ILOILO City – What began as a modest advocacy project to amplify the voices of Iloilo’s Ati community has now become a landmark in Philippine cinema.
The Ilonggo-produced docu-fiction “Tumandok” not only captured the reality of ancestral land struggles but also swept four major awards at the 48th Gawad Urian — the most for any film this year — marking a historic moment for regional and indigenous filmmaking.
Directed by Iloilo-based filmmakers Richard Jeroui Salvadico and Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay, the film features an all-Ati cast from Sitio Kabarangkalan, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, speaking entirely in their native Inati language. Their performances bring to life the community’s centuries-old fight to reclaim ancestral lands along the Jalaur and Panay Rivers.
At the Gawad Urian Awards held on October 11 at De La Salle University in Manila, “Tumandok” bagged Best Direction (for Sumagaysay and Salvadico), Best Screenplay (Arden Rod Condez and Sumagaysay), Best Supporting Actor (Felipe Ganancial, posthumously), and Best Music (Paulo Almaden, “The Ati People of Kabarangkalan and Nagpana”).
For Ganancial, his daughter accepted the trophy on his behalf.
Salvadico dedicated the film’s success to the Ati people, emphasizing the stark contrast between national corruption scandals and the continuing neglect of indigenous communities.
“This award belongs as much to them as it does to us,” said Salvadico. “But this recognition also reminds us of what is missing. Recently, corruption has made headlines — stolen billions that could have built roads and schools, and secured land titles for indigenous people. Instead they are forced to walk miles to learn while they deserve the dignity of dreaming and learning in their own land.”
Co-director Sumagaysay, for her part, underscored cultural respect and inclusivity in storytelling.
“Let us all use our platforms and privileges to help build a future where fear no longer exists, and where more indigenous people’s community are given a chance not just to survive, but to live and to dream,” she said. “This award, alongside Tumandok, will always remind us that filmmaking is a privilege and a responsibility.”
Produced by Southern Lantern Studios, Terminal Six Post, and the Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc., “Tumandok” earlier won Best Film, Best Original Music Score, Best Screenplay, and the NETPAC Full-Length Feature Award at the 20th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
“Tumandok” shows how cinema can become a powerful tool for justice and representation. By blending documentary realism with fictional narrative, it gives a human face to the Ati people’s enduring struggle for recognition — a story rooted in Iloilo, yet resonant across the nation./PN
