Back in August, I flew to the Philippines as the set photographer on a film called “Dyahe Piece” that my friend Coco Tolentino wrote and directed. It wasn’t my film, and it wasn’t my story, but it actually became one of the most fulfilling projects and trips I’ve done in a while.
Full Disclosure: This story and Coco’s short film were made possible by Fujifilm, and all photos from this trip were shot on Fujifilm cameras — in my case, the X-T5 and the GFX 100 II.
This was going to be my first time on a real film set, and I had no idea what to expect. I came into the country with no plans, no expectations, and no agenda other than to help my friend work towards his goals. So the trip felt very different and out of my comfort zone, to say the least.
I’ve also never been to Southeast Asia, but I immediately felt at home once the humid air hit my skin and didn’t leave. I grew up spending summers in Taiwan with my family, and the humid tropical weather felt like a warm welcome — literally and figuratively.
Usually, when I travel, I have a much better idea of the destination I’m going to. It’s usually a place I’ve chosen to travel for a specific reason, with an idea of things I’d like to do and see. But this time, I was given a set of dates to be in Manila and a job to be done. Given it was going to be my first time in the Philippines, I actually decided to extend my trip by one week on the front end of my trip to explore a different region of the country.
Cebu Island
I’ll admit that my little detour to Cebu felt a bit tacked-on at the time. After all, I flew to the Philippines to work on Coco’s short film, but here I was at an island resort by myself to do some diving, take photos, and take some time to catch up on work and rest.
Knowing I would be in a famous diving destination, I was able to arrange an Aquatech underwater housing rental for the Fujifilm GFX 100 II ahead of time, and I couldn’t wait to get in the water with it. Unfortunately, however, it turns out I was missing a rather crucial accessory that would help balance buoyancy for the housing. Without it, the housing was extremely buoyant, and I mean buoyant beyond anything I could control unless a significant amount of weight could be attached to it, and being in a relatively remote area, I couldn’t find any alternatives.
For that reason, I don’t have as many underwater GFX photos as I’d like, but I was able to manage a few in the water and semi-submerged that I’ll include below. In the future, I’d like to try shooting with the GFX underwater again to take advantage of that big sensor!
Life in the Philippines
Thinking back on it, my favorite part about this trip was actually completely unrelated to the reason I was there. It was the part where I got to experience life in the Philippines in its true form, with so many people who give it its unique flair. While we were in Manila, we mostly stayed at Coco’s grandma’s house, in Malolos city of the Bulacan province.
Coco and his family welcomed me as one of their own, often cooking meals to share at home and including me in their weekly routines & rituals. They even threw a big kamayan with their friends while I was there, and I tried to document the day as best as I could in between handfuls of rice and fish shoveled into my mouth with my hands. If I’ve learned anything from my trip, it’s that Filipino hospitality will ensure you never go hungry under their roof!
On Set for Two Days
By the time we actually got around to shooting the short film, I felt as though I’d already found a second home in the Philippines. But of course, it didn’t stop there, because we were about to have two packed evenings of filming with a nearly 70-person crew. We’d be filming for two days, from 3 PM to 3 AM each day.
Like I mentioned earlier, this would be my first time on a proper film set, and I was a bit nervous about how it would go. But while I was on set, I found myself in a groove, in an effortless flow state that comes with being both comfortable and perfectly fit for a job. I was able to move freely throughout the entire set, capturing both the little details and larger scenes that caught my attention. Documenting the human experience is what I consider my natural state of living, so being able to do it in this capacity, surrounded by so many wonderful people and things to document, was like being a kid on a playground.
When we wrapped the film on set, it felt like I had known these people for years already. I was one of only three people who flew in to work on this film, and I was actually the only non-Filipino crew member on set. I loved seeing how so many people could work together towards a common goal, and how much effort we all put into just two days of filming.
The Creative Reset I Didn’t Know I Needed
This project taught me so much about the joy that comes from working with your friends. It meant the absolute world to me that Coco trusted me to capture the essence of his film, and that I got to be directly involved with bringing the film to life in his home country.
In a time where we’re all so focused on ourselves and our own personal journeys to success, this project reminded me that the path to success isn’t a straight line on a one-way street. It’s a winding road with plenty of rest stops on the way, and it’s okay to pull over every once in a while to enjoy the view, take a rest, and help your friends change a tire along the way.
So take this as your reminder, too, to collect moments and memories that you can build with others, and not always just yourself.
Full Disclosure: This story and Coco’s short film were made possible by Fujifilm, and all photos from this trip were shot on Fujifilm cameras — in my case, the X-T5 and the GFX 100 II.
