Two short films by #ProudViscan students swept major awards at the 2025 PelikulAgraryo Eastern Visayas Regional Short Film Festival, held on July 9, 2025 at Summit Hotel, Tacloban City. 

“Bunot,” a gripping piece based on the story of agrarian reform beneficiary Carlos Guevarra, Jr. from Baybay City, won Best Film in the Agrarian Reform Beneficiary (ARB) category and will represent the region in the national competition. It also brought home ₱30,000 in cash and several technical awards, including Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Music, and Best Director.

Another entry, “Nitubong Pangandoy sa Yuta,” earned Second Place, along with Best Poster, Best Teaser, and Best Screenplay. The film centers on two rural children and a coconut seedling, a striking metaphor for inheritance, survival, and the long road to land ownership.

“Bunot” was produced by students under Silakbo-Baybay Film, an independent student-led Baybay Film Organization based in VSU.

On the other hand, "Nitubong Pangandoy sa Yuta" was produced by the Development Communicators Society (DeCSo), a student organization under the Department of Development Communication (DDC).

These films reflect the continuing struggles and hard-won victories of Filipino farmers, especially those whose lives were reshaped by agrarian reform. In portraying farmers as central characters, the students have used film as a way to reconnect young audiences with the country’s agricultural roots and its complex land reform history.

“Bunot” follows the journey of a tenant farmer whose life is turned upside down by Typhoon Haiyan. Left in deep financial strain, he and his brother eventually find a lifeline through the Agrarian Reform program, receiving 1.38 million hectares of land that helped them reclaim their livelihood. 

In contrast, “Nitubong Pangandoy sa Yuta” tells its story through the eyes of children. Their relationship with the land that they do not own offers a poignant look at what it means to grow up in a system shaped by inherited struggle.

Department of Agrarian Reform Assistant Secretary Jose Jenil Demorito personally handed the awards to the VSU filmmakers during the awarding ceremony. 

In a Facebook post, Ms. Jeanie Rose Deluza, Media Arts Coordinator of VSU’s Culture and Arts Office and adviser of Silakbo-Baybay Film, extended her appreciation to DAR for creating a space where students can grow as storytellers rooted in real experiences.

“A heartfelt thank you to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for providing these young storytellers with a platform to create, produce, and most importantly, tell stories that truly matter,” she posted.

This article aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education and SDG 13: Climate Action.

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