Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11) — With the entertainment industry among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, film producers told the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs they are barely surviving during this health crisis.

Attorney Joji Alonso of the Philippine Motion Pictures Producers Association (PMPPA) said the pandemic has taken away the industry's biggest platform — cinema. She added they still took a big hit from the pandemic even with the presence of digital streaming.

"By going digital streaming, we are practically putting on a silver platter films for pirates to steal from us. It can never become a valuable substitute for the platform we so badly need, which are theaters and cinemas," Alonso said during Tuesday's committee hearing.

The film industry has already lost ₱16 billion since March 2020, according to the PMPPA, while the Metro Manila Film Festival — which usually garners around ₱1 billion every year — barely earned ₱25 million in 2020.

Regal Entertainment chief operating officer Roselle Monteverde said despite losses, they are even spending more than 30% of their usual production costs because of health protocols.

"Right now we are in a survival mode. We really are in a bleak situation where we can barely survive this pandemic. We tried so many times to stream online," she added.

They hope they would be given a tax holiday whenever they are in film production in order to stay afloat and help the more than 300,000 individuals in the film industry.

Source: CNN Philippines