The creative landscape of Pangasinan got a major boost as the Pangasinan Polytechnic College, in partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, successfully hosted the Pangasinan Storywriting Workshop: Screenwriting for Multimedia Platforms.
The recent two-day event at the historic Sison Auditorium in the Capitol Complex, Lingayen, aimed to inspire a new generation of storytellers and enhance the skills of aspiring creatives in crafting compelling narratives.
The workshop, offered as a micro-credential course in the Film and Video Production for Multimedia Platform Series, was specifically designed for aspiring storytellers, multimedia arts students, creative professionals, and content creators.
Participants learned from the best, as award-winning Filipino filmmaker and screenwriter Aloy Adlawan shared his industry knowledge and storytelling expertise. Adlawan, a two-time Palanca awardee and creative director of GMA Network, also instructed the attendees on how to effectively pitch their stories.
The initiative serves as a new platform to nurture the region’s creative talent, offering creatives a chance to network with like-minded individuals and form a community of talented artists with shared interests.
PPC Bachelor of Multimedia Arts associate professor Gozum, who is also the PPC Film Society adviser, welcomed the participants and organizers.
Inspirational messages were delivered by PPC president Dr. Raymundo D. Rovillos and Provincial Governor’s Office Community Affairs Officer IV Kandace Lorraine Palagud, who spoke on behalf of Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico III.
Dr. Rovillos and Sanchez led the memorandum of agreement (MoA) signing ceremony between the PPC and the FDCP, with FDCP project development officer Korina Dela Cruz, Palagud, and Gozum.
The workshop featured a special screening of Sine Kabataan short films, Blooming by Ronnie Ramos, When it Rain Malunggay Leaves by Cedrick Valenzuela, and Signal Pending by Louchielle Ashley Hael. A showing of the classic film Insiang by the late National Artist Lino Brocka capped off the event.
Young filmmakers Ramos and Valenzuela also participated in a talkback session moderated by Sanchez.
Dela Cruz presented the programs of the FDCP Academic Film Society, while FDCP project development assistant Lemor Sobrevega tackled the Student Film Assistance Program and Sine Kabataan.
The program was organized by Monika Labaupa, director and Planning Officer III of the PPC Center for Lifelong Learning, and the PPC Film Society led by Gozum, co-adviser Vanessa Millamor Baldueza, and president Jannah Grace T. Umali.
The PPC is a local college established by the Provincial Government of Pangasinan in 2024 to provide free tertiary education and lifelong learning.