August 1-8, 2025. Limited tickets: https://ticket2me.net/event/22475
“Did our friends from China arrive?”
Laughter erupted inside Cinema 7 of Rockwell Powerplant Mall on July 27.
Babyruth Villarama, director of Food Delivery, was teasing the crowd at the Philippine premiere of her must-see documentary. She has been outspoken about China’s alleged hand in blocking the film’s original screening in Manila in May.
The filmmakers fought hard to secure screening rights after the film’s original premiere at a festival in Manila was canceled.
Its first public showing instead took place in New Zealand, at the 2025 Doc Edge Festival, where organizers stood by the documentary despite pressure from the Chinese Embassy, which claimed it was rife with disinformation.
Food Delivery won the Tides of Change Award at the festival.
Finally, Food Delivery can be seen by Filipinos. It is showing at Rockwell Powerplant Mall from August 1 to 8.
It is Babyruth’s work of love and patriotism, showing us what we don’t usually see: the real sacrifices required to defend the West Philippine Sea. And it’s not just about the soldiers who remain stationed on remote, inhospitable islands where supplies are difficult to deliver. It’s also about the loneliness they endure.
The footage that angered many of us — the Chinese Coast Guard ramming into Philippine Navy vessels. — repeatedly playing out on the big screen can bring one to tears.
But the film’s most powerful stories highlight the plight of a specific segment of the Filipino population: the fishermen. These are the people barred from entering Scarborough Shoal, braving harsh waves day after day. Many are now deep in debt — their catch no longer covers the cost of gasoline to reach the sea. Some are even unable to rescue fellow fishermen who may have drifted into areas now restricted by China.
One of the film’s most striking moments is an underwater shot by Nana Buxani, capturing fish teeming inside a net, a good day for the fishermen but one that has become increasingly rare. It distills the conflict to its core: the fight for our people’s survival.
“We faced more than rough waters making this film. There were efforts to cancel it. Even tonight, we remain under the radar of forces bigger than us,” Villarama said in a speech to welcome the audience, who gave her a loud applause.
The audience that night included the Philippines’ defense, military, and coast guard chiefs, as well as ambassadors from countries such as the United States, South Korea, and Indonesia — and members of the press.
“In the midst of political maneuverings, relentless storms, and the quiet struggles we all carry, we offer this small independent film as a tribute to ordinary people doing extraordinary things to uplift and defend others,” Villarama said.
Babyruth made the film out of fear that China could eventually take full control of the country’s exclusive economic zones, completely shutting out Filipino fishermen from their traditional fishing grounds.
Her documentary sounds an urgent call — to fight for our seas before it’s too late.
“We offer this film not just as filmmakers, but as Filipinos — as daughters and sons of this archipelago, as people who still believe that stories can heal and awaken us.” END
Manila Journalist 
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