Camille Naredo

Article (news)

Food Delivery

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759236031259viber_image_2025-09-30_20-35-59-751.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama with PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela ahead of the screening of &quot;Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea&quot; at the Dolphy Theater, September 29, 2025. Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News"/>Filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama with PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela ahead of the screening of &quot;Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea&quot; at the Dolphy Theater, September 29, 2025. Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA -- It was a homecoming for award-winning filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama as her documentary, “Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea”, was screened at the Dolphy Theater inside the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City on Monday.Villarama, who began her career as a young storyteller at the Kapamilya network covering nightlife shoots, said returning to ABS-CBN with a project so close to her heart was both emotional and symbolic.“It’s definitely a homecoming for me. Kagabi nga, medyo emotional na ako because this was my training ground. I learned the art of storytelling here at the Kapamilya network at hindi matatawaran ang training na iyon,” Villarama told ABS-CBN News.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/8/23/-food-delivery-grateful-for-support-pushes-for-more-screenings-0020">READ: ‘Food Delivery’ grateful for support, pushes for more screenings</a></div>Sponsored by ABS-CBN executives, the screening brought together Kapamilya employees, journalists and the youth in support of a film that tells the story of Filipino fisherfolk who continue to endure harassment and intimidation from Chinese maritime forces in the West Philippine Sea.The documentary also captures the struggles of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Philippine Navy personnel who deliver supplies to troops guarding Philippine-occupied features in the Kalayaan Island Group.“Yung biggest realization ko noong ginawa namin itong documentary is ang laki ng problema ng censorship sa bansang ito and how deep China has infiltrated our sectors, not just our political [sector] but also our business sector na our narrative has been manipulated against us and truth has been weaponized against us,” Villarama noted.The director shared that the documentary was once pulled out from a local festival, but stressed that this did not stop the story from being told.“The struggle of the Food Delivery film has mirrored the actual struggle of the West Philippine Sea and vice versa,” she added. “Hindi mo pwedeng pigilan ang isang kwento na napapanahon at kailangan nating samahan ang ating mga sundalo at PCG natin, lalo na ang mga mangingisda natin na sila talagang nakafrontline to make sure na may pagkain tayo at may nagbabantay sa mga isla na ito.”For Villarama, the screening at ABS-CBN was a chance to give back to her roots.“It’s like giving back to my fellow journalists, to my fellow storytellers—na ito ang natutunan ko sa labas, sa pagpapatuloy na pag-aaral at pag-immerse sa community,” the filmmaker said.“It’s symbolic in such a way that we’ve always wanted to unite sectors and society na sana ang pelikula na ito maging susi para magkaisa tayo—not just us Filipinos but also our Chinoy friends. We have to build more allies—locally and internationally,” she added.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/8/10/-food-delivery-review-the-fight-for-our-waters-starts-within-0948">‘Food Delivery’ review: The fight for our waters starts within</a></div>The documentary brings clarity to an issue some may dismiss as distant or irrelevant, according to PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela.“Ang pinakamalaking impact nitong documentary film ni Direk Baby Ruth ay it counters ang sinasabi ng pro-China trolls—pag sinasabi nilang ang West Philippine Sea ay malayo sa sikmura natin, walang kinalaman ang ordinaryong Pilipino,” Tarriela explained.“If you look at the documentary film, makikita natin dito na ang pinakamarginalized na industriya ng ating bansa ay ang ordinary Filipino fishermen. Sila ang pinakaapektado rito. Ang argument na hindi apektado ang ordinaryong Pilipino, walang kinalaman sa sikmura natin—ito ay nagpapatunay na hindi iyon totoo,” he added.“Ang mga fish na inihahain natin sa ating lamesa nanggaling sa West Philippine Sea at ang mga mangingisda ang nagbubuwis ng buhay nila, sila mismo ang nakakadanas ng matinding aggression ng Chinese,” the official further said.Tarriela also stressed that the country’s fight in the West Philippine Sea is “intergenerational.”“Hindi ito matatapos sa henerasyon natin ngayon. Our obligation is to make sure na ang susunod na salinlahi ng mga Pilipino ay alam ang ipinaglalaban natin sa West Philippine Sea. This documentary allows the younger Filipino generation to appreciate the importance of our fight,” the spokesperson said.“This will allow them to awaken their sense of patriotism. Mas tataas ang kanilang kamalayan sa usapin ng West Philippine Sea. I’m very optimistic they will be able to carry out their responsibility the way we are standing firm for our rights in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759236192967viber_image_2025-09-30_20-37-45-732.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama with PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela ahead of the screening of &quot;Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea&quot; at the Dolphy Theater, September 29, 2025. Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News"/>Filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama with PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela ahead of the screening of &quot;Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea&quot; at the Dolphy Theater, September 29, 2025. Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News</div>That message resonated with Gen Z viewers who attended the screening.For CJ Parca, “Food Delivery” offered a deeper understanding of what’s truly happening in the West Philippine Sea.“As a Filipino, I think mararamdaman natin dito ang bravery at patriotism ng Filipino… Nakikita natin ang patuloy na paglaban ng bawat sundalo at fisherman sa West Philippine Sea,” he said.The documentary also sparked hope, according to Elisha Gattoc.“It made me feel hopeful. The message na nakuha ko with the documentary is that our fight in the West Philippine Sea is something that is constant. It has been happening for years and it will continue to happen for many more years hangga’t hindi natin nakukuha what’s rightfully ours,” she shared.Meanwhile, Kathleen Catingub highlighted how the documentary’s “rawness” made an impact.“It’s raw in a sense that it shows the rawness of the beauty of Scarborough Shoal and the West Philippine Sea, and the rawness ng hirap na pinagdadaanan ng mga Pilipinong mangingisda at PCG. The way it showed that rawness is very important kasi sometimes, misinformation or disinformation can filter what we see, lalo on social media,” Catingub stressed.“The film really puts you in the shoes of not only the PCG, but also the fishermen. This film really puts the spotlight on and amplifies the voice of those who are struggling in the seas, which is supposed to be ours,” she added.

It was a homecoming for award-winning filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama as her documentary, “Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea”, was screened at the Dolphy Theater inside the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City on Monday.

It was a homecoming for award-winning filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama as her documentary, “Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea”, was screened at the Dolphy Theater inside the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City on Monday.

Homecoming of a storyteller: Villarama’s ‘Food Delivery’ screened at ABS-CBN

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Homecoming of a storyteller: Villarama’s ‘Food Delivery’ screened at ABS-CBN

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 30, 2025 08:44 PM PHT

Read More:

Food Delivery

West Philippine Sea

documentary

Baby Ruth Villarama

ABS-CBN

Dolphy Theater

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