MANILA, Philippines - What better way to offer high school students an inspiring experience than watch an advocacy film on the value of formal education titled Lapis, Ballpen at Diploma this Christmas season, said actor Randy Montoya (photo) who played the adult Buboy Villar in the indie film.
Randy shared his advocacy through the successful screenings of the film in at least two high schools in Tuguegarao namely, Piat Nat’l. High School and Piat Academy through initiative of the school principals Gabriel Cuntapay and Emily Abel, respectively with the support of Piat Mayor Black Villacete, who provided the venue for the screenings.
In the Q&A portion, Randy underscored the importance of earning at least a college diploma instead of quitting midway or after finishing high school to join the fragile sector of the country’s exploited contractual workers, adding that poverty should never be made as an excuse to quit school.
A half-Subanen living in the margins of the embattled Mindanao, Randy as self-supporting student clawed his way out of poverty from grade school to earn a college diploma. Now he walks his talk as an inspirational speaker on socio-agricultural advocacies and livelihood programs locally and in some key cities of Asia.
Rated General Patronage by the MTRCB, the film was produced by Erlinda Obedoza of Golden Dreams, Goodwealth Trading, Hong Kong with among others in the cast Pia Moran and Danilo Jurado, who is also the film’s director.