"The Birthday Gift" is a K-12 student short film project required by Centro Escolar University-Malolos, Bulacan. It premiered on Facebook on October 20, 2016, and quickly became a sensation. The film received widespread acclaim online, with college professors and senior mass communication students praising its screenplay, performances, execution, editing, and unexpected plot twist. The short-film garnered between 85 and 1,060 shares, reaching a total of 1,145 shares on the platform. Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Emille Joson contributed as a consultant, writer, and second director, lending her expertise to the project through her familial connection to Daniela Barlan.
