Kathryn Bernardo hopes to show challenges of OFWs in ‘Hello, Love, Again’

MANILA — Actress Kathryn Bernardo hopes to show different layers of challenges of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with “Hello, Love, Again” as the follow-up film of “Hello, Love, Goodbye” is now set in Canada.

“It’s more of excitement and halo-halong emosyon, but then seeing everybody here, ramdam na ramdam namin ‘yung support and excitement niyo and parang ‘yun ‘yung nagfu-fuel sa ‘min na makapagsulat uli si Ate Carmi, magsa-start na kaming mag-shoot soon,” Bernardo told reporters.

“It’s not gonna be easy but here we are. This is so exciting. We thought we already said our goodbyes but here we are saying our hellos, as Kapamilya, as Kapuso, and this is a lot of firsts. Excited lang siguro ako. Thank you for giving us another opportunity to tell another story and continue sharing Ethan and Joy’s story but this time in Canada,” she added.

In a press conference on Sunday, Bernardo admitted how challenging to it is to continue the journey of Ethan (Alden Richards) and Joy (Bernardo).

“I was surprised too but I got really excited, just the usual, kung gaano kahirap gumawa ng sequel kasi for me ‘di ko naman in-expect na magkakaroon ng sequel ‘tong ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye,’ this year, after I did ‘A Very Good Girl’ and all,” the actress said.

“It feels very familiar but at the same time it’s different this time because it’s been five years. Five years is such a long time, I’ve changed, I think we all did, lahat tayo nagbago. I’m just curious kung ano’ng mabibigay namin this time around,” she added.

“Because when we shot ‘HLG’, I was just 23 and then now I just turned 28 so ‘yung 5 years na ‘yun ano’ng nangyari sa growth namin personally and of course kung ano naman magiging growth when it comes to Ethan and Joy. Tinatansya pa namin but then it’s an exciting feeling.”

With many unanswered questions and more untapped narratives of OFWs, Bernardo saw the vision for a sequel and said yes.

“We were all hoping na actually pwede pa talagang sundan kasi actually as we all know open-ended ‘yung ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’ pero not until this year. Actually, ‘yung fear when Tita Cory (Vidanes) told me about this film, siyempre natakot ako kasi ‘di ko alam kung should we just leave it as it is or maybe gumawa na lang ako ng bagong kwento ni Alden or better na ituloy siya,” Bernardo said.

“Nung pinag-isipan ko siya if I put myself aside not being part of the cast para me rin ang dami kong questions, ang dami kong gustong malaman. For me, I think ‘Hello, Love, Again’ will provide the answers to my question and to all our questions hopefully but this time naman sa ibang setting which is in Canada,” she added.

“Ang daming maganda at the same time sad stories that we want to tell, I think this is a good continuation sa ibang aspeto naman.”

With the pandemic and the continuing changes in working as an OFW, Star Cinema’s Carmi Raymundo is certain that they will bring something fresh with “Hello, Love, Again.”

“Noon pa lang mayrooon nang feeling talaga na mangyayari. ‘Di pa pinapalabas noon, hindi pa namin alam, mayroon nang gut feeling. Ang daming nangyari, nagka-pandemic so parang hindi na. Even that parang nagkaroon ng bagong dimension ‘yung kwento, they are global Filipinos and a global event happened, imposibleng walang naging kwento at naging impact sa kanila ‘yun,” Raymundo said.

“It’s familiar yet it’s different, a lot of changes kasi 5 years from 2019 nung natapos ‘yung ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’, sakto ang daming nangyari sa mundo after. Nung lumipad si Joy papunta ng Canada, nagkaroon ng pandemic, nag-shutdown ang buong mundo. Ang daming nabago,” she added.

“Ang ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’ ‘yung dalawang characters kasama ‘yung mundo kung saan sila nandoon doon sa kwento nila mismo.”

While set in a different location, director Cathy Garcia-Sampana that Joy and Ethan will stick to their core to navigate their journey.

“Tinutuloy lang natin ang kwento, lumilipat lang ng lugar pero ganoon pa rin, this is about Filipino workers, working and living abroad. Grabe, may iba palang kwento ‘pag lumipat ka na ng bansa,” she said.

“The journey and the learnings na nakuha namin from OFWs sa Hong Kong, na-realize namin, ibang-iba sa mga nasa Canada which excites me kasi at least alam ko may iba kaming ikukwento. Kahit ano’ng pagbabago nangyayari sa ‘tin, may natitira pa ring ikaw pa rin, naiiwan ‘yung core.”

“Hello, Love, Again” is scheduled to hit cinemas on November 13, 2024.

“Hello, Love, Goodbye” was the highest-grossing Philippine film of all time until January 2024, when it was surpassed by “Rewind.”