Panangatan 11°09'53.3"N 123°42'40.5"E, 2019-10-24 Thu 6:42 AM PST 1.29 meters High Tide, 2019-10-12 Sat 10:26 AM PST 1.4 meters High Tide

In Panangatan 11°09'53.3"N 123°42'40.5"E 2019-10-24 Thu 6:42 AM PST 1.29 meters High Tide 2019- 10-12 Sat 10:26 AM PST 1.40 meters High Tide, 2019 Martha Atienza engages with the complexities surrounding land ownership, environmental sustainability, and economic development in her hometown of Bantayan Island and its surrounding islets. Designated by then-President Ferdinand Marcos in 1981 as a “wilderness” area, these lands were officially protected from sale or settlement, but inconsistent enforcement had allowed residential and commercial developments to expand in the area for decades. Supported by long-term residents who sought to obtain legal titles to their land, Philippine lawmakers passed a bill in 2019 that stripped the islands of their “wilderness” status, paving the way for commercial and industrial investments.

The black and white film follows the coastline of the islet, Panangatan, tracing the decay caused by rising sea levels and the continued deterioration of the area since the devastating Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013. In light of these issues, the local government has consistently tried to relocate Panangatan’s residents to safer areas.  But while some have moved, about 240 residents remain on this 8,489 sqm island, refusing to leave the place they consider home. The work is thus intended to initiate more nuanced conversations about the politics of ownership and development, about who ultimately controls the future of these islands and their residents.