Moving Forward: Mowelfund celebrates 52nd anniversary with renewed commitment and more

Moving Forward: Mowelfund celebrates 52nd anniversary with renewed commitment and more | By Leony Garcia | The Movie Workers Welfare Foundation

(Mowelfund), with the theme, Moving Foward, successfully celebrated its 52nd anniversary, on March 21 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the newly-built Quezon City MICE Center, located within the compound of Quezon Cityhall.

The afternoon’s general membership assembly and program comprised a Thanksgiving Mass; an annual report to the beneficiaries; group dynamics; free medical services including dental and eye check-ups. Diagnostics and dispensation of medicines cap the health-based activities through the participation SM Foundation.

Mowelfund Chairperson Boots Anson Roa with the OMMFI Dental Team

Give-aways, raffle and prizes provide the fellowship for the afternoon’s program guested by showbiz luminaries providing lively song numbers for the attendees.

It was 52 years ago, when action star and 1998 Philippine President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, assisted by legal and film luminaries, constituted the foundation’s mandate of health, welfare and film education programs for the film industry’s marginalized workers.

Since then, the private, non-stock and non-profit institution has served a number of beneficiaries, representing a cross-section of the Philippine movie industry’s underserved and needy workers including actors, directors, scriptwriter, camera men, talent managers, entertainment media, etc.

For annual membership dues of P400, the beneficiaries’ general welfare benefits total more than P60,000 worth per year: medical assistance (P8,000) for a maximum of three hospital confinements per year; surgical aid (P13,000) per year for a major surgical procedure (invasive or noninvasive); continuing medication in the form of medicine purchase reimbursements for a maximum of P5,000 once a year

Mowelfund has been a partner and beneficiary of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) since the latter’s establishment by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 1459 in July, 1975. The Proclamation established the Metropolitan Film Festival covering the Greater Manila Area and its local government units. Proceeds from amusement taxes collected by LGUs during the festival period would be donated solely to Mowelfund.

During the COVID-19 interim, Mowelfund engaged in a joint realty project with Victor Consunji Development Corp. (VCDC). It was also at this time that the construction of the Mowelfund six-storey building went into full force.

The funds generated from the partnership were used to put up its own state-of-the-art mini theater alongside the postproduction facilities for editing, color-grading, sound and similar services.

Through the Mowelfund Film Institute (MFI) , film education also started during the pandemic with the MFI conducting webinars and online masterclasses in acting, directing, scriptwriting and cinematography, and inviting Leo Martinez, Jose Javier Reyes, Ricky Lee and Raymond Red as resource speakers, respectively.

Moving forward, many groups and individuals in the entertainment industry work hand on hand to help

help sustain Mowelfund’s programs with the common goal to help uplift the lives of the underprivileged sector of the industry.

Aside from Ms. Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo at the helm as chairperson, Mowelfund is also guided by its board of directors composed of, among them: Rex Cortez – President and COO; Gina Alajar – Treasurer; Alden Richards – Board Member; and Jim Baltazar – Board Member.