MAGLABAY RA IN SAKIT is a short documentary feature that allows the viewer a glance at the life and struggles of a Muslim rap musician in Zamboanga City. It is my first directorial effort at a documentary. This documentary “Maglabay ra in sakit” (a Tausug phrase which roughly translates to “this pain will ease” showcases the spirit and resilience of RKJun, a young musician in Zamboanga City who is determined to pursue rap music even as he is beset by the challenges of poverty, loss, and the effects of terrorism in Southern Mindanao. I met RKJun on March 2019 thru a mutual acquaintance and was fascinated by his talent and his story, much of which is also narrated in this documentary. He relates growing up and nurturing his musical talents even at a young age despite their poverty; and having all his house and his hard-earned musical instruments destroyed in an armed conflict in 2013. This was the crisis popularly known as the Zamboanga Siege that erupted on September 9, 2013 when the MNLF engaged the military in Zamboanga City. The barangay where RKJun lived was one of the hotspots in the conflict. Their house was riddled with bullets and ultimately razed in a fire. In this documentary, I wanted to let the viewers know how this young Zamboangueño preserved his determination to create powerful and original Tausug music. I wanted to show how his talent inspires and positively impacts his community. Even in the face of poverty and terrorism, hope has prevailed in the heart of this young Tausug who continues to pursue his musical dreams.

Director Bio:

MIJAN JUMALON comes from a family of painters from the southern part of the Philippines in Mindanao. She has spent 3 decades as a visual artist and has had numerous art exhibitions launched in many parts of the country in Manila, Davao, Cebu, as well as abroad, in Rome and in Singapore. Recently she has ventured into production design and film-making. Her first short documentary entitled, “MAGLABAY RA IN SAKIT” (a Tausug phrase which roughly translates to “this pain will pass”) which showcases the spirit and resilience of RKJun, a young musician in Zamboanga City who is determined to pursue rap music even as he is beset by the challenges of poverty, loss, and the effects of terrorism in Southern Mindanao, has won 1st RUNNER-UP & BEST EDITING Awards in the ISTORYA NG PAG-ASA Film Festival (INPFF 2019), BEST DOCUMENTARY in the Globe Indie Film Festival (.GIFF 2019), BEST DOCUMENTARY & BEST ORIGINAL SONG in the 17th Mindanao Film Festival (MFF 2019), and BEST FILM in the Bangsamoro Film Festival (BSFF 2020). She has just finished filming her first short feature film entitled “OLA” for Cinemarya—a film festival of women’s stories initiated by the Film Development Council of the Philippines.