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COVER STORY
The first movie
I ever watched was Banaue, directed by Gerardo De Leon. It was a film
unlike anything I had seen before, and I will always cherish the memory of that
moment. I was sitting in my grandmother’s house, a place where I spent
countless afternoons, and together, we watched this film that would stay with
me for years to come. My grandmother, a devoted fan of Nora Aunor, was a true Noranian,
and for her, watching her beloved actress on screen was something magical.
As a child, I
was accustomed to cartoons and lighthearted kids’ shows. But Banaue was
an entirely different world. The film's portrayal of the native Filipinos
before the Spanish colonization was so surreal to me. Growing up in a rural
town in the Philippines, where Catholic traditions were deeply rooted and life
was simple, this ancient culture felt almost foreign. It was as if I was
watching a different people, a different time, and a different way of life. The
attire, the rituals, the daily lives of these people — everything felt distant,
like a story from another world.
A. beating heart
Example: Paris is the beating heart of France.
B. gather (verb)
Example: Families gather at the table for dinner.
C. whip up
Example: She can whip up a meal in 30 minutes.
