Davao is Alive!

President-Elect Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte in his alternate favorite polo (denim) attends an event in SMX Convention Center (circa 2013). And of course the Pambansang photobomber is behind him, as always. 

Following the landslide victory of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte as the next President of the Republic of the Philippines, the city is more alive than ever.

I now understand the line: All roads lead to Davao!

The "elite" and "decent" peoples have to travel to the 'remote and dusty' southern city to meet and greet the tough-talking Mayor.  Diplomats and VIPs have made their appointments already bringing most of the hotels to full occupancy. Great for Davao's Tourism industry.

With Duterte's victory which put Davao in the grandest limelight, it is a good time to be back at writing here.

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PS: Shout out to the volunteers of Duterte Campaign. 'Grats to you guys!

Rural Stories, Real Stories: the success of Mindanao rural development

DA-PRDP national deputy director Arnel De Mesa (3rd from left) presents to WB PRDP Task team leader Frauke Jungbluth (4th from left) a copy of the book. With them are (left to right) authors Noel T. Provido and Jay Rosas and program director Lealyn A. Ramos

A book is a legacy of lifetime.

Coming up with a compendium of success stories of rural development is a feat in itself, as it is hardly heard of, which the Department of Agriculture (DA) dared to take as it documented the impacts of its flagship anti-poverty program in southern Philippines, the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP).

Recently the book ‘Rural Stories, Real Stories’ a collection of success stories of the second phase of MRDP  was launched at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City. 

“Rural Stories, Real Stories' documents the triumphs, lessons learned and wonderful memories we together weaved in the past years as we combatted poverty across Mindanao,” Agriculture secretary Proceso J. Alcala said in his video message. 

Veteran rural development writers Noel T. Provido and Jay M. Rosas were the head writers of the book.

Improving Lives

True to its tagline: Improving lives, MRDP over the past 6 years of implementation made its mark in ruralcommunities.

For infrastructure development, farmers share how critical projects like farm-to-market roads

(FMRs) and irrigation system largely contributed in increasing their yield and income. For instance, farmers in Balindong, Lanao del Sur and Carmen, North Cotabato described how the FMRs in theirvillages reduced transportation cost and postharvest losses.

Farmers in Bansalan, Davao del Sur share how their improved irrigation restored hopes of farmers to go back to rice production while in San Luis, Agusan del Norte, rice and corn farmers are grateful for the construction of the single-lane bridge that finally connected their far-flung village to the town market.

I have a copy of the book and the stories are well-written. Kudos guys. 

#Dapaw: Official Entry to the 9th Mindanao Film Festival

#Dapaw is a short narrative film about Jessica Bustamante, a typical millennial who is a newly hired public school teacher assigned in remote Brgy. Dapaw.

While Jessica tries to be the best teacher that she could be, it is her new environment and her pupils have become her "teachers" for the real lessons of life. HEr assignment has opened her eyes to the glaring issues of poor quality education, insurgency, poverty and the seeming neglect of the government in the area. 

Watch it here:

Mindanao Film Festival to showcase Guerrilla Films

 

Guerrilla Filmmaking Workshop attendees with mentor direk Arnel Mardoquio (6th L). Photo: Mindanao Film and Television Development Foundation, Inc.

Local filmmakers gear up to showcase this week short and full-length films in the 9^th Mindanao Film Festival.

This year’s MFF to be screened at Cinema 5 of Gaisano Mall of Davao from December 4-10, 2013 is said to be record-breaking with over 50 entries from across Mindanao.

Among the competing entries are five short films and two animation films as output of the 11^th Guerrilla Filmmaking workshop conducted by the Mindanao Film and Television Development Foundation, Inc (MFTDFI).

Guerrilla films are made by independent filmmakers with low budget, minimal equipment, skeleton crews and mostly unadulterated ambient environment.  The batch 11 filmmaking workshop attendees were given two weeks to submit their film for screening.

One entry is “#Dapaw” is a short narrative film of the experiences of the young teacher assigned in a remote public school. Being the techie-city girl, the main character Jessica Bustamante is astounded as she swirled in the realities of poverty, lack access to social services and the seeming neglect of government in the area her assignment.

 “Panyawan” talks about the waning family values especially the respect for the elderly. Nanay Sally, started a sojourn to visit her three children living in the city. After a long time of not seeing them, she expected warmth and loving affection but to her disappointment she was met with rejection.

  

"Panalipod Onlayn" is a short film that shows the effects of children's privacy when parents expose them too much to the online world.

"This Ring" is a short film about a married couple on the brink of breaking up and is forced to come in terms with their own marriage at their only daughter's wedding. The film was inspired by a recent survey that there is a growing number of broken marriages in Davao City.

“Lutaw” is a story military men and the politics and scandals that hound the institution.

The animation films included “The Mouse who could Fly” depicting the a mouse which conquered the skies and “The Imagination of Mr. Reil”  revolves on a story of a lone man and his imaginary friend who teaches him to appreciate and value the things around him.

The guerilla films are blocked together for its screen on December 5 (1:30PM), December 6 (7:30 PM the Gala Screening) and December 8 (8:00PM).

9th Mindanao Film Festival

The Guerrilla Films: Lutaw, Panalipod Onlayn #Dapaw, Pnayawan and the Ring