Quezon City cites veteran ‘docu’ director

DIRECTOR Jesus Ramos (center) receiving the scroll as outstanding resident of Quezon City along with members of his family and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista.

MANILA, Philippines–Multi-awarded documentary film director Jesse O. Ramos has been recognized and honored by the Quezon City council for his achievements as pioneering international documentary filmmaker and as outstanding resident of the city.

A recent resolution sponsored by Councilor Alfredo Vargas and adopted by the council cited Ramos, a resident of North Fairview, Quezon City, for his achievements  in documentary and other short film productions in the Philippines as filmmaker, writer, director and producer.

The resolution said director Ramos was recognized worldwide for his works, proving his skill and knowledge in producing short and documentary films in various countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and the United States from 1956 to 1993.

He won several international documentary film awards and recognition inside and outside the country for his distinguished works.  He was one of only two Asians from Southeast Asia to be chosen to join the Shell Film Unit in London, where he researched, wrote and directed the documentary film “Mangandingay, A Place of Happiness” in 1964. The film garnered five international awards—the Rotary International Award (1964); Cidalc d’Prix Medal Award (1964);  the British Industrial Film Association National Award (1965); Silver Carabao Award (1964) and Famas Special Award (1964).  Ramos was also given a certificate of merit by the Film Society of the Philippines in 1964 for his outstanding contributions to the  short film movement in the country.

Ramos worked with the late Tagalog film director and National Artist Lamberto ‘‘Bert” Avellana, who established the first documentary film company in the Philippines—Documentary Inc.

Avellana and Ramos pioneered in the documentary filmmaking in the Philippines. Avellana and Ramos, then 22 years old,  were tapped by the National Media  Production Center of the Philippine  and the USAID to produce developmental and educational short films for the overall economic development program of the country.