Life is Like a Classroom

Are you one of those people who are thinking about that job you let go while at the same time contemplating on getting it back? Do you feel like  there seems to be no other option for you and are on the verge of accepting that you are probably meant to be miserable for the rest of your life? Don’t give up just yet. Life is one big classroom and the things you experience at different points in your life are your lessons. The moment you learn from a particular experience, mature form it and become a better person because of it, you move on to the next chapter. Otherwise, you will never graduate to the next level and it will always haunt you in one form or another. Life never runs out of lessons! Life is always full of them.

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Filipino Music Anti Piracy Project Requirements

Government Support

          Although the project is spearheaded by various members of the private sector, support from both the local and national government is absolutely necessary for it to succeed. Cooperation by the government can come in the form of additional funding, providing additional manpower, integrating ongoing local projects with the anti-piracy campaign and even through assistance in securing needed permits such as for concert venues, etc.

Funds from Sponsorships

          One of the major strengths of this campaign is that it utilizes different media in getting its message across. Many of the projects are bound to attract attention and generate buzz. This allows us to ask for help from companies who might not have any stake in the issue. Companies not connected to the music industry can show their support through various sponsorships of the different projects and activities to be carried out.

Base of Operations and Communication Network

          An established base of operations will smoothen out the logistics of the undertaking. Regional bases will also be needed. A physical office is not a requirement. A “base” may be composed of a phone, a fax, and a computer with a decent connection to the internet. Most communication can be coursed through the participants’ existing mobile phones. The project can also have a website where information is readily available and by which the organizers can also communicate. (i.e. via private message board)

Manpower

          The most important part of any project would be the people who will make it happen. We envision a good mix of people from the project organizers themselves, to volunteers to support groups provided by the government and perhaps even NGOs and various youth organizations.  There will also be the people from the major stakeholders, liaison officers from the media partners and record labels and most importantly perhaps, the music artists themselves who really should take a more active stance in changing how people view piracy in this country.

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 “It’s been said that one of the most admirable quality of Filipinos is that even in times of deepest adversity we can still sing and smile. Let’s all work together and keep the music industry alive. Let’s end piracy today”.  - Jennifer A. Juan

Filipino Music Anti Piracy: A Strategic Plan

Conceptual Framework

What?

            This project is all about using original Filipino music (and its various partners/stakeholders) to promote itself to the public making them purchase original Filipino music and hopefully altogether stop music piracy in the Philippines.

Where?

            As mentioned, the target of this project is to promote anti-piracy in the Philippines, specifically in key cities and towns as follow:  Metro Manila, Pasig City, Antipolo City, Baguio City, Cebu City,   Davao City, Boracay, Tagaytay, White Beach, Puerto Galera, Cagayan De Oro City

When?

            This project will start on September 2006 until February 2009. The first four months will be devoted to gathering of baseline information/data and funds from the various stakeholders and concerned groups. The last two months will be spent on the gathering of results and comparing them to the baseline data to see whether the objectives were met or not. Further evaluation will be done to effect and maintain the project’s sustainability.

Why?

            Music Piracy, when closely looked at, has a lot of repercussions to our country – economically, politically and entertainment-wise.

            Economically, we lose millions of pesos in taxes alone; we also lose numerous markets for job opportunities and the scenario looks bleak in front of our Western counterparts, causing them to not trust us with their music products for fear of it being illegally copied and pirated for global supply.

            Politically, it reflects how badly our government is facing the piracy situation. It means that anti-piracy laws are being ineffective and inefficient and that the government is not really doing its best in combating the situation.

            Entertainment-wise, it could mean the slow death of the entertainment industry. The producers are not earning properly from developing music talents and slowly, they might just totally give up on it. Pretty soon, nobody would want to make music anymore because it will just cost them too much to produce good music, without getting any returns from their investments.           

How?

            Promoting music anti-piracy is nothing new. Yet, it is also not very easy. Everyone has to do their part. For this project alone, we need the concerted effort of the entire music industry’s stakeholders. The main theme would be “music against piracy”. Various social marketing and social mobilization activities are discussed below on how to go about this project and hopefully at the end of the campaign period, more people would buy original music recordings and more people would fully support music anti-piracy.
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A Rationale on Filipino Music Anti Piracy

            The Philippines is a music-loving country. We have composers and singers who have brought honors to our country by winning in international competitions.  It has contributed financially (and still does so) to our presently struggling music industry   if properly encouraged and supported by the government with appropriate legislation against anti-piracy.

            The music industry in our country used to be a P2 billion thriving industry before music piracy sabotaged it to near collapse beginning in the year 2000. Aside from bringing pride to our country through our numerous talented singers and composers, this industry also has contributed economically by providing thousands of jobs within the record companies (such as promo girls, sales girls, delivery boys, and drivers as well as in allied industries like record bars, radio and TV stations, recording studios, concert venues, production staffs, costume providers, printing companies, disco and video bars, etc.), given financial support to government by way of paying millions of pesos in various taxes., brought joy to the buying public and masses, provided various and numerous opportunities in the field of music through the discovery of  our many talented singers, musicians, and composers.

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