Environmental Films Showcased at First Green Film Festival

Four (4) films touching on planet-related issues were featured at The 1^st Green Film Festival held at SM North EDSA on September 23, 2009. The movies shown at Cinema 4 of SM The Block were a combination of American and Filipino films aimed at creating awareness about the serious problems our planet Earth is currently facing and what can people do about it.

Spearheaded by the SM Cares' SM Environment Committee, in partnership with Unico Home Entertainment, Solar Entertainment Corporation (official United International Pictures distributor in the Philippines), Warner Bros. Pictures, Magnavision and SM Cinema, the Green Film Festival highlighted environmental issues, such as climate change, scarcity of water, environmental decay, and the need for people and nations to work together for a sustainable future.

Joining the SM Environment Committee for the Green Film Festival are the embassies of France, Japan and The Netherlands which contributed films shown during the event.

Some of the films shown during the festival were:

• The 11^th Hour, which was released in 2007 and narrated by Leonardo di Caprio. The movie presented visionary and practical solutions to restore the planet’s ecosystems;
• Home, a depiction of how the Earth's problems are all interlinked;
• Penguin, Penguin Paano Ka Ginawa is the Filipino version of the French documentary March of the Penguins, narrated by Sharon Cuneta. It followed the journey of a penguin to its breeding spot in Antarctica; and
• Abong (Small Home), which is a Filipino-Japanese art and cultural film about the Igorots of Mt. Province.

The movies Home and The 11th Hour were also shown at SM Megamall last September 30 along with Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, and British Broadcasting Corporation’s Planet Earth. Screenings were also held at SM Mall of Asia last October 7, 2009.

The 1^st Green Film Festival is a project of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. For more information, call (632) 292-0023 or (632) 294-4367.

Cable Television Heads Gathered for PCTA 2009

The country's cable television executives, operators, stakeholders, as well as members of the allied industry gathered for the 17^th Annual Philippine Cable Television Association (PCTA) National Convention held last March 11 to 13, 2009 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.

The annual event, co-presented by PCTA and Solar Entertainment Corporation, in cooperation with Trinity Broadcasting Network - Asia – South Pacific, SES New Skies, and Al Jazeera Network, carried the theme, “Cable TV: Making the Big Difference”.

The event started off with the traditional PCTA Golf Tournament held at the Riviera Golf and Country Club in Cavite last March 10, 2009. In the afternoon, a pre-convention session was held highlighting Corporate Social Responsibility, a core topic in line with this year's theme.

Acclaimed speakers from the academe, cable industry, and allied companies such as Prof. Felipe Alfonso, Executive Director of the Asian Institute of Management—Ramon V. del Rosario, Sr. Center for Corporate Social Responsibility Center (AIM-RVR CSR Center); Ms. Maureen Aquino, General Manager of Satellite Cable Network/Infomax 8; Ms. Marivic Gamo, Head of Channels and Marketing of Cisco Systems International; and Atty. Alexander Lacson, author of the national bestseller “12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help. Our Country" took time to discuss both corporate and individual social responsibility topics that inspired all the attendees.

Vice President Noli "Kabayan" De Castro served as the keynote speaker during the opening ceremony. In his speech, Vice President De Castro talked about the role of the cable industry in the development of a well-informed and culturally-refined citizenry. The opening ceremony ended with the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the exhibit graced by former Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., PCTA 2009 Convention Chairman Philip Chien, PCTA President Allan Dungao, and special guests.

Forty-five international and local companies took part in the exhibits, which included program providers, technical suppliers, and service providers. Plenary presentations and discussions about the lastes technology in cable broadcast were held at the conference hall. The topics centered on internet protocol television (IPTV), direct-to-home (DTH) service, and Digital Terrestrial TV.

Industry stakeholders also presented business opportunities that will benefit the industry in the coming years such as internet via satellite and digital head end in the sky. Content provisioning and cable advertising were also presented to the delegates. Simultaneously, the PCTA Technical Committee held technical sessions that discussed headend and outside plant preparation, equipment selection, and implementation for digital migration, together with conditional access, set-top box management, and value added services.

The government, represented by the National Telecommunications Commission and the Intellectual Property Office, likewise discussed the role of the state and the government plans on certain technology issues and concerns.

PCTA 2009 was capped with the Cablelympics, a quiz-show type competition participated by technical personnel from different cable companies in the country. This year, 11 cable companies fielded contestants who answered questions in three stages. In the end, Mr. Dindo Amoyo of Negros Cable TV emerged as the champion, besting 29 other contestants. Afterwards, thirty-one regular members and six affiliate members received the coveted PCTA Loyalty Awards for their continuous membership to the association.

The 17^th Philippine Cable Television Association National Convention is sponsored by HBO Asia, TV5Monde, Cable Box Office Shows & Systems Corporation (Cable Boss), Conax, Home Shopping TV Network, Deutsche Welle, Chase Technologies Corporation, Irdeto, Discovery Channel, Eagle's Wings Enterprises, Padi's Point, Reyes Haircutters, Kabayan Hotel, Tamayo's Catering, The Spa, Atrium Hotel, Amity Satellite Systems, Inc., and the following media partners: Philippine Graphic, Business Mirror, TV Guide, Business World, Cable Line, ContentAsia, DZMM Teleradyo, and 97dot9 Home Radio.

For more information about the event, contact the Philippine Cable Television Association at (632) 638-8541, 638-8544, email cableconvention@pcta.org.ph or visit their website at www.pcta.org.ph