hit by the situation.”

SM is facing the economic crunch head-on, he says.

“We have to improve our entertainment offerings,” Camaligan says. “Ice-skating, bowling and movie-watching are not basic necessities. To ensure continued consumer patronage, even in hard times, we have to make sure that our offerings are first-rate. Our customers need to know that they are getting value for their hard-earned money.”

Quo vadis, bakya?

So where does the new bakya crowd go for entertainment?

They usually stay home watching free TV, cable and DVDs (mostly pirated), according to the SWS study.

“Majority (77 percent) say they typically watch Philippine movies shown on TV; 29 percent by VCD; 7 percent in movie houses; 6 percent by DVDs; and 2 percent by VHS,” the study said.

Coined by National Artist for Film Lamberto Avellana in the 1960s, the phrase “bakya crowd” was really “a term of endearment” to describe the sector that patronize local movies. (Pinoy-comics-tv-movies.blogspot.com says “bakya” refers to “underprivileged ... but not necessarily uneducated” Filipinos.)

Camaligan echoes the SWS findings: “The C-D sectors usually have big families—five or more kids. Movie-watching could be very expensive for them.”

Movie tickets aren’t the only expenses when going to the mall. “You have to factor in transportation and meals,” says Atienza.

“Most families from lower income groups would rather buy a DVD and for P50 to P80, the entire family can watch a movie in the comfort of their own home,” Camaligan says.

The SWS survey also showed “the prevalence of piracy ... as 19 percent of the 29 percent who usually watch Philippine movies by VCD say [their] copy was pirated, while half of those who typically watch by DVD reported using a pirated copy.”