On Tigbao: my personal take on the film

I had the opportunity to catch the screening of a local indie film named Tigbao.

When my Fil 101 teacher was talking about it, she mentioned that its theme was Martial Law and the desparacidos. And immediately, I was interested to watch the film.

The movie wasn’t what I had in mind exactly. I was thinking it was more of the city scene type of movie, involving a family who lost one of their members and experiencing it in the 80s.

It turned out the setting was in the province of Tigbao, Zamboanga Del Sur and it was about a dad who lost his son 20 years ago. Then a forensic team unearthed some bodies that were found within a school ground. The father then headed over there to find out that his son’s body wasn’t one of those that were found. Of course, disappointment and confusion coursed through his body.

The movie’s dialogues were very minimal therefore, creating confusion in the viewers' mind, that includes me.

The symbol that the movie kept showing were the chicks. I think it was because chicks symbolize life and justice (in superstitious belief.)


In my overall opinion of the movie, I would say that they did a really good job confusing me. Of course, I don’t mean it in a hateful way. It’s just that even after the movie, I was so confused and unsure about a lot of things regarding the film.

But the cinematography was great. The main actor, Lou Veloso, in my opinion did a really good job in giving us the emotion that the father must’ve felt during those days. And I think that’s a hard thing to do, portraying emotions successfully, because he made me feel like I was actually in the scene with him, feeling the same way the father felt and it was amazing.

I would watch more local movies if they made sense and had a deeper meaning like this film.

If you decide to catch this film and you get bored or confused in the beginning, I suggest just going on with it. It’s really something interesting.

It may not be the movie I was expecting but it didn’t disappoint me so much. Okay, maybe just a tad bit. But hey, I think it was worth the hundred bucks.