De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde hosted a special screening of the award-winning documentary “Bloom Where You Are Planted,” bringing its story of land rights, resilience, and the struggles of agrarian communities to the Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival.
The screening, held on September 22 at The Atrium’s Ideation Room, was organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design and the Benilde Center for Social Action in partnership with DAKILA. The event was also part of the Philippine Lasallian Peace Month and the Benilde Human Rights, Democracy, and Peace Festival.
Directed by Nonilon “Noni” Abao, the documentary offers an intimate look at the lives of Cagayan Valley land rights activists Agnes Mesina, Amanda Echanis, and the late Randy Malayao. Against a backdrop of land disputes, large-scale mining, severe flooding, and allegations of harassment including red-tagging and terrorism charges, the film follows their efforts to protect their communities and ancestral lands.
Abao dedicated the documentary to the agrarian communities of northern Luzon, describing the film as a call for solidarity and greater attention to the challenges facing the region.
“Ang Cagayan Valley ngayon ay kabi-kabilang inaatake ng El Niño, mga foreign large-scale mining companies sa Kasibu at Dupax del Norte sa Nueva Vizcaya, at gawa-gawang kaso sa mga aktibista,” Abao said, pointing to the challenges he believes communities in the region continue to face.
He also highlighted the impact of extreme weather on farmers, noting how flooding and typhoons have affected livelihoods and contributed to mounting debt among agricultural communities.
“Kailangang samahan natin sila sa laban nila para sa tamang subsidy at suporta mula sa gobyerno. Ngayon natin kailangan mas pakinggan ang mga isyu na kinakaharap ng kapwa natin sa Cagayan Valley,” the filmmaker said.
Abao worked with producers Alex Poblete and Taripnong Cagayan Valley, editor Che Tagyamon, musical scorer Glenn Barit, and sound designers Mikko Quizon and John Michael Perez, among others, in bringing the documentary to the screen.
“Bloom Where You Are Planted” made history at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival last year as the first documentary to win Best Film in the Full-Length Feature category. Tagyamon also received Best Editing, while the film earned the Best First Feature Award from the Society of Filipino Film Reviewers.
The documentary also received six nominations at the 49th Gawad Urian Awards from the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino: Best Film, Best Director for Abao, Best Editing for Tagyamon, Best Music for Barit, Best Sound for Quizon and Perez, and Best Documentary.
Following its Benilde screening, “Bloom Where You Are Planted” continues its screening run on September 24 at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines College of Communication from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a screening and talkback at Balay Bayani, Bantayog Memorial Center at 6 p.m. Both events will follow a pay-what-you-can admission setup.
