In a country where a peso slips in value, a cinema trip becomes less a choice than a calculation. On Tuesday, January 13, Vice Ganda reminded us of a truth beyond the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) price tag many of us forget. The high ticket price is not the only barrier keeping Filipinos from engaging with the festival. If anything, the broader economic realities—low purchasing power, stagnating wages, unemployment, and a depreciating peso—shape far more stubborn barriers than a single cinema price tag.
The MMFF sales last week were nearly P100-M short of the previous year’s haul, yet the price spectrum within local cinemas tells its own story. Tickets can dip to around P280 for a comedy like Call Me Mother at Ayala Malls Legaspi, while VIP premium seating for ReKonek can push up to P670. Although the range is not inherently wrong as it mirrors venue economics and perceived value, it critically questions affordability in a country where wages lag behind the rising cost of living.
Many Filipinos are not choosing between the popcorn and the blockbuster. Rather, they are deciding whether entertainment fits into the month at all. What Vice is inviting us to see is not a defense of indulgence, but a reframing of affordability. If we want the MMFF to thrive as a cultural occasion—one that supports Filipino filmmakers, stories, and talents—I think we must recognize that ticket prices are only part of the equation. Shouldn’t we start asking if Filipinos have enough disposable income to feel comfortable setting aside money for a film?
The peso’s value may flirt with stability, but the daily reality for many families is steady erosion of purchasing power. Both unemployment and underemployment translate into smaller budgets and fewer chances to share cultural moments. Like many households, streaming has become our regular go-to theater. However, there are illicit aisles of shady subscriptions and pirated content. This remains a reality that filmmakers and distributors cannot ignore if they expect to reach a broad audience.
A family with unreliable income security will think twice before buying a ticket—no matter how affordable it seems in theory. The people behind the screens also contend with the economics of space, screens, and distribution. Those efforts shall rather be expanded than dismissed to address the root causes of limited cinema participation. A dynamic or tiered pricing could help reach different households without cannibalizing revenue. When macro policies improve purchasing power, cinema becomes a more natural choice than an exception. That’s why a sustained dialogue among Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP), and filmmakers could help establish shared affordability benchmarks and reinvestment strategies that benefit audiences, artists, and cinemas alike.
We can, and should, pursue creative integrity without insisting that price be the sole lever for solving audience reach. If ticket prices become the sole measure of access, we miss the bigger conversation on how economic realities intersect to shape who gets to be part of the Filipino theater.|.
