DAVAO CITY, Philippines – What began as a story on screen has become a promise kept in real life.

Tears, handshakes, and quiet gratitude filled the room inside the Davao City Police Office as filmmakers, police officers, and social workers gathered not for a premiere, but for a purpose: to return the film’s earnings to the very communities it sought to defend.

The team behind the documentary Sa Likod ng Tsapa, led by POP Movie House and Police Colonel Hansel Marantan, formally turned over P600,000 in proceeds to strengthen protection programs for vulnerable women and children.

Half of the amount went to Talikala Incorporated, a decades-long refuge for survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking. The other half was donated to the Davao City Police Advisory Council to complete an Indigenous children’s library in Barangay Malikongkong, Marilog District — a safe learning space for children in one of the city’s most remote communities.

“Stories should not only inform people — they should help people,” said Marantan, whose story served as the film’s inspiration.

The documentary, which reveals the human cost of wearing the badge, has drawn acclaim both locally and abroad. It recently earned Special Mention honors at the Dhaka International Film Festival, marking a milestone for a Mindanao-made story reaching a global audience.

But for its creators, the award was never the final destination.

For journalist Editha Caduaya, who wrote and directed Sa Likod ng Tsapa, storytelling must carry responsibility.

“This documentary was never meant to end in a theater,” said Caduaya.

“It was meant to return to the community. Awareness is important, but action is what changes lives.”

So instead of keeping the profits, they gave them away.

For nearly 40 years, Talikala has quietly done the hardest work — counseling girls rescued from exploitation, helping women rebuild their lives, guiding families through trauma, and providing safe spaces where survivors can start anew.

The donation will sustain psychosocial counseling and therapy, crisis response and case management, legal and medical assistance, temporary shelters and reintegration support, and education and prevention campaigns.

Each peso, workers say, translates directly into protection, recovery, and hope.

Across the mountains of Marilog, the funds will help complete a small library where Indigenous children can read, study, and simply be children — away from risks that often accompany isolation and poverty.

“If this film can protect even one child or help one woman heal, then it has done its job,” said Marantan. – Rappler.com