The University of Batangas Lipa City (UBLC) culminated its NSTP Seminar on drug and substance abuse prevention and control with the inaugural 1st NSTP Film Festival on December 6, 2025, at the UBLC campus, marking the program’s culminating activity that celebrated student creativity, advocacy, and civic responsibility. The student-driven showcase featured short films produced by NSTP classes that translated awareness and prevention messages into compelling visual narratives, demonstrating how education and creative expression can mobilize youth toward safer, drug-free communities.
Topping the competition was “Anak sa Dilim” (Best Film) by BS Legal Management 2A and Teacher Education Program 1A, advised by Mr. Nikko Laylo. The film followed a family’s unraveling amid rising community crime and the emotional descent of their son, Andres, after being rejected by his father for his sexual orientation. Andres’s encounter with a street influencer leads him to illegal drugs, a tragic arc that culminates in loss and later redemption – his transformation into an outspoken advocate for substance-abuse prevention who confronts the consequences of the choices he and others made. The film’s layered narrative and emphasis on social realities resonated strongly with audiences and judges alike.
Individual recognitions further underscored student talent and thematic fidelity: Best Actor went to Andrei Amparo (BS Information Technology 2A), guided by NSTP adviser Mr. Dan Rey Gomez; Best Actress was awarded to Quenzianne Jhea Villanueva (BS Accountancy 2A), with NSTP adviser Ms. Girly Marie Grace Balita. The People’s Choice Award was presented to “Silakbo ng Pagkakulong” by the BS Business Administration 2nd Year class, advised by Ms. Sheena Rosita-Salomon. Technical and theme-driven honors included Best in Cinematography for “Mensahe” (BS Information Technology 2A & 2B), adviser Mr. Dan Rey Gomez Best Interpretation of the Theme for “Crossroad” (BS Architecture 2B / BS Hospitality Management 1D), adviser Mr. John Carlo San Pascual, and Best Advocacy Message for “Down the Wrong Path” (BS Hospitality Management 2D), adviser Mr. Nikko Laylo. Placements rounded out the field: “Crossroad” placed third runner-up and “Balintataw” earned second runner-up recognition.
NSTP Faculty emphasized that the festival was more than a competition: it served as a learning experience where storytelling, research, and ethical reflection converged. Students combined factual awareness about substance abuse with cinematic technique to produce pieces that inform, humanize, and call audiences to action. The films’ varied approaches from intimate family drama to community vignettes and crimes illustrated the many ways youth can interpret and transmit prevention messages.
The event built on earlier seminar sessions that provided legal, social, and prevention perspectives, including a resource presentation by IO III Reynaldo D. Benzon of PDEA Batangas. The festival thus functioned as the practical, creative extension of the NSTP’s prevention curriculum translating knowledge into advocacy and peer education through media that students themselves produce and share.
In her closing remarks for the festival’s culminating program, Ms. Maria Cristhel Ledesma-Gutierrez reflected on the pioneering nature of the NSTP Film Festival for this academic year and framed it as a sustainable model for subsequent cohorts. She stressed that positioning the film festival as the culminating activity of NSTP 1 preceding the community immersion component of NSTP 2 creates a purposeful progression from awareness to action, allowing students to develop both message and method before engaging directly with communities.
By integrating education, creative practice, and civic engagement, the festival advances UBLC’s commitment to holistic student formation. The initiative aligns with UNSDG 4 (Quality Education) by reinforcing learning that builds knowledge, critical thinking, and the competencies needed for responsible citizenship. The 1st NSTP Film Festival showcased the artistry of UBians and reaffirmed the university’s role in equipping youth with the tools – knowledge, creativity, and moral agency to advocate for a drug-free future.