Kun maupay man it panahon

This film is uncolored, untethered to any intention of romanticization. It effectively taps into the fear of the unknown which catalyzes the actions of the Filipino people that the film aims to represent - to steal, to cut corners, to burst out into anger, but to also show empathy, dedication to family, and resilience. However, the Filipino concept of "resiliency" is not exploited nor misrepresented, and even provides commentary on films that do tackle that route by presenting restraint (through writing and direction) and then and only then when the context of the entire story has been laid out will it allow complete surrender to the situation. In all of this, the film is still capable of injecting surreal imagery within its hard truths. It expounds to a depth that touches on the nuances of seeking sanity inside and outside an eye of a storm. It is never the fault of those in peril to grasp for every ounce of stillness - stability, security; whether it may be a false sense of the matter or wishful thinking, whether the weather is fine.

The film dwells on the story of how Filipinos from a rural place struggles to survive before and after a typhoon. This may seem like it focuses more on the experiences with typhoon Yolanda back in 2013, but this could also happen in every typhoon that has passed in the Philippines especially as a 3rd world country. Not only did they tackle typhoon problems, but also personal problems as well which makes it a bit more realistic and painful.

I like how the film included traits that Filipinos would do when a typhoon hits the country. An example would be in regards with our faith or how Filipinos would manage to smile especially with the media's presence. In terms of visuals, the film seems to make poverty an aesthetic which would be fine as a film since it could capture the audience's attention and make them feel like they are part of the story. Although in reality, it should not be much glorified for the media and people must actually help these survivors instead. I was kind of sceptical with Daniel Padilla's role in the film at first since it is mostly based on real life situations and it is a heavy topic to ponder upon. His instead has this mainstream image where we only see him as an actor specifically for romantic films. However, he sort of nailed this one along with his Waray language since he did play his part as an actor of his character too.

Overall, it is a great film. This deserves more recognition especially as we live in a country filled with islands which could be greatly affected by typhoons. We must support our own country's films, even if the language being used is not our main language. Imagine it with the same situation as watching Korean series or films without truly understanding the language, but still show our support thanks to subtitles.

The film feels mesmerizing and experiencing to watch in general. The movie presents the issues of Filipino in rural areas struggling in the aftermath of natural disasters to survive. It brought into light the struggle of the people of Tacloban; you feel their pain on the screen, and it is something commonality for Filipino people when a natural disaster happens every year in areas with big typhoons or floods. I also love when they show dance scenes because Filipino would do in a situation in a natural disaster. They would deny their pain by showing something positive like a dance, joke, or smile to present a face in the media. The religious aspect of the movie is another Filipino aspect that is accurate since people in the film pray for this pain to be over. A thing that surprised me was Daniel Padilla's performance in the movie. I associate the actor's acting with his rom-com movies, but in the film, he did a good performance in the role. The best part of the film is how it is surliest or magic realism in the movie without spoiling it; both the visual and music incorporating it visualize the central theme about the aftermath.

Overall, I would really recommend this movie; it deserved more recognition and screening for Filipino people and other people interested in general. It shed topic that is close to Filipinos with a breathtaking experience.

From a survivor's point of view, the movie brings back so many memories of that unfaithful day. The struggles were very much reminiscent of how we Taclobanons behaved days after Super Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the city. Above all, I'm just impressed as to how they genuinely sounded like native Waray people. It amazes me to see a representation of us Warays in the big screen.

At the end, my mother stood on the cliff and fireworks bloomed behind, contributing a very beautiful and unforgettable scene.