DOTr: Driver's License Exam to be Translated in Different Languages

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade has directed the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to make the driver’s licensure exam available in English, Filipino or the language most common in the region.

Signed by Sec. Tugade, Department Order 2020-003, issued on 14 February 2020, states:

“In the interest of justice and for the effective enforcement of land transportation laws, the DOTr recognizes the need to afford examinees the opportunity to fully comprehend the Driver’s License Examination.”

According to Secretary Tugade, the initiative is a product of his dialogue with Davao Oriental 2nd District Representative Joel Mayo Z. Almario, which proves that no one has the monopoly of ideas in the road sector.

“Sa isang pulong, hiningi ni Cong. Mayo na isalin sa iba’t-ibang lenggwahe ang examination questions. Napakagandang suhestyon nyan kaya bakit hindi natin tatanggapin at ipatutupad?,” Sec. Tugade said.

The Transportation Chief likewise said that the initiative aims to put into consideration those who will be taking their exams in the Visayas and in Mindanao, and those who cannot understand either English or Filipino.

"The written examination for driver's license should not be limited to two languages -- English and Filipino. What if they will conduct the test in Visayas and in Mindanao, and those poor countrymen of mine cannot understand Tagalog and cannot fully understand English?" Secretary Tugade said during the Asia CEO Forum last 26 February 2020.

"I instructed the LTO, all examinations shall now be done in English, Tagalog, or the local language of the examinee."

The mandate complies with Article 14, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution, which provides that “for purposes of communication and instruction, the official dialect of the Philippines are Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English. The regional dialect are the auxiliary official dialect in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein.”

Directors of the LTO’s regional offices have 30 days to provide a translation of the driver's license exam in their respective regional languages from the effectivity of the order.

For his part, LTO Assistant Secretary Edgar C. Galvante said the agency has formed teams to translate the exam into each of the major languages. Each draft translation will be validated by experts of the language.

“We have already created a team for each of the major dialects. The assigned team will translate the driver’s license examination. The translation will be checked by experts of the language to ensure that the terms are accurate and official,” the LTO Chief said.

The department order shall take effect 15 days following the publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2020: Mechanics, Co-Production Funds & Intensified Sine Kabataan

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP), which will be on its fourth edition this September, has leveled up in four ways. Firstly, it will produce an esteemed lineup of 10 films. Secondly, it will be choosing six finished films or films in post-production and four projects in their advanced development stage or production stage. Thirdly, it will be offering co-production funds of up to PHP 2 million via the FilmPhilippines Philippine Co-Production Fund. Finally, it will hold a beefed up Sine Kabataan 4, which will also offer production grants and film development lab sessions to young filmmakers.

PPP 4, which will be held from September 11 to 17, 2020 is organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in partnership with the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP). The opening day of PPP is the final day of the year-long Philippine Cinema Centennial celebration as mandated by Presidential Proclamation No. 622, Series of 2018.


The photo above shows the PP3 Best Picture, "Lola Igna"

As the country officially closes the celebration of One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema, the FDCP aims for PPP to be the venue to gather the entire film industry together as it looks to the future of the next hundred years of the industry. In line with this momentous celebration, PPP has a lot more in store this year.

PPP 4 will feature 10 films, making it the second year in a row that PPP will be screening 10 entries in more than 900 cinemas nationwide. It will be accepting four projects in their advanced stage of development or production stage and six finished films or films in post-production. FDCP has set the deadlines for PPP applications: March 20, 2020 for projects in their advanced stage of development or production stage and June 15, 2020 for finished films or films in post-production.

A wide variety of genre films with commercial and global appeal will be showcased in PPP 4. These could be family-oriented, romantic-comedy, horror, fantasy, and historical films, or arthouse films that reflect Filipino culture and sensibilities. A maximum of two entries per genre will be included in the final selection (e.g., romance, comedy, action, etc.).

Meanwhile, PPP 4 also introduces the Philippine Co-Production Fund (PCOF) of FDCP’s FilmPhilippines Program. The PCOF will give funding of up to PHP 2 million to selected works in their advanced stage of development or production stage via the PCOF co-production investment fund. Selected finished films or films in post-production may also opt to receive up to PHP 2 million from the PCOF.

Director Adolfo Alix, JR. with the cast of "Circa" led by Anita Linda and Enchong Dee

As for Sine Kabataan, it will return on its fourth year as an amped-up short film competition that now has a film development lab program. Sine Kabataan aims to encourage filmmakers aged 18 to 30 to make short films on issues relevant to the youth revolving around family values, education, health, or security and peace building. Sine Kabataan, which runs alongside PPP, will also grant production funds to applications featuring story concepts.

Each Sine Kabataan finalist is set to receive a PHP 50,000 cash grant and another PHP 50,000 worth of post-production grant. The finalists’ short films (with a maximum length of 5 minutes) will be shown nationwide during the PPP duration, with one short film to be shown before an official PPP entry. Sine Kabataan 4 finalists will also get to learn about script development, film production, film editing, and post-production in the Sine Kabataan Film Lab sessions that will be held throughout the year. The deadline for Sine Kabataan applications is on March 20, 2020.

FDCP Chairperson/CEO Liza Diño at the PPP 3 Sine Sandaan Press Conference with Sponsors and Partners

With all the new things happening in PPP 4, FDCP expects its flagship program to add vibrancy to the commemoration of the One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema. PPP hopes to sustain the culture of support that it has created by encouraging Filipinos to watch local films in cinemas (student admission prices are PHP 180 for Metro Manila cinemas and PHP 130 for provincial theaters) and enjoining local filmmakers to showcase their creativity and originality with the support of production grants.









To view the PPP 2020 Mechanics, visit


http://pistangpelikulangpilipino.ph/mechanics.






For the Sine Kabataan 4 Guidelines, go to http://pistangpelikulangpilipino.ph/sine-kabataan-4.






For submission inquiries and further information, contact the PPP Secretariat c/o Film Development Council of the Philippines at 855 T.M. Kalaw St., Ermita, Manila or (02) 8256-9948 local 104.






For Sine Kabatan inquiries, send a message to sinekabataan2020@gmail.com.


For more pictures visit: http://fdcp.ph/media/pista-ng-pelikulang-pilipino-2020-mechanics-co-production-funds-intensified-sine-kabataan

Instituto Cervantes programs talk on the Filipino identity with Ambeth Ocampo, Sionil José, and Zialcita

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Instituto Cervantes, the cultural arm of the Embassy of Spain, is organizing a series of colloquia by Filipino intellectuals about aspects of Filipino identity with Hispanic traces, to be held at its Intramuros branch in Plaza San Luis Complex, Real St., Intramuros.

The first colloquium in the series, which will be held on March 18, Wednesday, at 2 PM, will be about the view of Filipino identity by writer Nick Joaquin (1917-2004), arguably the contemporary Filipino who knew best how to interpret and value the Hispanic legacy in the Archipelago. In this discussion, historian Ambeth Ocampo will present the historical setting during the important milestones in the life of the National Artist for Literature, while fellow National Artist Francisco Sionil Jose will focus on his friend as a literary figure and as a person, and anthropologist Fernando Zialcita will talk about the Filipino identity as envisioned by Nick Joaquin, also known by his pseudonym "Quijano de Manila."

Dr. Fernando Zialcita, who obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Hawaii, teaches at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the Ateneo de Manila University and heads the Cultural Heritage Studies Program. He specializes in Heritage and identity, art and its cultural context, and interfaces between the foreign and the indigenous. Dr. Zialcita has written various articles on the Spanish influence on the cultural identity of Filipinos.

Dr. Ambeth Ocampo, former chairman of the then National Historical Institute, is a history professor at the Ateneo de Manila University as well. He was awarded the Premio Manuel Bernabe by the then Centro Cultural de la Embajada de Espana en Filipinas and a Premio Quijano de Manila from the Instituto Cervantes Manila.

National Artist for Literature, Francisco Sionil Jose, received awards both in the Philippines and in other countries. His novels and short stories, which depict class struggles and colonialism, have been translated into 28 languages.

The lecture is open to the public. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information, please check out Instituto Cervantes’ Facebook page: www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila, or call Instituto Cervantes at (632) 8526 1482.