Reflection Paper for Hello, Love, Goodbye

Introduction
The film centers on the love story of Joy (Bernardo) and Ethan (Richards), Filipino workers
based in Hong Kong. Ethan, a bartender, is keen on romantically pursuing Joy, a domestic helper
who is wholly dedicated to providing for her family.

Main Body
Though mentioned every day in passing, those three words can change lives—Ethan del
Rosario's and Joy Fabregas' included—as we see in Hello, Love, Goodbye, directed by Cathy
Garcia-Molina. Selfless and diligent Joy, played by Kathryn Bernardo, hustles day and night in
Hong Kong just to provide for her family back in the Philippines while free-spirited and
outgoing Ethan, played by Alden Richards, concocts drinks and juggles women without any
regard for making deeper connections. Discussing the trials and sacrifices of Overseas Filipino
Workers in foreign lands, the film shows how responsibilities and commitments can bring two
people together, but also drive them apart. The glamorous streets and malls of Hong Kong, as
well as its popular tourist destinations like Disneyland, are not to be missed, but that's not all that
the city has to offer. In between the shiny glass and steel beams is a Hong Kong that's very much
alive, filled with pockets of people hard at work carrying the city's weight on their backs. It's not
as posh or as sleek, but this side of Hong Kong is human and shows the city from a new
perspective. There are no words to properly capture how difficult it is to be an OFW, and a
domestic helper in this film specifically. Joy, along with her fellow Filipino workers, often gets
into fights with her foreign boss and is only permitted breaks on Sundays. She's not allowed to
engage in any other business outside of being a domestic helper and she has been separated from
her family for years, with little to no appreciation and understanding given in exchange for the
many sacrifices she has made. You meet someone in your life and you've given it your all only to
be left high and dry. It only makes sense for you to be fearful of giving love another shot, going
as far as to say you'll never love again, but then you meet someone absolutely intriguing and
magical and for a moment, you consider giving them a chance. Hurt and baggage from previous
relationships can weigh anyone down (we're looking at you, Ethan), but closing doors on
possibilities is even sadder.

Ethan and Joy were stuck for a point in time until they finally decided to take their fate into their
own hands and do what they always dreamed of doing. Changing habits is a difficult path to
tread, but both of them know that if they really want to get somewhere, they have to change their
mindsets and get down to business. We're not saying choosing one over the other is always right,
but as Bernardo asked in the film, "Kung mahal mo ko, bakit pinapapili mo 'ko?" Thing is, there
are points in your life you might not be able to have everything you want, but it's all a matter of
carefully weighing your options and going for whichever your heart feels more strongly about.
Times can get tough and for some, they hold it out for their loved ones or other important people.
In Joy's case, there was never a day in her life when she thought of herself. There's this
investment in being selfless to a fault but it prompts the question, "When do you choose
yourself?" It can be easy to get used to prioritizing other people, but it's not bad at all to, for
once, think about what you want and what you see for yourself. Every relationship requires an
adjustment, especially when it comes to communicating. And no matter how clear you think you
are, there are times when you might need to be even more straightforward—as Ethan and Joy
learn the hard way.

Conclusion
Hello, Love, Goodbye follows the lives of Joy Marie Fabregas, a hardworking no-nonsense
OFW who has the busiest schedule on earth, and Ethan del Rosario, a happy-go-lucky bartender
and a ladies’ man, who has all the time in the world to pursue Joy. Their story is one filled with
struggle, misunderstanding, to eventual acceptance and love. We salute all hardworking OFWs
who have to juggle more than one job just to make ends meet. In the movie, Joy in particular,
barely had time to rest, let alone, eat at a slow pace. Like many OFWs, she kept up a strong
front, hiding the stress that often went undetected during video calls with her family in the
Philippines. Who knows what other hardships OFWs could be concealing just to provide for the
basic and material things that their families need back home?

Travel or living overseas might sound convenient but you pretty much get the real picture in the
movie. There are struggles and realities abroad that nobody normally talks about.