Waray dark comedy hits the road with upcoming SineKabataan 2026 entry ‘Yada Na Ta Busag Nga Vannn!’
Waray dark comedy hits the road with upcoming SineKabataan 2026 entry ‘Yada Na Ta Busag Nga Vannn!’
SINEGANG.ph published this press release shared by SILAKBO - Baybay Film Organization. No staff writer participated in writing this article.
Samar, the third-largest island in the Philippines, has long been a wellspring of stories, traditions, and voices waiting to be heard beyond its shores. Bringing one of these to a wider audience is Yada Na Ta Busag Nga Vannn! (English title: Here Comes the White Vannn!), an official entry of SineKabataan 2026 that reimagines one of the Philippines’ most persistent urban legends through dark comedy and a distinctly Waray lens.
Written and directed by Giomer Gulferic, a 22-year-old Waray student filmmaker, the film follows two schoolchildren whose ordinary walk home across the rural landscapes of Samar takes a bizarre turn when they are abducted by a pair of bumbling kidnappers. What begins as a familiar cautionary tale quickly figures out into a series of increasingly absurd misadventures, exposing the incompetence of the kidnappers and the unpredictable consequences of their actions.
Set against the rice fields, coastal roads, and communities of Samar, Yada Na Ta Busag Nga Vannn! explores themes of poverty, desperation, grief, and human connection through humor and satire. As the kidnappers struggle to execute their poorly conceived ransom scheme, the children prove to be far more capable than their captors.
Behind the laughter lies a story about survival and the people left behind by difficult circumstances. As tensions rise and the journey takes unexpected turns, both children and kidnappers are forced to confront the hardships that shaped them. The film ultimately examines how flawed individuals navigate broken systems, and how empathy can emerge even in the most unlikely situations.
Led by a team of emerging Eastern Visayan filmmakers, the project is a collaboration between Silakbo – Baybay Film Organization, a student film organization based in Visayas State University, and Small Treehouse, an independent film collective in Eastern Visayas. The core production team is led by Linus Masandag as Producer, Aveguel “El” Sinangote as Co-Producer, and Therese Cabuñag as Line Producer. Together, the team aims to showcase the richness of Waray storytelling while contributing to the growing movement of regional cinema that continues to gain recognition on the national stage.
Currently in pre-production, Yada Na Ta Busag Nga Vannn! is scheduled to be filmed in Calbiga, Samar, from July 25 to 26, with post-production to follow immediately afterward. Through its blend of dark comedy, road trip adventure, and social realism, the film seeks to offer audiences a uniquely Waray cinematic experience, one that finds humor in chaos, humanity in mistakes, and meaning along the rough roads of home. You can pledge for the film’s production here: https://forms.gle/v4KgU9R83cLnFgbC9
After all, some journeys begin with a bad decision. This one begins with a (white) van.
