Mayor Alfredo Lim and OMB Chairman Ronnie Ricketts (3rd from right) holding the plaques of appreciation presented to them recently by movie and music industry leaders. Also in photo are, Wilson Tieng, Annabelle Regalado, Mariz Ricketts and Atty. Rafaelito

MANILA, Philippines -- The problem of film piracy in the Philippines is not really a gargantuan predicament if national and local government officials have the political will to eradicate the menace.

Film and music piracy have been wrecking the local movie and recording industries for decades, but nothing really serious has been done to stop it. A proof of this is the proliferation of the illegal business in practically all business centers in Metro Manila – from malls to street pavements, aside from ambulant vendors.

Why has the illegal film piracy grown to such an unprecedented record?

When a local government executive decides to wipe it out, it can be done. And that was what Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim did recently. In cooperation with the Optical Media Board (OMB) headed by Ronnie Rickets, deputized policemen and agents of OMB seized all copies of pirated videos on sale in the streets of Quiapo and Sta. Cruz.

Mayor Lim revealed he gave the vendors a one-month warning, and after which seize and confiscate all pirated videos still on display. True to his word, Mayor Lim and OMB chairman Ronnie Ricketts led the confiscation of all the pirated videos, including those stored in their bodegas.

Ricketts said that if what Mayor Lim did is duplicated in other cities of the Philippines, the days of film piracy are numbered.

The local recording and movie industries, represented by Solar Films boss Wilson Tieng, Ramon Chuaying of Universal Records, Ms. Annabelle Regalado of Star Records, Dominic Du, and Leonardo Monteverde of Regal Films, presented plaques of appreciation to Mayor Lim and OMB chair Ronnie Ricketts during ceremonies held recently at the Manila City Hall.

Chito’s Elvis Presley Sunday Specials

Environmentalist Chito Bertol, known to be the “Original Elvis Presley of the Philippines,” and who is the president and chairman of the Manila Seedling Bank Foundation, Inc. for three decades now, continues to host the 13 years old “Elvis Presley Sunday Specials” every Sunday from 8-10 a.m. on DZSR Sports Radio 918 AM.

Chito is also the founding chairman of the Elvis Presley Friendship Club Phils. Int’l which boasts of more than 400 members mostly professionals and whose current president is Atty. Homer Mendoza, and Atty. Dupil Garcia, Atty. Douglas Masuda, Engr. Nonito Billones, Ness Espiritu and Bobby Torres as directors. It is the only Filipino Elvis Presley club accredited by Graceland, Memphis USA and a member of the Elvis Presley Alliance of Asia (EPAA) together with Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia. Chito is known to have the best collection of Elvis Presley memorabilia. He has also established an Elvis Room in his office and was featured for it in various print media and television.

The Elvis Presley Friendship Club (EPFC) recently gifted P-Noy with two CDs of Elvis Presley (audiophile selections), a CD featuring rare compilation of Elvis songs and messages, and a “Blue Hawaii” T-shirt.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings for Saturday, July 23, go to former OWW Administrator Wilhelm Soriano, JCI Senator Jose B. Jimenez III, former actor Joseph Siytangco, singer Pol Toledo, Suzie Lazo, Walter Bucher, Reneesme Dawn “Mimi” M. Palacios, Pinichi Tanopo Lim, showbiz columnist Cristy Fermin, MB’s External Affairs head Barbie Atienza and actor Rayver Cruz… To start this year’s University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) games with “clean hands,” Watson’s one of the world’s leading names in health and beauty retail, partnered with ABS-CBN Licensing to sell the limited edition UAAP Hand Sanitizers next months at Watson’s outlets in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon. For every purchase of hand sanitizers and sanitizer holders, a portion goes to UAAP’s fund for its athlete scholars. The sanitizer holders come in eight colors representing each UAAP member teams – Blue Eagles, Green Archers, Fighting Maroons, Growling Tigers, Tamaraws, Red Warriors, Bulldogs and Soaring Falcons…