There is good news and bad news.
The 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival has been revamped. So no more or fewer 'masa' (Lowest Common Denominator) films. Anyone with a completed film could participate, so both mainstream and independent alike could participate. This is good.
What is NOT good is that many of the entries, ESPECIALLY the independent films, seem to biased towards a certain part of political spectrum. This is not good either. The impression is that only angsty or 'social justice' films should be recognize as true art.