Download logoThe Philippine Embassy in Abuja screened a film about a popular street game at the ASEAN Film Festival organized by the ASEAN Committee in Abuja (ACA) at the chancery of the Malaysian High Commission in the Nigerian capital on 03 December 2022.
The Embassy showcased the 2016 coming-of-age film of Mikh Vergara, “Patintero: Ang Alamat ni Meng Patalo,” whose screening was provided copyright-free by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) through its Philippine Embassies Assistance Program (PEAP). It was the second screening for the film following the 4th Asian Film Festival on 24 November 2022.
Other diplomatic missions belonging to the ACA, which is currently chaired by Malaysian High Commissioner Gloria Corina Peter Tiwet, also screened three other feature films from the Embassy of Indonesia, the Malaysian High Commission, and the Embassy of Vietnam. The Royal Thai Embassy screened a documentary short film.
In his remarks at the brief opening ceremony, Philippine Embassy Chargé d’Affaires and Consul General Roderico C. Atienza described the cultural context of patintero among Filipinos and the values the film was highlighting, including the importance of family and fair play.
The other ACA heads of mission were Vietnamese Ambassador Lương Quốc Thịnh and Indonesian Ambassador Dr. Usra Hendra Harahap.
The screening, which ran from 0900H until 1800H, with breaks in between films, accommodated at least 25 spectators at any given time.
For the breaks, the participating diplomatic missions served snacks for the audience to freely partake of, with the Philippine Embassy offering traditional Filipino dishes such as Pancit Bihon, Beef Lumpiang Shanghai along with Choco Mucho and Ding Dong snack as a Filipino substitute for popcorn.
Apart from “Patintero”, the other films featured at the daylong were Suatu Ketika (Malaysia, 2019), Habibi and Ainun, (Indonesia, 2012), The Happiness of a Mother (Vietnam, 2019).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines.
