Bacolod-produced films hit national stage, vie for Sinag Maynila awards

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

 

Building on a historic season for local storytelling, director Charlene Mead Tupas and the Bacolod filmmaking community mark a significant milestone for Negrense cinema, showcasing local narratives to a wider audience.

Following her victories at the Sine Negrense Film Festival in 2024 and two consecutive Bacolod Filmfest editions in 2024 and 2025, her new short film has been officially selected for this year’s Sinag Maynila Film Festival.

“Tonton,” a poignant narrative focused on a woman managing a roadside eatery while dealing with a monotonous life, is joined by four other Bacolod-produced films in the national competition.

Last year, “Tonton” bested seven other entries to win Best Picture, Best Actress for Maria Victoria Mendoza, Best Cinematography for Giles Gelvoleo, and Best Production Design for Rowena Tupas at the 2025 BFF.

Tupas, an emerging voice celebrated for her heartfelt storytelling and steadfast commitment to socially engaged art, earlier swept the 2024 Sine Negrense with “Aninaw.”

The film follows three elderly friends exploring their changing hometown while reflecting on shared memories and the harmony between heritage and the future.

“Aninaw” captured the Best Film, Best Director for Tupas, Best Cinematography for Roscoe Cofreros, Best Actor for Reynaldo Dante Amaguin, Milton Dionzon, and Louis Dormido, and Best Poster for Ruer Torculas.

This set of awards followed the film’s strong debut at the 2024 Bacolod Film Festival, where it had garnered the Jury’s Prize for Ensemble Acting for the three main actors and Best Cinematography.

Tupas, an alumna of the Maskara Theatre Ensemble, continues to use her platform to explore the “fragility of memory.” She previously explored this theme in “Tsinelas,” the grand winner of the 2020 Nespresso Talents short film competition.

“As I offer this film to the beloved people of Bacolod... we must confront the uncertainties of change with courage and resilience, knowing that therein lies the potential for profound transformation and growth,” Tupas shared in her director’s statement.

In addition to the Sinag Maynila selection, Tupas previously served as an official delegate to the 17th Cinema Rehiyon in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, further amplifying the voices of Bacolod filmmakers and ensuring that Negrense cinema will remain a more empathetic cultural landscape for years to come.

“Tonton” and four other Sinag Maynila finalists mark a significant expansion of the impact of Negrense cinema on the national stage. Joining “Tonton” in the Open Category are “Hoy! Pili ka na!” by Banjo Hinolan and “Blind Date” directed by Victor Villanueva and produced by Juan Carlo Miguel.

Meanwhile, competing in the Student Category are “Isa Ka Higayon” by Chelsea Tasic and “Tililing: E-Motion Sickness” by Dranreb Cimatu.

The $17 Billion Gamble: Why ‘Forgotten Island’ is the Ultimate Litmus Test for Filipino Stories

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

For decades, the Filipino footprint in global animation has been a ghost in the machine. Look at the credits of any Disney masterpiece, Marvel blockbuster, or Netflix hit, and you will find our names. We have built the worlds, rendered the lighting, and animated the heroes. But we have almost always been the architects of someone else’s dream—essential, yet invisible in the background.

On September 25, 2026, that narrative doesn't just shift; it undergoes a seismic transformation.

With the release of "Forgotten Island," a major Hollywood titan isn't just hiring Filipino talent to build a world—they are betting millions that a Filipino world can conquer the globe.

The Discipline of a Giant: DreamWorks vs. Pixar

To understand why this matters, you have to look at the scoreboard. The animation industry is currently a battlefield of "bloated budgets" and "creative pivots." While other studios have faltered, DreamWorks Animation has quietly weaponized a rare trait: discipline.

They don't panic. They don't overspend. They just win.

"Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" was declared dead after a weak $12 million opening. DreamWorks stayed the course; it eventually clawed its way to $484 million.

"The Wild Robot" turned a $78 million budget into a $335 million victory.

"How to Train Your Dragon" soared to $627 million.

By focusing on efficiency and emotional resonance over spectacle, DreamWorks has done the unthinkable: they’ve overtaken Pixar in total global box office, sitting on a $17.3 billion throne. This is the studio currently holding the keys to the kingdom. And for the first time, they have looked at a story rooted in the Philippines and asked, "Will the world watch?"

The answer they arrived at was a resounding, "Let’s find out."

Beyond the "Struggle Narrative"

For too long, when the global stage looked at the Philippines, it saw a very specific, limited lens: poverty, the plight of overseas workers, or the weight of historical struggle. These are vital stories, but they aren't the only stories.

"Forgotten Island" is a rebellion against that box. Directed by Filipino-American Januel Mercado, the film doesn't try to "explain" the Philippines to an audience. It simply is Filipino. Through its razor-sharp humor, lush mythology, and distinctive setting, it uses our culture not as a teaching tool, but as a vibrant, fresh canvas for a universal human experience: the bittersweet ache of friendship and the reality of growing apart.

"This isn't about waving a flag or forcing pride. It’s about proof. In Hollywood, nothing moves unless it works financially."

The Brutal Reality of the "Green Light"

Make no mistake—this isn't a charity project born of a sudden love for the archipelago. This is a high-stakes experiment. In the entertainment industry, success creates a pipeline; failure welds the door shut.

If Forgotten Island scales, it proves to every executive in Burbank and Los Gatos that Filipino creators, settings, and mythos are a "category." It signals to investors that our stories are a viable, profitable commodity. It turns a "one-time experiment" into a movement.

But if it fails? The industry goes back to the safe, the familiar, and the "maybe not yet."

The First Crack in the Door

The stakes for Forgotten Island transcend representation. This isn't just about "feeling seen"—it’s about being undeniable. We are moving from the background to the center of the frame, testing whether a story born from our soil can carry its own weight on the world stage.

On September 25, the world will decide if the door stays open.

Angara pushes stronger farm-to-school links during Batangas school visit

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

LIPA CITY, Batangas, 26 March 2026 — Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Thursday underscored the role of agriculture in improving student nutrition and strengthening local communities as he met with farmer cooperatives during a visit in Batangas.

Angara joined farmers, school officials, and education stakeholders in a dialogue aimed at strengthening the connection between schools and local agriculture through the Department of Education’s expanded School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP). The initiative seeks to source fresh produce directly from farmer groups while providing more nutritious meals for learners.

The school visit formed part of a multi-agency program in Batangas led by the Office of the Executive Secretary that also included the inauguration of new infrastructure projects and the opening of additional school facilities in Lipa City.

At Tangway Integrated School, Angara met with representatives from nine farmer cooperatives and discussed how local agricultural production can support school feeding efforts and help ensure a steady supply of fresh vegetables for students.

“Kinikilala natin ang mahalagang papel ng ating mga magsasaka, lalo na sa gitna ng mga hamon na kanilang kinakaharap,” Angara said. “Malaki ang ambag nila sa Expanded SchoolBased Feeding Program na mas marami nang mag-aaral ang maaabot.”

DepEd is set to launch its largest School-Based Feeding Program yet after securing a historic PhP25.6 billion budget for School Year 2026–2027, more than double the PhP11.8 billion allocated in 2025. The expanded funding is expected to support 4.63 million learners starting June, making the program one of the largest nutrition interventions in public schools of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration.

Tangway Integrated School currently serves 895 learners, and its feeding program supports undernourished students through regular feeding activities using vegetables sourced from its school garden and nearby farms. For School Year 2025–2026, the school provided nutritious
meals to 121 undernourished learners, contributing to improvements in learner health, attendance, and participation in class activities.

The school is being positioned as a pilot site for a farm-to-school procurement model, which aims to allow farmer cooperatives to directly supply produce to schools. The approach is expected to create a stable market for farmers while ensuring fresh and nutritious meals for
students.

Earlier in the day, Angara joined Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and other Cabinet officials in inaugurating a four-storey, 16-classroom building at Padre Valerio Malabanan Elementary School in Lipa City, part of government efforts to address classroom shortages and improve
learning spaces.

The activities were part of the broader “Matatag na Batangas Tungo sa Bagong Pilipinas” initiative, which highlights cooperation between national agencies and local governments to strengthen infrastructure, social services, and education programs for Filipino learners and
families