FEU student films to compete in this year’s CCP Gawad Alternatibo

 

Wazzup Pilipinas?!

 

Two student film projects from Far Eastern University Department of Communication have been selected as finalists in this year’s 38th Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Gawad Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video or Gawad Alternatibo. “Ibong Yabi” and “Kahel” represent two distinct styles, spanning compelling documentary storytelling and inventive musical narratives.

Directed by Mark Jomil Reyes, “Ibong Yabi” is a short documentary that delves into the lived realities of Mangyan Alangan women who assume the role of primary breadwinners for their households. Through the personal narratives of Lybelyn and Diana, the film exposes the systemic hurdles and restricted economic avenues available to the community.

The documentary covers their daily survival strategies, ranging from traditional “kaingin” farming and crafting “walis tingting” to taking on irregular manual labor. Ultimately, the film serves as a testament to empowerment, highlighting the strength and aspirations of Mangyan women.

Before its selection for Gawad Alternatibo’s Documentary Category, “Ibong Yabi” earned Jarvey Abutan the Best Sound award in FEU DepComm’s Tam DokyuFest 2026 for constructing immersive soundscapes that enhanced the depiction of the Mangyan community’s daily life.

Meanwhile, “Kahel” is a 20-minute musical short film directed by Garnet Morilla Llames and produced under the Kuwerdas production house. The narrative follows Elias, an ordinary worker who walks away from a standard 9-to-5 job to pursue his musical aspirations in the city. His journey takes an unexpected turn when a sudden jeepney breakdown strands him alongside his longtime musical idol.

The film’s transition to Gawad Alternatibo’s Narrative Category follows a dominant performance at Sinepiyu XVIII, FEU’s annual student film festival organized by the FEU Film Society. “Kahel” captured Best Film, Best Direction, Best Editing, and Best Music/Score in the All Tamaraws Division of Sinepiyu. It also won the Gawad Bathala Best Film at the Tamaraw Media Awards.

Reflecting on the project’s resonance, Llames noted that the film acts as an emotional anchor for creative individuals torn between practical career paths and their artistic passions.

Llames, who also forms half of the indie-pop duo Justin + Garnet, shared that “Kahel is a musical short film about chasing dreams.” He dedicated the film “for the dreamers who keep going no matter how hard it gets.”

The achievements of both productions highlight the training within the university’s communication program. “Ibong Yabi” was developed in the Documentary Production class of media practitioner Julius Segovia while “Kahel” was a final project in the Directing and Film Production class of filmmaker and educator Seymour Sanchez.

Both “Ibong Yabi” and “Kahel” will now showcase their narratives on a broader national stage as they compete in the upcoming Gawad Alternatibo, which runs from August 7 to 16 at the Red Carpet Cinemas, Shangri-La Plaza and Gateway Cineplex 18.

A Nation Without History? Challenging the Cynical View of the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

The Philippines takes great offense at being compared to monkeys, but if you take a close look at its history and its present, they should not complain. 

Before the Western colonizers arrived, there was no state at all on the Philippine archipelago—just a bunch of tribes. When the Spanish came, these people surrendered to the Spanish. When the Americans came, they surrendered to the Americans. When the Japanese came, they surrendered to the Japanese. And when the Americans came back, they surrendered to the Americans all over again.

When the Americans finally refused to keep colonizing them and granted them independence, they actually left the Philippines with a pretty solid economic foundation. But once the Filipinos themselves started running the country, it quickly went from being a top student in Asia to one of the poorest countries on the continent—and it remains so to this day.

Filipino politics is a complete mess. Despite claiming to be a democratic country, in fact, dozens of families of all sizes rule their respective territories. A notoriously corrupt dictator ruled the country for twenty years. The people finally drove him out, and then just as quickly welcomed his son back, who proceeded to carry on the same corruption—only even worse.

Life for ordinary Filipinos is a disaster too. The big cities are filled with slums, the countryside is crawling with insurgents. People dig through garbage for a kind of food they call 'pagpag'. Murders and drugs are everywhere. The president who attempted to declare war on drugs was sent to a foreign court by Filipinos themselves. Child prostitution is everywhere. White old-timers are a common sight in the country—take a guess what they're there for.

Of course, there are still some poor countries in Asia today. But you can see that they either have a glorious history, such as Myanmar, or have today's ambitions, such as North Korea. Only the Philippines is a country without history, without today, and obviously without a future. Their best fate is to wait for the next outsider to step onto their island and surrender.

The narrative that the Philippines is a nation without history, defined only by surrender and decline, is a provocative but deeply reductive characterization. By separating historical fact from hyperbolic interpretation, we can see a much more complex reality: a nation that has endured centuries of external imposition while continuously wrestling with the challenges of post-colonial self-determination.

The Myth of "Constant Surrender"

The claim that the archipelago was merely a "bunch of tribes" that easily "surrendered" ignores the long, violent history of resistance. While it is historically accurate that the pre-colonial Philippines lacked a singular, centralized state—functioning instead through decentralized systems like barangays and sultanates—this was not a lack of structure, but a different form of socio-political organization [1.1.1, 1.8.1].

The narrative of "surrender" also erases the centuries of anti-colonial struggle. Filipinos staged numerous revolts against Spanish rule and waged a full-scale, costly war against American annexation following the Spanish-American War [1.2.1, 1.2.2]. Labeling these conflicts as mere "surrender" dismisses the massive loss of life—including hundreds of thousands of Filipino civilian deaths—suffered in the pursuit of independence [1.2.1].

Economic Trajectory: A Complex Reality

The assertion that the Philippines was a "top student" that only failed once it gained independence oversimplifies post-war economic development. While it is true that the Philippines has struggled to maintain the same economic momentum as some of its East Asian neighbors, this is largely attributed by scholars to systemic issues: patronage politics, "booty capitalism," and the failure to institutionalize long-term development strategies across changing administrations [1.3.1]. Far from a simple decline, the nation has experienced periods of attempted industrialization, growth, and severe economic crisis, often tied to global shifts and internal political instability [1.3.1].

Politics and the Dynasty Problem

The critique of Filipino politics as a "mess" of ruling families holds significant weight. Political dynasties—the concentration of power within specific families who rotate in office to circumvent term limits—are a well-documented feature of the Philippine political landscape [1.4.1]. The 1987 Constitution explicitly prohibits political dynasties, yet the absence of implementing legislation has allowed this system to persist [1.4.1]. The history of the Marcos regime, characterized by human rights abuses and kleptocracy, remains a central and highly divisive chapter in the nation's struggle for accountability [1.5.1, 1.5.2].

The Human Cost: Poverty and Resilience

There is no denying the stark, painful realities of poverty in the Philippines. The existence of pagpag—leftover food scavenged from dumps—is a haunting, documented indicator of extreme urban poverty [1.7.1]. However, framing this solely as a "disaster" ignores the resilience and survival mechanisms developed by those living in the informal economy [1.6.1, 1.7.1]. While millions still live in poverty, the country has seen significant reductions in poverty rates over the last few decades, even as it battles the recurring pressures of inflation, unemployment, and the impacts of natural disasters [1.6.1].

Conclusion: A Nation in Transition

The claim that the Philippines has "no future" is a pessimistic forecast that ignores the nation's active democratic discourse, its vibrant (if struggling) civil society, and its ongoing efforts to reform its governance. To characterize the Philippines as a country without history is to disregard its indigenous roots and its long, agonizing development of a national identity. The nation’s current challenges are not evidence of a "best fate" involving surrender, but are rather the modern, ongoing struggles of a post-colonial state attempting to forge its own path in a complex global environment.

How do you think the ongoing debate regarding political dynasties and their influence on the country's economic policies shapes the everyday lives of the average Filipino?

The Great Pivot: Why Central Banks Are Our Newest Climate Architects

 

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

For decades, the halls of central banking were defined by quiet corridors, inflation targets, and the stoic management of interest rates. But a seismic shift is underway. As the global economy faces the compounding threats of climate shocks, energy volatility, and the staggering human cost of pollution, the world’s financial guardians are being forced to evolve.

At a recent World Resources Institute (WRI) panel, experts converged on a singular, dramatic conclusion: fossil fuel dependence is no longer just an environmental concern—it is a systemic economic emergency.  

The message from the panel was clear. The era of viewing climate action as a "side project" for policy makers is over. To ensure global stability, central banks must now become the architects of the transition away from fossil fuels.

The Hidden Engine of Instability

The traditional view of financial risk often misses the invisible culprits behind market volatility. Speakers at the WRI panel highlighted that our reliance on fossil fuels acts as a primary driver of instability. It manifests through: 

Geopolitical Fragility: Volatile energy markets that leave economies exposed to external shocks.

Climate-Driven Disruption: Physical risks that threaten infrastructure and supply chains.

The Health Burden: Perhaps the most compelling, yet often overlooked, economic indicator is human health. Nicholas Robins pointed out that air pollution—a direct byproduct of fossil fuel combustion—is responsible for roughly one-fifth of deaths globally.

By framing clean air as an economic asset rather than just a public health goal, we can begin to quantify the massive fiscal cost of inaction. Cleaner air translates to reduced healthcare expenditures, higher workforce productivity, and greater overall economic resilience.

Beyond Monetary Policy: The System-Level Actor

Jwala Rambarran, former Governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, issued a clarion call for a new, interventionist role for central banks. He argues that these institutions must reposition themselves as "system-level actors," wielding tools that extend far beyond interest rates.

This includes:

Prudential Regulation & Supervision: Ensuring the financial sector accounts for the long-term risks of fossil fuel exposure. 

Financial Inclusion & Research: Bridging the gap to ensure that the transition is not just orderly, but equitable.  

Global Architecture Reform: Breaking the "debt-fossil fuel trap" for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where crippling debt forces a reliance on cheap, dirty energy just to survive immediate economic pressures. 

The Clock is Ticking: Implementation as the New Mandate

As Sarah Amorim Torres of the Banco Central do Brasil warned, the window for a proactive transition is closing. Delaying action does not avoid risk—it intensifies it, leaving financial systems dangerously exposed to the inevitable shift in global energy markets. 

So, how do we move forward? Lessons from China, as shared by Isabelle Jiani Zheng, provide a blueprint:

Standardization: Establishing shared taxonomies and clear disclosure standards so investors know exactly what is "green".  

Incentivization: Using targeted green finance incentives to tilt the scales in favor of renewables.  

Iteration: Employing pilot programs to test what works before scaling to national levels.  

The Road to 2027

The momentum is building. With the Santa Marta process establishing a formal coalition to guide this transition, the conversation has moved from "should we move beyond fossil fuels" to "how do we do it equitably"?  

For organizations like Our Common Air (OCA), the path forward is clear. By embedding the "clean air dividend" into transition roadmaps and financing frameworks, we can ensure that the next phase of the global financial architecture prioritizes not just stability, but the health and prosperity of the people it serves. As we look toward the 2027 conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels, the mandate for central banks and global leaders is singular: secure the future by breathing life back into our economy.

How do you believe the integration of public health metrics into financial regulation will change the way private investors assess long-term climate risk?