Jonathan Frederic De Santos

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Anna Cerezo, ABS-CBN News

Anna Cerezo

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — South Korean director Nam Ki-hoon revealed that witnessing the Filipino &quot;Bayanihan&quot; spirit during a Cebu earthquake inspired his latest project—a romantic comedy film celebrating the resilience and warmth of the Filipino people.The director behind hit series such as “Big Bet,” “Kiss Sixth Sense,” and “Confidence Queen” explained that he found the Bayanihan spirit to be a unique and moving cultural trait.“Last September, I stayed in Cebu for a month for a personal trip— and while walking outside, earthquake struck. I was at the epicenter. I noticed people began running out— but they weren&#x27;t thinking of themselves; they were helping other people too, including me,” he recalled in an interview.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/9/12/park-min-young-s-new-k-drama-confidence-queen-filmed-scenes-in-ph-1957">Park Min-young&#x27;s new K-Drama &#x27;Confidence Queen&#x27; filmed scenes in PH </a></div>“That is not something that happens in Korea. That was something we don’t see in Korea, not everyone is close,” he added.Nam hopes the film will help shift the perspectives of foreigners who may be hesitant to visit the country.“The Philippines is often portrayed as dark [place] where a lot of unfortunate things happen. I want to break that perspective and show them [the world that] the Filipinos are kind and have a good and warm heart,” he said.“I noticed Filipinos have so much love to give out to other people. The project we are preparing will show the good side of Philippines and how warm and passionate the people are. I am excited to see how we wil be able to express the positive side of the Philippines.”<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2026/3/8/cebu-featured-in-netflix-k-drama-boyfriend-on-demand-1011">Cebu featured in Netflix K-drama ‘Boyfriend on Demand’ </a></div>Partner producer Tristan Cheng teased that while the lead actor will be a famous South Korean star, the leading lady will be a Filipina. Nam described the actress they are looking for as “bright, cute, and energetic.”“We are eyeing to do a casting call for the leading in the following month and the sub actors,” Cheng said.“We are looking for someone who will have good harmony with the male lead. At the moment, we are still searching,” the director explained.While the name of the leading man is yet to be disclosed, Cheng assured fans that they are casting an actor with a strong following in the Philippines.“We are working to bring the best. Someone you are very very familiar with. Someone in the past shows you have been watching including the big screen,” he teased.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2026/1/21/big-stars-lead-netflix-s-2026-k-content-lineup-1511">Big stars lead Netflix&#x27;s 2026 K-content lineup </a></div>The project will feature a mix of Filipino and Korean talent but the majority of the cast, creatives, and production team will come from the Philippines.The script, while written by Korean creatives, but, co-producer Ilho Lee said they “are going to get a Filipino writer to add nuances to make sure Filipinos will be able to relate and it will be a Filipino film.”The director and producers also noted that their goal is to showcase the &quot;hidden gem&quot; destinations across the Philippines.

The director behind hit series such as “Big Bet,” “Kiss Sixth Sense,” and “Confidence Queen” explained that he found the Bayanihan spirit to be a unique and moving cultural trait.

The director behind hit series such as “Big Bet,” “Kiss Sixth Sense,” and “Confidence Queen” explained that he found the Bayanihan spirit to be a unique and moving cultural trait.

Cebu quake’s ‘Bayanihan’ spirit inspires new film by Korean director Nam Ki-hoon

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Cebu quake’s ‘Bayanihan’ spirit inspires new film by Korean director Nam Ki-hoon

Anna Cerezo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 21, 2026 01:14 AM PHT

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Nam Ki-Hoon

Cebu

Tristan Cheng

Ilho Lee

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