Balikbayan: From Victims to Survivors
Good day to our readers, followers, and members of our Qi Family! This is Jon Jon Rivero, CEO and Founder of Qi Creative.
Balikbayan: From Victims to Survivors is a documentary produced by myself, Bernie Hernando, and Rob Hillstead—also directed by Rob Hillstead and myself.
Initially I had never planned on making a documentary, but was compelled to tell the story of the most inspiring people I have ever met, the Filipino children and staff of Streetlight Philippines in Tacloban City, Leyte.
This documentary was 13 years in the making.
“Balikbayan” is a Tagalog word used to describe a country person who has left their homeland, for whatever reason—and has come back.
Coming Home
As you might have learned from my other post about my dad, Dr. Jose Zamora Rivero, returning to the Philippines was one of the final wishes my dad promised of me before he passed—to return to my cultural roots, to learn about and honour my background, and to serve those in need.
A hip-hop crew of young Filipino men and women in Tacloban.
In collaboration with Streetlight Philippines, we developed three self-expression program initiatives: the My Name is Trauma Workshop, the “Pagpasabot” Self-Expression Festival, and the I AM SPECIAL rehabilitation medicine workshop series.
Each of these initiatives aimed to increase the quality of life for the urban street youth in Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines.
Teaching martial arts to children in the outdoors.
The work we’ve done with Streetlight and other collaborators is not too different from what we do at Qi Creative: Engaging in meaningful activities of daily living with respect to productivity, leisure, and self-care, for youth to develop their self-esteem and talents through physical activities and expressive arts.
(and as a Hip-Hop Martial Artist, I know a great deal about remixing these two!)
World Theatrical Premiere in Edmonton
Join us for the World Theatrical Premiere of BALIKBAYAN: FROM VICTIMS TO SURVIVORS on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 630pm or 730pm at Landmark Cinemas 9, City Centre, Edmonton.
There will be with live Q & A following each screening with filmmakers Jon Jon Rivero, Rob Hillstead, and Bernie Hernando.
Visit the 2020 Edmonton International Film Festival Website or click below to get tickets:
Giving Thanks
Words cannot express the rollercoaster of emotions spent over the last 13 years of my life, making this film, and the emotional journey of being a therapist to orphans that have now become family to us.
I am so grateful for my wife Paula, my daughter Lena Gloria, my mother Gloria, my brother Joel, Streetlight Philippines, Erlend and Neva Johannesen, our Balikbayan Project members, my co-producers Bernie and Rob, my co-Director/editor Rob, composer John McMillan, Sound Designer Johnny Blerot, and all of our associate producers and crew over the last decade.
I dedicate this film to my late father, Dr. Jose Zamora Rivero, to whom our promise to visit the Philippines has made all of this possible. I hope I made you proud Papa.
For more information:
The Balikbayan Project Official Website