First Bombas, now Bombays

Philippines Tourism Invests in Bollywood

The film industry in the Philippines has been on the decline in recent years, that’s no secret.

I’m not sure how tourism is doing in the motherland, but I do know that the country can’t be doing that well — last time I visited, it seemed that it was little by little being sold off to rich foreign investors.

I suppose the latest plan by the Dept. of Tourism is meant to address both the ailing film biz and the need to sell off pieces of the land?Should be simple… promote beautiful Filipino spots like Bora, Palawan, Bohol and hope that Bollywood likes and wants to film their crazy song and dance movies there.

Bollywood is the world’s largest film industry (bigger than even Hollywood) so if the Indians shoot even a fraction of their films on our land — that’s all butter (chicken).

Or is it?

How would this disturb the natural environment and resources? Places like Boracay and Puerto Galera are already being decimated by tourism, what now if they become major film locations with large crews using the land and not leaving it as they found it? And what will this mean for the Filipino film industry, which has seen shrinking budgets and produces, like 80% crap movies (with the other 20% being good bomba movies)?

The only way this will work is if people don’t get greedy (which is doubtful, this is the Philippines – they smell the money) and if they regulate and supervise the use of the land (which is doubtful since $ means license to do anything in the Phils).

I’d say go to Bora or Palawan now if you haven’t already. In a few years, there’s going to be a singing Indian man popping out from behind every single coconut tree.