Instituto Cervantes programs a videoconference on Magellan’s arrival to the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

On June 13, at 6pm, Instituto Cervantes de Manila presented a videoconference on the first circumnavigation of the world. The guest speaker was Tomás Mazón, a specialist on the topic and creator of the website La Primera Vuelta al Mundo (rutaelcano.com).

Interest in the historical Magellan-Elcano expedition is growing in the Philippines, particularly because the country was part of this voyage when the Magellan landed in the Archipelago in 1521. Many of the details of what happened are well known, but others remain obscure. In his talk, titled “Magellan & Elcano in the Philippines: Details in the historical archives”, Tomás Mazón will present the results of his research from the archived sources and the chronicles to complete or clarify the account of what happened.

Although an engineer by profession, Tomás Mazón has devoted his time to research on various articles on this topic. He regularly publishes the results of his research in his website.

The videoconference, presented by Instituto Cervantes de Manila in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, was held on the Zoom platform and was conducted in Spanish, but simultaneous translation in English will be provided. The audience were able to interact with the speaker by submitting their questions during the event. Admission was free on a first-come, first served basis. For further information and updates about this event, please check out http://manila.cervantes.es or Instituto Cervantes’ Facebook page: www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila

DOH, FDCP, DOLE Issue Guidelines for Film and Audiovisual Work Amid COVID-19

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Health (DOH), the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have joined forces to release guidelines for the resumption of production work and activities in the film and audiovisual industry amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.

The "Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 2020-001 on the Health and Safety Protocols for the Conduct of Film and Audiovisual Production Shoots and Audiovisual Activities During COVID-19 Pandemic" was signed with immediate effectivity on June 7, 2020 by FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño-Seguerra, DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III, and DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III.

"These guidelines, drafted in consultation with professional guilds and stakeholders, prioritize the health and safety of our film and audiovisual workers as they slowly resume operations," said Diño-Seguerra. "As the film and audiovisual industry is part of the country's hardest-hit business sector due to COVID-19, it is empowering that our lead government agencies are working with the FDCP to support industry members in transitioning to the new normal of performing their works while ensuring a safe environment amidst the pandemic."

The Order covers all film and audiovisual companies; workers regardless of employment status (including contractors and freelancers); all contents (including motion picture, film, television, animation, and advertising); all stages of production (including pre-production, principal photography, and post-production); all venues of production (including locations, production and animation studios, workplaces, production sites, and post-production facilities); and all others concerned with the conduct of film and audiovisual production shoots in all stages.

In the absence of a vaccine and definitive cure, producers and employers are required to comply with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and DOH minimum health standards for COVID-19 mitigation by increasing the physical and mental resilience of workers, stopping transmission, reducing contact rate, and shortening the duration of infectiousness.

With sectors slowly returning to work as we jumpstart our economy, the risk of COVID-19 affecting our population remains. "These minimum health and safety protocols will ensure that our workers in the film and audiovisual industry are protected. Furthermore, by implementing these guidelines we likewise ensure that this protection extends to their families and communities," the Health Secretary said.

Among the mandatory control measures that promote the safety and health of workers are the following:

1. Reduce the number of workers and create alternative work arrangements. A maximum of 50 workers only shall be allowed to work in production sites.

2. Modify necessary revisions of scripts and production executions without sacrificing health safety measures.

3. Maintain physical distancing.

4. Employ engineering controls to limit physical contact and personal hygiene.

There must be handwashing stations, footbath mats in all entrances, and physical barriers in common areas. The sanitation of workplaces and production or shooting sites, as well as the disinfection of equipment, wardrobe, props, and vehicles must be done regularly. There must also be a designated COVID-19 isolation area in locations and workplaces for all stages of production.

5. Enforce effective implementation of JAO through Administrative controls.

Producers and employers must disseminate all COVID-19 health and safety protocols to workers and must plan their work and productions to comply with the requirements of the Joint Administrative Order. Safety orientations must be conducted before the resumption of production work.

6. Proper use of PPEs.

Workers must wear their personal protective equipment (PPE) like surgical masks, face shields, and gloves at all times. They should also use alcohol or hand sanitizer religiously, on top of washing their hands properly. Producers and employers must provide an ample supply of PPE and alcohol or hand sanitizer.

In order to ensure compliance with the minimum standards of the JAO and the occupational safety and health (OSH) of workers, an OSH Officer must be present in workplaces and production sites at all times.

Vulnerable population groups composed of pregnant women, senior citizens, and those with underlying health conditions are discouraged from working on production sites as they have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. The producer or employer must develop agreements that detail alternative work arrangements and deliverables from these workers with no diminution in talent fees or benefits.

Aside from ensuring the strict compliance of industry stakeholders, the Order also provides for the Safe Filming Program which will give information on working safely in the Philippines by creating a resource website with the guidelines, systems, resources, forms, documents, issuances, updates, and best practices from international film commissions.

FDCP-DOH-DOLE Joint Administrative Order No. 2020-001 was published on June 7, 2020 in a newspaper of general circulation. The complete text of the Order can be accessed here.

Batangas City hailed as One Planet City Challenge 2019-2020 country winner for the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The capital city of Batangas province has been named the Philippine winner in the latest edition of the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) One Planet City Challenge, joining the list of national winners from 22 countries worldwide.

The city’s comprehensive climate mitigation and adaptation plan, which includes interventions based on city-specific climate vulnerabilities, impressed the urban sustainability experts from across the globe that compose the OPCC jury. Batangas City also reported an ambitious target for carbon neutrality by 2030 and its vision to be the first carbon-neutral city in the Philippines.

In a letter from the OPCC Team in Stockholm, the jury acknowledged the city’s aggressive efforts in promoting climate risk assessment.

“Batangas City showed particularly strong performance related to its vision. The city scored well across different indicators especially political action and climate risk assessment and evidence of action, especially related to adaptation.”

Together with Batangas City, fellow finalists Muntinlupa and Santa Rosa, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Dipolog, La Carlota, Pasig, San Carlos, Tagum, Malolos, Parañaque, and Quezon City, were included in the country’s roster of qualifiers for OPCC 2019-2020.

WWF-Philippines Executive Director Joel Palma praised the City of Batangas, as well as the other local qualifiers, for representing the Philippines well.

“I would like to commend the Batangas City LGU and all the other LGUs who have taken part in the OPCC. I would like to commend their efforts in finding solutions to ensure that development is made sustainable by putting into the equation the environment and people. The challenges we are facing now, particularly the pandemic, proves that there is a direct link between the health of the environment and the health and well being of people,” shared Palma.

Nearly 66% of the global population has been represented in the year’s OPCC leg, with 255 cities participating from over 53 countries across the globe.

Originally launched as the Earth Hour City Challenge, OPCC kicked off in 2011 as a biennial global challenge where cities are encouraged to share climate mitigation and develop adaptation plans centered in their critical role of building a sustainable and climate-safe future. Being accountable for 70% of carbon emissions globally and generating 80% of the total GDP, the political and economic power of cities are considered instrumental in the transition to a more stable climate.

Winners of this year’s OPCC are also eligible to participate in We Love Cities, a WWF campaign interwoven with the OPCC which aims to liaise better communication between city officials and the citizens they represent on climate change and sustainability issues. For more information and updates, log on to http://panda.org/opcc.