PRC proposes professional licensure exams for artists, media people

[insiang]

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PRC proposes professional licensure exams for artists, media people

By BOY VILLASANTA
abs-cbnNEWS.com

Should artists and the media industry be required to earn licenses before practicing their professions?

This question has been making the rounds of networks these past days and the local show biz circle isn’t exempted from the issue. Movie, television, music, live entertainment and radio people according to some quarters should take civil service examinations before they are hired by film, TV, recording, live show and radio companies.

According to Jose Rafael Cesar Atencio of The PhilippineCinema@yahoogroups.com, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) (www.prc.gov.ph) is planning to give licensure exams to movie industry professionals like the directors, producers, scriptwriters, cinematographers, actors, and the ordinary movie workers.

The proposal is to regulate the industry by issuing licenses to the movie industry professionals.

In the media industry, licensure exams will be given to the working press such as reporters, (contributing/correspondents) writers, photojournalists, editors, columnists, copyreaders, deskmen, and the like.

The only licensed professionals in the media industry are the civil and mechanical engineers who ran the printing presses and the broadcast stations

.The same goes for the broadcast industry: even though it is self-regulated by the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcasters sa Pilipinas (KBP), the only ones licensed in the radio/TV are the electronics and communications engineers.

In the public relations and advertising industry, there is also a proposal to give licensure exams to PR practitioners and advertisers including copy writers and account executives.

Here are some of the reactions to the idea.

From TV, movie, stage personality and comedienne Evelyn Vargas-Knaebal who is also now a film festival organizer abroad: “Though here in Swiss and in Europe all workers in the film industry, media even hairdresser to aide in the kitchen gets formation to get a license. They are paid well and not abused by employers. You are right, there's so much bureaucracy that goes with licensing but we have to start somewhere to discipline ourselves, our government offices, our leaders, etc...”

From Tamara Benitez, cultural artist: “I don't think we need to take it to the level of licensing artists. What will be your criteria for licensing? Education? What about the artists who learned from the bottom up, and didn't study in any formal school? What makes a director? What makes an editor? A person can know all the textbook terms and processes but still not be a director.”

“Fine line there between regulating professionals, and regulating artists. The latter's dangerous. Ingats lang” –Iñigo Mortel, artist

“Mukhang tax ang makakalaban nila. Pero di ako masyadong sigurado sa magiging impact. Baka mas makabuti ito in general.” –Manuel Pangaruy, movie enthusiast

”This is quite impossible. These professionals' skills only gets honed over the years and they all come from different backgrounds or academic trainings (some writers I know are engineering graduates and they write really well...)” –Andy Tejada, artist

“Yes, the industry needs this: licensure exams. So, the exams should be made by scholars and practitioners alike. License can protect professionals from pseudo artists. There is no law in the Philippines protecting the artist and in turn the movie/stage/advertising industry. I had been a victim of abuse on numerous occasions and I know there have been others abused among production crew and even directors.” –Gilleth Sandico, actress


Mga peeps, unsa inyong ikasulti ani?

[rishee]

the professional ones have to take a KBP licensure exam for broadcasting.. enough na guro na.. ila nman ipa complicate oi.. pero why not?? but anybody can become an artist pud baya.. hehe cguro nndot ni para d tanan tao mag ambisyon mag artista..hehehe

[jonjie_b]

nabuang naman ni PRC na hala hasta pag basurero pa exam na. mayeb carpenters masons fisher vendors and jeepney barkers should be imposed examinations pud.

[diem]

I think it's a bad idea with possible a greedy ulterior agenda. I only think that media organizations and art institutions should be the ones that should be regulated and standardized by law and NOT the artists themselves as the individuals. Why?

Because the artists' output is purely abstract and subjective, it cannot be compared to an engineer or chemist or nurse's realm of responsibility that's defined by certain parameters and whose quality of work affects people in a more direct and physical way.

An unlicensed nurse "might" endanger a patient's life, an unlicensed engineer "might" miscalculate and the bridge s/he help constructed or the car s/he helped designed may be unreliable and dangerous, but if an artist makes a mistake with his/her own body of work, what's the worst that could happen? A bad review! A box office flop! A bruised ego! A disappointed audience!

[piolo_askal]

What they should rather be doing is to give emphasis in improving other current licensure exams and at least to make it reliable again. What PRC has been producing lately are "professionals on paper" that aren't really that competent skillswise. Technical school graduates and trained personnel can even do a lot better than professionals.

[diatabz]

I don't get it, for media folks isn't the KBP enough? The PRC has to complicate things. Sheesh.

[diehard96]

for the media, it's just proper in order to really professionalize the practitioners.

but for artists? how on earth could they come up with an exam that would gauge professional artistry?

[gemcadz]

i don't like the idea at all. it should just be about skills and quality of work. not titles and papers.

[makatasawi]

I think it's a bad idea with possible a greedy ulterior agenda. I only think that media organizations and art institutions should be the ones that should be regulated and standardized by law and NOT the artists themselves as the individuals. Why?

Because the artists' output is purely abstract and subjective, it cannot be compared to an engineer or chemist or nurse's realm of responsibility that's defined by certain parameters and whose quality of work affects people in a more direct and physical way.

An unlicensed nurse "might" endanger a patient's life, an unlicensed engineer "might" miscalculate and the bridge s/he help constructed or the car s/he helped designed may be unreliable and dangerous, but if an artist makes a mistake with his/her own body of work, what's the worst that could happen? A bad review! A box office flop! A bruised ego! A disappointed audience!

sometimes artist's mistakes from the viewpoint of other critiques is
exactly the definition of his own art.

boladas nga agenda

[wendell]

lingawa ani if madayun,, pero,,unsay pamaagi sa exam?? on the spot??