SENATOR Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara batted for the grant of cash incentives to Filipino artists who win international awards to encourage the development of their sector and provide the Philippines with even more recognition.

Angara, a strong supporter of the arts, noted how Filipino artists have showcased their skill and creativity to the world, helping raise awareness to the wealth of talent that is in the country.

Among the more recent awardees were actor John Arcilla who won the Coppi Volpi for best actor at the 78th Venice Film Festival; director Diane Paragas, whose film Yellow Rose won the 2019 Reel Asian Best Feature Film award in the Toronto International Film Festival; vocalists Marlon Macabaya and Denise Melanie Du Lagrosa, who won first and second place respectively at the Stars of Albion Grand Prix 2019 in London; and painter Worth Lodriga, who as a seven year-old, won first place at the 2017 Student Mars Art Contest in the United States.

To provide additional support to Filipino filmmakers, film production entities, literary writers, artists and performers in the creative sector who have received honors in internationally, Angara filed Senate Bill 2466 or the Artists Incentives Act of 2021.

For those who bring home the highest awards in international competitions, film festivals or exhibitions determined by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Film Development Council of the Philippines and Cultural Center of the Philippines, the bill calls for the grant of P1 million as cash incentive.

It seeks to grant P500,000 to those who garnered special recognition or any other award that is not considered as the highest award in an international competition or exhibition.

“We have so many talented artists here in the country and many of them have yet to showcase their work at a larger stage. By providing these cash incentives we are giving them the motivation to work even harder so that they can reach their full potential and make a name for themselves, not only here, but also in the international arena,” Angara said.

The competitions and exhibitions that are included in the scope of the bill are the Festival de Cannes, Sundance Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, and the Busan International Film Festival.

Funding for the bill will come from the National Endowment for Culture and the Arts established under Section 50 of Republic Act 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.