19/08/2026
Maniwala ka muna sa sariling atin. đź’Ş
There is something hypocritical about proudly saying, “I don’t watch Filipino movies,” then explaining that they’re repetitive, cheap, predictable and cringey. If you don’t watch them, how would you know?
The repetition argument is particularly ridiculous. Filipinos have watched Marvel superheroes save the world for years. “Spider-Man” has been rebooted repeatedly, with Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland taking turns as Peter Parker—and audiences still show up.
Nothing wrong with that. The double standard is the problem. When Hollywood recycles superheroes, it’s a franchise. When Filipino filmmakers revisit romance or family, “wala na bang ibang kuwento?”
Jessica Zafra once captured this snobbery perfectly: “Some Filipinos take pride in the fact that they do not watch local movies, as if it were an indicator of their superior taste.”
Foreign does not automatically mean sophisticated. Most people skipping Filipino movies aren’t spending weekends watching obscure European arthouse cinema. They’re also consuming superhero movies, horror sequels and formulaic streaming shows. Entertainment doesn’t have to be high art. Just don’t assume it’s superior because the dialogue is in English.
Then there’s production value. Of course Filipino movies can look cheaper. They are cheaper. Hollywood blockbusters can cost hundreds of millions of dollars, while Filipino filmmakers often stretch a tiny fraction of that across an entire production.
Yet the ongoing Cinemalaya and Puregold CinePanalo prove that Filipino filmmakers can produce high-quality, original stories despite limited budgets. Not every entry will be brilliant, but the tired claim that Philippine cinema has nothing new to offer simply doesn’t hold up.
Ticket prices are a legitimate concern—until the complaint becomes, “Sayang ang pera sa Filipino movie.” Somehow, the same ticket becomes easier to justify when “Spider-Man” or another Marvel hero is on the screen. Foreign gets the benefit of the doubt. Local must prove itself before we’ve even watched it.
And then there’s “cringe.” Filipino actors crying in Tagalog? Cringe. A Korean drama doing something similarly emotional? Pass the tissues. Perhaps we’re sometimes embarrassed not by melodrama, but by seeing ourselves on screen.
Nobody should support a bad movie just because it’s Filipino. Bad films deserve criticism. But there is a difference between “I watched that Filipino movie and it was terrible” and “Filipino movies are terrible, so I don’t watch them.”
One is an opinion. The other is prejudice.
Filipino filmmakers have heard the demand: make better movies, take risks, tell different stories. Many already are.
Maybe audiences should start watching before deciding they aren’t.
