The scorching Saturday sun didn't stop me from walking my way to GMA 7. It wasn't that far from Arlene's house in Baranggay Central where I was staying. Besides, I needed to get my blood circulating since I stopped doing boxing two months ago.

"Wear something that represents your personality", the email from Cine Totoo Programming wrote.  I don't know which clothes would represent my personality. All I know is I love wearing flip-flops. They're comfortable. And I decided against wearing them because it's the contract signing and photoshoot and tv plug shoot. Besides, my sneakers miss my feet already. From Davao, I didn't bring anything fancy to wear so I chose an ordinary shirt with random faces printed on it and wished none of the filmmakers would wear a suit.

"Be there earlier than 1pm as we will start on time", Jenny, the festival's Business Manager kept on reminding me through text days before. I was there fifteen minutes before 1 and I saw Ca, one of the finalists and my film schoolmate in UP, and her partner, Lester. I asked her about her documentary, it's about the concept of rape against women in Bontoc.

And yes. Ca's documentary has a very compelling subject. I began to rethink if I will be able to do my documentary well. Self-pressure. Not good.

The Cine Totoo filmmakers during the photoshoot.
Photo courtesy of Mark Lester Valle.

The orientation started with 10 out of the 11 finalists present. Festival Director Joseph Laban, Nessa Valdellon, GMA News TV Head, Jenny Licen, Cine Totoo Business Manager and a GMA lawyer were present to explain the contents of the contract that we were about to sign. After all our questions were answered, each filmmaker introduced himself and the concept of the documentary.

Bebs' confidence level update: down the drain. Yet I was excited at how different and unique all of our concepts were. I can't wait to see how the stories will be told on film.

After we signed the MOA, we proceeded to the ground floor for the photoshoot, interview and plug shoot.

Behind the scenes shot courtesy of Nessa Valdellon.

Over Amber's pichi-pichi, I got to chat with the other filmmakers and learn a little more about them (aside from the other friends I've known since - JT, Sig and Ca).

The festival will be in August, by the way. Four months of processing the documentary which I am quite skeptical about. The time is short and documentaries take time to make. I think I just need to believe in the power of my concept and I hope I will be able to find compelling subjects to carry the film and their redeeming stories. I also don't know how I would react seeing my face on national television. The thought of it gives me shivers.

I am still nervous about this whole festival, actually. Alright, more excited. Well, I think more nervous. I need to give this my best shot.

So I made it as finalist to the 1st Cine Totoo Philippine International Documentary Film Festival. 

Though I didn't keep my hopes high after the panel interview two weeks ago, I am ecstatic about doing a documentary for the next five months and tell the story of a sport that isn't well-known in the Philippines yet. No, the documentary is not about food. 

I'm also excited to be doing the film with other friends (Carla Ocampo, JT Pandy and Sig Sanchez) and fellow Davaoeno, Nef Luczon who are made it as finalists. too. Here's the complete list:

• Ferdinand Balanag’s “Agbalbalitok”
• Ivy Rose Universe Baldoza’s “Marciano”
• Sigfreid Barros-Sanchez’s “Ang Gitaristang Hindi Marunong Magskala”
• Rafael Froilan’s “Mananayaw”
• Charliebebs Gohetia’s “Kung Giunsa Pagbuhat ang Bisayang Chopsuey” (How to Make a Visayan Chopsuey)
• Richard Legaspi’s “Ang Walang Kapagurang Paglalakbay ng Pulang Maleta”
• Nef Luczon’s “Migkahi e si Amey te, Uli ki pad” (Father said, 'Let's Return Home')
• Carla Samantha Ocampo’s  “Walang Rape sa Bontok”
• Nawruz Paguidopon’s “Trip to Haifa”
• Jan Tristan Pandy’s “Gusto na Umuwi ni Joy”
• Keith Sicat’s “Chronicles of the Komikero”

And here's what my documentary is all about: 

Tchoukball is an indoor sport created in Switzerland by Swiss biologist Hermann Brandt in the 1970s. Discouraging aggressive physical contact in its play, Tchoukball is popular in Europe and several parts of Asia but it has not reached the mainstream consciousness in the Philippines, although a number had been playing it for a few years in the country. In fact, the national team comprise of players from Davao City. It started in Davao City, Philippines in 2010 when a Singaporean Pastor conducting his ministry in Davao City gathered a group of students and taught them the sport. Initially, when the students were busy with their studies, the pioneers of the sport expanded their reach and instead, recruited out-of-school youth to form a team for Davao City.  

Because of Tchoukball’s nature as a non-contact sport and its core value of respect, good relationships and harmony among its players, the sport evolved into becoming a venue of redemption for its players in Davao City. A team and an association were formed and made it an advocacy to be a place of diversity and acceptance for its players, creating a deeper purpose for the sport. In line with its advocacy to be a team with no discrimination, it has attracted a diverse mix of individuals from the different sectors of society that became its members: former drug runners, children in conflict with the law, Pastors, working professionals, businessmen, out-of-school youth, homosexuals, people with special needs (dyslexics, ADHDs), among others. 

In 2011, the team competed in Vietnam and won medals for the country. The team is faced with the challenge of getting the sport into mainstreamconsciousness by teaching it to schools and communities throughout the Philippines. And continue to become a venue of transformation and redemption for its future members. As the team is preparing for a tournament this year, the documentary will follow a number of characters and their daily struggles, not only with the sport but in real life as well, chronicling the ways the sport has inspired them to reform and be more productive members of society. Also, will the team’s struggle with politics within its own association hurdle them in their goals as they prepare to compete for a new tournament this year?

I hope I'll do justice to the team's interesting story!

So I've been working on this documentary about the survivors of Typhoon Pablo, shot on December 2012 and January 2013 and for the longest time, I haven't come to terms with it. Documentary is the hardest to make, for sure.

Just like the documentary "All You Need Is Love" that I edited in Dubai and Bangkok last 2012, I was struggling with processing the film's narrative. Having to deal with hundreds of hours' worth of footage, it's not easy if the editor is also the scriptwriter (which is the case of both documentaries). Especially with "All You Need Is Love" where the director had no slightest idea how to go about it, leaving all the editing/writing to me as if I was God.

Editing timeline of "Baranggay Andap".

It is of the same rationale that reality shows have huge teams of producers, scriptwriters and editors to deal with even a segment's story. Documentary should, in a perfect world, never be left in the editor's hands, especially if he is the scriptwriter as well.

I was able to edit a 29-minute worth of rough cut last year. Though I was quite happy with how it turned, I still had 7 more hours of rough cut to trim and polish.  So what I did with "Baranggay Andap" was disconnect from it for a few months and came back for it this November and tried putting all the pieces together. 

And here I am - working on it and 4 more hours left to trim. Still a long way to go but I'm quiet motivated to finish it this month. With the Typhoon Haiyan wrecking havoc in Visayas last year, it could be possible that after more than a year, Typhoon Pablo will be forgotten. A number of filmmakers must've shot their own documentaries in Haiyan-stricken places and I think I need to finish this film before it becomes passé.