Filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama is making a David-versus-Goliath impact with her newest documentary, “Food Delivery Fresh From the West Philippine Sea.” The “small” production is an underdog, but the sold-out screenings at the Power Plant Mall, Makati City, last week proved otherwise.

With faith, Baby Ruth triumphed over the canceled release in CinePanalo, the request of the Chinese consulate in Auckland to cancel the screenings at the DocEdge Festival, New Zealand, and the trolls targeting her social media.

“I had to balance fear with faith,” says the Chevening scholar at Birmingham City University. “There were threats. There was trolling. There were long stretches at sea where we didn’t know what would happen.”

The filming started in October 2024, following Arnel Satam and Ozman Pumicpic. “I also had to navigate moments of self-doubt—asking, ‘Is it worth it?’” But when Baby Ruth saw the determined eyes of the fishermen and soldiers who wanted to provide for their families and come home safe, she knew she had to continue her advocacy.

National security was at risk, and Baby Ruth showed us in the 85-minute documentary that Filipinos can care deeply about our sovereignty.

“That the truth, no matter how small the platform or modest the budget, will always find its way if it speaks from the heart,” she muses. “I’ve learned that silence can be dangerous, but telling the truth can be just as dangerous.” Still, the main subjects from Bataan, the Coast Guard, and Navy personnel chose to speak about their experiences navigating the Scarborough Shoal.

The Tides of Change Award at the DocEdge Festival in New Zealand a few months ago proved that Filipinos are ready to reclaim our seas, our stories, and our identity.

“We often forget that a cinema isn’t just a place for escape; it’s a place for remembering, for reckoning, for rising,” stresses the “Sunday Beauty Queen” (2016) director. “I hope this film reminds us why we need to protect and empower, because when people gather for truth, change becomes possible.”

Baby Ruth thinks Filipinos are hungry not just for fish, but for justice, for stories that reflect our dignity and our courage. “‘Food Delivery’ is no longer just our film—it belongs to everyone who sees a piece of themselves in it.”

Her purpose is to hold a mirror to society, not to shame it, but to remind it of who we are and who we can be. “My job is to listen closely to the people who are rarely heard, and to weave their truths into something that can move hearts, policies, and history,” confesses Baby Ruth. “If one person decides to care a little more after watching my film, then I’ve done my job.”

“Food Delivery” will have a commercial release in Ayala Cinemas and Gateway Mall after the limited screenings at the Power Plant Mall. “Some cried, some stayed silent, some stood up with clenched fists,” recalls the co-founder of Voyage Studios. “Others reach out to us asking how they can send help to our fisherfolk.”