Winners of the Sine Panitik: A Literary Film Library for Students by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), formally accepted their recognition on December 3 at the NCCA lobby.

Those who were acknowledged were Jeffrey Yap for his adaptation of Kerima Polotan Tuvera’s The Virgin and Gregorio Brillantes’ Faith Love and Dr. Lazaro; Raynier Avecilla for his adaptation of Bangkang Papel by Genoveva Edroza-Matute; Julie Po for her adaptation of Tata Selo by Rogelio Sikat; Anton Pelon for his adaptation of Utos ng Hari by Jun Cruz Reyes; Helen Lasquite for her adaptation of Magnificence by Estrella Alfon; and Therese Anne Cayaba for her adaptation of Sandaang Damit by Fanny Garcia.

Present in the awarding of the recognition are Dr. Mike Rapatan, head of NCCA-National Committee on Cinema (NCC), with Ed Lejano, Jag Garcia, Bambi Beltran and Dax Cañedo of NCC.

Also gracing the even were Leo Martinez, director general of FAP, and judge of Sine Panitik director Jose Carreon along with NCC and FAP members Robert Arevallo, Jess Navarro and Rez Cortez. Marlene Sanchez, Deputy Executive Director of the NCCA, Rene Napeñas and Mylene Uriza from the NCCA also attended the ceremony.

Sine Panitik showcases published literary works by Filipino authors—alamat, children’s stories, poetry, short stories, novels, plays—literature that are being taught in our elementary, high-school and college levels by interpreting them visually in digital format as full-length feature and short films.

Finished films will be shown in scheduled exhibitions in theaters in Metro Manila and in other key cities in selected provinces with students as the primary targeted viewers. The output will also be reproduced in DVD to be distributed extensively at popular prices to schools, libraries, to educators, students, to embassies and consulates, and to the general public.

Sine Panitik is an education-directed project that hopes to generate better understanding of and a deeper appreciation for our Filipino literature and the minds that created them. Through this project, we give due recognition to our own Filipino literature and their authors and writers, at the same time that we provide our schools with a video library of literature materials for the students.

The project is composed of two phases: the Literature Scriptwriting Phase and the Production Phase.

This year’s Sine Panitik was judged by film director Carreon and writers Jun Cruz Reyes and Pete Lacaba.

The seven winning screenplays will be incorporated to make three feature films. While production plans are being drafted, FAP is currently negotiating with several agencies for the funding of the actual film production. Once the budget is approved and released, filming will immediately start.