MORE NEWS, BAGUIO CITY

Piracy forcing Cordi artists to halt production

BAGUIO CITY — Artists in the Cordillera have stopped production of original compositions due to the rampant piracy which has resulted in bankruptcy among the local producers.
Officers of the Cordillera Producers and Artists Association (CPAA) said that the local producers and artists have lost interests in producing original musical compositions due to the piracy problem.

However, they said that they will resume the production of their materials if the people prefer to buy the original copies rather than the pirated ones.

Most of the audio and musical materials being produced in the Cordillera are adoptions from foreign songs, and the lyrics are in the local dialect.

The group expressed disappointment over the unabated piracy which has been going on for several years, but it seems that the authorities could not do anything about it.

At present, the local artists appear helpless in the drive against piracy because the consumers prefer the cheaper but fake materials.

The artists and producers said that they could not recover the cost of production if they continue to produce original compositions, and so they opted to look for other jobs. It’s an option better than losing their investments due to piracy, they said.

The "original piece" means that the lyrics and the melody of the song are composed by an artist or
artists.

The group frequently borrows the melody from American country songs, but the lyrics is in the local dialect.

They said that they may be borrowing the melodies, but this does not cause losses on the part of the original producers because the finished materials are sold in the local market.

They said that what causes losses to international, national and local artists is the illegal reproduction of original musical and video materials.

The group, composed of at least 25 producers and artists, has been complaining about piracy, saying that even locally produced audio and video materials are not spared by pirates.

The local artists said that pirated copies of their finished products come out one or two weeks after these are released in the market.

While the production cost of one album is between P70,000 and P90,000 and a copy is sold at R100, the pirated copies are sold at only between P30 and P50.

It was reported that the people pirating the products of artists are also local businessmen who compete with the producers.

As a result, they said, local music production is now considered a "dead business ."
Cordillera government officials had requested the Optical Media Board (OMB) to deputize them and members of law enforcement agencies so they could help in the enforcement of the provisions of the Anti-Piracy Law in the region. This would enable them to seize the pirated materials, they said. – Dexter See



No site yet for Baguio sanitary landfill
BAGUIO CITY — The city government has still no definite site for its sanitary landfill despite the assistance extended by World Bank experts in identification of possible landfill areas.
The establishment of a landfill facility in the city is required by Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

A study conducted by WB experts with the assistance from city solid waste management officials showed that several areas in Virac, Itogon and Upper Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet are the most viable sites for the city’s engineered sanitary landfill.

However, local experts seem not satisfied with the recommendations of the WB experts on the possible sites as they want the conduct of a study and evaluation on the legal and social aspects to assist the city’s solid waste management board in the final selection of its sanitary landfill project.
Mayor Reinaldo A. Bautista Jr. created two task forces mandated to further conduct the evaluation on the two viable sanitary landfill sites.

The mayor said the two task forces’ duty is to coordinate with the local governments of Tuba and Itogon and advocate the city’s need for an engineered sanitary landfill as contained in the city’s 10-year ecological solid waste management plan.

Ironically, the city is running out of time in the implementation of its sanitary landfill project. Earlier, it closed the Irisan dumpsite and tons of garbage have started to pile up in the 128 barangays of the city, and this situation has earned the ire of tourists and residents.

Part of the provisions of the city’s solid waste management project, which would cost about P300 million, is the identification and purchase of a 20-hectare land for a sanitary landfill outside of this city.

Baguio’s 10-year comprehensive solid waste management program requires a R450 million budget for its implementation.

Earlier, several owners of lots adjacent to each other in Virac, Itogon, Benguet have offered to sell their properties to the city government as the site of its sanitary landfill project.

RA 9003 requires local government units to have their respective sanitary landfill projects and close the operation of their open dump sites for health reasons.

Solid waste management experts criticized officials of urban areas in the different parts of country for their lack of political will in the implementing of a sustainable solid waste management plan.
It was noted that first-class municipalities are getting the edge over urban centers in connection with the compliance of the law.

Aside from the lack of political will, urban centers do not have the required facilities such as the materials recovery areas and the system of reward and punishment as well as public cooperation in solid waste management. – Dexter A. See