In the wake of the continued Israeli genocidal attacks in Gaza, advocates and filmmakers gathered to discuss the parallel struggles between the Filipinos and the Palestinians enduring occupation.

In a panel discussion after the opening show, panelists called on youth to be more proactive in the pursuit of peace, freedom, and justice for both Gaza and the Philippines. 

Handala Project Vice President and Filipino-Palestinian Lobna Abu-hamiadan urged young individuals to be involved with politics, highlighting her conviction that the youth represent the future leadership of the nation.

“You can co-found an organization because you are young people and you can tie up with student organizations, because…I do believe that you are the future leaders of this country.”

Mindanawon filmmaker and cultural worker Gutierrez “Teng” Mangansakan II underscored the importance of media literacy among youth, encouraging them to critically verify news sources on Gaza among international media coverage. 

“You need to be discerning sa mga binabasa mo, especially now that the media is controlled [by] zionist entities… Because [you] read different sources, it makes [us] more engaged in what’s happening rather than just swallow lies fed to [us] by [the] media.”

Filipino-Chinese filmmaker Jean Claire Dy echoed these sentiments as she emphasized the necessity of developing critical thinking skills for the youth to navigate political realities.

“I always stress this—critical thinking. It’s a very hard skill to teach… it has to be learned in primary, secondary, until tertiary school.” 

When asked about what happens when a home is destroyed, Salam Pilipinas President and co-founder Christopher Eisa Javier related this to the context of Bangsamoro and expressed hopes to clear misconceptions about Islam through advocacy and social movements.

“Jihad is supposed to protect people, Jihad is supposed to liberate people… Ngayon, with the misconceptions, ang image kapag nababanggit ang word na jihad is para bang terrorist, nakakatakot…”

Peacebuilder and Development Practitioner Rexall Kaalim reiterated how these misjudgments diminish the real value of jihad.

“It erodes the true meaning of jihad. Jihad is the highest striving for ourselves to submit to what the Almighty Creator wanted us to be.”

Kaalim further noted that in connection with the 2017 Marawi Siege, Marawi’s destruction was due to the military’s reckless response to the situation and not solely because of the Maute group.

“When you ask the people there who destroyed Marawi, they will not say the Maute group destroyed Marawi—these are the airplanes, these are the helicopters that bombed Marawi,” he stated.

Ending the panel discussion, Abu-hamiadan called on the public to find common ground, put pressure, and demand accountability from the government.

“We need to unite first as the people, and demand our rights as a community,” she asserted.

All proceeds from the month-long film screening for a cause will be donated directly to Palestinians in Gaza. 

“Voices of the Land: Films for Peace and Justice” began on September 6 and continues every Saturday of September 2025 at The Green House Cinema, Davao City.