The Filipino Migrants: Baranggay Cinema ng mga OFWs sa Abuja

BARANGGAY CINEMA

A new Drive-In Movie is in town! That is …at least for OFWS.

Grand opening night last Saturday, September 15 at 7:30 pm.

The Philippine Embassy lent its premises for this project of Pusong Pinoy Association.

Syempre pa, isa itong naging malaking pagkakataon para ma-update naman ng konti sa mga entertainment galing sa ating bayang sinilangan. Eh, hindi naman kasi nagpapalabas ng mga Pinoy movies sa malalaking sinehan dito.

Sana ma-tap ng Philippine movie industry ang market ng Abuja if not the whole of Nigeria. Actually, merong mga nagtitinda ng mga Filipino telenovela in DVD’s. But if it will be on the big screen as in Silverbird or Ceddi Plaza, that would be something.

At sa opening night nga ng Baranggay Cinema, no less than the Philippine Ambassador Alex V. Lamadrid had graced this occasion. He also saw it as another window for a more unified community.

A community reminiscent of the actual life at home lalo na sa aming ‘baryo’– merong sine sa ‘plaza,’ at meron ding ‘talipapa,’ – habang nanunuod ay merong kinukukot – ginataan, atbp.

Regardless of the threatening bad weather, the show eagerly awaited, went on. Smoothly. Heart-wrenching drama. Until…biglang bumagsak ang ulan!

Everybody scampered for shelter with eyes still glued to the screen. Merong nakisilong sa gate ng embassy. Merong sumiksik sa me pinto. Merong umakyat na sa foyer na syang ginamit na pinaka-stage at siksikan sa tabi para di matakpan ang mga nanunuod na napunta naman sa ilalim ng mga puno. At higit sa lahat, merong mga boy scouts – laging handa – me dalang payong!

Drama. Rated: PG Born to Love You

Starring ang bagong heartthrobs ng mga pinoy: si Coco Martin at si Angeline Quinto

Story: Parents quarreled. Mother migrated to US. Boy grew up with father (who later died) hating the world. Mother came back with new hubby. Boy still hated them. Photographer Boy works in an advertising company met Tourist Guide Girl (Pinoy and Korean parents). Fell in love. Boy helped girl look for Korean dad. Boy and Girl met accident. Girl got well. Boy disappeared. Nobody found him again until girl on a tour guide stint in Tagaytay saw and confronted him – litany of recriminations ensued. No words from boy. Girl about to leave when call came from Boy’s mom revealing that Boy was found but known to be blind because of the accident. Turnaround. Reconciliation and wedding. The End (with a sigh….)

...at narito ang mga pinoy na nagsikap para magkaroon ng kahit kaunting kasayahan na naidulot sa mga medyo na- ho home sick na mga kababayan.......ang bagong pamunuan ng Pusong Pinoy Association - tulong-tulong, magkabalikat at masayang nagtatrabaho - sina John, Sheen, Andrea, Sherwin, Gel, James at Mercy. Kasama pa sina Efren at Rami. At ang mga embassy staff - Fely, Nadj, Anita, Clifford, Jabar, Michael at Mark. And of course - the Philippine Ambassador Alex V. Lamadrid

MABUHAY.

Paghahanda - hirap pala maging operator ng 'sinehan' - but it's nothing to the experts : si Efren, si John, si James

...meron bang pwedeng makalusot sa mga takilyera? sa ganda ng mga iyan - bayad agad! si Sheen, si Andrea, si Mercy, si Marilyn - bantay si Gel - ayun sa sulok baka kasi meron pang 'makalusot'......

....trailer muna ng mga local stars - nag shooting sa Usman Dam during the Family Day...

...waiting for the film to begin

...iyan ang entrepreneurial spirit ng pinoy...

...nagkakatuwaang naghihintay....

...ang Pambansang Awit at ang Panatang Makabayan - si Gng. Nadj Mangondaya at si Gng. Anita de la Cruz: habang si James, si Gel at si Efren ay naka-pose!!!