Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea – A Gripping Trip Along Resupply Routes amid the China Standoff.
Filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama and her team travel on a variety of maritime vessels to record the ongoing strife and its effects between the Philippines and China over control of the newly designated West Philippine Sea. These waters, viewed by most nations outside of China as part of the Philippines' maritime territory, has seen a growing presence by boats from China. These include fishing boats, the majority consist of China's coast guard vessels that have engaged in harassing, collided with, and attempted to board Filipino boats amid the broader sovereignty dispute.
Portions of the film are highly charged, but frequently the conflict manifests as a diplomatic dance of naval posturing. Personnel on each side's boats broadcast lengthy speeches over short-wave, filled with diplomatic language, engaging in a kind of "airwave diplomacy".
The Mission Behind the Title
The film's title highlights the ongoing mission by the Philippine army to deliver provisions to isolated garrisons in the West Philippine Sea where personnel are stationed for protracted periods of isolation. These specks of land are often just small accumulations of sand in shallow waters, comparable to a soccer field, accessible only by high-speed inflatable boats.
These trips prove evidently terrifying for the cargo of baby goats, which are shipped with canned goods and additional provisions. The film shows the creatures seeking for better balance as the boats hurtle across the choppy waves.
The Fishermen's Plight
Elsewhere in the documentary communities around the inhabited Scarborough Shoal, who express concern over decreasing fish hauls caused by the ongoing activity of trawlers from China in their customary waters.
A Compelling Subject, Imperfect Execution
Critically speaking, the documentary is somewhat hampered by a at times meandering narrative approach and a soundtrack that can feel overly tacky, overemphasizing the dramatic moments. Nevertheless, it is ultimately a fascinating exploration of a maritime conflict that gets scant attention in Western media.