This June is a busy month for #TeamFDCP. To celebrate and spotlight our LGBTQIA+ community, "Pelikulaya" goes international on its second year with the support of our partner embassies. It is now a bigger celebration than last year including multiple screenings of local and foreign films in multiple locations across the country, talkback sessions, a film competition and many more. We also launched the book Alternative Cinema by esteemed film scholar Nick Deocampo in partnership with the University of the Philippines Press.

Aside from these, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) also has ongoing Film Talks, basic filmmaking workshops, with college students in Subic. We also have ongoing projects with the Department of Health — the Healthy Pilipinas Film Festival advocating for inculcating healthy habits among Filipinos through film, and another with the Commission on Higher Education and its attached office, the UniFAST, with whom we partnered in presenting CineIskool Film Lab and Festival that will feature ten short films from students highlighting on the importance of tertiary education. There are more notable projects I would like to mention but I think you get the idea.

This is what # TeamFDCP is all about — hard-working, passionate people using their full arsenal of talents to bring what the Agency has to offer to its stakeholders. And I am proud to call these people my colleagues, my partners in realizing the dream of opening new opportunities for Filipino filmmakers and positioning Philippine cinema to be globally competitive, all while taking care of them here by enacting of enabling laws and sector-specific film policies for the film industry, embracing technological innovation, film education and training to upskill our professionals.

This June, as FDCP celebrates its 20th founding anniversary, I celebrate this new milestone with our # TeamFDCP. We celebrate commitment and dedication to Philippine cinema.

FDCP is not just work, it is also more than a family. I believe we are here because serving our film workers through this platform is our way of loving our country. Serving the Philippine film industry is our brand of nationalism. As we move towards FDCP's next twenty years with this year's theme "Abante sa Bente," I would like to share with you our team's wishes for our agency's 20th year. We would like to move forward manifesting these so that we can be more and do more for the industry we love.

1. Ria Anne Rubia, FDCP executive director. "My wish for FDCP is for us to achieve operational excellence so we may become even better in serving the film industry through our policies and programs, and so we may inspire more generations to become part of Philippine Cinema."
2. Sol Cruz, FilmPhilippines office executive director "Sana ay humaba pa ang buhay ng FDCP at lalo pang maging matibay nang mas makapagserbisyo pa sa film industry. I wish Chair Liza's reappointment will be supported by our new President-elect so that magtuloy-tuloy pa rin ang mga programs ng FDCP."
3. Don Gervin Arawan, Philippine Film Archive head. "Ten years na ako sa FDCP. In the coming years FDCP, my wish is for our Agency to grow, not just in the number of employees, but also develop more projects and reach more of our stakeholders. My wish is for all of us employees to grow with the Agency."

4. Wilma Isleta, development support head. "Dalawampung taon na ang FDCP at nasaksihan ko ang kaniyang pag-unlad. Bawat administrasyon ay may ambag sa ikauunlad ng FDCP. Sa ika-20 taon ng FDCP wish ko ang pagpapatuloy ng kaniyang mga programang nagbibigay inspirasyon at nakatutulong sa mga manggagawa na later on ay nakakapagbigay karangalan sa ating bansa."
5. Allyza Del Pilar, project development unit supervisor. "Sa susunod na mga taon ng FDCP, ang hiling ko ay patuloy naming masuportahan ang mga filmmakers sa kanilang paglinang sa kanilang mga likha at kakayahan para ang galing nila ay makilala hindi lang sa bansa kundi sa buong mundo. Ang hiling ng unit namin ay ma-institutionalize ang mga programa upang laging magkaroon ng suporta ang mga film workers."
6. Juanito "Baby Jun" Acuna, general services. "Panalangin ko na mas maging matatag at mas tumagal pa ang FDCP."
7. Rachelle Villaluna, policy and research manager. "I wish that FDCP would continue to uphold excellence both in operational (leadership and workforce) and execution (implementation of plans and programs) as it supports all sectors in the industry. Sana ma-sustain 'yung momentum that we have in all FDCP programs."
8. Hesed Arce, FDCP channel program manager. "My wish for FDCP on our 20th anniversary is that we get to reach more audiences and stakeholders. Sana madala natin ang pelikula sa mga walang kakayahang makapanood ng mga pelikula — free screenings sa mga barangay halimbawa. Naniniwala naman tayong ang pelikula ay para sa lahat, na hindi dapat nakahahadlang ang kawalan ng pera para makapanood ng sine."
9. Raymond Cutillar, Cine Lokal unit manager. "My wish for FDCP is for us to be able to be do more community-centric projects to learn more from the community, and even get to work with our grassroots film communities and for us to work together and learn from them as well.... to create meaningful relationships with our producers, distributors, agents, and filmmakers because FDCP will be here to support them, ready to help them develop and distribute their films. I hope, as an agency, we can help our audience see the importance of films as a medium for advocacies. And last wish, for Filipino films to be able to return to commercial cinemas."
10. Nico Cabanela, Local Industry Support Manager. "Sana magpatuloy ang mga programa para sa filmmakers and talents lalo na sa mga producers na di alam kung paano magpapatuloy, sisimulan, o tatapusin ang projects nila. Sana makahanap pa ng mga pagkakataon kung paano makakatulong sa mas marami pa lalo na yung mga estudyante, mga nagsisimula pa lang sa industriya, mga nasa kalagitnaan ng karera, at iyong mga matatanda na sa industriya. Sana rin ay mapalawak pa ng FDCP ang SafeFilming, di lang para sa Covid kundi para rin sa kaligtasan sa workplace. Ang ibang filmworkers, di pa nila alam ang mga batas na available para sa kanila. Para naman sa nagtatrabaho sa loob ng ating ahensya, sana ay madagdagan ang plantilla positions para sa job security."
11. Joseph Dasco, GSU maintenance. "Sana mas humaba pa 'yung employment namin with FDCP. Thankful ako na maging part ng FDCP family."
12. Andrew Dalde, Creatives unit manager. "From 2016 masasabi kong nag-boom ang FDCP. From 40 employees ay naging 120 plus. Habang tumatagal, lumilikha tayo ng mga programa na sumasagot sa mga pangangailangan ng industriya. Dati hindi masyadong kilala ang FDCP, ngayon mas kilala na siya. Ang hiling natin sana mas maraming budget para mas maraming programs, mas lalawak pa ang sakop ng pwedeng maitulong sa industriya." 
13. Pauline Enero, content writer. "Sana ay patuloy na makabuo ng makabuluhang komunidad ang FDCP kasama ang sinusuportahan nitong mga filmmakers — may interaksyon at nag-aadapt sa pagbabago ng panahon."
14. Rosano Ricarto, media relations supervisor. "Wish ko para sa FDCP ay mas yumabong pa 'yung mga programang isinusulong natin, maraming suporta mula sa gobyerno, at mas makilala pa tayo upang mas lumawak 'yung matutulungan, at mas umigting pa ang industriya ng pelikulang Pilipino."
15. Ji Lacerna, project development manager. "For the past 20 years, the FDCP has evolved to strengthen various talents and projects in our country. I wish the FDCP to push further its goal of extending more opportunities for the whole industry, especially in the areas that we have not yet fully reached, and bring their realized films from the regions to the world."
16. Joseph Sonajo, external communications strategy manager. "Sana 'yung FDCP ang maging top of mind ng mga aspiring filmmaker kapag naghahanap sila ng support because that's what the Agency does — help aspiring filmmakers take their first steps and support them in every step of the way hanggang maabot nila 'yung pangarap nila. Sana magkaroon din ng scholarship program ang FDCP because through that program, we will be able to produce filmmakers from every generation."
17. Renneth Moldes, content production unit manager. "I wish we'll have a continuous collaboration with the film industry to further understand the needs of not only aspiring filmmakers but also filmmaking professionals in order for us to create long term programs that are high quality, sufficient and appropriate. Service for the film industry is FDCP's legacy and it is for everyone. I wish we can bring to the fore the causes and concerns of more sectors of our diverse society."
18. Minnie Malapira, special project unit supervisor. "May the coming years in this agency be more prosperous and fulfilling for the FDCP family. The Agency's future is sure to be bright when its team members are taken care of. Everyone's hard work and creativity is an inspiration."
19. Jen Lopez, Cinematheque Centre Manila operations supervisor. "I wish for better facilities for our Cinematheques so we can give justice to the list of good films that we acquire and likewise, we can give better cinema experience to our moviegoers."
20. Liza Diño-Seguerra, chairperson and CEO. I would like to end this column with my fervent personal wish. I believe every family, including #TeamFDCP, deserves the security of a home. This 20th wish, as we celebrate FDCP's 20th anniversary, is for the national film agency to finally be given a permanent place to home its many dreams—and the people who toil on making them come true. A permanent office space, a better equipped audio-visual archive to house our country's film industry treasures, and a creative hub that will incubate film-related content accessible to more Filipinos — will together allow our film heritage to be enjoyed by future generations while creating an engaging space for conversations and collaborations.

Writer Anaïs Nin said, "Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country." Here is #teamFDCP, allowing our wishes to take flight. Whatever it will bring back, we are not sure. What I am certain of is we will always, always do our best for the industry we love the most.

Sa aking mga kasama sa FDCP, at sa mga nauna sa amin sa adhikain ng Ahensya, Mabuhay kayo! Mabuhay FDCP! #AbanteSaBent

Notes from the Chair
The Sunday Times Magazine  - The Manila Times

Notes from the Chair is part of the Arts Awake section of The Sunday Times Magazine published by The Manila Times. Click HERE to view the article on The Manila Times website.