The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Boy Villasanta
The fervor of nationalist cinema and protest entertainment was once again the tone of the currently concluded 49th Gawad Urian of the prestigious Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (MPP), a critics group.
From the list of nominees alone to the winners proclaimed at the Teresa Yuchengco Hall of the De La Salle University in Taft Avenue Thursday evening was a growling moment of dissent and nonconformity to the existing norms of the local movie industry and its awards rites—the prevalence of purely glitz and glam and escapist.
At the 2026 Gawad Urian awards ceremonies, the demi-gods of the silver screen went down from the local firmament to the ground of the ordinary quotidian, however, most of them were in elegant garbs and the audience, in simply mixed of the Filipiniana and formal wears.
The pervading mood and atmosphere of the occasion, though, as poised by Gawad Urian and its criteria, was the social commitment of the movies and their makers based on the existing realities of the industry and the mirror that reflects the experiences of the Filipinos as seen through the critical eyes of the Manunuri.
The distinctively loudest voices hailed that evening was the battle cry of the militant section of the crowd whenever the nominated film for doc and full-length categories, Taripnong Cagayan Valley, Hyperfusion and WAF Studios’ (“Bloom Where You Are Planted”) were announced winners like Pinakamahusay na Dokyumentaryo (Best Documentary Film), Pinakamahusay na Direksyon (Best Director award) Pinakamahusay na Editing (Best Editing) and Pinakamahusay na Pelikula which yielded the most deafening defiant chants “…ang tao, ang bayan, ang artista, ngayon ay lumalaban (…the people, the country, the artists are now fighting for their rights for justice, freedom, democracy, peace, prosperity etc.—implying the aspirations of the people).”
Best Director Noni Abao (“Bloom Where You Are Planted”) said that his film is dedicated to activists and political prisoners. “Biktima sila ng gawa-gawa kaso (They are victims of fabricated cases). Free all political prisoners,” he and his creatives urged the state police.
Some members of the audience, members of their respective creative teams or not of the winning films, raised their fists in the air in defiance of the perceived oppressive system, not excluding show business, in society.
Even the lead characters portrayed by the actors were atypical roles that brought them honors like a gymnast played by Maris Racal who judiciously chose her own personal beliefs for self-liberation in Anima Studios, Project 8 Projects and Cloudy Duck’s “Sunshine” which gave her the Best Actress plum that tied with a court justice of integrity and honesty in 901 Studios’ “Bar Boys: After School” essayed by Odette Khan.
A committed lawyer for truth, freedom and democracy in “Bar Boys: After School” portrayed by Carlo Aquino and a chameleon-type leader who would resort to anything just to attain power breathed to life by Jericho Rosales in TBA Studios’ “Quezon” that both gave them the Best Actor trophies.
The other winners of the 2026 Gawad Urian are: Jenina Garcia, Best Supporting Actress (“Sunshine”); Will Ashley, Best Supporting Actor (“Bar Boys: After School”); Emilio Bien Sparks, Best Sound (“Cinemartyrs”); Jerrold Tarog, Best Music (“Quezon”); Best Short Film, “Cemento”; Best Documentary (“Bloom Where You Are Planted”); Che Tagyamon and Arnex Nicolas, Best Editing (“Bloom Where You Are Planted”); Renee Dimla, Best Screenplay (“Republika ng Pipolipinas”); Pong Ignacio, Best Cinematography (“Quezon”) and Laurice Guillen, Natatanging Gawad Urian (Lifetime Achievement Award).