The Christmas season gives working Filipinos increased spending power, thanks to salary bonuses. It's also an opportune time for businesses to increase prices of commodities. SM movie theaters nationwide, however, reveals they won't increase movie ticket prices this Christmas, even throughout the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) run.
For families and moviegoers whose Christmas traditions include spending time with their loved ones watching MMFF entries, this is good news.
''We're not increasing our ticket prices. We are only adding, like what we've done in the previous year, a little additional fee for Mowelfund. It's a requirement from the MMFF Committee,'' said Krishna Caparas, SM's Unit Head for Cinema and Exhibition.
The Mowelfund requirement is a P5 add-on to the ticket price.
''Then depending on the city, meron tayong mga ordinances ng local government units na sometimes P2, P3 or P4, 'yun lang ang i-a-add namin,'' Ms. Caparas explained further. ''All our branches have different admission prices depending where they are located.''
The MMFF entries are given equal placements in SM movie theaters not only in Mega Manila but also in the provinces. SM theaters (251 in 45 branches nationwide) have always supported the MMFF and, contrary to what the public may think, they don't lose money because ''malakas ang MMFF,'' Caparas concluded.
''It's part of our culture and tradition in the Philippines... That's the only time na kasama buong pamilya. There are times na ang isang pamilya manonood, bibili ng advance tickets for three or more movies,'' she related.
