Fresh from their victory from the 29th Gawad CCP para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video where they won two major awards in animation earlier this month, the Ateneo de Naga animators proved their mettle once more in the field of computer animation when another team bagged the grand prize in the Alamat sa Animasyon Competition sponsored by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP).

During the announcement of the winners and awarding of prizes held at the Resorts World Manila on 26 August 2017, Hinalawod, an animated short film of the famous Panay epic directed by Psalm Darel Moralde, bested 31 other entriess, including eight other entries from Ateneo de Naga. Other Ateneo animators who worked with Moralde in the award-winning animated short were Jan Le Arcilla, Nico Dayandarte and Ibarra Zuñiga III.

The competition which was launched in the last quarter of 2015, started with 32 entries from 13 colleges and universities in the country. The FAP provided animation seminars and workshops for all participants during the duration of the contest. The participants were also required to show the FAP updates on their works during the workshops.

Of the nine entries in the finals, six came from Ateneo de Naga, two from College of Saint Benilde and one from iAcademy. The other DIA students who directed entries for Ateneo de Naga which reached the finals were Francesca Maria M. Firme (Alamat ng Kasoy), Rodel Rufino R. Pancho (Alamat ng Lanzones), Guada Victoria H. Marbella (Alamat ng Makahiya), Sherry Dane Silo (Alamat ni Maria Makiling) and Irvin Quidoles (Alamat ng Sampaguita). The grand prize winner received P100,000.00 while each of the finalists received P50,0000.00.