Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines thanks IATF for reopening cinemas

by Jonathan Hicap, Manila Bulletin

The Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP) thanked the Inter-Agency Task Force for allowing cinemas to reopen in Metro Manila under COVID-19 Alert Level 3. 

Metro Manila will be under Alert Level 3 from Oct. 16 to 31 after the IATF approved the recommendation. 

Under the updated guidelines issued by the IATF on Oct. 13, cinemas and movie houses are included in the list of establishments “allowed to operate or be undertaken at a maximum of 30% indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals only and 50% outdoor venue capacity.”

“Provided, that all workers/employees of these establishments are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and MPHS [minimum public health standards] shall be strictly maintained. Provided further, that there is no objection from the LGU where these activities may take place,” according to the guidelines. 

In its statement CEAP noted that “it has been over a year and a half that we had to close our cinema doors to our dear moviegoers.”

“The entire film industry is extremely grateful to the IATF for finally allowing us to reopen under Alert Level 3. Sincerest gratitude goes to those who guided and supported us – Go Negosyo Team for paving the way to be recognized as an industry appealing for its reopening, the MMDA for the much-needed guidance, the DTI for always assisting the film industry and the LGUs for their utmost support,” said CEAP. 

It added, “It also pays to recognize the cinema workers and employees who stood by us on this journey. We know that you are all excited as we are to watch on the big screen.”

“However, we must do our due diligence by coordinating with the LGUs where our cinemas are located. This is to ensure that we comply with their detailed guidelines. We are also coordinating with the other stakeholders as they prepare content for the cinemas,” it said. 

According to CEAP, “As we get ready to open our doors, please know that we are doing so with the highest dedication to the health and safety of all our patrons and employees as we bring back the cinematic viewing experience you have all been waiting for.” 

We will be seeing each other again very soon to enjoy the latest movies and blockbusters that we may have missed,” it said. 

What our intention should be

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          WE have to be most careful with our intentions because they

play a crucial role in our moral life. Our intentions can determine

the state of our life in relation to God and to the others. Together

with the matter or object, and the circumstances surrounding our acts,

our intention can referee whether our human acts are good or bad.

          That gospel episode about the brothers James and John

wanting to be seated at the sides of God in his kingdom (cfr. Mk

10,35-45) reminds us that while it’s good to desire what is best for

us, we have to make sure that we are ready to do what it takes to

achieve such intention, desire or ambition.

          Again, while it’s nice to hear from the brothers that they

were willing to “drink the cup” that Christ would drink, and to be

“baptized with the baptism” with which Christ would be baptized, that

is to say, that they were willing to suffer with Christ with their

bold response of “We can,” Christ somehow corrected or purified their

intention by telling them they should rather have the intention of

serving and not to be served. That way, they can share in the glory of

Christ himself.

          Reinforcing this point, Christ told them clearly that

“whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever

wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of

Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a

ransom for many.”

          I believe that these words are most relevant to us today,

since we need to be reminded of a basic attitude we ought to have if

we want to be truly human and Christian, with love supposedly the

driving principle of our life.

          To serve is the language and the action of love. It

authenticates any affirmation of love we do, converting it from

intention to tangible reality.

          This is the attitude meant for us, with Christ himself as

the exemplar. Imagine, Christ served us by dying on the cross. Before

that, he shocked his apostles when he insisted that he be allowed to

wash their feet. That was to give example to them, and us, so that

what he did we would also do.

          The angels too, superior to us in nature, are made to serve

us, following a divine law articulated by Christ himself when he said:

“Let him who is greatest among you become as the youngest, and him who

is the chief as the servant.” (Lk 22,26)

          We need to be more keenly aware of this law. This is truly

what is good for us, providing us with the basic source of strength

and consistency we need as we grapple with life’s endless challenges.

          Before we worry about the big and destructive enemies of our

soul, we have to realize that our most insidious foe is right within

us, when this attitude of serving others is not firmly established in

our mind and heart.

          This eagerness to serve really has to be worked out, because

with our fallen and wounded nature, every pore of our being tends to

go against the law of love expressed in service that God meant for us.

We need to come out with some strategies for this attitude of wanting

to serve to be incorporated into our lifestyle.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com