#DAPAW

Way back in 2013, I attended a month-long film making crash course in Davao City on my junior year in college. Amidst of multiple course works, media projects, and a grooming research proposal at hand, I squeezed my entirety and remaining energies in the workshop in a pursuit of becoming a filmmaker. I still remember the time when our course professor/program head popped this particular question into the class at the start of that semester - " What legacy would you leave in the university after graduation?"

Suddenly, my surname was called. I faintly recalled standing on my shaky legs and spoke with a surprisingly loud and clear tone. My answer is yet to be proved.

I signed up because I am still not confident. And my knowledge on film that time were bound only on the books I've read in the library, searchable film blogs, and flipping some pages of how-to-do-film dummies on thrift bookstores.

We were separated into groups of three to four. I was part of the team composed of Sherwin Manual (IG @supermanual) and Jean Marie Ferraris (IG @saidthesky.74). We followed Sir Manual's proposed script about a newly licensed teacher having her first teaching gig on one of the remote areas in the city called Barangay Dapaw.

After finishing the lectures, the workshop organizers set out all teams to complete their films. We had preparatory meetings before production including finding our possible casts, in-depth research of teachers assigned to faraway and secluded areas, talking to people who had first-hand knowledge about the rebels visibility in these areas, film's finance, future promotions and other stuff viewers wouldn't really want to know about instead just watching the film itself (for free, most of the time).

The team scheduled a two-part shoot - one in the protagonist's house and the other location was somewhere in Mandug area.. We have to make into an account the casts' schedules and availability especially the ones who will be with us in the other location wherein we would have to stay for a night or possibly two in order to have the evening and morning scenes.

Along the journey to the next location, we shot the protagonist's first trip alongside with a supporting male actor who also acts as a veteran teacher on the field, kept her company to her destination. We also brought with us the other casts into the location, whom will be acting as locals in the area.