The Bilad Episode

In my three years as a network slave, whenever I feel like I've had enough and think of quitting my job, I always tell myself this: as long as there are moments when you feel you're in the right place at the right time, it's worth staying.

Producing the Bilad episode, was one of those moments.

I wasn't the original producer for this ep, I was actually the third to handle this, so I was sorta out of touch at first. If it weren't for my super researcher, Julie who never got tired of pestering me for our shooting sched, I would never have jump started our production.

Bilad Elementary School (Annex)

For those who weren't able to watch the episode, the story of Bilad began with a simple letter. A barangay kagawad, Kag. Albert Jose, wrote Sagip Kapamilya asking for support to fix the roof of their 1933 Gabaldon building (gabaldon is a really old type of school house buillt during the American occupation). Because of the historical and cultural value of the building, Sagip Kapamilya led by Miss Tina Monzon-Palma agreed to to fix the Gabaldon roof. And seeing the really poor condition of the other school building, she even pledged to renovate three classrooms AND build two new additional classrooms (yes, TMP is the shiz). And while Sagip Kapamilya took care of the funds, soldiers of the AFP National Development Support Command (NADESCOM) and the 522nd Engineer Construction Battalion of the Philippine Army, took care of the manpower.



Soldiers constructing the new 2-classroom building

But the story didn't stop there. For seventy days, the people of Bilad volunteered to help build the school. Sure there were  bumps along the way --- typhoons hitting the town, delay in delivery of the materials, wives getting jealous of their husbands time in the construction. But the people of of Bilad made it through. And my team and I witnessed everything.

Brgy. Bilad volunteers.



Rebuilding the roof og 3-classroom building.

 

Restoring the 1933 Gabaldon school building.

We met people who would lose daily income in the farm just to help in the construction. We met tricycle drivers who would mix cement and make floorings for free after their day-long pasada. We met moms who would tirelessly cook meals and merienda for the soldiers and other volunteers. We dined with these people. We shared nilagang saging and nilagang kamote with these people. We talked to and laughed with senior folks who, despite their age, still helped rebuild their school. We played with kids who have their classes in makeshift tents, yet are happy and never complained. We met soldiers who build the nation without guns and bombs. We saw change happen before our very eyes.

Brgy. Bilad volunteers in their Ako Ang Simula shirts.

To lift a few lines from my script:
"...inabot ng pitumpung araw para matapos ang Bilad Elementary School,
pero sabi nila diba, sa bawat pagtatapos ay isang simula.
Simula ng bagong pagkakaibigan,
ng panibagong respeto sa ating mga kapatid na sundalo,
at tiwala sa kakayahan ng simpleng mamamayan."
(...it took seventy days to finish Bilad Elementary School,
but as they say, with every end comes a new beginning.
The beginning of new friendship,
of renewed respect for our soldiers,
and renewed faith in the ability of ordinary people...)

Three months of production. Seventy days of bayanihan. One unforgettable story. Every drop of sweat, every hour of lost sleep, every demoralizing comment on the script, every new unwanted tan line was worth it.

It all reminded me again why I do what I do.

Now every time I would feel that I've had enough and think of quitting my job, I'll have a new mantra:
as long as there people like the people of Bilad, who put their personal wants aside for the betterment of their community; as long as there stories of everyday heroism, of bayanihan, of sharing; as long as there are stories that inspire and give hope and remind us that the country hasn't gone to the dogs yet, it's still worth staying. 

Roanni