MANILA, Philippines — Senator Manny Pacquiao has filed a bill renaming the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) to Philippine Film Festival.
While recognizing MMFF’s commitments “to enrich Philippine culture, to deepen our awareness of our historical heritage and traditional values, and to refurbish native arts, Pacquiao, who himself dabbled in the acting arena and even produced some films, lamented that “the event’s nomenclature depicts exclusivity.”
The “Metro Manila” in the Metro Manila Film Festival conveys exclusiveness of the illustrious tradition and celebration of local film production to the country’s capital,” he said in filing Senate Bill No. 2017.
“In order to fully recognize the local movie industry’s goal of over-all developmental effort for the country, it is but suitable to rename the Metro Manila Film Festival into an inclusive “Philippine Film Festival,” Pacquiao added.
Created in 1975, the MMFF is an annual event organized by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to help promote the local film industry.
It has also become part of the Filipinos’ Christmas tradition to watch the locally produced films showcased every December 25 onwards.