Philippine media advocacy group Anak TV has welcomed Timor-Leste to the Southeast Asia Video Festival for Children (SEAVFC), following the country’s entry into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Anak TV recently led a delegation to Timor-Leste to begin preparations for the country’s participation in the 6th Southeast Asia Video Festival for Children, which will be held in Indonesia in November 2027.
The Anak TV delegation met with Philippine Ambassador to Timor-Leste Mary Anne Padua at the Philippine Embassy in Dili as part of Anak TV’s initiative to pave the way for Timor-Leste’s participation in the Southeast Asia Video Festival for Children.
The delegation was composed of Anak TV President Elvira Yap Go, Anak TV Vice President and ABS-CBN Head of Corporate Communications Kane Errol Choa, Anak TV Executive Committee member Ambassador Minda Cruz, and Anak TV Secretariat Rechilda Estores.
Ambassador Padua welcomed the delegation and supported Anak TV’s efforts to connect Timorese media institutions and educators to Anak TV’s regional festival, which promotes storytelling for children across Southeast Asia.
During the visit, the Anak TV group also went to the office of GMN, where they met with Director General Levi da Costa Serrano and his team. Anak TV invited Serrano to join the SEAVFC Governing Board, an invitation he accepted, paving the way for Timor-Leste’s representation in the regional initiative.
The delegation later met at the Philippine Embassy with representatives from several schools as well as the Casa de Producao Audiovisual (CAP), who expressed enthusiasm in supporting Timor-Leste’s participation in the festival.
The SEAVFC is Anak TV’s regional initiative that celebrates stories about children through video. The festival brings together entries from ASEAN countries and provides a platform for both professional creators and young video makers to share stories based on the festival’s theme.
SEAVFC was first launched in 2017 and has since been held in several Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, and most recently in Thailand last November 2025.
Preparations are now underway to support Timor-Leste’s maiden participation in the 6th SEAVFC, where entries from across the region will once again showcase stories that reflect the lives, hopes, and experiences of children in Southeast Asia. (PR)
