Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Five television commercials produced pro bono by industry experts to remind the public of the Maguindanao massacre in southern Philippines that took the lives of 58 people one year ago are now out.
"Never Forget" (in English and Tagalog versions) presents media personalities making this call; "Families" features the orphaned and widowed relatives of the victims; "Tutok" is a montage of the gory massacre pictures juxtaposed with press freedom issues; and "Saranggola" contrasts the joys of kite-flying with the principle of a free press equals a free people.
The creative team was headed by directors Jim Libiran, veteran journalist and award-winning independent film maker, and TJ Besa III, publicist and former MTV creative & content head. Nap Jamir II, veteran TV and film director, and Luis Liwanag, of the Philippine Center for Photojournalism (PCP), were the directors of photography. Scriptwriters included Veronica Uy of INQUIRER.net, Sonny Fernandez of ABS-CBN2, Alwyn Alburo of GMA7, and TJ Besa III. Jing Garcia of The Manila Times provided the scoring.
Together with other media workers, production houses RSVP Film Production and Rentals, Unitel, and Underground Logic contributed their time, talent, and equipment to produce the five television commercials which will come out in the major networks.
Talents and personalities who came out in the ads included: Ed Lingao of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Vergel Santos of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Inday Varona of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Maria Ressa, formerly of ABS-CBN 2.
Nikko Dizon of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Cecille Lardizabal of Radyo Inquirer 990, Pat Evangelista of ANC, Kiri Dalena of ANC, Paolo Villaluna of ANC, Paolo Romero of Philippine Star, Luis Liwanag of PCP, Ces Drilon of ABS-CBN 2, Joel Salud of Philippine Graphic, Che Sarigumba of Dateline Philippines, Alma Anonas Carpio of Philippine Graphic, Weng Paraan of NUJP, and Alwyn Alburo of NUJP.
Cathy Nunez, mother of UNTV reporter Victor Nunez, Myrna Reblando, wife of Manila Bulletin reporter Bong Reblando, a daughter of UNTV media worker Daniel Tiamzon, and Grace Morales, sister of Marites Cablitas and wife of Rossel Morales, both of News Focus, also appeared in the television ads.
The TV ads were produced by the November 23 Movement, which is composed of the Philippine Press Institute, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the Center of Community Journalists in the Philippines, and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.
