Art Directors: Armi Rae Cacanindin and Kiko Tolentino; Art Department

A film graduate of the University of the Philippines Film Institute, Armi Rae Cacanindin was nominated for the Gawad Urian Awards Best Production Design in her work for the Cinemalaya film “Tribu.” As a freelance production designer, art director, and assistant director, she also worked for a number of critically-acclaimed independent films including “Autohystoria,” “Now Showing,” “Next Attraction,” and “Huling Araw ng Linggo.”

In 2008, she attended the Asian Film Academy in Busan, Korea as production designer.




Set Production Assistant for Day 1 shoot - Rowena Sanchez, a film student from the UP Film Institute.


Setmen for Day 1 shoot
First-time art director in a film production, Kiko Tolentino is primarily exposed in TV primarilyduction work, first as a staff member of the art department, and later on as art director. He worked for QTV’s talk show “Moms” and the cooking show “Ka-toque.”



The Art Dept during Day 2 shoot




Setmen/Propsmen - Rommel Dimaano, Exequiel Mantilla, Fernando Sanchez, Ace Doca, Elmer Villareyes, and Ronnie Dizon

Musical Scorer and Sound Engineer: Philip Arvin Jarilla

Philip composed the musical score for the film including the Christmas song (“Sa Pagdating”). During Day 1 shoot, around an hour before the grind, Philip taught the caroling kids the song using an audio CD and a guitar. The said caroling song is also part of the Simbang Gabi sequence shot during Day 2.

A graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Music, Philip Arvin Jarilla was a delegate for the first Rondalla International Music Festival in 2004. He scored the Gawad Urian Best Short Film nominated films “Luna” and Rianne’s second film “Aninag.”

Aside from being a musician playing guitar, drums, saxophone, and clarinet, he is a sound engineer at Hit Productions and primarily works on TV and radio commercials and corporate videos. Sharing the awards with his colleagues at Hit, he won the Cannes Lions 2007 for the Shell radio commercial “Are We There Yet?” and Clio Awards 2008 for the “Lotus Spa” Radio Campaign.

He scored for a Sky Cable commercial, an AVP for the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), a Nike Video Competition 2004 video entry, a jingle for Jollibee, and music for Nescafe. He also collaborated with Rianne for Hallmark Philippines’ All About Scrapbooking Instructional Video sold at National Book Store and Powerbooks and other commercial production works. He was also the music arranger for the 28th Mr. and Ms. University International and the musical scorer for the TV shows “Pilipinas Online-Bantay OCW” and “Philippines’ Next Top Model.” During his college days, he also worked as an independent ringtone producer and musical arranger for MRM studios and a guitar instructor for Music Asia.

Sound: Mark Locsin, Herbert, and Joseph Santos

Mark Locsin, together with Herbert Relagio assisting him, was the field sound recordist for Day 1.

Joseph Santos, through the equipment courtesy of Nolet Clemente, took care of the sound requirements for Day 2.

Mark Locsin, together with Ric de Jesus assisting him, was the field sound recordist for Day 3.

Mark Locsin during Day 1 Shoot:


Mark Locsin has been in the broadcasting/film industry as a freelance field/live sound recordist/production mixer for TV commercials, films, and AVPs.

He worked for clients including Jollibee, Talk N‘ Text, Lucky Me, PH Care, among others.

Part of his filmography includes “Nasaan si Francis,” “Adela” “Inang Yaya,” “Baliw,” “Jay,” “Big Time,” “Batad,” “Putot,” “Kadin, “Tambolista, “3 Days of Darkness” “Batanes,” and “Endo.”

Mark Locsin during Day 3 Shoot:



Herbert Relagio during Day 1 shoot:





Joseph Santos during Day 2 shoot:

Joseph Santos does sound production work for various film and corporate productions.

He worked in “Kubrador,” “Sigaw,” “Road Raiders,” “Karera,” “Mansyon,” and also in international productions “Slaves of the Sea” and “Five Stages of Life.” He also worked with Rianne for video projects for the non-government organization World Vision.





Ric de Jesus during Day 3 shoot:

Nilo's Mother/Casting Coordinator: Gigi Pirote

A frequent face in TV, advertising, and theater productions, Actors Workshop Foundation scholar Gigi Pirote has been a favorite actress for a number of films at the University of the Philippines Film Institute since her portrayal in a major role for Rianne’s thesis film “Karsel.” As a character actress, she acted for a number of Asian and Filipino films including the Japanese films “Kazuma” and “Lords of Creation” and worked behind-the-scene for the film "Mammoth." She also acted in local mainstream films including “Huling Birhen," "Dos Ekis," “Gatas sa Dibdib ng Kaaway,” “Mama – Dito sa Aking Puso," and independent films like “Huling Araw ng Linggo.”

Gigi appeared on TV commercials for Procter and Gamble, Tide, Payless Noodles, Sky Cable, and Shell.

2nd Unit Camera Operator: Tricia Okada

After her apprenticeship with director of photography Boy Yniguez, University of the Philippines Theater Arts graduate Tricia Okada started working as a freelance cinematographer/videographer and photographer. In 2008, she shot a documentary entitled "Pagkanduli" in Tawi-tawi, Mindanao. In 2007, she shot the documentary "Ang Bulwagang Mais at ang Babaeng Maralita."

In 2006, she was an organizer for the Short Shorts Film Festival in Osaka, Japan and was the writer-director of "She Said She Would," a short narrative film by Toyonaka Cookie Productions.

Production Assistants: Jaja, Marie, Ace, Nino

Jaja was PA for Day 1. She's the one at the left side of frame.Marie Soriano, Ace San Pedro, and Nino were PAs for Day 2 (Marie in blue green/black shirt, Ace in white shirt, Nino in black shirt).

BTS Photos

Dustin Uy, Owee Salva, Bor Ocampo, and Ayeen Pineda took care of our behind the scene video and production stills for Day 1 and 2 shoots.

Owee's shy eh, wehehe!

Actor Bor Ocampo doin prod stills during Day 1 Shoot
Si Ayeen parang owee mode din haha!
Ummhhh... Dustin, I can't find a good pic of you... :s Well, this one, he's the guy up there... there's a good view of his back... ahehe!
Here's another shot with Dustin holding the videocam, with his face still away from the still cam, a true behind the scene guy... camera shy?? wehehe! =p