LEYTE, Philippines — Samar Colleges, Inc. won two awards at this year’s PelikulAgraryo 2026 thanks to their film entry, Hi Tatay Na'n Bahala. 

The film, which was made by students of the school’s new Bachelor of Multimedia Arts (BMMA) program, went head-to-head with five other schools in this annual intercampus filmmaking competition by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

The awarding ceremony was held at St. Paul’s College of Professional Studies at Palo, Leyte, on Monday, October 12.

Samar Colleges, Inc. won both Best Poster and Second Best Film under the Agrarian Reform Beneficiary (ARB) Category.

"It was my first time directing such a big project," said Prince Panganoron, the film’s director and BMMA student. "The pressure was real, especially since everyone had such high expectations for the movie.”

Hi Tatay Na'n Bahala tells the story of Tatay Tonying, the film’s titular “tatay” whose family persevered through multiple life challenges thanks to his unwavering determination and the assistance of DAR’s SPLIT program.

"The first step was interviewing the real Tatay Tonying," said John Aloysius Gadin, the student responsible for writing the movie’s storyline and dialogue. "As I listened to him tell us about his life, I realized that his life story was really complex! His life had so many twists and turns that all the stories wouldn't fit the 20-minute runtime. I only picked the ones that I feel would best relate to the audience."

Tatay Tonying was portrayed as a man who never gave up despite the many obstacles he encountered as a farmer trying to raise a family on a mountain farm. At one point in his life, he even had to juggle both fishing and farming everyday in order to survive.

"While I was acting, I slowly understood exactly how hard tatay’s life was," said actor Kevin Garcia, who portrayed Tatay Tonying in the film. “I gained perspective about the life of both a farmer and a father, and how rewarding it can be despite the hardships.”

Visayas State University's Sa Asa Dapit Nag-Ampo ang Hangin took home the Best Film award in the same category, while VSU Tolosa’s Pagsirang won Third Best Film.