Winner of the “Tides of Change” award at this year’s Doc Edge Film Festival, Baby Ruth Villarama’s “Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea” offers a poignant look at the Filipino fishermen and coast guard braving the West Philippine Sea amidst geopolitical tension from China’s territorial claims.
For many years, the Philippines has been powering through bullying, misinformation, and censorship to safeguard the West Philippine Sea from overseas threats like China. The documentary observed that while there’s a vibrant Filipino community living amongst these groups of islands, living there continues to be worrying, from a few fishermen who went missing to the Filipino Coast Guard being harassed by Chinese officials.
It's concerning to see the attempt at censorship on “Food Delivery” when the documentary is a tender look at the people genuinely trying to foster a safer place for their community. This is a tender love letter to the underdogs who are willing to stay put and uphold compassion despite the immense odds. From a group of fishermen trying in search of their missing colleague to Navy officials longing to see their family again, these are only some of the many heroes who are holding fort for the entire country. “Food Delivery” is plausible for showing us who they truly are, and not for what they want us to make of them.
Villarama has exemplified in her films that the effective way to tell societal issues is by putting the spotlight on the marginalized, whether it’s the plight of overseas Filipino workers (“Sunday Beauty Queen”), a group of children trying to make it big in sports (“Little Azkals), or as simple as finding love across borders (“Jazz in Love”).
“Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea” marks the first time its featured subjects have ever been covered in media, and it could be the last time we hear from them if we allow it. I believe that seeing this film also entails the responsibility of sharing the stories it features. This is my call.
“Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea” is currently showing in select New Zealand cinemas as part of DocEdge Film Festival. The film is also set for a Philippine premiere this July 27. Visit Voyage Studios for more information.
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