Regine Velasquez says that foreign acts in the country should be regulated to give more opportunities for local artists to shine.

“As a performer, I feel sad for artists who miss out on opportunities to earn because of these foreign acts,” she was quoted as saying in an article on Inquirer.net. “Sadly, we find ourselves competing against them.”

However, Regine clarifies that she does not want to fully prevent foreign acts from performing in the country.

“Seeing them perform contributes to my growth as a singer, as an audience member, and as a Filipino. I just think there should be balance,” she said. “The number of foreign productions coming over should be regulated, the way it’s done in Japan, Indonesia and India.”

“When they finance four international acts, for instance, they should do the same for at least three local acts. When there are too many shows featuring foreigners, local productions are unable to get sponsors and generate ticket sales,” she lamented.

She then called on the government to do something to help the local artists. “We can’t merely rely on signed agreements. There ought to be a law,” she said. “There’s a lot of money to be made by financing local acts, if you promote them properly.”


(Photo courtesy of PEP.ph)