Show business in the Philippines

It is said that the need for entertainment is in human nature, and thus there will always be a universal demand for entertainment enterprises. All sectors and all age groups in civilized society always have a natural or instinctive craving to be entertained. It is even acknowledged scientifically that depriving people of entertainment is not good for their mental and emotional health. Thus, in the military, in hospitals, in nursing homes, on ships and planes, various forms of entertainment are provided regularly. Even in jails, the condemned are not deprived of entertainment in the form of books and hobbies. And in the Philippines especially, where the people—rich and poor—are described as among the happiest in the world, entertainment means big business.

Show business in the Philippines is a huge and highly competitive industry. The players in it—the movie producers, television networks, publishing companies and individual entertainers and workers—all enjoy great financial rewards and are held in high esteem or are envied for the prominent lifestyles they tend to promote or showcase. Indeed, Philippine show business has weathered a great many storms in the nation’s history since the granting of its independence. Through the glory days of post-WWII prosperity and through the turmoil of political upheavals, and even through the long martial law years and other ups and downs, Philippine show business has remained busy and strong. This just goes to show yet again that people will always need to momentarily escape from harsh reality. There’s even a maxim that the tougher the times are, the greater will be the tendency for escapism.

During the post-WWII era and through to the 1960s, Philippine movie producers were already making great movies. For those sectors of society that claim refined taste, Nepomuceno Productions established itself as the leading light in the field. But the demand from the masses for easily digestible and lower-cost movie fare and slapstick comedy soon became stronger and more lucrative for producers. And so production houses churning out so-called “bakya” shows greatly outnumbered the serious filmmakers.

Probably the greatest factor that helped build-up and shape Philippine show business is the same as in many other countries. The spread of radio and TV networks that provided news and entertainment gave rise to sponsorship opportunities for many large companies that wanted a powerful presence throughout the entire country. There have always been many of these corporations with big advertising budgets, and some small businesses with modest budgets, and as a result of the continuous and sustained exposure of their brands to the consuming public, they have become household words and their sales have grown steadily. Entertainers and other showbiz personalities are of course happy to endorse them for a fee—and the fee is never peanuts.

Even with the unfolding of the present global crisis, show business in the Philippines is showing no signs of slowing down. It won’t. Remember, show business thrives on harsh realities.

Showbiz Blogs in Philippines

A lot of local patrons just could not get enough of their favourite celebrities in the television. If before the only possible way to learn about your idols’ whereabouts and personal life updates is through gossip magazines, and in some desperate cases, stalking; today, there is a more convenient and less painstaking solution. With a few clicks and browsing, you can now get into the colourful world of real-life love teams, future project plans, fashion updates, vacation getaways, and just about anything in the world of stars. Thanks to the existence of the celebrity blogs in the Internet.

The Philippine show business is always as thrilling and sensational as a movie plot, whether in front of the camera or behind it. This mainly explains why the Filipino consumer market is always craving to get every bit of information to fill their curiosities. Celebrity blogs — written in the local language, English, or a mix of both — are usually written and put up by several show business enthusiasts. To come up with space-worthy materials to satisfy the readers’ appetites, they often go the extra mile to research about the celebrity stars of the public’s interests. They usually base their entries to authorised news updates, mere gossips (which they often tag as such to avoid major conflicts), press conferences, and personal reviews about the celebrities’ television projects and other ventures. The celebrity blogs available for the Filipino readers can differ in their niches and focus. Some focus on project updates (including comprehensive reviews and airing schedules), others on the personal lives, or a mix of all showbiz-related matters.

Amusement Tax in Movies

The movie industry plays a very important role in every Filipino’s life. It has drawn out smiles and, equally often, tears to generations and generations of cinema patrons. It has and will continue to define the Filipino culture and identity as it portrays the Filipino’s taste in the realm of art and their preferences in human conditions – as seen in the dynamic characters and the interesting movie plots on love, life, revolution, fantasy, and anything else under the sun. While it is a clear fact that the industry in Filipino cinema has weathered countless storms since its birth in the 1960s, several factors continue to pose challenges to the industry.

It was earlier feared that the local industry will soon face extinction due to the increasing value of the amusement tax, restricting and limiting the production of quality movies due to high investment costs. As stressed by a certain member of the senate, years ago, there were at least 150 movies produced per year; while today, there could only be about 34 to 45. This is considered by many as an alarming decline. The enacted law requiring 30 percent amusement tax for every motion picture production sparked protest among the National Cinema Association of the Philippines, the Filipino Film Producers and Distributors, and a few government officials. They attributed the significant decline in movie productions to the high financial demand of the present day. Due to combined efforts by the concerned parties, the 30 percent amusement tax is now reduced to 10 percent in support of the local movie industry, the reputable artists behind it, and above all, the wide and ever growing Filipino viewer sector.

Celebrities and the Telecommunications

You would be surprised at how much show business has contributed to the consumer electronic industry in the Philippines. Internet connection packages, cellular phone networks, prepaid loads, and many other such products addressing the Filipinos’ need for convenience and efficient communications are often endorsed by celebrities – actors and actresses, basketball players and other kinds of athletes, etc. And as what one might notice, this is proven to be quite an effective tactic for the companies as their sales rise in great numbers as soon as they let a prominent figure communicate their brand promise. While it cannot be denied that Filipinos are inherently technologically inclined, you also cannot hide the fact that this inclination is being amplified significantly by the strong media influence present in our midst.

It would be a rare event to bump into an average Filipino who does not own at least one cellular phone and who does not subscribe to any of the commercially available mobile or internet networks. Texting and phone calls are becoming widely used mode of communication and source of entertainment nowadays, as much as internet is becoming a household must-have. Thanks to celebrity endorsers whose simple yet charismatic swishes and flicks appeal to crowds and crowds of patrons. Certain electronic and networking services have even gone as far as feeding to the mass’s craving for entertainment through perks featuring opportunities to have close encounters with one’s favourite celebrity, where subscribing to a certain service allows one to receive personal updates, self-taken pictures, and greetings from certain show business figures.

Ideal Vacation Place

Prominent show business figures – given their shoots here in there, pictorials, press appearances, and what-not – are known to be extremely busy people. In fact, it has been said about the entertainment industry that only the hard working ones get ahead in the competitive race. This notion is, in most cases, applicable. So every time stars, producers, directors, and other players in the industry get their deserved time off, they always make sure that it is worth the wait and hard work. Their vacation sprees are almost always filled with travels, parties, and everything else that spells unlimited fun. Celebrities love the sun, sand, and sea. It is in a beach adventure where communing with nature comes in a perfect package.

One can feel the sun toning one’s skin complexion and the clear blue waters splashing away stress and tension. Aside from this fact, the beach is also where young stars get to flaunt their wonderful body figures and socialize with other stars. It might also be important to note that celebrities usually go where the big party is. They enjoy grooving to disco music or live band performances especially over a few hard drinks or cocktails. There is a lot of such travel locations around Philippines, and just a few browsing on the internet will get you a clear picture of where the showbiz celebrities unwind and let it loose. Any average fun seeker would want to grab the opportunity to party where the stars are – figuratively and literally. So if you are looking for a vacation spree idea, it might be interesting to find out where the celebrities love to frolic during their free time.

Reality-Based Home Improvement Shows

Nothing beats the feeling of being able to enjoy one’s safe, secure, comfortable, and to top it all, aesthetically pleasing personal space. Waking up in a beautiful house is a Filipino dream indeed. As you can see, everyone thrives for every opportunity to incorporate style and class into one’s environment. Dressing up the interior of one’s home according to how one wants it specifically, or in a manner that it lets the owner experience convenience and beauty beyond par, may be considered as plainly luxurious and impractical. But the art and industry of interior designing continues to rule the social scene. The show business in the Philippines rides along the trend of the times. This is evident in reality-based home improvement shows, which are now taking a significant amount of air time in almost all entertainment networks in the local television.

Home improvement shows, often featuring famous and renowned designers, actors, actresses, celebrity athletes, and other prominent people, have provided entertainment to a high level. In such productions, viewers are not only given the chance to “meddle” into the personal lives of certain prominent people; they get the opportunity to learn certain house improvement skills as well, as these shows are usually partially informative and educational in nature. The normal plot would involve a professional designer volunteering to provide home renovation services to a certain client, which is in most cases a famous celebrity. Another famous form is the one which takes on a talk show format involving a celebrity host. The ability of reality-based home improvement shows to draw in the elite and the average class alike may explain why such genre is continually gaining popularity and a favourable level of viewership.