'Hello, Love, Goodbye' helped Alden Richards and Kathryn Bernardo understand the struggles of OFWs

Alden Richards and Kathryn Bernardo did not have it easy having Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) roles in Hong Kong for "Hello, Love, Goodbye."

At the film's press conference Tuesday, Alden and Kathryn said they both had to undergo immersion to truthfully portray their roles; Alden as a bartender Kathryn as a domestic helper.

"‘Yong immersion, nakatulong sa amin [na] mas mabibigyan namin ni Kat ng justice ‘yong pagiging OFW," Alden said. "Na hindi po kaming magmumukha ng inaarte lang po namin ‘yong pagiging OFW." 

Apart from taking bartending lessons, Alden also took the chance to talk with actual bartenders in a bar in Hong Kong.

"Tinanong ko sila kamusta ang [mga] buhay; parang napakabilis po eh, kasi papasok sila late ng gabi hanggang madaling araw tapos matutulog sila sa araw tapos papasok na naman sila," Alden narrated.

Alden narrated the kind of struggles that the OFWs in Hong Kong have.

"Kuwento nila sa 'kin ‘yong mga naiwan nilang pamilya dito sa Pilipinas nagugulat sila na ang dami ng pinagbago like ‘yong mga anak nila. May nale-left out, may nami-miss sila because of the work because they had to work for their families," Alden shared.

Kathryn said she was not able to immerse prior to their shooting day as a domestic helper so Director Cathy Garcia-Molina had her do the immersion all throughout their month-long shoot.

"Kaya naging mahirap ‘yong buong shoot [kasi] ‘yong immersion po habang shinu-shoot ‘yon po ang movie," Kathryn said.

"So ‘yong pag-immerse sa 'kin, kung paano ako kausap ng mga tao doon — bawal ako tawaging Kathryn, na-miss kong tinatawag ng Kathryn — Joy ang tawag sa 'kin," she said.

Kathryn said her experience shooting the film has opened her eyes to things she never knew before. It even gave her a deeper understanding of how hard it is to be an OFW.

"Ang daming learnings, siguro lalo ko na-appreciate ‘yong mga OFWs. Nakita ko kung gaano napakahirap ‘yong ginagawa po nila sa Hong Kong kasi mabilis. Mabilis lahat kasi kailangan nila mag-ipon," she said.

"After the movie, ‘ito pong pelikula na ito binuo ako kasi mas na-open ako sa mga bagay, sa mga nangyayari. Hindi ako na-baby sa buong shoot po," she said.

"Grabe growth po and ‘yong appreciation kung anong meron ka ngayon kaya OK na na-experience ko ‘yon pero parang OK na mamataymatay ako doon kaya saludo ako sa mga OFWs."

“Hello, Love, Goodbye” opens on cinemas on July 31. With Alden and Kathryn are Lovely Abella, Joross Gamboa, Kakai Bautista, Maymay Entrata, Jameson Blake and Jefferey Tam. — LA, GMA News