For the first time, senior high school students in Isabela took the challenge of making short films using the province’s regional languages Ilocano, Ibanag, and Gaddang through the 23rd Isabela Socio-Cultural Awareness Week (ISAW) held on February 4-6 online.

Ilocano and Ibanag are among the most widely spoken languages in Isabela. Other indigenous languages in the province are Gaddang, Yogad and Paranan.

Introduced in 2019, the Short Film Making contest of the annual ISAW required participating teams to primarily use the said languages in their scripts this 2022. The event organizers, the UP Kalipunan ng mga Anak ng Isabela (UP KAISA), hoped to boost cultural awareness among the Isabela youth by celebrating linguistic diversity.

The added language requirement in the contest was greatly inspired by one of last year’s invited judges, Zig Dulay, an award-winning filmmaker from Santiago City, Isabela, who told UP KAISA, “Natutuwa ako ‘pag nakakarinig ako ng mga characters [sa ISAW short films] na nagsasalita ng purong Ilocano. Kaugnay nito, mas naghahanap pa ako ng mga kuwentong mas lubog pa sana sa kuwentong Isabelino, may partikular na tema mang tinutumbok. Kumbaga, mas localized pa sana para mas magkaroon ng identidad at personalidad ang bawat kuwento.”

Twenty-two secondary schools joined this year’s contest and gamely narrated stories on the given topic “Ang Kabataan sa mga Usaping Panlipunan”. The entries were streamed on Facebook, reaching more than 1,100 reactions and about 8,000 views. They were judged by regional filmmakers Glenn Barit and Trishtan Perez, and commercial director Hiromi Uematsu.

Trishtan Perez, winner of #QCShorts Best Picture in the 2021 QCinema International Film Festival for his short film i get so sad sometimes, shared his comments on the Top 5 films of the 23rd ISAW, noting both their merits and points for improvement:

Nanupil (Isabela State University SHS- Echague)

Main Language Used: Ilocano

“Unclarity in the plot could oftentimes overshadow the technical and editing potential of Nanupil but there’s no denying that there’s so much talent at work behind the short film. It’s catchy voice-over cleverly captures inequality through the multiple narratives and while it mainly highlights the youth’s differences from each other, the film manages to leave a statement of hope and unity.”

Disisyete (Regional Science High School for Region II)

Main Language Used: Ibanag

“By using birthdays as a device to mark how things remain stagnant, Disisyete depicts the downside of generational difference and explores the youth’s burning impatience to finally be heard. Though melodramatic, it makes the most of its simple concept through its clarity and straightforwardness, leaving out unnecessary sappiness to drive its point across. It knows what it is and doesn’t pretend to have all the answers to the questions that plague us, thus evoking a feeling of urgency and threat that we might be running out of time. It is a “Till It Happens To You” story that despite the tragedy of its narrative, [it] also remains to be hopeful.”

Paset (San Mateo Vocational and Industrial High School)

Main Language Used: Ilocano

“What the rest of the entries lack that Paset has is its really strong technical quality and editing. On top of it is its very clever concept that presents its statement in a unique but economical way. However, the suddenness and the oversimplification of the solution to the struggle is off-putting. On top of that, it also depicted very sensitive scenes without so much a trigger warning. If the message is the destination, the journey that leads to the filmmakers’ statement is more important than what they want to say.”

Dibuho (Cauayan City National High School-Main)

Main Language Used: Gaddang

“Dibuho is a technically polished film that even stands out more with its attempts of utilizing genre techniques in parts. It has a consistent mood that flows naturally with its poetic voice-over, good acting, and impressive editing and sound design. However, it suffers from a questionable ending that distracts whatever point it tries to build up to. But aside from that, the entire team shows huge promise to become really competitive in the future.”

Kagimongan (Southern Isabela Academy, Inc.)

Main Language Used: Ilocano

“Kagimongan reminds us that sometimes, all it takes for us to evaluate the current state of our country is to simply go out of our homes. It’s execution of this suggestion creates a strong emotional impact, as if we’re seeing what has been there all this time with new eyes. There’s also a lot of honesty on the admission of the limitations that the youth can do. However, its resolve to simply do our educational obligations and not question authority suggests passivity, hurting all of the other good ideas spread within the film.”

Honorable Mention: Raniag (Alicia National High School)

Main Language Used: Ilocano

“Despite its technical shortcomings, Raniag is a humble film that tells multiple stories of misunderstood youth and it does so with grace and precision to big surprise. The inspired choices done in casting provides a reminder of how older generations forget that they were once young too. It is earnest and comforting in its celebration of the talent of the youth and their capacity to think critically. Ultimately, its simplicity became its strength, a proof that as long as a film is sincere, it doesn’t need much else.”

The student teams behind Nanupil, Disisyete, and Paset will compete once again in the Patalasanlahi, a national event in the University of the Philippines Diliman. Working on a to-be-announced contest topic, they will face young filmmakers from other provinces and regions in the Philippines.

Aside from the Short Film Making, the 23rd ISAW also selected Patalasanlahi delegates in Essay Writing, Pagsulat ng Sanaysay, Poster Making, Extemporaneous Speaking, Dagliang Talumpati, Quiz Show, and Debate with the theme “Anaraar: Pagbibigay-liwanag sa Papel ng mga Kabataan sa Pagtamo ng Pagbabago at ng Progresibong Kinabukasan”. The event’s Facebook page recorded 391,000 in post reach and 299,000 in engagements.

The 23rd ISAW is co-presented by Globe Telecom, Pascual Consumer Healthcare Corp, Now You Know, and SubSelfie, with organization partner UP Debate Society, PR partner PAGEONE.ph, media partners Inquirer.net, InqPop, WhenInManila.com, and Edge TV PH, and sponsors Katerina’s Homemade Goodies and Isabela’s Tutorial and Review Center. #23rdISAW