Film: tool for advocacy
A text message for future artistic undertaking excites me. This time to meet the award-winning Cebuano director to do an advocacy film is more than an honor. It is a film about child bullying. I am enormously thrilled about it considering its potential impact on parents, children, teachers, school administrators-including those who have unfathomed the ins and outs of it.
Arriving at the venue for the initial meeting, the interest was building up, as well as the pressure knowing I would be taking the lead role, with only a few other characters. Before our initial shoot, Director Remton Zuasola informed me that he would change my image. This means not my usual role where I play as a disadvantaged mother, striving for a living, in several films. When we started with our improvised speaking lines, initially, with Remton, there I knew, I would be portraying as school principal.
Since for my entire professional life, I am in an academic environment but the challenge lies in the particularities of the character. And since I have never been a school principal, as an actress I challenge myself to sometimes breach certain conventions in order to portray a certain character, marked with personal treatment that speaks of my individuality. But since this is an advocacy film, I would be bound to certain relatable conventions that viewers would not have difficulty of understanding the message.
With this initial information, so many questions cropped up, considering my orientation in theater. Questions with regards to my character: What type of school would my character be into? Under what conditions would my character be in?
Though generally in a similar environment that I am in, still there are challenges that I have to contend with. Challenges brought about by the uniqueness of the situation. For one, it is going to be in an exclusive non-sectarian basic education school where parents put premium on their children's education manifested by greater involvement. This is, to the extent, that they would go beyond the bounds of school rules, policies and guidelines. Though, at first glance, this can be treated positively however at some point or in most cases, such interventions in school matters would transgress with what is supposed, to a greater extent, the role of the school.
The film would tackle the roots of why a child becomes a bully. It would trace his background in his very own home, as a victim of bullying by his own family members. This can also be traced back to a father who is also a victim, a vicious cycle that needs to be responded to. At the very beginning we need to deal with parents who at first would come to terms with denial. And for entire ordeal, the involvement of the family, school and the entire community needs to be tapped in the prevention and intervention programs.
Parents with their concerns, if handled properly, can be positive partners in our children's holistic development. As partners, they can duplicate and enhance the positive developments initiated or taking place in school. In doing so, first and foremost, good and positive relationship between parents must be established.
Citing the statistics of the Department of Education (DepEd), there were more than 1,700 cases of child abuse and bullying last year. This is after Republic Act 10627, the Anti-Bullying Act, was passed in 2013. But even the Secretary of Education, through RA 10627, required public and private elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to deal with bullying to provide a safer environment for students, cases of bullying are still on the rise.
The issue of bullying, if not handled properly, can break the relationship between the school and the parents. It is important to note that guidelines and policies must be established, communicated and understood well by parents. Constant and open line communication must be established to address some gray areas.
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