Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea is a compelling documentary by award-winning director Baby Ruth Villarama that sheds light on the human side of the ongoing maritime conflict between the Philippines and China.
Through the stories of fishermen, Coast Guard officers, and Navy personnel, the film reveals the personal sacrifices Filipinos make to protect the country’s sovereignty.
Villarama has recently unveiled the teaser for her highly anticipated film, which is set to be a key entry at the 2025 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival.
Villarama shared that Food Delivery is not just a commentary on political sovereignty but a story about empathy.
“We want the audience to understand that sovereignty is not just a political issue; it’s a deeply personal one for every Filipino,” Villarama said. “From the fishermen risking their lives to feed their families to the Coast Guard and Navy personnel delivering food to soldiers on remote outposts, Food Delivery illustrates the shared sacrifice and collective love we all have to protect our way of life.”
Known for her documentary Sunday Beauty Queen, which won Best Picture at the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival, Villarama has spent over a decade producing and directing socially-conscious documentaries, many of which have been showcased at prestigious international festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, and Venice.
Apart from being an award-winning filmmaker, Villarama is a distinguished academic, having earned a master’s degree in film marketing and distribution from Birmingham City University in the United Kingdom, where she was a Chevening Scholar. She won the 2018 UK Global Alumni Social Impact Award for her films on migration and modern-day slavery. She also serves on several boards, including the Director’s Guild of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ cinema committee.
With her extensive resume, Villarama is considered a favorite to win multiple awards at the 2025 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival, especially with the compelling teaser for Food Delivery. The teaser opens with a fishing boat drifting on the ocean, transitioning underwater to reveal the overwhelming abundance of fish, symbolizing the immense responsibility of the fishermen. It then cuts to two boats, one a fishing vessel and the other a coast guard ship, both flying the Philippine flag, concluding with the tagline, “Fresh from the West Philippine Sea.”
The 2025 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival will run from March 14 to 25 at Gateway Cineplex 18 in Cubao, Quezon City. Joining Food Delivery in the full-length category are JP Habac’s Olsen’s Day, Christian Paolo Lat’s Journeyman, Mes de Guzman’s Sepak Takraw, Jill Singson Urdaneta’s Co-Love, Catsi Catalan’s Fleeting, TM Malones’ Salum, and Tara Illenberger’s Tigkiliwi. The festival will also feature 25 student films competing in the annual student shorts category.