Bela Padilla’s Yung Libro sa Napanood Ko tackles mental health of OFWs

Aside from being a love story, Bela Padilla’s Yung Libro sa Napanood Ko (The Book in the Show I Watched) also tackles socially relevant issues that “anybody in the world can relate to.” It has the feels of a family drama and is, at the same time, “a mix of many things,” teased Bela during a press conference.

Viva Films and Whiskey Marmalade Productions’ Yung Libro sa Napanood Ko stars Bela as the lead actress (she is also the film’s writer and director), South Korean actor Yoo Min-gon, Boboy Garovillo and with special participation of Lorna Tolentino and Boy Abunda. The flick is an official entry to the first-ever Summer Metro Manila Film Festival and is now showing in cinemas nationwide until April 18.

During the presscon, Bela admitted that she once wished to have a “fairy tale love story” of her own.

“Especially growing up as a Jehovah’s Witnesses (member), I guess my thinking is whoever is my first boyfriend, he should be the one I should marry. So my first heartbreak, dinamdam ko talaga. Kasi ang thinking ko habang lumalaki was dapat yun yung napangasawa ko,” she said.

“But my world views now have changed. I guess that was my aspiration as a child. Wala namang pumapasok sa relationship na iniisip mo kaagad magkakahiwalay kayo. So, I guess, very fairy tale,” she continued.

Likewise, Yung Libro sa Napanood Ko wants to highlight the mental health issues of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). This a “very important” topic for Bela because she witnessed it herself. “We see in the news about what’s happening to our OFWs, ‘pag umuuwi sila, sometimes talaga nakakaapekto. It’s very painful knowing the things that happened to them,” she said.

“But we don’t discuss (that) and that’s never talked about in the media — their mental health state. Because we always think that they are the strongest members of the family, they are the brave ones, that’s why they went abroad,” she observed.

“But we forgot that it’s very difficult to be isolated (in a foreign country) and be away from your family. Ang pinalaki mo anak ng ibang pamilya.”

Bela added that Lorna’s character as the OFW mother of Bela’s character in the film is “very integral” to the whole story. “Kaya ako bilib na bilib (with Lorna) because although the lines are minimal, her facial expression and body language, yung bigat ng pagiging OFW na nawalay ka sa pamilya mo, the guilt, all of it, we can see it in the movie.”

The mental health of Filipinos overseas is a subject that Bela finds somewhat relatable, especially after moving to London in 2021. She hasn’t experienced it so far but noted, “Inaabangan ko po yan and I was also worried because I’ve met so many Filipino friends who warned me about winter depression or winter blues.”

“But I think I’m just a happy person so I find ways to find the life in situations. That’s why it is very important to talk about mental health.

“Ibig sabihin sagad na sagad ka na kaya ka na umabot sa point na yung nagi-guilty ka na or nade-depressed ka na kasi ang Filipino likhang masayahin. So when you reach a point where you are sad, feeling ko, our relatives or our family don’t notice it because they think na malakas yan kaya siya nangibang-bansa. But actually, once may daing na or may sinasabi na, we should really talk about it.”

Bela wrote the script of Yung Libro sa Napanood Ko pre-pandemic, while 70 percent of the film was shot in Seoul. The K-drama Because This Is My First Life inspired Bela to make the film.

“K-drama was so uplifting, parang I found it at the time na I was very tired with work tapos walang kontrabida yung K-drama,” said Bela, who had her directorial debut in 2022 with the movie 366.

“It was very easy to watch and it was about the main character’s journey of life. So, I felt like this is a movie I want to see on screen here in the Philippines na walang kontrabida pero we address personal issues, mental health issues. So, I said, ‘I wanted to do something based on it.’”

Meanwhile, it’s Min-gon’s first time in the Philippines and to be part of a Filipino movie. Min-gon, also a Viva Artists Agency talent, was referred to by Bela’s friend and co-star in The Ultimate Oppa. They exchanged messages on

“He’s very unassuming and like he said, he doesn’t set expectations for himself. So when I got to meet him, our conversation was very open. And then he sent his acting reel over,” said Bela of her leading man.

“When we watched it, lahat ng staff nagkukuwentuhan kami, we were in a group chat, parang ito na yun, siya na yun. It’s like the role was really for him.”