‘Reel Time’ documentaries on children, health receive international awards

With the UNHCR Head, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Canadian Embassy in Thailand, SF Cinema, and sponsors of the 4th Refugee Film Festival. Photo: Eleazar Del Rosario

If children and the poor are the subject of so many documentaries, it’s because the fight for their rights goes on every day.

GMA News TV’s “Reel Time” was recently recognized by several award-giving bodies for their documentaries on marginalized communities. This comes one year after GMA News TV’s “Reel Time” won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award, considered to be the Pulitzer Prize for television.

“With these opportunities of being selected in international film festivals, we can now share their stories to the world,” says executive producer Eleazar Del Rosario.


“Silang Wala Sa Mapa” (Off the Grid)
2014 US International Film and Video Festival
In a country where 56% of Filipinos have no access to medical and health services, Dr. Roel Cagape has chosen to be a volunteer doctor in Sarangani, the eighth poorest province in the Philippines. His mission: to treat the tribes who live in far-flung areas of Sarangani and who have never seen a doctor in their life.

As he crosses twenty rivers and climbs mountains for his patients, a bleak picture presents itself: one where children suffer from illnesses that could easily have been treated, and adults choose to be treated by quack doctors in the absence of government hospitals.

[Related: A photo essay on the subjects of “Silang Wala Sa Mapa”]

Executive Producer: Jayson Bernard B. Santos
Director: King Mark Baco
Writer: Jayson Bernard B. Santos
Editors: Emmanuel Payumo, Rico Salvan, Jayson Bernard B. Santos

“Batang Halau” (Banished Children)
Official selection, UNHCR Refugee Film Festival
In the midst of political conflict between countries, the unseen victims are children. “Batang Halau” first aired in 2012 and told the stories of children whose Filipino parents illegally migrated to Sabah, Malaysia from Southern Mindanao.

Halau is a Bahasa word that means “banished” or “driven away.” While these families went to Sabah hoping to escape poverty and armed conflict, the Malaysian government considers them illegal aliens. Their children, despite being born and raised in Sabah – despite speaking Bahasa no different from locals – receive no shelter, education, or medical assistance.

They are neither here nor there, and the children are caught in the middle.

[Related: Watch a clip from “Batang Halau”] 

In celebration of the World Refugee Day, Reel Time's "Batang Halau" was selected by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as one of the documentaries to be shown in their Refugee Film Festival. This festival is currently making the rounds in Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, and the Philippines.

Writer, director and executive producer Eleazar Del Rosario is on the road to present “Batang Halau” to foreign audiences.

“It is the most challenging documentary I’ve produced,” he says. “Together with my cameraman Eugene Naing, we went to Sabah and stayed for seven days. I worked as producer, director, researcher on field, and assistant cameraman during the production.”

He adds, “the Sabah issue is very sensitive both for the Philippine and. Malaysian government. We did not have permits from both governments to shoot in Sabah, so we did a guerilla shoot. I talked to several contacts in the field to allow us to enter plantations as huge as Singapore and to encourage case studies to be the face of this documentary.”


“Fully booked na ang Bangkok screening!” says executive producer Ely del Rosario.

Listen to “Walang Puwang” from the “Batang Halau” official soundtrack, set to scenes from the documentary:



Patuloy ang pagtakbo
Hindi man naglalaro
Mga tagu-taguan
Para bang walang hanggan
Nagpaalam na sa nakaraan
‘Di mahanap ang kasalukuyan
‘Di alam ang patutunguhan
Palutang-lutang

This is the second time that the UNHCR has recognized “Batang Halau”, as the documentary was also showcased in last year’s Refugee Film Festival held in Tokyo, Japan.

“Para sa akin, ang pinakamahalagang silbi ng dokumentaryo ay ang makapagbigay ng bagong impormasyon, makapagpamulat, at sa sarili nitong paraan, maging instrumento o pwersa ng pagkilos at pagbabago,” says Del Rosario. “Sa ganitong mga natatanging pagkakataon na maging bahagi ng Refugee Film Festival ng UNHCR, mas malawak ang nararating, mas marami ang makakaalam ng kanilang kwento.

Executive Producer, Director and Writer: Eleazar Del Rosario
Editors: Emmanuel Payumo, Benson Dela Paz, Jeff Apostol


Jayson Bernard Santos and King Mark Baco at the Asia Image Apollo Awards. Photo: Jayson Bernard Santos

“Katipunan"
Asia Image Apollo Awards 2014
GMA News TV’s dramatization of the events leading up to the 1896 Philippine Revolution received the award for Cinematography (Long Form) at this year’s Asia Image Apollo Awards.

The episode was produced by Jayson Bernard Santos and directed by King Baco, who also worked on “Silang Wala Sa Mapa.” Watch the first episode of “Katipunan”:



Executive Producer: Jayson Bernard B. Santos
Director: King Mark Baco
Writer: Ian Victoriano
Talents: Sid Lucero (Andres Bonifacio), Glaiza de Castro (Gregoria de Jesus), Benjamin Alves (Sebastian), Dominic Roco (Pacquing), Roi Vinzon (Padre Villalon), Nico Antonio (Emilio Aguinaldo), Mercedes Cabral (Teresa)
Videographers: AB Garcia, Romel Sales, Marvin Reyes, Gibson Gordola
Editors: Emmanuel Payumo, Carlo Manatad, Joris Fernandez, Sari Estrada, Mark Cyril Bautista, Timmy Torres

–CM, GMA News