GMA, Brillante Mendoza embark on 'Camera Juan': How many videos have you clicked on or shared today?

CEBU, Philippines - These days, anyone can log on to Facebook or Twitter to get in on the newest viral video everyone is talking about.  The video-sharing giant YouTube estimates that up to four billion hours of video are watched each month on the website.  And with so many clips shot with personal devices being viewed online, it seems someone is always filming, recording daily events with a simple handheld camera.

In fact, any ordinary Juan needs only point, shoot and upload to earn his 15 minutes of fame.  It can be anything from a cover of a famous song to a parody of the latest dance craze, or even an amusing pet moment caught on video.

But sometimes, the camera captures more.

In a remote village, the lens focuses on children gathering drinking water from a dirty well.  In another town, a hospital worker records on her cell phone a father’s struggle to find a syringe for his child in the ER.  And in yet another corner of the country, a government authority negotiates a bribe as the camera rolls.

These images of real life events are filmed not by professional journalists but by ordinary citizens.  Indeed, the advent of the personal camera has extended the power and the responsibility of video journalism to every citizen with access to a cell phone, tablet or digicam.

This power is at the heart of GMA’s groundbreaking election project, Camera Juan.  An ambitious undertaking that hopes to demonstrate the might of a watchful citizenry, Camera Juan will be a collective film woven from various video contributions from ordinary Filipinos.  By capturing scenes of wrongdoing, social struggles, and acts of modern-day heroism, the film hopes to tell the real story of the Philippines through the eyes of citizens.

“When we started the project, we were apprehensive that we may not receive enough contributions to produce a full-length special,” shares Assistant Vice-President of Public Affairs Clyde Mercado.  “We are pleased to share, however, that since our initial call-out, we already received hundreds of video contributions from all over the Philippines and even from our countrymen overseas.”

To provide visual direction and to weave the story into one powerful motion picture is renowned Filipino filmmaker and Cannes Award-winning Director Brillante Mendoza.  “As filmmakers, we need to immerse in the issues to fully understand them.  Sa Camera Juan we went to far-flung towns to dig deeper into these issues (presented by video contributors). Sana ang maliit at simple naming paraan sa paglalahad ng mga bagay na ito ay mabigyan din ng pansin ng mga susunod na mamumuno,” shares Direk Brillante.

The film, which is being put together by the same team that brought to life landmark specials such as Oras Na and Planet Philippines, will be another first on Philippine television.

“What Camera Juan wants to show Filipinos is that they have a voice in the upcoming elections.  We’ve seen a lot of inspiring contributions so far and we feel this is proof that ordinary citizens know the issues and can become filmmakers for a worthwhile cause.  We hope that more and more people will make use of this opportunity to show leaders what citizens really need from government,” explains program manager Angeli Atienza.

At a time when vigilance is needed from the citizenry, each Filipino is called upon to be watchful, and to harness the power of everyday devices to do what is right.

Camera Juan: Pelikulang Bubuuin ng Mamamayan hits TV screens this April, on GMA. (Video contributions may be sent via www.gmanews.tv/camerajuan until March 31.) (FREEMAN)