Have you been to the movie theater lately? If not, chances are it's because of high ticket prices.

Pangasinan 4th district Rep. Christopher de Venecia, chairman of the House Committee on Creative Industry and Performing, has lamented how “film is not as accessible as it used to be” because of pricey tickets.

His observation came at the onset of summer, which used to be a peak time for watching movies in theaters.

In a recent hearing of the De  Venecia committee, the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines gave a simple breakdown of the P320 standard movie ticket price.

It said that 10 percent of this would automatically go to the amusement taxes levied by the local government.

The remaining value will be split between production costs, which is roughly at 55 percent; and what remains will go to the cinema operators, who then use this share to pay for manpower, utilities, rent, advertising, and other operational expenditure. These costs remain generally fixed, whether or not a movie is a “box-office hit".

“This P320 standard movie ticket is comparable to the minimum wage of some regions. It is even higher than the P316 minimum wage in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)," De Venecia pointed out.

The solon recently filed House Bill (HB) No. 7086, or the proposed Film and Live Events Recovery Act.

The measure slashes the local government amusement tax from 10 percent to 5 percent, among other things. This will make make watching movies in theaters more affordable, De Venecia said.