CEBU, PHILIPPINES — Senator Robin Padilla was in Cebu Wednesday, June 17, alongside Dennis Padilla for a screening of “Badboy 3,” which he directed and wherein he reprises his starring role as Bumbo.
While organizers requested the press not to ask political questions, it did not stop invited figures from the Cebuano film scene from using the post-screening Q&A to air their grievances to the senator, who lent them a sympathetic ear.
Among them were actor Badidi Labra and producer Jill Anoba-Yap, who shared how the centralized structure of the film industry in Manila has created a divide between Manila-based productions and regional filmmaking communities. This include local talents and crew members receiving different treatment from both international and national productions, from being paid different rates to being served different meals than their counterparts in Manila.
Labra said of the so-called “Manila rate versus Cebu rate” for talents: “Big difference po ito ha. Hindi lang po itonti lang.”
“Bawal ’yon eh sa Eddie Garcia Law. Discriminatory ’yan,” Padilla reacted, finding the revelation “eye-opening.” “Hindi lang naman ’yan pang-Manila [yung law]. Dapat buong Pilipinas.Babantayan ko ’yan. Committee ko ’yan,” he added, referring to his position as chair of the Senate Committee on Mass Media and Public Information, the leadership slot of which was left vacant following the Senate reorganization after Sen. Win Gatchalian was voted Senate president that morning.
“Ewan ko kung tinanggal na sa akin kasi nag-session sila kanina. Pero pangako ko po sa inyo, kung sino man ang bagong chairman niyan, kakausapin ko siya kasi bawal ’yon at hindi dapat mangyari,” he assured.
Dennis suggested that local filmmakers formally submit their concerns. He said, “Yung sinasabi mo kanina, maganda ’yon. I-formalize lang through a letter s para lahat ng mga whereas clauses meron para mabigyan ng atensyon ’yan.”
Should he retain his position in the committee, Robin promised the filmmakers that he would address their grievances and possibly bring discussions on these matters to Cebu. “Pangako ko sa iyo ito, magpapa-public hearing ako dito. Dadalhin yung public hearing dito. Promise ko sa iyo,” he said.
Sen. Padilla also spoke about his Senate work during the Q&A at Robinsons Galleria Cebu Movieworld, saying he had drafted a bill granting tax incentives to film productions, which he said he “copied” from models used in South Korea and Thailand.
“Halimbawa, ako ay isang Hollywood director, pumunta ako sa Cebu at nag-shooting ako dito ng pelikula at pinakita ko yung ganda ng Cebu at kumuha ako ng mga artista dito, meron akong tax incentive,” he explained.
“Yan po ang ginagawa sa Korea at Thailand. Ibig sabihin, halimbawa, ako yung producer sa Hollywood o [sa Manila], gumastos ako ng sabihin natin na P100 million, ibabalik sa akin ng gobyerno yung P30 million,” he added. “Para ipakita ko yung ganda ng Cebu, ginamit ko yung mga artista dito at ginamit ko yung culture ninyo rito. Kapag ’yan nangyari, mabubuhay ang film industry sa Cebu at sa marami pang lugar sa Pilipinas.”
Further supporting his push for the bill is his experience complying with the Eddie Garcia Law while filming “Badboy 3.” While he supports the law as one of its authors, the longer shooting schedule increased production costs. The film is produced by Viva Films, Padilla’s RCP Productions, and The Gunstore, a firearms shop in Taguig.
Passed in 2024, the Eddie Garcia Law sets the normal workday in the film and television industry at eight hours, which may be extended to a maximum of 14 hours, exclusive of meal periods, with overtime pay.
The law also provides that total working hours must not exceed 60 hours per week and requires a turnaround rest period of at least 10 hours between the end of one workday and the start of the next. Production companies that violate the law may face fines ranging from P100,000 to P500,000, as well as other penalties and sanctions.
“Limited hours na po, kaya may pagkakataon po na pag tumama na doon sa oras, kahit hindi ka pa tapos, kailangan mag-pack up kasi iniintindi mo yung kapakanan ng kasama mo, artista, crew. Kaya medyo mahaba po ang inabot ng shooting days namin,” he said. “Dati, kaya pong tapusin ng 15 days. Pero dahil po may Eddie Garcia Law, umabot po kami ng mga 25 days.”
As a result, the film’s production stretched to 25 shooting days, pushing its budget to P60 million. He added, “Kaya po, hinihingi natin uli sa ating mga kasamang senador na sana bigyan nila ng pagkakataon yung tax incentive kasi hindi mabubuhay ang pelikulang Pilipino at telebisyon kung ang pabor lang lagi ay sa artista at sa crew, pero mahihirapan naman yung producers.”
In his return to the big screen four years after being elected senator in 2022, Robin reprised his role as Bumbo, while Dennis returned as his sidekick, Kamote, in “Badboy 3.” The first two films were released in 1990 and 1992, marking 34 years since the duo last appeared together as their characters.
Padilla plays a reformed Bumbo, now a Christian pastor who regrets his violent past. Years later, when Kamote, now a Muslim barangay captain, gets in trouble after reporting a drug-smuggling operation involving a corrupt politician and his son, Bumbo is brought back to Manila to help resolve the situation without resorting to violence. The mission puts him in moral conflict as events become more complicated and bloodier than he anticipated.
Padilla said making action films, despite their popularity, was much more difficult in the past because of technical limitations, including shooting on analog 35 mm film stock.
“Dati po, umaabot ng isang taon pagka-shooting kami eh. Tapos, masyadong gumagastos pag gumamit ng effects,” he recalled. “Ngayon, meron na ng CGI, AI, VFX. Napakadali na po sa kanila, tapos hindi lang negative 35mm film. Digital HD na. Kung gusto mo 100 takes, puwede na.”
Padilla noted, however, that Filipino action stories are now more commonly seen on television than in cinemas. This motivated him to create another action film for the big screen after seeing how other Asian countries continue to sustain their own action film industries. “We can do action movies like other Asian countries. Pero huli tayo. Gusto namin mabuhay pa ang Pinoy action movie,” he said.
As of writing, there are no final plans for a wider release of “Badboy 3,” as discussions continue between Viva and The Gunstore over where it should be released. An entertainment site previously reported last November that the film was being eyed for release on Netflix.
“Gusto ng Viva sa sinehan, pero ayaw naman po ng Gunstore kasi mapuputol yung mga action scene. Kaya hanggang ngayon, pinagdedebatehan po ’yan. Pinag-uusapan pa nila kung online o sa movie house,” he explained.
| Januar Junior Aguja / VAB
