Philippine Fundraisers and Benefit Shows: Music

First Hearing on HB4218
12:00PM | South Wing Building, House Of Representatives, Quezon City

It’s all about the money, not about the music:
No to House Bill 4218 (OPM Development Act of 2014)

“We, musicians, performers and artists uniting or affiliated with the Concerned Artists of the Philippines, say no to the House Bill (HB) 4218 introduced by Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat in March 2014.

HB 4218 purports to pursue the “promotion, protection and development of the Philippine music industry” by supporting original Filipino music and guarding against the preferential treatment of foreign music. It grants to the National Committee on Music (NCM), a sub commission of the National Committee for Culture and the Arts, the power to regulate performances and collect reciprocal equity fees from foreign artists, the income of which to be re-channeled to an equity fund for local artists. The bill also proposes to give tax credits to broadcast organisations which will play a minimum of four works of original Pilipino music, as stipulated in Executive Order 255.

The bill’s vision of supporting the Philippine music industry sounds good at first glance. However, its proposed mechanisms for implementing these in practice fail to address longstanding problems within the community of local musicians, performers and composers and the Philippine music industry in general.

First, the bill will only reinforce currently existing power and leadership structures within the music industry, which do not fully represent the ranks of all Filipino musicians and performers and which have so far yet to make significant strides in ensuring the economic rights and welfare of the sector.

Specifically, only two accredited organisations—one performers’ and one composers’ guild who will furthermore be entitled to a seat in the NCM’s Executive Council under the bill—will be the beneficiaries of such equity fees to be collected by the NCM.

This does not actually change the current set-up for equity payments already in place for the past 25 years. In 1989, the Bureau of Immigration’s (BOI) signed a memorandum of agreement with the performers guild Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mangaawit (OPM) and composers guild Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino Foundation (AMP), both of which were the beneficiaries of various equity payments collected by the BOI ever since. HB 4218 merely reorganises the bureaucratic set up for equity payments and furthermore grants the still limited number of accredited guilds a seat in the NCM Executive Council, an important decision-making body.

Majority of Filipino musicians, however, remain unrepresented by the OPM and AMP in this proposed scheme. Our ranks include performing musicians in bars, hotels and other entertainment venues here and abroad; independent musicians and composers; other organizations of music creators, bands and and cooperatives in the provinces; and others not belonging to any professional organisation or union. All of these stand to be further disenfranchised with HB 4218’s proposal for accreditation.

Second, much more reforms and comprehensive changes are needed to protect the economic rights of Filipino musicians and to promote Philippine music on a sustainable and equitable scale.

The experience of foreign colonisation in the past and trade liberalisation in the present has created both socio-cultural and economic conditions favourable to the influx and dominance of foreign music over Philippine productions, across the radio, internet and concert scenes nationwide. The chronic lack of viable employment opportunities, job security, and venues for work for Filipino musicians, composers and performers—a situation inseparable from the overall lack of decent, long-term and stable employment in many other Philippine economic sectors—also deprives the majority of artists of the means to live decently.

Larger changes must be envisioned and proposed to address this chronic problem related to artists’ rights and welfare. Clearly, the very limited scope of HB 4218 cannot address this clamor for economic justice.

Last, a minimum of four songs an hour is not enough to address the dearth of OPM and give space to the full range of original Philippine music, both traditional and modern, being produced and performed by a wide number of practitioners around the country.

At best, it provides airtime to recording artists from big local recording companies that are currently monopolising the Philippine broadcasting industry (companies whose affiliate organisations in the broadcasting industry will also stand to benefit from the tax breaks).

However, this is not enough to ensure that the majority of other musicians—whether independent, alternative, localized, traditional, indigenous, emerging or progressive—are also given much needed space to be heard by fellow citizens. Filipino musicians, composers and performers, as a whole, deserve more than token and limited exposure in mainstream media.

HB 4218 is thus not the bill we need to truly and comprehensively address the longstanding problems of the Philippine music industry. It is, unfortunately, more about raking in money for the benefit of a few, rather than supporting the production and distribution of Philippine music for the majority.

It is in light of these problems that the Concerned Artists of the Philippines says no to HB 4218. We challenge the bill’s proponents to withdraw the proposal, engage in wider and more democratic consultations among stakeholders, and listen to what other Filipino musicians have to say about the changes that they need.” ~ Concerned Artists of the Philippines

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Sama-Sama Para Kay Gary Ignacio
A Benefit Concert

Jam and enjoy the music of the country's top bands in a Benefit Concert for Alamid's frontman, Gary Ignacio, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Save the date: January 17, 2015 | 9:00 PM
Venue: Flight Bar, Scout Borromeo, Quezon City
Tickets at Php300*

With Performances by:

Noel Cabangon
DJ Alvaro
Joshua Desiderio (Freestyle)
Grin Department
Immaculate
Alamid
Viktoria
Flowerstamp
Jah DeLa Cruz
+ more...

*All Proceeds will be forwarded for Alamid's frontman Gary Ignacio's medical treatment.

For those who can't make it to the concert but still wish to help, you may contact
Gail Ignacio at +63 (915) 8855-495 or place your donations to any China Bank: