
BATAC CITY – At least nine Ilokano films featuring the life and works of the local community were showcased in a film festival at the Teatro Ilocandia in this city on Wednesday.
The Mariano Marcos State University (MMUS) organized the film festival this year to harness and further promote the creativity and talent of its homegrown and award-winning filmmakers who continue to thrive in the province.
In her speech, former MMSU president and now Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Dr. Shirley Agrupis lauded the creative masterpieces of the local talents of MMSU, noting that these are meant to inspire the younger generation to dream bigger and transform challenges into triumphs.
“This is another big ‘pamana’ (inheritance) to the upcoming president (MMSU) whom we will be electing on February 11 so that we can sustain to harness the skills of our constituents in MMSU to showcase what we have — the power of storytelling,” Agrupis said, as she expressed hopes that MMSU will continue to achieve more by nurturing more talents and building more legacies in the future.
For his part, Prof. Herdy Yumul, director of the MMSU Office for Strategic Communication, told the Philippine News Agency that students, employees, and alumni of the university have consistently excelled in national and international film festivals.
“Ironically, while these exceptional films have been showcased and celebrated in various prestigious venues, many within the MMSU community have yet to witness their brilliant works. Recognizing this, we initiated the MMSU Film Festival last year, 2024, to bring these cinematic achievements closer to home,” he said.
According to Yumul, this year’s film festival highlights the documentary Arsi, which narrates the inspiring success story of MMSU alumnus and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, who graced the event.
“His remarkable journey is a testament to how big dreams and relentless hard work can lead to great achievements and how quality education serves as the key to unlocking countless opportunities,” he said.
Yumul said the film festival aims to provide a platform for local filmmakers to showcase their work as MMSU takes pride in supporting filmmakers through proposal-based projects that can be funded by the university.
“This initiative ensures that talented individuals have the resources they need to bring their stories to life, empowering them to create meaningful films that resonate with audiences,” he added.
— Leilanie Adriano (PNA)
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Credit belongs to: www.pna.gov.ph