Paano Kita Iibigin

5/5

Fans of songbird Regine Velasquez and heartthrob Piolo Pascual had been waiting for this movie for two years now. And as an avid Regine Velasquez fan, my anticipation for this movie was unexplainable. That’s why days before its first day of theatrical showing, I promised myself that I’m going to watch it on its first day, rain or shine!

May 30, after my first class, I rushed to Glorietta 4 to catch the first screening at 12:50 pm. I was not expecting that crowd thinking that it was the first screening and people might be at work since it’s Wednesday, 12:50 pm. But I was wrong because at the time I bought my ticket and made my way inside the movie house, there were a lot of people occupying the seats already and by the time the movie started, the first three rows from the screen were the only one’s not occupied. There were even some that chose to just stand up to be able to get a better view.

After watching the movie, I dare say YOU’LL MISS HALF OF YOUR LIFE IF YOU WON’T WATCH THIS MOVIE!!! And I mean that!

I’ll give you FIVE reasons why you should go and see this movie:

1. It is very rare that we find a local movie that has depth and so much SUBSTANCE in it. This movie if I may say so is oozing with substance. And it’s very, very different in such a way that it gave a typical Filipino romance flick a different perspective. It’s not your ordinary kilig-kilig, pa-cute Tagalog romance, it’s so good! Everything in the movie is FRESH!!! I didn’t notice any cliché at all. The movie in general is very realistic. The acting of everyone in the film was perfect. A totally different Piolo and Regine are in this movie.

2. I have to commend the writers for a well-written story. I love the fact that they did not relied on fantasy and just offered a love story that has so much out of this world element. John Paul Abellera, the script writer, made a job well done in this movie. There was never a “trying-hard” line. Every dialogue was perfect. I really noticed that they made it a point that every dialogue in the script fits the characters, the scenes, the emotion of that particular act and the over all tone of the movie. One thing I also admire about the script was that they did not use cliché, over-acting lines. Especially when the main characters were professing their love for each other, the words they used were carefully chosen and were not baduy!

3. I have seen all of Regine Velasquez’s movie and indeed, I can say that this movie is her best to date. This movie brought out the actress in her. Here, she proved that she’s not only the best singer in Asia, she also established that she’s one of the excellent actresses we have here in the Philippines. Regine Velasquez deserves a Best Actress trophy for this movie. Not only was she admirable in this film but also stunning and exceptional. Regine Velasquez was really great in this movie. Two thumbs up, Songbird!

4. What can I say about Piolo Pascual??? He’s fantastic in this movie. He doesn’t need to speak just by his facial expressions you’ll know what his character’s emotion is. I particularly love the scene where he’s inside the mini airplane and was just crying. I BOW DOWN TO YOU PIOLO!!! You’re the man! And of course, he’s so yummy!!! Gosh!!! I’m so speechless. I’m drooling the entire time I was inside the movie house.

5. This masterpiece was directed by Direk Joyce Bernal and she deserves a standing ovation for this film. It’s like she never runs out of bright ideas for a romance movie. She’s one of the best directors we have and I really love her. There was never a dragginf scene in this movie. Every shot was just perfect and rightfully done. One thing I love about Direk Joyce is that she knows what she wants and if it’s a romance movie by her, expect it, it’s DAMN SO FABULOUS! I admire how she directs love scenes. Very, very good!!! For this particular movie, the love scene and kissing scenes were sensual and very passionate but still it appeared extremely wholesome.

For a person like me who has watched a hundred romance movies, I say this is one of the best I have ever seen. This co-production between Star Cinema and Viva Films is amazing! It’s all worth it and I highly recommend it.

“Paano Kita Iibigin” is a great movie. It offers a great deal of romance and the right amount of drama and humor. Go and WATCH IT!!!

P.S. Eugene Domingo rocks!!!

I give up!!! It's really not my thing...

People around me are already confused and I must admit, I, myself is also confused with what I really want. It’s very ironic how I long to have a boyfriend, someone who’ll love and accept me for who I am, and then when love comes my way, a boy is there…so ready to love me, suddenly, I feel so awkward that I want to be shielded and it’s like “No! I don’t want a boyfriend. I’m not yet ready. I’m still enjoying life, being alone…single. I don’t want someone making gulo and pakialam with my life.” And I would suddenly realize that I am really not yet ready and I’ll just end up hurting somebody else’s feelings if I’ll force myself to be in a relationship. So I guess this is the reason why I’m single most of the time.

This summer, I’ve been through a lot of things, emotionally. And I can say that they have made me a better person. I can’t say that I’m matured enough but I know that it will come. Anyway, maturity is a process and experience will be my guide.

I had a realization also this summer that I shouldn’t feel bad about online get-to-know each other and meet ups cause after all, I’m gay and for me to hope for a romantic first encounter is just impossible. Maybe if I am in Manhattan in New York, a romantic encounter will be possible but I’m not there. I’m here in the make-believe conservative country…the Philippines. So to hope for something like that will happen to me is a punch to the moon. Ok, so I’m not saying that this kind of phenomenon in the local gay community will not happen. Of course it will or should I say it did happen already but it’s one in a million. So what’s my guarantee that I’m one of the chosen few??? And so this summer, I plunged myself into this so called online get-to-know each other thing. And what can I say??? Yes, I did enjoy it. I would be a hypocrite if I say I didn’t. Of course I love the compliments and I love it when cute guys message me and ask me out.

But after engaging in it for quite sometime, I have come to realize that this “thing” is really not for me. Maybe a lot of gays and bisexuals enjoy it but not me. Honestly, it doesn’t give me satisfaction at all. It doesn’t give me pleasure and I can’t go away from the fact that it’s such a desperate move cause it’s like looking for someone to love. I don’t know but there’s something in me that’s so convinced that this online get-to-know each other thing is so cheap aside from the fact that it’s very, very unsafe. To think that you’re going to meet up with someone you don’t know and who knows if he is a criminal or a bad person. And to be honest, I’M REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MEET UPS!!!

And so after much consideration, I am proud to say that I’M GIVING IT UP! for the simple reason that it’s not my thing. And I don’t think I’m ever gonna regret giving it up. I won’t miss it at all. I’ve given up my faith that someday I will come across a guy in the cyber world and probably we can try to fit in a romantic relationship. I don’t see it happening to me. It’s just not my thing.

So maybe I’m gonna wait for someone to come in to my life and wish for a romantic first encounter to happen. If that moment wouldn’t come, then maybe I’m destined to be single forever. Well…what’s wrong with that? I mean maybe it’s my fate and I have to accept that.

Anyway, I’m still young and there’ll be more men coming…maybe I’m gonna meet him in the workplace... why not?!

And just a thought…you don’t look for a special someone. He will come!

All you have to do is wait for him to come in to your life and when you feel that he’s the one… NEVER LET GO!