Negros Occidental high school filmmakers turn frustration into political satire in ‘Trapo’
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – A scathing indictment of traditional politics wrapped in a five-minute minimalist drama, Trapo delivers its message with a punch far heavier than its modest runtime suggests.
Directed by 18-year-old high school senior Danreb de la Cruz, this short film from a small group of students at Silay City’s Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial National High School (DMLMNHS) tackles the complex machinery of Philippine politics with an unvarnished, almost theatrical display.
No elaborate sets, no sweeping cinematography — just 13 characters, biting one-liners, and a single steel chair. The result? A gripping socio-political satire that earned its place among the top three winners of the Real to Reel Generation Z Short Film Competition.
Trapo is full of symbolism. The steel chair represents power: coveted, fought over, and ultimately sullied.
Meanwhile, the 13 blindfolded student-actors embody the many faces of Philippine politics. They are as follows:
- The Rich
- The Famous
- The Intelligent
- The Very Intelligent
- The Weird
- The Businessman
- The Showbiz Personality
- The Sportsman
- The Drug Lord
- The Street Cleaner
- The Vlogger/Blogger
- The Clown
- The Janitor
Each takes a turn in the chair, each delivers a campaign promise, and each, inevitably, contributes to the mess. But it is the janitor, representing the masses, who is left to clean up, a metaphor that lingers long after the screen fades to black.
Shot in just half a day and edited within hours, Trapo emerged from a pool of 125 entries as the only high school production to break into the top 10, eventually clinching third place at the awards ceremony held at Greenbelt Cinema in Makati City on January 17.
It stood along collegiate contenders. Ang Panawagan ni Googly of Leyte Normal University’s Jerry Surpia got first place while Calor of Visayas State University’s came at second.
For De la Cruz and the student filmmakers of the Istorya Film Creative Club (IFCC), it was more than just a competition entry.
“Super happy, really,” De la Cruz told Rappler, still internalizing the reality of their win.
Behind their celebration was a tiresome creative process, marked by heated debates and intense deliberations.
The film, De la Cruz said, was born from their collective frustration with a political system that has long dictated their future.
As a first-time voter in the 2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, De la Cruz said he saw vote buying, an experience that fueled his passion to expose and challenge the status quo through film.
“Now, we are ready to stand our ground in saying no to money politics,” he said.
Fifteen-year-old John Rhey Flores, who played The Clown, found his role to be both a challenge and a revelation.
“Most of the country’s politicians right now can simply be likened to a clown,” he observed, an unsettling truth that his brief but impactful performance drives home.
For IFCC adviser Jan Argie Lumapay, Trapo was a turning point in the creative evolution of his students.
“With this film, it’s as if they’ve matured overnight,” Lumapay said.
The team has set its sights on future projects tackling teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS awareness, and mental health — issues that resonate deeply with their generation.
The filmmakers of Trapo are now advocating for screenings at DMLMNHS and beyond, hoping to start conversations among their schoolmates and other young audiences across Negros Occidental. – Rappler.com