Being in quarantine in the past weeks has allowed people to pause, reflect, and catch up on watching good content.
As we remain in the safety of our homes, here are several more documentaries and features to watch as we spend Holy Week in quarantine mode. No need to shell out money, just check out the ABS-CBN News YouTube Channel or iWant!
1.) WITNESS A POWERFUL STORY OF FORGIVENESS IN “RADICAL LOVE”
How do you move on from the death of someone you love? This is a question that thousands of people in the world may be asking now after losing family members and friends due to COVID-19. For actress Cherry Pie Picache, who tragically lost her mother years ago, this question was followed by, “how can you forgive the person who took the life of someone you love.” In the ABS-CBN DocuCentral documentary “Radical Love,” Cherry Pie shares her journey to making peace with her mom’s assailant. It is a tale of tragedy, forgiveness, and unconditional love rolled into one that will definitely tug at heartstrings, and inspire us to cling on to faith and find strength to forgive.
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2.) DISCOVER COMPASSION IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 VIA #NOFILTER’S “QUARANTINE”
Nothing could be more relevant today than Jeff Canoy’s “Quarantine” episode for #NoFilter, which delves deeper on the COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped the world. In this moving story, Jeff looks into the experiences of Filipinos when the government imposed the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, showing viewers the difficulties many are enduring as jobs and public transportation are put on halt. The docu clearly paints why staying at home is not an easy option for all Filipinos, and how we should practice compassion during these trying times. Other #NoFilter documentaries that you can watch this Holy Week include “Outbreak,” a heartwarming piece on Filipinos who risk their health and safety to save others, and “Araw na Walang Araw,” about the struggles of Taal evacuees.
3.) MEET A DEVOUT CATHOLIC GAY MAN IN “PASAN”
During Holy Week, many Filipinos flock to provinces to witness the traditional staging of the Passion of Christ. While we are still advised to stay in our homes due to COVID-19, we can settle for a stirring documentary made by University of the Philippines students called “Pasan.” It chronicles the experiences of Roger Marcos, a Catholic gay man who portrays Jesus Christ in the Lenten tradition. The winning “Class Project” piece also delicately exposes the blend of traditional beliefs with modern practices as experienced by Roger who has raised the public’s eyebrow if he is fit to play Jesus because of his sexual orientation.
4.) UNDERSTAND WHY PHYSICAL DISTANCING IS DIFFICULT FOR THE POOR IN RATED K’S “ANGKAN NA SIKSIKAN”
To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, people all over the world have been advised to avoid crowds and keep distance from one another. It is something that is difficult to achieve for some of our countrymen, and in the Rated K feature “Angkan na Siksikan,” we’ll see why. Witness firsthand how the family of 30 live under one roof and listen to their struggles in making ends meet because of poverty.
5.) REDEFINE HARD WORK IN ANC’S “SISID”
“Mahirap ang maging mahirap” was one of the lines that struck us when the quarantine started. The driver who said this in his interview with “TV Patrol” summed up the feelings of workers like him who could not work and have nothing to feed their families. But the line still rings true for other Filipinos, even without COVID-19 or a quarantine. The award-winning Mukha documentary “Sisid,” which won a Silver Dolphin at the Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards, is a must-watch to understand why hard work won’t easily address the plight of poor families. “Sisid,” follows the life of Edgar Panasilan who dives underwater for sand as a way to make a living. He is responsible and a hard worker, and yet, he still remains poor –a horrifying reality that no matter how hard they try to provide a comfortable life for their families, they simply can’t easily win in life because poor people have less access to opportunities.
6.) UNCOVER WHY NATURE IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL IN LAKWATSERO’S “MT. APO” EPISODE
For many young Filipinos, hiking or climbing a mountain is a new way to offer a sacrifice during Holy Week. Being surrounded by nature also makes them feel closer to God. While we can’t go out yet, we can join Robi Domingo in his Mt. Apo adventure for the ABS-CBN News digital series, “Lakwatsero.” Robi went up Mt. Apo with only a handful of equipment for his survival, making the episode a fitting reminder to all of us that material wealth is rendered irrelevant in times of crisis as it forces us to relish the things that really matter.
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7.) GET EDUCATED ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL ILLNESS IN “INVISIBLE”
While everyone is on quarantine looking after their physical health, mental health should not take a back seat, especially as the things that are happening can trigger anxiety, pain, and extreme sadness. “Invisible” destigmatizes mental illness by highlighting stories on recovery and redemption by people who suffer from it and the people they love. It teaches viewers how to fight an invisible enemy, just like COVID-19, and encourages us to check on and look after each other.
8.) REALIZE YOUR “GENUINE LOVE” FOR OTHERS THROUGH GINA LOPEZ’S STORY
The COVID-19 crisis has paved the way for new heroes to rise as people are stepping up to help each other, whether through donating money, items, and food, among others. Their compassion and determination to help remind us of one of the most loved philanthropists in the country, the late Gina Lopez. In “Genuine Love,” viewers will learn how Gina began dedicating her life to serve others, and how she inspired many more to do the same. The former chair of the ABS-CBN Foundation passed away last August 2019, but her legacy lives on, as shown in this special documentary.
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Make your Holy Week a time for enlightenment and reflection at home with more documentaries and features like these on the ABS-CBN News’ YouTube Channel and on iWant for free. For more updates, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit www.abs-cbn.com/newsroom.
