Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE PM VARGAS 
AN ACT  
MAINTAINING AND PRESERVING FILIPINO FILMS, CREATING THE 
PHILIPPINE FILM ARCHIVE, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND 
FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Pursuant to the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression, the 
Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) was created in 2002 to “ 
promote and support the development and growth of the local film industry as a 
medium of the upliftment aesthetics, cultural and social values of the better 
understanding and appreciation of the Filipino identity” as well as to “formulate 
and implement policies and programs to upgrade the art and craft of filmmaking 
and encourage the production of films for commercial purposes, intended for 
public entertainment, that seek to enhance the quality of life, examine the 
human and social conditions and contribute to the dignity and nobility of the 
human spirit”. 
To materialize its mandate, FDCP created the Philippine Film Archive in 
2011 to “protect and uphold the nation’s cultural and artistic legacy and heritage 
by conserving and preserving audiovisual materials connected to our history and 
culture and ultimately develop a culture, nation, and public that fully 
appreciates and is enriched by our country’s audiovisual heritage”.   
This measure proposes the institutionalization of PFA under FDCP to 
make the nation’s history and culture known and accessible through the 
cinematographic arts, not only by conserving and preserving but also by the 
moving image of the past contemporary life.  
September 5, 2023
9:31 am
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The film industry, while designed for public entertainment, has also been 
instrumental in mirroring human and social conditions crucial in understanding 
and appreciation of our social values and national identity. 
In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
REP. PM VARGAS  
Fifth District, Quezon City 


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE PM VARGAS 
AN ACT MAINTAINING AND PRESERVING FILIPINO FILMS, CREATING 
THE PHILIPPINE FILM ARCHIVE, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Film Archive 
Act." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State 
to undertake initiatives that will promote the growth and development of the local 
film industry, and conserve and promote the nation's historical and cultural 
heritage and legacy of Filipino cinema. 
Towards this end, the State shall establish a national film archive following 
internationally accepted standards, in charge of collecting, archiving, 
conservation, preservation, management, restoration, and storage of Filipino 
films that protects and uphold the nation's historical, cultural, and artistic 
legacy and heritage. 
SECTION 3. Coverage. This Act shall apply to all Filipino films ranging from 
motion pictures to cinematic masterpieces, documentaries, newsreels, silent 
films, avant-garde works, significant amateur footage, television shows to sound 
recordings, and studio productions to the independent, orphan, and even 
experimental films produced here and abroad. 
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SECTION 4. Creation of the Philippine Film Archive. The Philippine Film 
Archive is hereby created under the Film Development Council of the Philippines. 
 
Where certain functions are declared redundant on account of the 
reorganization, the Film Development Council of the Philippines shall provide for 
the reassignment, insofar as practicable, of affected employees to similar 
positions within the Council and its attached agencies, taking into consideration 
their skills and experience, without loss of seniority of other rights and privileges. 
In any case, all relevant laws, decrees, executive orders, rules, and regulations 
concerning the rights of government employees in the reorganization of an office 
shall be respected.  
 
SECTION 5. Functions. The Philippine Film Archive shall have the following 
functions: 
a. Implement a comprehensive national film preservation program for motion 
pictures, cinematic masterpieces to documentaries, newsreels, silent 
films, avant-garde works, significant amateur footage, television shows to 
sound recordings, and studio productions to independent, orphan and 
even experimental films produced here and abroad, in conjunction with 
other film archivists, educators and historians, copyright owners, film 
industry representatives, and other involved in activities related to film 
preservations; 
b. Consult with film archivists, educators, and historians, copyright owners, 
and film industry representatives, including those involved in activities 
related to film preservation; 
c. Coordinate activities to ensure that efforts of archivists and copyright 
owners, and others in the public and private sector, are effective and 
complementary; 
d. Develop a coordinated study and strategy to address the policy and 
technological problems, share information and resources for possible 
solutions, and avoid duplication of effort by and within public and private 
entities; 
e. Generate public awareness of and support for these activities; 
f. Make materials more accessible in ways fully consistent with copyright 
laws, focusing on public domain collections important for educational and 
historical research; 
g. Undertake studies and investigations of film preservation activities as 
needed, including the efficacy of new technologies, and recommended 
solutions to improve these practices; 


h. Establish criteria and procedures under which films may be included in 
the Philippine Film Registry, except that no film shall be eligible for 
inclusion in the Registry until 10 years after such film first publication; 
i. Establish procedures under which the general public may make 
recommendations to the Philippine Film Archives regarding the inclusion 
of films in the National Film Registry; 
j. Fund projects such as the archival preservation and restoration of film 
collections, or the establishment of regional storage facilities to house 
endangered film collections from many institutions in archival conditions; 
and 
k. Facilitate the acquisition of a permanent and suitable structure and 
facilities, including online storage, for the Philippine Film Archives to 
house the country's film archival holdings. 
 
SECTION 6. National Preservation Plan. The Philippine Film Archive shall 
conduct a national study of the film preservation problems facing the nation, 
and prepare a national preservation plan to address the problems posed by the 
study. 
 
The study shall determine whether there is a critical need to develop a 
coordinated national strategy to address the loss of film materials used and 
enjoyed, especially for historical and educational purposes. The national plan 
shall suggest focusing the preservation efforts on those films without commercial 
viability or copyright ownership, but which are educationally and historically 
significant and therefore most in need of maintenance for future generations. 
 
 
The Philippine Film Archive shall prepare the national preservation plan. 
They shall convene all the parties interested in film production, preservation, 
and dissemination into the preparation of the study and the national plan and 
ensure the participation of organizations and individual participants in public 
hearings and drafting sessions. 
 
SECTION 7. National Film Registry. The Philippine Film Archive shall 
establish a National Film Registry, the database of basic information on motion 
pictures, cinematic masterpieces, documentaries, news reels, silent films, avant-
garde works, significant amateur footage, television shows sound recordings, 
and studio productions to independent and even experimental films produced 
here and abroad. 
 
 


The Philippine Film Archive shall publish in the Official Gazette the titles 
of each film that is included in the National Film Registry. 
 
SECTION 8. Implementation. Within one year of enactment, the Philippine Film 
Archive shall conduct a study on the current state of film preservation activities 
in the country and subsequently establish a comprehensive national film 
preservation 
program 
for 
motion 
pictures, 
cinematic 
masterpieces, 
documentaries, news reels, silent films, avant-garde works, significant amateur 
footage, television shows to sound recordings, and studio productions to 
independent and even experimental films produced here and abroad, in 
conjunction with other film archivists, copyright owners and others in the film 
community. 
 
SECTION 9. Report. Not later than one (1) year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act and each year thereafter, the Philippine Film Archive shall submit to 
both Houses of Congress a report containing the results of the study conducted 
under Section 6 of this Act. 
 
SECTION 10. Appropriations. The amount necessary for the implementation 
of this Act shall be charged against the budget of the Film Development Council 
of the Philippines in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SECTION 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The Film 
Development Council of the Philippines, National Archive of the Philippines, 
National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Cultural Center of the 
Philippines, and the Department of Budget and Management in consultation 
with other government with other government agencies and concerned 
stakeholders, shall promulgate and issue the implementing rules and 
regulations within ninety (90) days upon approval of this Act. 
 
SECTION 12. Separability Clause. In the event that any part, section, or 
provision of this Act shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid by a competent 
court, the remaining provisions thereby shall remain valid and in full force and 
effect as if the sections or provisions so annulled or voided had never been 
incorporated herein. 
 
SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances, 
rules and regulations, or parts thereof not consistent with the provisions of this 
Act are hereby repealed or modified and/or supersede as the case may be by this 
Act accordingly. 


 
SECTION 14. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of 
general circulation. 
 
Approved,