Nag-resign si Vivian Velez bilang Director General (DG) ng Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) noong Hulyo 2022.
Tumayo bilang officer-in-charge (OIC) ng FAP si Manny Morfe, hanggang itinalaga si Paolo Villaluna noong Agosto 8, 2025 bilang bagong DG ng FAP.
Ni-restructure ni DG Paolo ang FAP.
SINE SANDIGAN
Sa kanilang Sine-Sandigan (Legal Unit for Industry), tatlong grievances ang idinulog at inaksyunan noong 2025.
Sa mediacon ng FAP noong Hunyo 18, 2026 sa Seda Vertis North, Quezon City, isiniwalat ni DG Paolo na 38 kaso na ang kanilang naresolba this year.
Sabi ni DG Paolo: “We’re really proud of this, Worker Rights. We’re handling grievance reporting. As we all know, meron nang Eddie Garcia Law…
“Under Sine-Sandigan, we can do grievance reporting, industry dispute resolution, and legal help desk.
“The legal help desk is public for all audiovisual workers. Meaning, you can go to the office and seek legal consultation. Meron tayong tatlong lawyers in the office.”
Pumirma ng memorandum of agreement ang FAP with IBP-Quezon City Chapter to handle other legal matters outside the industry.
Pagpapatuloy ni DG Paolo: “Pero kung industry-based, it’s actually just FAP. We had Sine-Legal Webinars to help our constituents.
“And then last year we had three cases handled. This year, hindi pa siya super-ano sa media but we handled 38 cases.
“And a hundred percent amicable settlement. Ibig sabihin, lahat nagkaayusan, OK.
“Here’s the deal, the idea natin sa FAP is self-regulatory muna bago mag-abot sa kasuhan.
“The idea is FAP can mediate because we understand the industry, we can meet with the producers and the workers. And it goes both ways, ha?
“We’ve had producers complain against workers, and we’ve had workers complain against producers. So, so far, amicable yung settlement.”
May grievance portal ang FAP.
“Anyone can go to the portal, file a complaint and then our legal, in three days time, will check kung gaano ka-valid yung inyong complaint,” pakli ni DG Paolo.
As of July 2026 ay 56 mediations na ang naayos ng FAP sa ilalim ni DG Paolo.
Read: FAP urges video-scandal victims to seek legal assistance
DIREK ERIK MATTI vs NEIL DAZA
Nagpatutsadahan sina Direk Erik Matti at Neil Daza sa social media umpisa Enero 2025, bago pa itinalaga si Paolo Villaluna bilang bagong DG ng FAP.
May mahabang post si Direk Erik sa Instagram at Facebook noong Enero 31, 2025 tungkol sa Eddie Garcia Law (EGL).
Ani Direk Erik: “To those producers and directors who adhere to the EGL but are bogged down by film workers who still make our lives difficult despite that, PM me privately. I know a few names that we should not work with.
“There is a cabal of filmworkers who feel that every movie set is out to exploit people forgetting the age old belief that making films is really like going to war.
“Filmmaking is hard enough these days, we don't need people like them to make things harder for industry.
“If they choose to not be on the set despite giving them everything the EGL asks from us, then they would be better off in a 9-5 job where they can just show up, be present and wait for office hours to finish. They don't need to make movies.
“Remember, making films is about gathering a group of creative and technical people passionate enough to tell a singular story that they collectively feel worth telling.
“Not just by people who are solely there to make a living. It is about making a living while creating something of value.
“But if you just want to make a living and not have the energy to create and execute it well, there are other jobs that pay better, not as hardworking and can even send you home early in time to fetch your children from school.
“The EGL set the limits. But together with that, we also need to be responsible to telling the story we set out to do within those limits.
“And not compromise it for the handful with their own preferred conveniences or laziness guided by their own literal or even twisted translation of what they understood the EGL to be.
“This is not about passion. This is about what's right. To keep making movies that can still matter.”
Maikli ngunit malaman naman ang Facebook shout out ni Neil.
Sabi ni Neil: "It's exploitation disguised as passion. And the very reason why EGL was created."
Sa mismong Facebook post ni Neil ay nagkomento si Direk Erik. Pagalit at naghahamon ang tono ng direktor: "Ito talaga pards naghahanap ka ng away! Kala ko gusto mo kwentuhan? K*p*l ka pards."
Read: Erik Matti at Neil Daza, nagtatalo dahil sa Eddie Garcia Law
MATTI VS. DAZA ROUND 2
Hulyo 22, 2026, nag-shout out si Neil sa Facebook: “So much passion for making films, yet no passion to show up when it comes to labor issues," kalakip ng smiling emoji.
Kinabukasan, Hulyo 23, ibinahagi ni Direk Erik ang Facebook post ni Neil, kasabay ng direkta niyang mensahe para kay rito.
Ani Direk Erik: “Ikaw na.
“Ikaw na ang tagapaglaban ng industriya, Neil Daza.
“Ikaw na ang sukatan kung sino ang may malasakit sa pelikula at sa labor.
“Nagreklamo ka. Nagkaroon ng meeting sa Film Academy. Mabuti. Karapatan mo yan. At ginagalang ko yan.
“Nakadalawang meeting na nga kayo. Tatlo dapat pero sa isa di naman kayo sumipot.
“Pero hindi naman mandatory ang attendance ko sa meetings na yan. Andiyan producer namin.
“Hindi ako pumunta.
“Marami akong ginagawa.
“Hindi ibig sabihin noon wala na akong pakialam sa industriya.
“Ang nakakatawa, parang gusto mong sukatin ang pagmamahal ng tao sa pelikula base sa attendance sa meeting.
“Ganun na ba ngayon?
“‘So much passion for making films, yet no passion to show up when it comes to labor issues.’
“Alam kong ako yan dahil galing ka lang sa FAP mediation at hinahanap mo kami ni Dondon.
“‘Wag mo na daanin sa general statement. Alam naman ng lahat sa industriya na gigil ka sa akin. Di naman ito yung una mong hanash.
“Diretsuhin mo ako. Diretso akong tao. Eto diretsuhin kita. Di ko gusto ilaw mo. Medyo tv. Dati maganda. Ngayon di na. Yan. Diretso. Sinasabi ko opinyon ko sa ilaw mo. I’m sure di mo rin gusto mga pelikula ko. Ayos lang.
“Klaruhin ko lang powz. Hindi attendance ang sukatan ng malasakit sa industriya.
“At lalong hindi ikaw ang magbibigay ng grades kung sino ang may passion at sino ang wala.
“Bawat isa sa atin may kanya-kanyang paraan ng pagtulong sa industriyang ito.
“Hindi lang yung paraang gusto mo.
“At kung ang batayan mo ng pagmamahal sa pelikula ay kung sino ang present sa meeting, napakababaw naman ng standard na yan.
“May respeto ako sa yo dahil sa trabaho mo. Kaya binaitan ko ang post na ito. Sana may respeto ka din sa akin.
“Tapusin na natin ito sa FAP. ‘Wag mo dalhin sa social media. May reklamo ka na nga sa FAP, may patutsada ka pa sa FB.
“Dun na natin sa FAP tapusin. Kung manalo ka sa isyu mo, e di gud. Kung manalo kami, e di sorry.”
Read: Erik Matti to Neil Daza: "Diretsuhin mo ako. Diretso akong tao."
FAP’S OFFICIAL STATEMENT
Hiningan ng PEP ng official statement si FAP Director General Paolo Villaluna noong Hulyo 25.
Pahayag ni DG Paolo via Messenger: “The Film Academy can't discuss or comment regarding ongoing legal processes — and urges all parties involved to refrain from further commenting publicly in order to protect the integrity and impartiality of the Academy’s process.”
Eksklusibong nakapanayam ng PEP si DG Paolo sa opening ceremony ng Cinemalaya 22: Reel Reflections noong Agosto 6, 2026, Huwebes, sa Shangri-La Plaza, EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City.
Saad ni DG Paolo: Ngayon kasi, merong ongoing mediation na nangyari so iyung mga detalye sana ng usapan, huwag lumabas muna hangga’t hindi pa natatapos.”
Nagkaharap na ba sa FAP sina Direk Erik at Neil matapos ang Facebook post ni Direk Erik noong Hulyo 23?
“Ahhh, hindi ko na idi-discuss yung details… after the online debacle, hindi pa ulit nagkikita,” pag-amin ni DG Paolo.
May naka-schedule na paghaharap muli ng dalawang panig?
“May correspondence ang FAP sa kanila.”
Pinag-usapan sa socmed ang parunggitan nina Direk Erik at Neil. Sumasawsaw ang ibang netizens, kung anu-ano ang komento at hanash.
“Kanya-kanyang karapatan na mag-comment naman pero basta yung mga involved, sana mag-usap muna internally,” pag-asam ni DG Paolo.
“Minsan ang social media, nakakaano talaga, e. Nagma-magnify siya. So, hindi natin mahe-help yon.
"Pero kung kaya nating i-keep internally as self-regulation for the whole industry, it will be good.”
Read: Reason behind Erik Matti-Neil Daza rift revealed
LABOR ISSUES
Kung 56 mediations na ang naayos ng FAP as of July 2026, maituturing na isolated case itong online debacle nina Direk Erik at Neil.
“Mas marami ang naaayos pero siyempre, hindi yan 100 percent,” pagmamatwid ni DG Paolo.
“It will happen in the future na baka mas malaki pang kaguluhan. So let’s hope we can keep it internally within the industry.
“Kasi pag nakikita ng publiko na… tayo-tayo… baka… at the same time, importante ring pag-usapan itong mga labor issues na ito.”
Kailangan na bang amyendahan ang Eddie Garcia Law? Problematic ba ang ilang provisions dito?
“OK, ganito. Every three years, ang batas, merong review. Ang Film Academy, naatasan na mag-collate ng mga data from the producers and the workers kung ano ang recommendations for changes,” wika ni DG Paolo.
“Hindi naman perpekto yung batas at dahil ngayon pa lang pina-practice dahil bagong batas nga siya, may mga pagbabago tayong ire-recommend that will make it more productive sana for the industry.
“Kasi siyempre, nung unang minadali yung batas, bigla na lang nagulantang ang lahat.
“So, may mga kailangang ayusin. Kasi in practice, mahirap na siya, e.”
Ibinalita rin ni DG Paolo na nakatakda sa unang linggo ng Disyembre ang pagbabalik ng FAP o Luna Awards.