MindaNews / 10 April – It came out on the eve of Black Saturday in the Holy Week, a short film uploaded by Cebu-based vlogger Joseph Sabello. In the past two years, Sabello has put up short films with social themes during every Lenten Season. But this year, the film hits different.

The film was timely, revolving around the crisis of rising fuel prices. The film had drama, a family raised by a single father trying to make ends meet as a delivery rider despite the crisis in order to support his three young sons, one of them a tambay nga pasaway.   In 19 minutes, that short film “Gasolina” showed the hardship of fatherhood compounded by the crisis the nation is feeling right now, and ends in tragic death. 

There is no resurrection, but grief felt by his sons over his sacrifice. But his film also sparked over 50 million views, over 700,000 shares, and a shared outpouring of love on a film that moved some of them to tears.

There are around 20 million Visayan-speaking people in this country, so, perhaps this short film has spread among this audience and even to non-Visayan speaking people.

The film’s virality on Facebook showed the power of social media, where around 70 million people in this country turn to this medium for information, updates, and entertainment. But often, the popularity of Facebook reels and vlogs has gone into overdrive, with topics on humor, hustle, relationships, and sex getting the most views. Inspirational themes come few and far in between. 

But with “Gasolina”, the film went against this norm.  Sabello and the three popular Bisaya vloggers — Boy Isog Sarge (from Davao), Al Moralde and Shael (both based in Cebu) — all broke character from the humorous personas they portray in their respective vlogs to act out this family drama that touched everyone’s hearts.

“Mas dali magpahilak kaysa magpakatawa (It’s easier to make people cry on screen than to make them laugh),” says Boy Isog Sarge in a short clip he made a few days later, thanking the viewers. More than making the audience cry, it brought out issues that are timely in this time of crisis.

That short film, again, was timely. As the nation reels from increase in fuel prices week after week. Hundreds of jeepney drivers all over the country have stopped plying their routes as fuel price eat away their earnings, as they need to find other ways to feed their family. In a country where millions rely on public transport for commute and delivery riders for their food orders, the film puts a human face on drivers, and the cross they carry amidst the crisis.

The story also looks into our culture. Fatherhood in these times is in a fragile state. Fathers are called “haligi sa pamilya“, but these times show that being the foundation can crack under tremendous strain which cannot be hidden.

The crisis has brought out efforts of many groups to revive and create community pantries, similar to the ones that started in the pandemic, to give food packages to public transport drivers. Various pantries have been established in Davao, by the Assumption College of Davao, the Matina Community Pantry with Konsensya Dabaw, the Art Mobile Kitchen Relief, and the Youth Advocates for Pro-People Transportation Network.

The team behind “Gasolina” also announced that their earnings from the film in social media will be donated to delivery riders.

Followers are impressed with Sabello, as he grew without knowing his father. Moralde posted after this clip his regrets of finishing college late after his father passed away. Boy Isog is separated but supports his son.

The phenomenon of this short film also brought out a question about transforming the nature of our Facebook vlogs. Sim Dapar Jr asked: “What if  tanang influencers, instead nga binastos or magpromote ug sugal, ingani ka deeply inspirational, educational, and relevant ang contents? Dili lang sa holy week kundi sa whole year? Dili lang for the views or pagpromote sa negosyo kundi para ang uban magbag-o? Imagine unsa nga kausaban sa ilang mindset ug sa mindset sa ilang millions of followers ang mahitabo? (What if all influencers, instead of making offensive content or promoting gambling, would instead make deeply inspirational, educational, and relevant content? Not just during the Holy Week but the whole year round? Not just for the views or promoting business, but to inspire change? Imagine that change in their mindset and the mindset of their millions of followers?)”

It’s a thought worth considering for both content creators and audience. The change may not come right away. In this country of ours where jobs are hard and income is low, and where one person in every corner of the street is a Facebook content creator, sensational content is where the money is.

But it is worth the effort if we want to change the mindset. It would be worth it if Sabello, Sarge, Moralde, and Shael continue to make such content regularly, and inspire more vloggers to do so. While there would never be another short film that would become as viral as “Gasolina”, choosing inspiration over controversy and popularity is something that we truly need to make us dream of better things.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Tyrone A. Velez is a freelance journalist and writer.)