Pilipinas, maaaring magiging susunod na lokasyon para sa Hollywood blockbuster na ‘Crazy Rich Asians’

Maaaring maging susunod na lokasyon ng Hollywood blockbuster na “Crazy Rich Asians” ang Pilipinas.

Sa kamakailan ay ginanap na World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit, sinabi ng Singapore-born American novelist na si Kevin Kwan, na siyang may-akda sa Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, at Rich People Problems, na gusto niyang gawin sa Pilipinas ang susunod niyang pelikula.

Ayon kay Kwan . . . “It’s a country with so many amazing locations, cultures, flavors, and of course, people. This is my fourth trip [here] and it’s always a pleasure to be back. It’s always surprising—I never know what will happen, but it’s always a grand adventure.”

Sa trilogy ni Kwan, ang isang popular na sun and beach destination sa Pilipinas ay magiging mahalagang bahagi sa kuwento si Astrid, na isa sa main characters.

Kinumpirma ng award-winning film producer na si Lawrence Bender, na kasama ni Kwan sa panel, na isa sa dahilan ng pagpunta nilang dalawa sa Maynila ay ang gumawa ng pelikula sa bansa.

Aniya . . . “Kevin wrote a script, and it’s like a love letter to the Philippines.”

Si Kwan at Bender ay kapwa bumisita sa Maynila sa imbitasyon ng Department of Tourism (DOT) na maging panel speakers para sa WTTC Summit session tungkol sa epekto ng mga nobela at pelikula sa pagpapalakas ng turismo.

Sinabi ni Kwan . . . “In case of (bringing the spotlight to) the Philippines, absolutely… For me, it’s about showcasing cultures… telling stories that are authentic to the place, to really celebrate that place. You know, we did that with Crazy Rich Asians quite effectively. It boosted tourism in Singapore. Many of the film cast was ‘discovering’ the country like tourists as it was their first time visiting.”

Sabi pa ni Bender . . . “When film crews come to certain destinations to create their movies, the local economy also benefits from it. Of course, what we do is we come into an area to shoot. We hire local people, we bring in people, we rent hotels. People who are employed, they pay taxes. It’s a net positive for the economy.”

Sinabi ni Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat na inaasahan niya ang pagho-host ng higit pang mga producer ng pelikula, at positibo sa “prospect” ng film tourism sa bansa.

Ayon kay Romulo-Puyat . . . “Film and literary works hold great potential to reach more people and show them how rich the Philippines is in terms of breathtaking destinations and diverse cultures. We hope these will in turn encourage more travelers around the world to visit and experience our country.”

Aniya . . . “Given our expansive tourism portfolio, we look forward to having more film and TV projects shot here in the Philippines. Rest assured we have the guidelines in place to ensure their health and safety while filming in our destinations.”

Ilang bilang na ng Hollywood blockbuster films ang kinunan sa Pilipinas, gaya ng The Bourne Legacy at Avengers: Infinity War, na nagtampok sa Banaue Rice Terraces sa final scene.

Bukod sa mga pelikula, may international TV shows din tulad ng Survivor ang kinunan sa ibang bahagi ng bansa gaya sa Caramoan Island at Palawan.