Former Quiapo fish vendor, now a popular indie filmmaker in Dubai, sets eyes on Hollywood

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A 22-year-old overseas Filipino, who used to spend weekends in Quiapo selling fish with his grandmother, now has bragging rights to being the youngest indie filmmaker here with 300 stories having millions of views under his belt. 

And he’s just getting started.

Vincent Escobido, popularly known as Vincent Augus, a household name in the Pinoy film community, has his eyes trained on Hollywood.

“Mag-aaral po ako para lalo pang i-pursue ang filmmaking at baka sakaling makagawa ng first-ever full-length movie film na written and directed by myself po, at makapag-participate sa Hollywood, in God’s will,” he said.

(I’ll study more to further pursue filmmaking to hopefully do my first-ever full-length movie and join Hollywood, in God’s will.)

Passion

Escobido said his passion for filmmaking and acting goes back to his early years as a lad dreaming to be a star someday.

“Gustong-gusto ko po kasi talagang mag-artista. Sa school sa ‘Pinas sumasali po ako sa mga performing arts at theater plays. Dun na lang din po ako nahasang mag-acting,” Escobido said.

He had auditioned several times for TV shows. “Pero hindi po ako natanggap kahit isang beses,” he said. 

(But I didn’t make it. Not even once.)

Escobido said the closest he got to film stardom back then was being an “extra” in a movie where a camera panned on him as a passenger boarding a public utility jeep. 

“Pero ‘di rin naman ako nakita nang pinalabas na yung pelikula,” he said laughing. 

(But I was not seen in that scene when the movie was finally released.)

Story ideas

The son of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) living in Dubai, Escobido stocked up on loads of story ideas he would later work on, during the years spent accompanying his grandma, Adelaida “Lola Deling” Escobido, from the Navotas Fish Port, where they’d buy fish, to Quiapo, where they’d sell them.

“‘Pag Sabado’t Linggo sumasama ako sa lola ko na nagtitinda ng isda Quiapo. Aalis kami ng madaling araw para pumunta sa Navotas Fish Port, at didiretsyo ng Quiapo para magtitinda ng isda,” he recalled.

(On Saturdays and Sundays, I’d go with my grandmother, who sells fish in Quiapo. We’d leave home at the break of dawn and head to the Navotas Fish Port then go to Quiapo.)
“Madaling araw” is 3 a.m., he said. They’d arrive in Quiapo at around 10 a.m.

They were Living in neighboring Valenzuela back then. The fish buy-and-sell went on for five years. Escobido started joining his Lola Deling when he was 12. At that time, his grandmother was around 60.

Shooed away

The journey from Navotas to Quiapo took three jeepney rides – and a lot of shooing away by drivers, who did not want to take the grandma-and-grandson team’s six buckets of fresh fish, lest their jeeps catch the uncomfortable smell, giving would-be passengers, freshly bathed for work or school, second thoughts and take the next one, instead. 

“Madalas, ayaw kaming pasakayin. Tiyempuhan lang ‘pag mabait po yung driver,” Escobido said. 

(Oftentimes, the drivers would not want to take us. Occasionally, a kind one would allow us on board.)

Some days, they’d sell good, Escobido said. Some other ones were slow. “Kumbaga, talagang di araw-araw Pasko,” he said. 

(It’s like, not every day is Christmas day.)

Cleanup drive

Came a time when the city government launched a clean-up drive, and all vendors in the area were asked to move out; their merchandises, in this case, Escobido’s and his grandma’s fish, were confiscated.

“Maraming beses na kinukuha yung paninda namin. Pati timba dala. Kaya bili na naman ng bago. Naranasan ko pang magtago ng isda sa damit para lang may maiuwi. At least, wala mang benta, ano man lamn yung may makakain pag uwi po?” Escobido said.

(A lot of times, the authorities took our fish. Even the buckets were taken. So we’d buy news ones again. I’d experienced hiding a fish under my shirt to have something to eat when we got home.)
Indeed, Escobido said, “daming pumapasok na drama moments sa isip ko, noon. 

(Lots of drama moments were on my mind.)”  

Move to UAE

Escobido’s parents brought him and his sibling to Dubai on June 19, 2019 supposedly for a vacation. Their parents extended their stay when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in January 2020.

This would prove pivotal for Escobido’s life journey, who first worked as kitchen assistant at a Japanese restaurant, after which he got another job in sales at a digital gallery offering electronic devices.

Doors opened for Escobido to chase his dream in acting and filmmaking when Elvin Mark Santos, who heads an indie film production house, TBON Dubai, took him in.

It was an entirely new ball game for the former Quiapo fish vendor who didn’t waste time working on different film projects, which has created him a legion of loyal audience. 

Back to school

These days, Escobido, a high school grad when he arrived in Dubai is taking a course on IT Programming at Dubai British School (DBS).  

“Hindi ko pa po nalalagpasan ang lahat ng mga hamon at this very young age. Marami pa po akong mapagda-daanan. Surely I will be able to find a way para po solusyunan yung mga upcoming na hamon ng buhay, since marami din pong nakapalibot sa ’kin na mabubuting tao, especially my parents,” he said.

(I haven’t overcome all challenges at this very young age. I’ll still be going through a lot, and surely, I’ll be able to find solutions to overcome the hurdles ahead  because I’m surrounded by good people, among them my parents.) 

Aside from his Lola Deling, who inspired him to persevere, Escobido said he is forever grateful to Project Manok, an indie film outfit, and the TBON Dubai family, among them, Santos, Karla Camille Danielle Sualog Santos, also a film director; Gretchen Grace Gordillo and Jaleisha Kaillie Diokno.

“Sila talaga pumulot sa akin,” he said. 

(They were the ones who picked me up.) —KBK, GMA Integrated News