At the end of the media launch and preview of Netflix docuseries ‘I Love Filipino,’ you can get a sense of pride after watching three of the five episodes and hearing sentiments in creating the series from director and producer Marnie Manicad and host Jiggy Manicad.
Embark on a journey to celebrate all things Filipino – from art and architecture to culture and cuisine – in this immersive series, ‘I Love Filipino’ – now streaming exclusively on Netflix.
After the three-episode preview, we asked director and producer Marnie Manicad and host Jiggy Manicad some questions:
Why did you produce ‘I Love Filipino’?
“Team MMPI has always been on the lookout to best serve God and the country, so the best way we can is by producing something that we can all be proud of. Personally, it’s my way of giving back in serving the country,” director and producer Marnie Manicad shares.
“The operational word is love. Binuhusan ng pagmamahal ‘yung production from pre-production, from research, scripting, to production, post-production, color grading, music, sound design, talagang binuhusan namin ng pagmamahal para naman kapag napanood na ng buong mundo, talagang masasabi mong nakaka-proud maging Filipino,” Marnie Manicad continues.
What do they want people, especially the Filipinos to get from watching ‘I Love Filipino’?
“Bago namin pinroduce ‘yung series, tinanong namin, ‘ano nga ba ang Filipino?’ Throughout the series, masasagot ‘yung tanong na ‘yun, as you’ve seen in the culinary episode, the music episode, in the architecture episode. Of course, dahil maiksi lang ‘yung oras natin, it’s 30 minutes per episode, we really try to answer that question and there are so many more facets of being a Filipino that we can also show to the world but this is a glimpse of what we Filipinos are. Kumbaga, ‘yung culture natin, naibahagi natin, a glimpse of it. Hopefully, something the Filipinos here and abroad will support and those sa mga makakapanood na hindi natin kalahi, mas maiintindihan nila na ‘yun pala ang Filipino food, ‘yun pala ang Filipino music, ‘yun pala ang Filipino architecture,” Marnie Manicad shares.
What were the challenges in trimming all of it in just a 30-minute 5-episode series?
“The first cut actually, was actually 1 hour and 10 minutes. We had to trim it down to 30 minutes, the longest would be 36 minutes, the culinary episode. It’s very difficult but we need the audience to stay engage and we would also want them to watch all five (episodes) in one sitting hopefully. So, it’s difficult pero if tatangkilikin itong ‘I Love Filipino,’ we can create more content. We just need to make it to number one,” Marine Manicad answers.
If there was an additional episode, what would they want the topic to be?
“Kasi a lot of topics in mind pero if we do make it, if we get a season two, then it would be, diba when you travel abroad, don’t you agree that we have the best beaches in the world? The best, wala nang gaganda pa. Amanpulo, so beautiful, Boracay. So, I think that would be on the list (of episodes), beaches,” Marnie Manicad says.
“Ako meron, fashion,” Jiggy Manicad adds.
“Ang daming pwede, of course Mama Rene (Salud) in the house, Michael Cinco, marami pa tayong alam na tribes,” Marnie Manicad continues.
Watch our coverage of the Q&A below: