The unabated selling of pirated video CDs has forced Silver Cinema, operator of Park and Ever theater in Dumaguete City, to announce that it will close Park Theater effective March 1 and decide about the fate of Ever theater later.

Ed Du, consultant to Silver Cinema president Jimmy Yu, said it was no longer profitable to operate a moviehouse in Dumaguete, adding that their operations had been a losing venture since they opened in November 2001. "The problem with Park Theater is that it shows mostly English films, which are already being sold by Maranaw traders long before they are shown in the Dumaguete theaters," he said.

The raids of the Optical Media Board have done little to stop the operations of these distributors of pirated DVDs and VCDs. "The losses incurred by these traders in one raid can be recovered in one month and if they are raided only twice a year, these traders could still make money," Du said. In the case of Ever Theater, which shows mostly Tagalog films, it has more patrons because Tagalog films are not as easily pirated, Du said.

Park Theater, with three other theaters in Dumaguete, closed down in 1997 due to the 30 percent amusement tax of the city. They reopened five years later under a new management, with the assurance of a two-year moratorium on amusement tax, and with a graduated rate of taxes from five to 15 percent for the next three years.

Despite this advantage, Du said their business was bleeding. "We would have closed in 2004 yet but there were requests to keep the business open. Now, we really have to stop it."

Another factor which he blamed for their losses was the increase in electric rates, and now, the 12 percent Expanded Value Added Tax.

"The only way for movie houses to become viable is to be inside a mall, which could become a reality once Robinson's opens its mall in barangay Calindagan soon," he said. However, the DAILY STAR has learned that Silver Cinema is taking over the operations of UltraVision Cinema starting February 14. UltraVision, with two theaters, also has commercial spaces that are available for lease.*AP

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