Working with others

People, circumstances, and events all contribute to our life experiences. Every new thing we do gives us a new perspective on things we've done less of or never done before. I recently had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with fellow actors from all over the world, mostly from Manila and the United States. This opportunity has allowed me to gain new perspectives on acting in particular and filmmaking in general.

We discover what we have in common as well as our special traits through a new experience of interacting with others. We should be proud of what we have and what we can do because of this experience. On a different side, learn to understand what we don't have or don't have enough of from others.

We share many characteristics with others, but we can probably differentiate ourselves in terms of the gravity of manifestations. One distinguishing feature is our commitment to what we do. We demonstrate a high level of devotion to what we do. We are able to put other, more critical goals on hold in order to achieve something that is dear to our hearts. The way we do things shows such commitment. We make sure that we are in the set ahead of time, and ready for the take.

Our Filipino actors' acting skills are also among the greatest in the world. We feel at home in this department because we have a diverse spectrum of human experiences as well as a social environment that causes a number of emotional responses. Our award-winning films have gained international acclaim. They have left us with remarkable Filipino stories and our actors' acting skills. The likes of Nora Aunor and Jaclyn Jose are just few of the many actors who have carved names in the international cinematic screen.

Another factor is how we handle those who aren't part of our community. We believe it is our duty to put them at ease and make them feel at home. It is in our nature to bear the responsibility of ensuring that they have the best possible experience with us. We take it seriously and strive to give the best service possible.

On the part of our foreign counterparts, it cannot be denied that they have the most advanced technologies. It is in this department that we humbled ourselves to their great film technologies. From filming to final editing, we just have to give our grand salute.

Local Cebuano actors provide hospitality, fellowship, warmth, and expertise to our international counterparts. Regardless of how short or non-existent our speaking lines are, we take our roles very seriously. We give justice to our roles.

Filmmakers are strictly adhering to the SOPs, which unfortunately include some of our local actors playing primadonnas. Finally, collaborating with international filmmakers and actors has greatly aided in honing my craft as an actor and as a person, as well as raising my awareness to be more sensitive and understanding.

We should never try to outperform others; instead, we should strive to learn from them. However, we should never stop striving to be the best we can be because that is something we can manage when the others can't.