Portion of Roxas Boulevard close for Tuesday's MMFF parade

MANILA, Philippines - The southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard will be closed to traffic starting at 1 p.m. on December 23 for the 40th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Parade of Stars.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, who is also the chairman of the MMFF Committee, said the Parade of Stars will start at the Aseana City along Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City and will end at the Quirino Grandstand.

“We are calling on the public to support MMFF. We have provided quality Filipino films that will surely entertain and touch your hearts this Christmas season,” Tolentino said.

MMDA Traffic Discipline Office (TDO) chief Crisanto Saruca said the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard would be occupied by the parade floats.

Saruca said around 550 MMDA traffic constables will be deployed along the stretch of Roxas Boulevard to the Quirino Grandstand to help manage vehicular traffic.

According to Saruca, the closed portion of Roxas Boulevard would be immediately opened to vehicles once the parade is finished.

"We will also be assisted by the local government units from Pasay, Paranaque and Manila during the event. There will also be emergency medical teams to be deployed during the event,” he said.

The MMDA has advised affected motorists to take the following alternate routes:

From EDSA to Taft Avenue:

Take EDSA extension, to the rotunda at the Mall Of Asia, to J.W. Diokno Boulevard, to Aseana Avenue, Diosdado Macapoagal Boulevard to the MIA Road and then to their destinations.

From Coastal Road and Roxas Boulevard:

Take EDSA extension, to Taft Avenue to the destination and or P. Burgos, Bonifacio drive to their destinations.

Motorists may also take the Coastal Road, to Macapagal Boulevard, to Aseana Avenue, to J.W Diokno Boulevard, to Buendia Avenue and then to their destinations.

The festival's awards night, meanwhile, is scheduled on December 27 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

MMFF Executive Director Noemi Ilagan said this year’s MMFF has eight official entries including the historical drama "Bonifacio: 'Ang Unang Pangulo,'" the romance-comedy “English Only Please,” horror films “Feng Shui 2” and “Shake, Rattle & Roll XV,” the action-fantasy “Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles 2,” “Magnum Muslim .357,” a remake of the original Fernando Poe Jr. film, and  comedy films “My Big Bossing’s Adventures” and “Praybeyt Benjamin 2.”

Ilagan said this year’s MMFF aims to pass last year’s P1 billion overall gross.

"We want to make more than P1 billion with the sales going to the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation Inc. (Mowelfund), Film Academy of the Philippines, Motion Picture Anti-Film Piracy Council, Optical Media Board and the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

This year’s MMFF starts at December 25 and will end on Jan. 7, 2015.

Earlier, Tolentino said they are expecting a gross income of P1.2 billion this year. Last year, the MMFF raked in P987 million compared to P767 million in 2012.

Tolentino added that the MMFF committee would give a portion of this year’s box office gross to victims of typhoon Ruby in Samar and Quezon.

Other beneficiaries of the MMFF include the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation Inc., Motion Picture and Anti-Film Piracy Council, Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Optical Media Board.