SEX IN PHILIPPINE CINEMA (2004)

By: Elijah L. Sales

The Philippines is known as having a floundering film industry. In fact, some industry
experts have warned that the Filipino film industry is dying and it is in a very precarious situation
right now. Loss of profits to piracy, rising costs of production and moviegoers' changing tastes
have all weighed heavily on the film industry.
However there is a sector of the film industry that is not struggling as much. In
particular, the realm of sexy films has not been as badly hit as the other genres. With at least
one new title churned out every week, making sexy films is still a profitable and money-making
venture.
This current proliferation of sexy films has been helped by the relaxation of government
censorship following the end of the Marcos Dictatorship. Whereas before, the slightest hint of
nudity would make censors squirm in their seats, nowadays, it takes more graphic images for
them to think about grabbing their scissors. In turn, the more sex scenes and naked bodies you
have in a movie, the better selling power it will have to moviegoers.
Currently, the film industry is being flooded by a bevy of new sexy stars, each one more
eager and willing to disrobe than their predecessors. With each generation of sexy stars, the
limits of what they can perform onscreen has been pushed higher or as moralists point out,
even lower. Depending on which side of the fence you are on, it can't be argued that indeed
Filipino sexy films have come a long way from their modest beginnings.
The evolution of sex in Filipino cinema has coincided with the advent of open-
mindedness in Philippine society as a whole. Discussions about sex used to be taboo in the
Philippines as late as the early part of the 1970's. The mindset back then was: "Do it if you like,
just don't talk and let others know about it."
Anyone not conforming with the society's acceptable norms of behavior was treated like
an outcast. Persons who discussed about sex were frowned upon as being promiscuous. If an
individual was discovered to have a sexually active lifestyle, he was labeled as immoral and
having loose morals. For single women, it was worse. They were vilified and effectively
ostracized in their communities. To an extent, perceptions like these still exist today albeit in
less crowded and rural areas.
These days, discussions about sex have taken on a whole new life. It has now become
a forum for persons to brag about their exploits and it can determine one's pecking order in a
crowd or group. The more sexual experience you have, the more popular you become. For
men, it is a showcase for their machismo. For women, it shows their being open-minded.
This is no different from the mindset in the movie industry. The more films you bare skin
in, the hotter commodity you are. In turn, this has led to a new trend. The name of the game
nowadays, is the bigger the better. You have to be well-endowed if you are a sexy star to be
noticed. If it means going undergoing surgery, so be it. Being natural isn't in vogue anymore.
The more surgical enhancements you have, the more film projects you will get.
In a way, all of the surgical enhancements being undergone by sexy stars have gotten
ridiculously out of hand. These days, getting operated on is not enough, you have to be seen
on TV getting the operation whether it be liposuction, breast enhancement or buttock
implantation. Critics point out to the televised operations these female actresses undergo which
are broadcast live as nothing more than an exercise in bad taste.
However, the surgically enhanced starlets are quick to retort, "If you have it, flaunt it."
Indeed, they will do the rounds of talk shows to speak about the wonders of cosmetic surgery.
Because of the starlets' candor, the surgeons and specialists performing these operations
become as famous as their patients. Their business is booming as cosmetic surgery has never
been more popular.
These sexy stars are riding high right now on the basis of their exploits. Says one
starlet, "Controversy equals publicity ikanga." However, sometimes their brazen behavior has
put them in direct conflict with authorities.
For example, while Diana Zubiri skyrocketed to fame after posing for FHM men's
magazine in busy Shaw Boulevard wearing nothing but a skimpy red bikini, she was almost
hauled off to prison and made to pay a hefty fine for that caper.
Mandaluyong City Mayor Ben-hur Abalos apparently was not amused by the actions of
Zubiri and threatened to slap her and the said men's magazine with a case of grave public
scandal and indecent public exposure.
In the end, Zubiri and FHM Magazine, escaped prosecution and financial liability after
they both issued public apologies respectively, to the City of Mandaluyong.
More recently, The Bodies, a group of female starlets was declared persona non grata
by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza for posing almost completely naked in a public park of the said
city.
In full sight of a sizable crowd, with a throng of photographers capturing their every
move, The Bodies flaunted their well endowed and surgically sculpted bodies to anyone who
would look. What made their actions even more infamous, was the fact that only the very
tiniest pieces of clothing were covering their delicate parts.
This so incensed the City Government of Manila, that their City Council passed a
resolution banning their movies and images them from the city. The ordinance also stated that
the members of the Bodies were not welcome to set foot in the city.
Due to the antics of these sexy stars, the management of SM (Shoe Mart) had stopped
showing R-rated films (more specifically Pinoy sexy films) in their theaters for a period of time.
Citing their preference for films with wholesome values and good, clean entertainment, SM's
management further added that the sexy films had no clear message and moral values to impart
to viewers.
The intervention of actors cum politicians namely, Senators Bong Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy
Estrada who negotiated directly with SM's management paved the way for these films to be
shown again in the theaters of SM. Had this not happened, sexy films would have had a lot less
venues for them to be shown at and thus suffer a considerable dip in box-office receipts.
However, it seems apparent that sexy films are not going to be gone anytime soon. As it
has in the past, it will go through stages where films of the genre will be in hibernation. But after
a period of time has passed, it will again be back in full force and drive the market for sexy films
to the point of saturation. Then this cycle will be repeated again like it was many times before.
 Filipinos mostly men, evidently have a place in their hearts and pockets for these kinds
of films. And until these films have an audience to watch them, you can expect that more of the
same is to be expected. Whether people like it or not, sexy films are here to stay. At least for
now, that is.