Nearly a year after winning Taiwan’s “Finding the Beauty of Life in Taiwan” short film competition, Filipino filmmaker and educator Carl Ivan Baleros is building a new life as an overseas Filipino worker in Tainan.

Baleros shared his journey on DAILY TRIBUNE’s Usapang OFW, recalling how his one-minute film earned him NT$200,000 and chronicled his discovery of Taiwan and himself.

His connection to Tainan was personal, he said. His mother had encouraged him to return to the city, which had become her favorite place.

But the victory came as she battled cervical cancer. Baleros said he entered partly to help pay for her chemotherapy and partly to share a story of hope for people who felt alone.

His mother did not live to see him receive the award. She died on his birthday, 6 July, before the September awarding ceremony.

Still, he carries her torch with him. “She has faith in me,” Baleros recalled, remembering how his mother told him he would win and that they would return to Taiwan together.

Nearly a year later, Baleros said most of the prize money remained intact. The award helped him establish himself in Taiwan and support his family. After his mother’s death, he also took responsibility for helping his younger sister pursue her studies there.

“The cash prize isn’t the only thing I gained. At the same time, it’s the spotlight, and a lot of doors opened for me,” he said.

For Baleros, the film was only the beginning. He is now focused on work, family and a future shaped in part by the dreams his mother helped nurture.