Batanes (2007)

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It was a whirlwind romance when Pam (Iza Calzado) meets Ivatan Rico (Joem Bascon) in Manila. She decides to give up her meaningless, stressful city life and follow him to Batanes to meet his parents Boy and Lydia (Bembol Roco, Daria Ramirez) and marry him. The sea immediately intimidates Pam and… More It was a whirlwind romance when Pam (Iza Calzado) meets Ivatan Rico (Joem Bascon) in Manila. She decides to give up her meaningless, stressful city life and follow him to Batanes to meet his parents Boy and Lydia (Bembol Roco, Daria Ramirez) and marry him. The sea immediately intimidates Pam and shows its power, telling her how, with the strong toss of its waves, it can end everything. Pam tries to adapt to the Ivatan way of life. Pam starts hating the sea that Rico loves so much. Despite all these adjustments, Pam is happy with her new life and with Rico. But everything changes when Rico does not return from fishing. Pam is devastated. She blames no one but the sea. Realizing that she cannot continue living in Batanes without Rico, Pam decides to leave. But before boarding the boat, she realizes that the sea is laughing at her defeat, so Pam decides to stay but she still cannot forget Rico. On the anniversary of her husband's death, Pam sails to the Ivujos Island. She gets stranded on the island by an angry storm. She then sees a man lying face down in the sand. For a moment, she thinks it is Rico. But it turns out to be a Taiwanese, Kao (Ken Zhu). She administers to his wounds and brings down his fever. When the storm breaks, she drags Kao to her boat and takes him back with her. The villagers are reluctant to accept the Taiwanese, especially Manuel (Sid Lucero) and Boy (Bembol Roco) since most Taiwanese fishermen fish illegally in the waters of Batanes. As Pam takes care of Kao, she starts to be drawn towards him. She starts to feel that he is a kindred soul. Language and cultural difference are no barriers as emotions rise. Love surfaces anew. Batanes provides the breathtaking backdrop to their poignant love story. Will their love win over? Or will their past haunt them and eventually separate them? Essentially a picturesque romance, Batanes also explores the intimate portrait of a woman's relationship with the ocean