That Spark

When I was young, I had an unshakeable confidence in my decision to pursue a career as a filmmaker, I felt that I could do the work and do it well and in time I would win the confidence of my peers.

Then 2013 happened. I stepped up to direct a small job for Ogilvy & Mather’s Manila. I was tasked to provide event coverage for their client, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce. I went about my work and turned in the documentation to Ogilvy.

I then spent the next six months pleading and begging Ogilvy & Mather’s Manila to pay me for my services. They owed me 1000 USD.

I was gutted, the fire simply went out of me. I found myself plagued by severe panic attacks and a cloud of confusion settled over me. I didn’t know why this was happening to me or why Ogilvy & Mather’s Manila would put me in this position.

Now in my early 30s, I abandoned my hopes to build a career as a filmmaker and started to plan the next chapter of my life.

Then, out of nowhere Diego S. Maranan stepped forward and offered me the chance to direct a documentary highlighting the work of WeDpro, an NGO doing relief and rehabilitation work in the aftermath of super storm Yolanda.

I spent the last few months of this year traveling around Leyte and Antique to the various project sites of WeDpro, meeting with beneficiaries and partners and witnessing the grassroots development work of WeDpro and their partner, Action Aid International.

It was not easy work, from sun up to sun down I was on the move with Choco Matulis under a blazing hot tropical sun, driving around small dirt roads and steep hills on the back of pick up truck with our gear. I almost always came back to Manila sick from sunstroke and exhaustion.

And I loved every minute of it. It felt like drinking a cool glass of water. The experience refreshed me and reminded me why I have spent the last decade of my life trying to build a career as a filmmaker, job by job, video by video.

I cannot thank Diego enough for thinking of me and asking me to direct this documentary for WeDpro. I still do not have the same unquenchable fire of my youth but thanks to Diego’s friendship and belief in me, the spark is back and I hope it provides enough light and warmth to see me through on my way.

You can watch the first documentary short of my recent work here:

GLITTER OF HOPE

And I am nothing without those I work with, I would like to thank Tito Olan Santos for the wonderful script, Javier Abola for the fine editing, Mulawin Galang and Pj Martinez for their audio post production work, Sol Galang for his work as a post production supervisor and my friend and camera operator Chocs, for his great photography, cheer and energy while in the field with me.

You can learn more about WeDpro here:

http://wedprophils.org/

For those of my friends in Manila and elsewhere around the world, I would urge you to remain involved and engaged in Yolanda relief work, especially in Leyte. Whole communities remain homeless several months since the storm and there is a dire need for shelter.