QUEZON CITY – The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) organized a Gender and Development (GAD) Cinema Forum featuring the documentary film, “Bloom Where You Are Planted,” on 12 December 2025 at the ILS Conference Room in Quezon City.

The activity formed part of the Institute’s observance of the 2025 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW). Written and directed by Noni Abao and produced by Alex Poblete, the documentary follows the stories of three land rights activists navigating fractured notions of home amid terror and red tagging in Cagayan Valley. The film foregrounds the lived experiences of women activists, examining how displacement and political violence disrupt their sense of belonging while also honoring their resilience and commitment to justice.

The program opened with a film screening attended by ILS employees, followed by a talk-back session with Abao and Poblete. In reflecting on the filmmaking journey, Abao shared: “Cagayan Valley serves as the workplace of Agnes, a development worker; the chosen home of Amanda, a jailed mother-artist-activist; and the birthplace of Randy, a slain peace consultant. Yet none can return home—one is relentlessly pursued, another is imprisoned, and the third is killed on his journey back.”

Bloom Where You Are Planted made history by winning Best Film at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, becoming the first documentary to receive the festival’s top honor.

The GAD Cinema Forum marked the culminating activity of the Institute’s 18-Day Campaign to End VAW, reaffirming ILS’s commitment to promoting gender inclusivity and sensitivity, human rights, and informed public discourse through arts and advocacy. 

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