IBA'T IBANG BAHAGI NG MUNDO

“IloIlo”

I’ll start with Flor Contemplacion’s story which is about a Filipina who works as an OFW in Singapore. It is said that she is a murderer with a case of strangling another OFW and drowning a 3 year old child. Two witnesses appeared before Flor’s death penalty they stated that “Flor is being framed by the father of the child for what really happened is that the maid who took care of the child suddenly left when the child was taking a bath then suddenly the child had a seizure which leads the child to his death and the father strangled the maid in revenge for his son.” The statement that the witnesses said was declined and the Government didn’t listen thus ending the life of Flor Contemplacion. President Ramos even tried his best to stop the death penalty for he believed that Flor is innocent. As the news spread it also affects the peaceful relationship of our country “Philippines” and “Singapore” in a way that the citizens of Singapore thinks that other Filipino OFW’s are the same. Comparing the story of the film IloIlo we have Terry an OFW mother who tries to find a better future by going out of the country. She was introduced nicely and was accepted except for the little boy in the family. She was treated as if she was a bad person and the little boy does everything to piss off Terry and he keeps on showing that he doesn’t want Terry to be around. Until one time Terry couldn’t handle the bullying of the little boy she said that “I don’t care if you like me or not just let me do my job as your maid.” With those striking words the little boy wasn’t expecting something like that to happen and still continues his behaviour towards Terry until one time the little boy had an accident where he was trying to go away with his bike a taxi was on his other side without the little boy noticing the upcoming taxi hit him. The parents got mad but didn’t blame Terry for the accident then slowly Terry and the little boy got closer once the little boy accepted her as a person who truly does care. The family had some financial issues and the Father can’t get a proper work for he was fired in his last job. When the little boy started to love Terry and almost doesn’t want her to leave his side the day came where they can’t support and pay Terry the money she needed and has to go back to the Philippines. The little boy was against his Parents decision and wanted Terry to stay. This scene made me look back on the first time the boy met Terry and he wants her to go and leave him alone but then everything changes and he would almost just cling to Terry and beg her not to go for he got attached and love her as his trusted friend. Also the camera work here focuses on the character to emphasize each scene and the growing or blossoming of each relationship into something wonderful. For the production design there where some scenes that Terry was cleaning the room of her employer and then she notices the makeup and jewellery she tried it on and just having thoughts of living the life where she doesn’t need to work. Also the clothes she wears inside the house or simply casual clothing and the ones that her employer gave her is usually used when she goes out like in the scene where she found a part time job as a hairdresser. So by comparing the two stories of Flor Contemplacion and Terry they had different situations that’s a fact and maybe just maybe that Terry was lucky to be in a family that even if they have problems throughout their life love would still be dominant and caring for one another is still present.

“Pinoy Transkings”

I would proudly say that this documentary made me think that yes I should be proud of who I want to be and should not be shy or think that I’m doing something bad as a lesbian in our community. Also it cleared up my mind of misunderstanding Trans from Lesbians and Gays. Like the phrase that they always say or I always here from people like them is “I’m born in the wrong body and I know that I should be a boy in real life.” Whenever they say that phrase I would always feel that pain that they’re experiencing for they want a life that they would be respected and be recognized as a man. That kind of feeling somehow hits me but I don’t consider myself being a man like literally but I know that it really does hurt for wanting something that you can’t get or you need to wait for the right time to actually have it. And at the end of the documentary I also learned how they survive the obstacles that are given to them even if they have that kind of nightmare of being in the wrong body. How they want to tell others that they’re also normal people and nothing is different with them. This kind of lesson should be treasured and everyone should be simply open to what a person thinks of themselves.

“Ang Nawawala”

This movie shows how one person’s emotions could be seen by the audience through his/her own way of communicating. Explaining it further that the character “Gibson” doesn’t speak but still has a way to communicate with his family. He doesn’t have any disability but he only decides not to speak ever since his twin brother’s accident that happened when he was a kid around 10 or 12 years old. He only had a camera with him and he films almost everything that is happening in his environment also around his family. He doesn’t have a good relationship with his mother since the accident and somehow there are scenes where we would see his dead twin brother and it’s always in his room. So it might also be the reason why the whole theme of the movie is retro even if it’s with some latest technology from this day you would just have the vibe of how old things was so beautiful and was focused more. They can’t escape the past that happened in their family that is why they’re stuck and still haven’t got any chance to actually love one another like before. Also it shows how the mother quits on her hobby that one that she truly loves which is photography she still cares for her cameras but she can’t touch it like before because of the painful memory that happened to her child. Also the scenes where the ghost or spirit of the dead twin of Gibson that is still hanging around his room and having conversations with Gibson and the only time that he actually speaks. It only shows that Gibson doesn’t want his twin brother to be gone by his side and expresses that he is only comfortable with him around to talk to and simply express what a teenage boy is actually doing. Until the ending everything changes like how Gibson’s relationship with his mother he finally talked to his mother saying that he was Gibson confirming it to her to finally accept the past and let go of what happened before.

-Palisoc, Chi