TobacOFF Film Festival puts spotlight on youth-led advocacy vs. tobacco

With vaping products increasingly marketed as trendy accessories to young people, a new youth-led initiative is turning to film to counter the tobacco industry’s influence.

Organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) Philippines and partner groups, the TobacOFF Film Festival brings together 25 youth advocates from across the country to produce short documentaries and films that highlight the harms of tobacco and e-cigarettes. The festival is scheduled for December 13.

The initiative comes amid growing concerns over youth vaping in the Philippines. According to the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, one in seven minors aged 13 to 15 are already e-cigarette users—a rate that has outpaced traditional cigarette use among the same age group.

Public health experts warn that sleek, colorful designs disguised as toys, keychains, or bracelets have made vapes particularly attractive to minors.

“Tobacco is a product that harms so many people, and we need these stories so our policymakers know how they can protect young Filipinos,” said Pia Rodrigo of Action for Economic Reforms, one of the partner organizations.

The advocates, aged 18 to 30, were nominated by organizations including Parents Against Vapes, Social Watch Philippines, the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development, HealthJustice Philippines, Action for Economic Reforms, and the Philippine Smoke-Free Movement.

Participants underwent a five-day boot camp from August 11 to 15 at the First Pacific Leadership Academy in Antipolo. The training covered story ideation, directing, and post-production, guided by industry mentors including journalists Chiara Zambrano and Jacque Manabat, editor Jobert Monteras, and filmmaker Tops Brugada.

“Advocacy stories become truly powerful when they are authentic, relatable, and carry a clear call to action,” Zambrano said, emphasizing the role of youth in shaping narratives that can influence both peers and policymakers.

The festival comes as the Department of Health (DOH) signaled its intent to study a possible ban on vaping, following the examples of Singapore and Vietnam. The DOH has stressed that accountability should be directed at sellers and manufacturers, not solely at users.

Meanwhile, enforcement agencies have begun cracking down on illicit vape sales. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) recently filed tax evasion complaints at the Department of Justice against several vape retailers and importers over a total of ?711.3 million in alleged unpaid taxes.

Organizers of the TobacOFF Film Festival said the initiative is part of a broader campaign launched in June 2025 by CTFK Philippines and Vital Strategies to challenge tobacco industry marketing and raise awareness of its health and social costs.

“We believe every story has the power to inspire change,” said Manabat, founder of Amber Studios. “Through film, these young advocates can amplify their voices and help build a future where every child grows up healthy and tobacco-free.”— LA, GMA Integrated News