MOWELFUND to the rescue

When National Artist for Music Levi Celerio died, it advanced P35,000 to the Delgado Clinic in Quezon City (pending receipt of funds from the National Commission on Culture and the Arts), so the late lyricist’s body can be released and his death certificate issued.

After the NCCA released funds for Celerio’s hospital bills, it sent the money to the National Artist’s family.

It has helped the late Diomedes Maturan’s family foot hospital bills. Bobby Gonzales and Charlie Davao got P10,000 each; the former to help buy a pacemaker; the latter to ease the heavy cost of surgery. But the 28-year-old MOWELFUND (Movie Workers Welfare Fund) remains largely unappreciated, wracked by financial problems and threatened by sectors keen on a demolition job.

This could be because the foundation which former president Joseph Estrada founded, has chosen to keep the hallelujas about their work all to themselves.

Teresa Mabunga, head of the Social Welfare Department, for instance, is a wisp of a lady who braves the elements to go to a remote barrio in Apalit, Pampanga and other places to deliver a check to a bedridden member.

Usually, he or she is a humble stuntman, makeup artist or some such production crew member who has labored long and hard in the vineyards of the local movie industry.

On any single day, members from far and wide go to the MOWELFUND office in 66 Rosario Drive, Cubao, to ask help. And you’re talking of more than 2,500, active members from all over the country. For a modest P300 annual membership fee (payable every time the member’s birthday comes along), a person is entitled to a P13,000 aid once a year when he undergoes surgery. Hospital confinement without surgery entitles a member to P8,000 for at most three times a year with P5,000 additional aid for medication once a year.

In these tough times of rising costs, that may not be enough to cover all the medical bills, but it’s still welcome relief.

An added bonus is the free clinic MOWELFUND holds every year on its anniversary celebration for members.

Aside from taking care of their members’ health, MOWELFUND reaches out to nonmembers who want to enrich their knowledge of film. Thus, it holds regular workshops on various aspects of filmmaking, like directing, scriptwriting and others. Among the more prominent workshoppers are young directors Raymond Red, Lav Diaz and Erik Matti, who have made a name for themselves as makers of quality films.

A lucky few are sent abroad to pursue further studies in filmmaking. MOWELFUND, under Nick Deocampo, has sent seven scholars to the US for this purpose. One of them is director Edd Palmos.

Then, there’s the complete library of cinema materials a student of film can browse through and enjoy.

With this list of achievements, it’s such a pity that misguided sectors are trying to bring the MOWELFUND down, threatening to tear apart an institution that prides itself in easing the burdens of the small industry workers.

We can’t blame MOWELFUND, headed by its Board of Trustees composed of lawyer Espiridion Laxa, Marichu Maceda, Boots Anson-Roa, director Eddie Romero, Josefino Cenizal, Boy Vinarao and Rolfie Velasco, for choosing to break its silence. It has plodded on quietly in its mission to help lowly film workers for so long. About time it gets some kudos for doing its job, before it’s too late.