AN ILOCANO teenager based in the United States has received recognition for a film he produced and has been praised by US First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House.
Rafael Bitanga, 16, a native of Laoag City and a Grade 10 student of Kodiak High School in Alaska, met Mrs. Obama over his award-winning film about the Exxon Valdez Oil spill in 1989 from the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program.
“We have a young man Rafael Bitanga who is here all the way from Kodiak, Alaska,” Mrs. Obama said in her speech during the awarding ceremony that was reported in the ABS-CBN official website.
“A few years ago, Rafael and his family came to the United States from the Philippines like so many young people who’ve immigrated to this country.”
Mrs. Obama acknowledge Bitanga’s hard work in school and he and his family’s success in quickly adapting to life in the United States.
“Rafael worked hard in school and quickly established himself as a leader and as a role model,” Mrs. Obama said.
“And through the Baranov Museum and Film Intensive, he both became a filmmaker and a photographer and even established his photography business to help support his family.”
The Baranov Museum is a historical museum that offers film workshops for students in the United States.
During the awarding ceremony, Bitanga was accompanied by his film instructor Maria Acemah as a representative of the Baranov Museum’s Summer Intensive Film Class.
Bitanga said he was honored to have met and talked to the First Lady.
“Michelle Obama advised me to go to school and finish college,” he said.
He then advised his fellow Filipinos not to lose hope and to keep working hard to be successful.
“Don’t be afraid,” Bitanga said.
“Just know that if you keep working hard you’ll get to places like the White House where I went to. You just need to work hard”•that’s the only way.”
Bitanga will soon take a vacation in his hometown in the Philippines, where he will share his experience.