Award-Winning Film To Be Shown In VIP Tour Launch In Houston

HOUSTON, Texas—The Philippine Consulate General in Houston (PCGH) will hold a special, complimentary screening of the award-winning Filipino independent film, "Sakaling Hindi Makarating" (The Amazing Journey of the Letters) on February 5, 2026 at 530pm at the River Oaks Theatre in Houston.

The film showing will coincide with the PCGH's launch of the Very Important Pinoy (VIP) Tour in its jurisdiction. This year's VIP Tour Program will be held on July 12-21, showcasing the best of Metropolitan Manila, Dumaguete and Cebu. The participants may also join optional excursions to Bohol and Siquijor. This annual U.S.-wide initiative of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Department of Tourism, in cooperation with Rajah Tours and the Philippine Airlines, serves as a venue for Filipinos, Filipino-Americans and friends of the Philippines to rediscover the country and experience its culture, heritage and natural beauty.

Starring Alessandra de Rossi and Pepe Herrera, the film won Best Picture and other awards, including Best Cinematography and Best Director at the 2nd CineFilipino Film Festival features some of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines - Batanes, Siquijor, and Zamboanga, to name a few.

"The film is about a woman nursing a heartbreak, who receives a string of anonymous postcards and decides to track the sender," said the film's director Ice Idanan, in an exclusive interview with The Filipino Correspondent Network (TFCN).

In photo: Ice Idanan, director, "Sakaling Hindi Makarating" (The Amazing Journey of the Letters)

For the same film, Idanan was also granted the Best Indie Cinematographer of the Year Award by the PMPC Star Awards for Movies in 2017 and won the International Category Excellence Award at the Asia Tourism-Induced Film & TV Arts Week in Taizhou, China in 2018.

Idanan, a member of the prestigious Director's Guild of the Philippines, said she never expected her movie to be given an opportunity to touch the hearts of Filipinos in this special way. "I feel so honored to be one of the chosen films for the VIP Tour," the multi-awarded director/cinematographer said.

"Yan naman po talaga ang pangarap ko, na marami pang ibang kababayan natin ang maka-rediscover sa Pilipinas at mahalin ang bansa natin, kahit na madalas mahirap makita yung ganda niya dahil sa other issues," said Idanan, who graduated with honors from the University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI) in 2009.

Idanan said her movie somewhat shares the same goal as the VIP Tour program which is to allow Filipinos abroad to feel more empowered and loved once they revisit their beloved country.

"The film was conceptualized in 2011 after my breakup from an 8-year relationship with my highschool sweetheart. But it took 5 more years before it received enough funding to be produced. I joined a lot of festivals and got rejected every time, until CineFilipino gave me the opportunity to finally film it," she narrated.

"During those days of uncertainty and heartbreak, I was taught to look inward and reacquaint myself with my roots. Sino ba talaga ako? What are my values? By coming out of my bubble and doing something out of my comfort zone which is travelling alone, na-realize ko na you don't need anyone else to tell you how you should be valued. Cheesy as it may sound, yung exposure to our diverse culture and seeing the beauty of different places in the Philippines yung nagparealize sakin nun. Para bang, ako yung Pilipinas. Ang ganda ganda ko, bakit pa ako maghahanap ng iba," she asserted.

"This film is also my baby, it's my debut feature and I really poured my heart and soul into it. I wrote it, directed it. I was also the cinematographer and producer. I faced so much discouragement but I powered through despite it all. It's a testament to women empowerment," she pointed.

Screening is FREE, but registration is required. Visit the link: https://tinyurl.com/PHVIPTour2026.