The Soccsksargen Experience (SEx) continued with lunch at Lourdes Park courtesy of the Kiamba LGU. Kiamba is one of the municipalities of Sarangani Province. Among other dishes, we had a sumptuous lechon de leche for our lunch feast. It was definitely a delight. :) After lunch, we rode a boat for a tour of the Tuka Bay Marine Sanctuary... The coves are really nice for a relaxing day at the beach. The waters are pristine and the beach is deserted. Sad to say, however, that the nice coral reefs below the surface are being overran with Crown of Thorns Sea Stars which are overpopulating the sea. As a consequence, it is stifling the corals and affecting the life cycle of many fish and other aquatic species. The Kiamba LGU is looking at holding education seminars for local divers, fishermen, and residents so they can help in harvesting the Crown of Thorns Sea Stars to help save Tuka Bay. If you are interested in helping out with this initiative, please send me a message at riajose at gmail dot com. Many thanks to the Kiamba and Sarangani Province LGUs, Avel Manansala, and the Soccsksargen Bloggers for the wonderful and educational Day…
Tag: mindanao
A Trip to Maitum, Sarangani
The Soccsksargen Experience (SEx) Tour opened with a trip to Maitum. Soccsksargen stands for South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Saragani, and General Santos, the provinces of South Central Mindanao, Region XI. Maitum is a town in Sarangani Province. And it paved the way to get the SEx Tour participants excited with the event. The first stop was the Maitum Town Hall which also housed the Maitum Museum. The museum housed cultural and historical artifacts of the town and its indigenous people. The most remarkable artifacts were the clay jars which held the bones of the early people of Maitum. The museum also had a display of indigenous music instruments and costumes including several tinalak belts and textiles. Up next was a hearty breakfast prepared by Cresing's Food Products. It was a cornucopia of seafood, organically grown rice, salted eggs, veggies, and rice coffee drinks. I absolutely enjoyed it and want to go back for more, more, more. Our last stop in Maitum is the Maitum River where some of the participants enjoyed a rough tube ride through the white waters of the river. It was certainly a trip with all the right ingredients combined for a total experience: history and…
Bautista’s Bakak
Not content with taking majority of the awards in the 5th Mindanao FilmFest in 2009 for his film "Sandugo," Ronald Gary Bautista entered two films for the 6th Mindanao FilmFest. And once again, Bautista and his Studio Beta Productions took home four trophies. His film, Bakak gave Bautista his second Best Director trophy, the Best Guerilla Film Award, and the Best Film Award. According to the jury, composed of this writer, Teddy Co of the NCCA, and local artist Rudolph Alama, Bakak's technical excellence and innovative story-telling set the film apart and make it stand out from the other films of the festival. Bautista and his film represents the future of filmmaking in Mindanao, one that is creative, excellent, and deserving of accolades from both the critics and the viewing public. Bakak tells the mysterious events that happen when a teacher and his students enter an allegedly haunted building and not all of them survive the excursion. Through the use of a first person point of view in the story-telling, the viewer feels like he is involved in the film. While the film does not highlight Bautista's technical expertise, it shows how Bautista can excellently execute a film. The first…
Red Rebel Productions’ Eva
Another film in the 6th Mindanao Filmfest that really grabbed my attention and held it was Red Rebel Productions' Eva. Fueled by a simple storyline and strong performances by Ruben Gonzaga and Rochelle Venuti, Eva tugs at the heart of the the viewer. What held me captive was not just the story or the acting skills of the actors, but the excellent production value. The cinematography, sound editing and musical scoring, as well as the editing of the film were all beautiful and seamless. And for that the film won the Best in Production Value Award. With a solid storyline, good actors, and great production value, Eva was also awarded as the Best Workshop Film and was a contender for Best Guerilla Film and Best Festival Film. Congratulations to Red Rebel Productions for the awards and a great film!
Thy Will Be Done
I first saw Kristian Somera's Thy Will Be Done in the Ateneo Human Knights Film Festival Press Screening. It was my favorite among the films I viewed that day. I watched the film again for the 6th Mindanao FilmFest and my initial impression of the film didn't change. Thy Will Be Done is made by Ateneo de Davao University communications majors including director Somera, producer Carmelle Jumawan and the film's lead actress Diana Grace Juaban. They are mentored by multi-awarded filmmaker and professor, Ronald Bautista. The film won as Best Student Film in the 6th Mindanao FilmFest. Thy Will Be Done stood out from a field of good competitors, which you never imagine to be made by students. What I liked about the film is how the story was revealed. For this, I give much credit to the story writer and the director. Adding strength to the film is the credible acting by Juaban. She comes off as a natural and you would notice that she's an amateur. She delivers her lines without hesitation and acts without the OA factor that most amateur actors are prone to doing. Technically, the film could have done better in the cinematography, lighting, and…
Alone
Alone by Joni Angeli Nuenay is the poignant story of the widower who lives alone, with his children living and working abroad. The story is simple, the film is straightforward. Technically, it could have done better. But it succeeded in telling a story and did so effectively. I don't cry when I watch movies, but I teared up a bit after watching this film. Nuenay succeeds in delivering a tired old story with minimum melodrama and angst but with maximum impact that pierces through the heart. It is a story a lot of Filipinos can relate, young and old. The story of man a struggling to survive alone, with his loved ones away from him. The message is shown subtly without much tears and no hysterics. And yet we feel the loneliness, the pain, and the short sweet moments of joy. The film succeeds in story-telling. And Nuenay is truly deserving of the Best in Screenplay Award. But perhaps, it would have failed without the natural delivery of Best Actor Roger Gonzales. It seemed like Gonzales was not even acting at all. The simple story matched well with Gonzales' heartfelt acting to give the audience a melancholic story. What it…