PH animation industry pandemic-proof, can emerge big in global space - animation council

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 18) — Filipino creatives may have witnessed a downtime for the first few months of the coronavirus lockdown in 2020, an animation group said Friday, but they are back in the game, particularly in the international scene.

Animation Council of the Philippines President Miguel del Rosario said the industry bounced back in June after suffering a difficult time in March to May of last year when the hard lockdown was imposed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"We're sort of pandemic-proof. Now we're back to 85-90% efficiency, productivity. Even small studios are full now," he told CNN Philippines' The Exchange.

"We are very fortunate that we are in this industry compared to the ones hit badly by the pandemic," del Rosario said.

Del Rosario said Filipinos are still producing Disney content, as well as for other studios for Western Europe, Canada, and North American markets.

Asked for Filipinos' advantage in the global stage, he said Filipinos are "excellent in interpreting emotions".

"We understand the language, the humor, we know how to visualize them," he added.

Filipino freelancers are being tapped individually, securing contracts from international clients, del Rosario said.