‘Ayo Ayo sa Nangayo’ puts Bohol’s environmental struggle into perspective

FOLKLORISH. 'Ayo Ayo sa Nangayo' follows the story of a school principal played by Marvin Ablao (left) and a tree-dwelling spirit portrayed by Angelo Vidal (right).

Gerard Jamora/JAMS

Through local folklore and the story of a century-old narra tree, the award-winning Bohol film asks how much of the environment humanity is willing to lose in the name of change

AT A GLANCE

• The cutting down of a century-old Narra tree at Jagna Central School in Bohol sparked protests and inspired the film 'Ayo Ayo sa Nangayo,' which addresses environmental preservation and the impact of development.
• The film, which won multiple awards at the SINEBOHOL Film Festival 2026, tells the story of an Agta spirit displaced by construction, highlighting the conflict between human development and nature.
• Filmmaker Gerard Jamora aims for the film to resonate beyond Bohol, urging audiences to recognize the ongoing relevance of environmental issues and the importance of preserving nature.

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CEBU, Philippines – For generations at Jagna Central School in Bohol, a century-old narra tree stood as part of every student’s childhood.

More than a decade ago, the same tree was cut down over fear that it would fall on nearby buildings during typhoons. Students and alumni protested, even bringing their concerns to the municipality. 

For most Boholanos, losing that tree meant losing a piece of their childhood.

This incident became the inspiration for Ayo Ayo sa Nangayo, a film by Boholano director Gerard Jamora, executive producer Pia Piquero, and writers Leon Junel Garsuta and Anne Paradiang.

The film took home the awards for Best Short Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and other major awards at the SINEBOHOL Film Festival 2026. 

Developed during a SINEBOHOL filmmaking workshop in partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the film explores environmental preservation and the cost of development through a story inspired by elements of Boholano folklore.

What began as an assigned theme, “Dili Ingon Ato (not like us),” eventually led Jamora back to the Jagna tree cutting incident. He saw in it an opportunity to tell a bigger story about how nature often “falls prey” to proposed developments that promise progress in communities.

At the center of the film is an Agta or a tree-dwelling spirit portrayed by Angelo Vidal whose home is cut down for the construction of a new classroom. The spirit then seeks help from the same principal, played by Marvin Ablao, who ordered its removal to find a new place to call home.

For Jamora, the story goes beyond the conflict between two characters. It is about people’s growing tendency to think only of themselves.

One line he hopes audiences remember is the Agta’s “Ija-ija, aho-aho” — a familiar Boholano expression that the film uses to describe how people prioritize what is theirs while overlooking what happens to everything around them.

“That’s the reality of human beings. It’s up to us on how we must find a solution to this,” Jamora said.

The cost of development

In May 2023, Bohol became the Philippines’ first UNESCO Global Geopark, recognizing its geological heritage and the importance of conserving its natural landscapes. Yet, the province continues to face environmental concerns, from tree-cutting applications in upland areas to controversies involving infrastructure projects.

One of the latest is the P3.5-billion Loboc River Protection Project, which has drawn scrutiny from provincial lawmakers, residents, and tourism stakeholders. 

Critics have raised concerns over the installation of steel sheet piles and the removal of natural riverbank vegetation, warning of possible consequences for biodiversity, firefly habitats, and the river’s tourism appeal.

The controversy surrounding the Captain’s Peak Resort in March 2024, which was built on the foot of Chocolate Hills in Sagbayan town, Bohol, also raised questions about environmental regulation.  

Piquero shared her frustration over the increasing number of private developers seeking permission to cut trees in upland areas, noting that while some applications are questioned or deferred, others are approved without delay.

“[Just] because you don’t feel the impact of environmental danger doesn’t mean that it does not happen,” she said.

In the film, the Agta’s displacement from its home — the ancestral tree — despite not being directly visible to human characters, reminds audiences that environmental destruction affects more than what people can immediately see. For Piquero, this was also what made the story personal.

“When I write stories, I want it to be human or connect it to humans, and after pitching the story, I got so invested in it,” she shared.

There is still time

For Jamora, he hopes that Ayo Ayo sa Nangayo reaches audiences beyond Bohol and encourages them to become more critical of the environmental changes happening around them. 

While the film draws from an incident in Jagna, the filmmaker believes its message remains relevant to the wider realities of environmental development and preservation.

“We hope our message resonates with the audience, because that is the goal, to let people know that this tree-cutting issue is still very much relevant,” Jamora highlighted.

He also hopes the film reminds viewers that there is still time to protect the environment.

“The film is about how we want to tell the audience that it’s not too late as human beings. We need to preserve what was given to us by nature,” Jamora said. – Rappler.com

Joshua Eli Narajos is a Cebu-based Mover and a communication student from the University of the Philippines in Cebu.