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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
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S E N A T E
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'19 SEP 23 A 9:44
Recij/aj
S. No. 1 0 ^ * 3
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A FRAMEWORK FOR FILM AND TELEVISION TOURISM IN  THE 
PHILIPPINES, CREATING AN INTER-AGENCY COMMITTEE ON FILM AND 
TELEVISION TOURISM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Film tourism becomes a growing interest in the Philippines due to its significant 
impact in boosting the tourism industry. Not only does the film tourism connect audiences 
to destinations which were used as film locations but also encourage the same to visit 
such scenic spots, which in turn helps in the generation of employment, thus a driver of 
growth.
According to industry experts, Asian travelers are among the world's greatest film 
tourists. As it becomes more accessible, convenient and affordable to travel, given the 
emergence of online travel booking and low-cost, it can be assumed that consumers of 
film and television will pursue film-based locations in the future.1
1 https://news.abs-cbn.com/busines$/03/04/14/dot-urqed-promote-film-tourism-ph


Like in many countries around the world, the Philippines has also been, on 
numerous times, been chosen as a location for international films, such as: Apocalypse 
Now {1979), The Year o f Living Dangerously {19^1), Platoon {19^^), Born on the Fourth 
o f July 
989) and The Bourne Legacy (2012).
This proposed measure seeks to boost our country's tourism industry through the 
film tourism, to encourage investors and foreign filmmakers to shoot and film in our 
country, and to promote and showcase the nation's culture and traditions, which in turn 
would generate employment as a result.
In view of the foregoing, early passage of this bill is earnestly requested.
NUEL"LIT0"T1. l a p id
Senator


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
i-iT'k illil .
v 
c( iijf
'19 SEP 23 A 9 ^4
S E N A T E
receive uaY.
s. No. 1063
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A FRAMEWORK FOR FILM AND TELEVISION TOURISM IN 
THE PHILIPPINES, CREATING AN INTER-AGENCY COMMITTEE ON FILM 
AND TELEVISION TOURISM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Film and Television 
Tourism Act."
S ection 2. Declaration o f Policy. - It is hereby declared to be the policy of the 
State to treat the film and television tourism as a special investment and tourism tool 
for national development.
Consistent with the national goal of creating new areas of business to generate 
employment opportunities as well as to recognize Filipino talent, film and television 
tourism in the country is hereby made a new investment priority, including but not 
limited to: making the Philippines a location for shooting or filming area; preserving 
or promoting the nation's historical and cultural heritage and resources as well as 
artistic creations or sceneries depicted in films, and converting it into tourist 
attractions; and championing Filipino film practitioners and artists and their 
participations in foreign productions.


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Section 3. Creation the Philippine Inter-Agency Committee on Film and 
Television Tourism (PIAC-FTT). -T h e  Philippine Inter-Agency Committee on Film and 
Television Tourism (PIAC-FTT) is hereby created, replacing the Philippine Film Export 
Service Office (PFESO) under the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), 
organized under Executive Order No. 674, Series of 2007.
The PIAC-FTT shall be headed by an Executive Director, a position which shall 
be equivalent to an Executive Director III position of the FDCP and which shall be a 
career executive service officer position to be recommended by the Chairperson of the 
FDCP and appointed by the President.
It shall be composed of representatives from the following agencies:
1. Department of Tourism;
2. Department of Trade and Industry;
3. Department of Interior and Local Government;
4. Department of Finance;
5. Department of Foreign Affairs;
6. Bureau of Immigration and Deportation;
7. Department of Labor and Employment; and
8. Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.
The heads of the above stated departments of government shall designate their 
regular representatives, based on their position in the organization, but not lower than 
a Director-level position. The said representatives of the various government agencies 
shall, in addition to their duties provided in this Act, also serve as the direct link to 
streamline and develop a one-stop-shop system.
The Secretariat of the PIAC-FFT shall be based in the Film Development Council of 
the Philippines for financial and administrative support. It shall be composed of 
existing piantiHa positions and new positions that the Department of Budget and 
Management may create that shall be necessary for the effective implementation of 
this Act.


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S ection 4. Functions o/PIAC-i-1 i . - The PIAC-FTT shall facilitate a one-stop-shop 
system for foreign film or television production entities. It shall perform the following:
1. Facilitate the promotion and marketing of the Philippines as location site for the 
production of international films and television programs, such as but not 
limited to: creating and maintaining a website and/ or a manual of Philippine 
Film and Television Tourism sites for overseas contract workers; participating 
and exposure in World Expo, recognized international film festivals, activities 
for cinema and television with global market penetration, tourism fairs of 
international significance;
2. Formulate a 10-year Comprehensive Plan detailing an inventory of film tourism 
sites in the country, areas for improvement, sectors to be tapped, partnerships 
and marketing strategies both local and international in application;
3. Offer tax credits to productions deemed eligible under this Act, which it shall 
issue no more than one month after the completion of principal photography;
4. Formulate and recommend a reward and incentive package for foreign 
film/television entities interested in shooting films/television programs in the 
country and monitor the implementation thereof;
5. Provide assistance to foreign film production entities in processing pertinent 
documents and various requirements relative to the production of international 
films/television programs in the country and in complying with environmental 
regulations;
6. Coordinate with various government agencies and local government units in 
assisting the entry and exit of a foreign film/television production team, such 
as but not limited to producers, artists and production crew;


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7. Provide direct link between foreign production entities, producers, filmmakers 
and artists with local production manpower services, local artists, bit players 
and technical crew, facilities and the like;
8. Utilize the services of tourism attaches abroad, through the Department of 
Tourism, in the promotion and marketing of Philippine locations sites/resources 
and local film production manpower;
9. Maintain an inventory of areas in the country that may be utilized as a film and 
television tourism site and a registry of sectors including artists, film 
practitioners, technical personnel and others for ready referrals;
10. Identify key film and television tourism sites used by international or local 
filmmakers and establish a PIAC-FFT mark;
11. Keep a progress report and actual impact of the initiative taking into 
consideration the increase in the number of film tourists and its contribution to 
the economy;
12. Conduct the feasibility of establishing a film and television museum;
13. Coordinate with various stakeholders and market players for research and study 
on feasibility of a reward and incentive system, and other aspects combining 
tourism and film, including, but not limited to the system of categories for the 
application of rewards and incentives depending on the cinema grade and 
length of exposure of the identified Philippine Film and Television Tourism site;
14. Coordinate with all Embassies and Consulates of the country to promote film 
and television tourism;


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15. Coordinate and partner with various associations of Filipino overseas workers 
abroad in marketing, disseminating and propagating information on Philippines 
as a film tourism destination, and
16. Coordinate and partner with known Filipinos of international stature in 
promoting the country and fulfilling the implementation of this Act.
SECTION 5. Partnership with Local Government Units (LGUs) — The PIAC-FFT 
shall partner and collaborate with Local Government Units in the performance of the 
following:
1. Identifying and promoting film and television tourism sites;
2. Facilitating and providing assistance in the easy issuance of permits, certificates 
and other documents related thereto;
3. Assisting in screening, providing, and identifying the necessary complementary 
manpower requirements before, 
during and 
after film 
and television 
production; and
4. Providing monetary and non-monetary incentives to the over-all film production 
team as far as practicable.
SECTION 6. Am ount o f Tax Credit -
(a) The minimum tax credit awarded to eligible productions shall be equal to 
twenty percent (20% ) of qualified expenses, as defined in Section 7 of this Act.
(b) In addition to the minimum tax credit, qualifying films, television shows, movies 
of the week, mini-series, and web-series may gain further credits under a point- 
based incentive system, to be administered by the PIAC-FFT. Each point shall 
correspond with an additional one percent rebate on all qualifying expenses. 
Any production shall only be able to claim one rebate from the following 
subsections in their entirety:


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(1) Eligible productions may receive twenty (20) points if the final product is 
set completely or largely within the Philippines, fifteen (15) points if the final 
product contains ten (10) or more substantive scenes set within the 
Philippines, and ten (10) points if the final product contains at least five 
substantive scenes set within the Philippines;
(2) Eligible productions may receive twenty (20) points if at least one-half of 
filming within the Philippines occurs within a community recovering from a 
significant natural disaster that occurred within the preceding three years 
or ten (10) points if at least one-fourth of filming within the Philippines 
occurs within the same areas; and
(3) Eligible productions may receive two (2) points if they dedicate at least ten 
(10) seconds worth of screen time during the credit roll to a message 
acknowledging the films participation in the film tax credit program of the 
Philippines and providing the URL to a website where viewers can learn 
about tourism opportunities in the country.
(c) All qualifying international productions shall also receive the following tax credits. 
However, in no situation may the total tax credit amount received for any particular 
expense exceed forty percent (40%):
(1) Twenty percent (25% ) of the cost of construction of any permanent and useful 
infrastructure built in the Philippines for the purposes of filming, including likely 
tourist attractions, subject to approval of the Department of Tourism;
(2) Fifteen percent (15% ) of all lodging within the Philippines booked for 
production team members, for production-related purposes,
(3) Ten percent (10% ) of the cost of all transportation to or from the Philippines 
for production team members conducting either production-related travel or 
the transportation of filming equipment into the Philippines;
(4) Five percent (5% ) of the cost associated with the provision of utilities or 
technology purchased within the Philippines and the employment, as far as 
practicable, of local talents.


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SECTION 7. Qualified Expenses. —
(a) Qualified expenses for the purposes of determining the amount of a tax credit 
shall include any expense incurred within the Philippines directly related to pre- 
production, production, or post-production conducted within the Philippines, 
unless otherwise exempted. However, expenses must be reasonable and prices 
may not substantially exceed the market value of the procured product or 
service.
Qualified expenses include, but are not limited to, expenses such as or related
to:
(1) Salary, wages, or other compensation such as per diem provided to members 
of the production team or subcontractors for any services rendered within the 
Philippines;
(2) Creation, decoration, or operation of sets or shooting locations and production 
offices;
(3) Filming equipment or supplies;
(4) Locally-sourced photography equipment or services;
(5) Locally-sourced editing equipment or services;
(6) Locally-sourced music;
(7) Catering equipment or services;
(8) Costumes, make-up, and similar products and services;
(9) Lodging and domestic, or international travel; or
(10) 
Insurance.
(b ) The PFTTO shall reserve the right to disqualify any expenses that clearly do not 
fall within the spirit of the tax credit program, subject to administrative and 
judicial appeal.
As an assumption, the following shall not be recognized as qualified:
(l)T h ose  related to distribution of the film, including but not limited to marketing 
and promotion;


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(2) Such as attorney or accounting fees, incurred in the process or as a result of 
acquiring or challenging a government determination of eligibility for incentives 
later reimbursed to the production;
(3) Items that are later resold by the production, minus any loss incurred;
(4) Any amounts paid to members of the production as a result of profit 
participation, residual, or similar agreements; and
(5) Expenses associated with the financing of production.
Section 8. Tax Incentives Eligibility. —
The following requirements must be attained to be eligible for the incentives 
program:
(a) Upon certification by PIAC-FFT that the production is a professional endeavor 
and has met the PIAC-FFTs requirements in terms of the amount of investment 
and the amount of jobs the production will generate;
(b) Participating productions must agree to cooperate with any audits conducted 
to ensure compliance with program eligibility requirements, both during and 
after production;
Section 9. Offer Preferential Incentives. —  International or foreign film and 
television production entities may, upon certification from the PIAC-FFT, be granted 
the following:
(1) Multiple Entry Visa. —  Foreign nationals who are members of the international 
film production entities, as duly endorsed by the PFTTO, shall be issued a 
multiple entry special visa within seventy-two (72) hours upon submission of 
all required documents, and which shall be valid for a period of one (1) year to 
enter the Philippines: Provided, That a responsible officer of the applicant entity 
submits a duly authenticated certificate to the effect that the person who seeks 
entry into the Philippines is a member of the applicant entity and will work 
exclusively for film and television production.


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The admission and stay shall be coterminous with the validity of the multiple entry 
special visa. The stay, however, is extendible for one hundred eighty (180) days 
upon submission to the Bureau of Immigration of a sworn certification by a 
responsible officer of the applicant entity, that its permit remains valid and 
subsisting, and that no other source of income has been made.
(2) Tax and Duty Free Importation. - The international or foreign film or television 
production entity shall enjoy tax and duty free importation of filming equipment 
as determined and endorsed by the PIAC-FFT.
Section 13. Implementing Rules and Regulations. —  The Film Development 
Council, Department of Tourism, Department of Finance and the Bureau of 
Immigration and Deportation, shall promulgate and issue the implementing rules and 
regulations within ninety (90) days upon approval of this Act.
Section 14. Appropriations. — The amount necessary to implement the provision 
of this Act shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act.
Section 15. Separability Clause. —  In the event that any provision or part of this 
Act shall be declared unconstitutional, the remaining provisions shall remain valid and 
in full force and effect.
Section 16. Repealing Clause. —  Executive Order No. 674, Series of 2007, is 
hereby amended. 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 accordingly.
Section 17. 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, whichever comes earlier.
Approved,