Full Circle Lab Philippines Opens Call for Applications with New Lab for Story Editors, Hybrid Workshop

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Full Circle Lab Philippines (FCL PH), a joint capacity-building program for Filipino and other Southeast Asian filmmakers of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and European production outfit Tatino Films, has opened the call for applications for this year’s edition. The 2022 edition will consist of four (4) labs that will directly benefit fifteen (15) projects and eleven (11) talents, with no less than ten (10) international mentors and industry advisors involved. The Story Editor’s Lab, a new section, will also be introduced and will be focusing on story development particularly in the script development stage.

The FDCP’s flagship international film lab for Filipino and Southeast Asian films and filmmakers was renewed for another three-year cycle which will cover 2022 to 2024—a long term plan that will culminate into the FCL Horizons 2025. The project will be in hybrid format consisting of an onsite residential workshop in April and follow-up online sessions in September 2022.

The program aiming to provide opportunities for filmmakers and producers to further develop and elevate their projects will be opening its doors to participants of the following films labs:

●      Fiction Lab - twelve (12) projects in development (feature films, series, animation)

●      First Cut Lab - three (3) projects in post-production (feature films & documentaries)

●      Creative Producers Lab - eight (8) producers with or without project/s in development

●      Story Editing Lab - three (3) participants

 

Full Circle Lab Philippines aims to identify, nurture, and train creative talents in the Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia by supporting film projects along their development & post-production processes in order to enhance their artistic and audience potentials with a focus on storytelling. This program also aims to foster the internationalization of the Filipino film industry and position the Philippines as a creative hub in the Southeast Asian region by creating synergy between the industry experts and professionals across the globe through sessions and talks. This new three-year cycle will be joined by a mentor team composed of esteemed film professionals from all over the world.

The Full Circle Lab Philippines call for application is open to eligible filmmakers from the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries: Brunei, Cambodia, East-Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“The whole world is looking at Asia now, and we want to capitalize on that and make sure that we are ready and equipped with the tools to take our diverse and unique stories to the global stage. Through the Full Circle Lab Philippines, we are taking concrete steps toward making the Philippines a creative Hub for Filmmaking in the Southeast Asian region,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

“With that goal, and especially with this fast evolving milieu, it is imperative to continually equip our filmmakers with the tools for them to keep learning new skills, unlearning less effective practices, and relearning new strategies in doing things so they can keep up with the times,” she added.  

Last year, the 3rd FCL PH was held online alongside the first Philippine Film Industry Month celebration. The FCL 2021 edition has supported a total of 24 projects and participants from various countries in Southeast Asia and the Philippines.

Eligible applicants may submit the complete application package consisting of complete requirements and accomplished application form to projectlab@fdcp.ph with the subject: Full Circle Lab Philippines 2022 [Lab Category Application] ex. Full Circle Lab Philippines 2021 [Fiction lab Application]. Applications for Fiction Lab, Creative Producers Lab, and Story Editing Lab will be accepted until February 15, 2022 with announcement of selected participants in the FCL PH’s social media pages on March 15, 2022. The application period for First Cut Lab will be until March 15, 2022, announcement date of chosen projects will be posted this month. Interested applicants may download the application form here: https://bit.ly/FCLPH2022-ApplicationForm.

Stay tuned for more details and announcements in Full Circle Lab Philippines’ Facebook page and Instagram. For guidelines, eligibility, and requirements, see below:

 

Fiction Lab

Open for projects in the early stage of development to pre-production stage in any of the following formats: feature films, series, or animation.

Applicants must submit the following:

●      Duly accomplished application form

●      Logline (50 words), synopsis (1 page), and concept/treatment (up to 10 pages)

●      Director’s and producer’s statements (Up to 2 pages)

●      Director’s and screenwriter’s filmographies (1 page)

●      Producer’s filmography (1 page) and production company profile (1 page)

●      Rights to adaptation, if applicable

●      High definition profile photo

 

All requirements must be submitted in separate PDF documents.

Note:

●      Projects with or without current affiliation with a producer will be equally welcomed.

●      There is no need to have financing in place.

●      The participating team must be composed of the writer accompanied by the director and/or producer of the project.

 

First Cut Lab

Available for projects in the editing stage. Participants will receive expert advice from editor-consultants and industry advisors chosen according to the specific needs of each film.

Applicants must submit the following:

●      Duly accomplished application form

●      A minimum of 30 minutes of scenes from the film with English subtitles. Scenes can be separate and can be in the rough cut

●      Logline (50 words), synopsis (1 page)

●      Director’s and producer’s statements (Up to 2 pages)

●      Director’s and editor’s filmographies (1 page)

●      Producer’s filmography (1 page) and production company profile (1 page)

●      High definition profile photo

 

All requirements must be submitted in separate PDF documents.

 

Note:

The film’s producer, director, and editor must attend the whole duration of the Editing Lab.

 

Creative Producers Lab

Open to producers who will have the chance to be mentored on topics covering the different key areas of this profession—project development, legal & financial issues, and company development.

Applicants must submit the following:

●      Duly accomplished application form

●      Letter of intent

●      Filmography

●      Production company profile

●      Project dossier

●      High definition profile photo

 

All requirements must be submitted in separate PDF documents.

 

Note:

Producers with or without current affiliation with production companies are equally welcome to apply.

 

Story Editing Lab

Open to aspiring script consultants, scriptwriters, heads of development in production companies, or commissioning editors of broadcasters, who will work hand-in-hand with the Fiction Lab groups. Each participant will work primarily with the script and production mentors of his group, but he/she will also receive expert advice and lectures from mentors from the other groups.

Applicants must submit the following:

●      Duly accomplished application form

●      Letter of intent

●      Filmography

●      Production company profile

●      High definition profile photo

 

All requirements must be submitted in separate PDF documents.

 

 LAB GUIDELINES

1. Full Circle Lab Philippines is open to filmmakers from the Philippines and Southeast Asia countries: Brunei, Cambodia, East-Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
2. For Fiction Lab, Creative Producers Lab, and Story Editing Lab, applicants should submit their complete application package by February 15, 2022. For First Cut Lab, applications will be accepted until March 15, 2022.
3. The application shall be done by submitting a duly accomplished application form and other supporting requirements. All requirements shall be sent to projectlab@fdcp.ph with the subject: Full Circle Lab Philippines 2022 [(Lab Category) Application] ex. Full Circle Lab Philippines 2021 [Fiction lab Application].
4. The Full Circle Lab Philippines mentors shall review the materials of eligible applicants and shall confer to select the final selection, ensuring the diversity of the lineup.
5. FDCP will be announcing the final selection of the official projects by March 15, 2022.
6. The official participants shall agree and sign a Memorandum of Agreement with FDCP upon accepting the terms and lab slot.
7. The official participants shall agree to disclose their vaccination certifications.
8. The FDCP shall cover the costs for flights and accommodations of the participants for the duration of the onsite lab.
9. The official participants shall agree to attend onsite and finish all sessions and meetings assigned to them and participate in the follow-up session in September.
10. The official participants will be given schedules with their assigned Full Circle Lab  Philippines mentors.
11. The official participants must comply and submit their requirements as advised by the mentor and/or the organizers.
12. The official participants would be given passes to the International Film Industry Conference in September. Each interested participant should register to secure a slot.

 

 

 

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Film Development Council of the Philippines

Media Relations Unit

ADDRESS 855 T.M. Kalaw Street, Ermita, Manila, Philippines 1000

PHONE +63 2 82569958 loc. 100

E-MAIL mediadesk@fdcp.ph

WEB https://www.fdcp.ph/

SSS to offer calamity assistance to members, pensioners affected by Typhoon Odette

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The Social Security System (SSS) will offer a Calamity Assistance Package to members and pensioners affected by Typhoon Odette starting January 14, 2022.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Aurora C. Ignacio said that the Calamity Assistance Package consist of the Calamity Loan Assistance Program (CLAP) and Direct House Repair and Improvement Loan for members, and the three-month advance pension for pensioners in areas affected by Typhoon Odette as declared by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Members and pensioners in MIMAROPA, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and CARAGA, as well as other areas that may be declared by the NDRRMC to be under the state of calamity due to typhoon, can avail of the SSS Calamity Assistance Package.

“It is unfortunate that the recent typhoon affected the daily lives and livelihood of our members and pensioners in these several areas. Through the SSS Calamity Assistance Package, we can extend financial aid to our members and pensioners as they try to recover from the effects of Typhoon Odette," Ignacio said.

SSS will offer the CLAP for its members and the Three-month Advance Pension to its pensioners until April 13, 2022. Meanwhile, the Direct House Repair and Improvement Loan will be open to qualified members for one year upon issuance and effectivity of SSS Circular No. 2021-020.


Calamity Loan Assistance Program

Under the CLAP, qualified members can avail of a loan amount equivalent to one month salary credit (MSC) computed based the average of their last 12 monthly salary credits (MSCs) rounded up to the nearest thousand or the amount they applied for, whichever is lower.

To qualify, affected members must meet the following requirements:

Have a My.SSS account at www.sss.gov.ph;
Have at least 36 monthly contributions, six of which should be posted within the last 12 months before the month of filing of application;

A resident of a calamity-stricken area declared by the NDRRMC and suffered damage or loss to their properties due to Typhoon Odette;

Have not been granted any final benefit such as permanent total disability or retirement;
Have no outstanding Loan Restructuring Program (LRP) or CLAP; and
If employed, the member’s employer must certify the CLAP application through online My.SSS facility.

Interested members can apply for CLAP using their respective My.SSS account.


Approved loan proceeds will be credited to member-borrower’s account through the members’ registered Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) – Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Card, their active accounts with a Philippine Electronic Fund Transfer System and Operations Network (PESONet) participating bank, or their Union Bank of the Philippines (UBP) Quick Cards registered in the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM), which can be found on their My.SSS accounts.

The loan is payable in equal monthly installments for 24 months or two years. It has an interest rate of 10% per annum, and the service fee of 1% of loan amount is already waived.

The first loan amortization will start in the second month following the date of the approval of the loan. For example, their loan was approved on January 21, 2022. They will start paying their loan amortization by March 2022. On the other hand, the loan’s payment deadline is every last day of the month following the applicable month, but in case it falls on a weekend or holiday, payment may be made on the next working day. Late payments will incur a 1% penalty per month.


Three-month Advance Pension

Retirement, disability, and survivor pensioners under the Social Security (SS) Program, and disability and survivor pensioners under the Employees’ Compensation (EC) Program pensioners may apply for a three-month advance pension. Interested SS and EC pensioners must be residents of the typhoon-affected areas declared by NDRRMC

To apply, they must submit a properly accomplished Application for Assistance Due to Calamity/Disaster Form duly certified by their Barangay Chairman; or the said form together with a certification from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or NDRRMC to any SSS branch. They can download the application form at www.sss.gov.ph or click this link: https://bit.ly/AdvancePensionForm.

However, retirement pensioners who have existing loans under the Pension Loan Program (PLP) are disqualified from availing of the three-month advance pension.


Direct House Repair and/or Improvement Loan

SSS also extends financial assistance to its members whose houses were damaged or destroyed due to Typhoon Odette. Qualified SSS members may apply for the Direct House Repair and/or Improvement Loan. Under this, they can borrow a maximum loanable amount of up to P1 million.


To qualify, affected members must meet the following requirements:

Have a total of 24 monthly contributions, three of which should be posted within the last 12-month period before the month of filing application;

Not more than 60 years old at the time of filing of application;

Have not been previously granted a House Repair and/or Improvement Loan by the SSS; and

Have not been granted any final SSS benefit nor was refunded SSS contributions.

The member and his/her spouse must be up-to-date in the payment of all other existing loans with the SSS.

It has an interest rate of 8% for loans amounting to up to P450,000, while for those over P450,000, the interest rate is 9%. SSS has also waived the processing fee for the said loan.

Member-borrower will have a six-month moratorium for the loan’s monthly amortization and interest payments. They will only start paying their loan amortization of the 7th month from its approval and is payable in equal monthly installments.

Moreover, loan term will be in five, 10, 15, or 20 years, plus the moratorium of six months. However, the term must not exceed the economic life of the house or improvement after the repair and/or improvement were introduced (to be determined by the SSS) as well as the difference between the age of the applicant and 65.

Interested applicants can file their loan applications at the Member Loans Department in the SSS Main Office for those in the NCR, or the Housing and Acquired Asset Management Sections located in SSS San Pablo for those in Southern Luzon, SSS Cebu for those in Central Visayas, SSS Bacolod for those in Western Visayas, SSS Davao for those in Southern Mindanao, SSS Cagayan De Oro for those in Northern Mindanao, and SSS Zamboanga for those in Western Mindanao.

SSS has allotted P2.18 billion for the implementation of the Calamity Assistance Package, which will benefit an estimated 236,509 active members and pensioners in the typhoon-affected areas.

For more information, visit the uSSSap Tayo Portal at https://crms.sss.gov.ph, follow the SSS on Facebook at “Philippine Social Security System - SSS,” Instagram and YouTube at “mysssph,” Twitter at “PHLSSS,” or join its Viber Community at “MYSSSPH Updates.”

Olympic and War Hero's Heirs Give Food Support to Ilocos Hometown

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Residents in Piddig, Ilocos Norte — the hometown of the first Filipino Olympic medalist Teofilo Yldefonso — received a surprise treat from the heirs of the late sports legend and war hero: free Chooks-to-Go chicken.

Capt. Raul Yldefonso, who represented the descendants of the heroic swimmer, said his grandfather would have also wanted to share to the less fortunate any blessings he received.

Last year, Chooks-to-Go operator Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI) committed to honor Yldefonso’s "patriotism and contribution to Philippine sports" by giving his heirs regular supply of Chooks-to-Go chicken.

"This is our simple way of giving tribute to our first Olympic medalist, Teofilo Yldefonso, who was also a World War II hero," said BAVI President Ronald Mascariñas. "Yldefonso endured the Bataan Death March and later died in a concentration camp. We are happy that his example of being a true Manok ng Bayan with true love for country continues among his descendants today."

Yldefonso was the country’s first-ever Olympic medalist, winning bronze in the 200m breaststroke event of the 1928 Summer Games in Amsterdam.

He repeated the feat four years later in Los Angeles as he became known as the “Ilocano Shark” and “The Father of the Modern Breaststroke”.

In 2021, BAVI honored Filipino Olympic greats with various rewards, such as regular supply of Chooks-to-Go vouchers, and even Chooks-to-Go outlets. Among those who received this bounty were Eumir Marcial, Roel Velasco, Onyok Velasco, and the late Leopoldo Serantes. The company was later conferred the Arete Award by the Philippine Olympians Association for its remarkable support to outstanding yet oft-forgotten Olympians.