Filipino cinema and digital media are constantly evolving, yet certain truths remain anchored in our collective consciousness. For Director JP Habac, the mastermind behind some of today’s most resonant local films and the co-host of the hit Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast (AWKP), storytelling is more than just entertainment— it is an exercise in memory.
In a cultural landscape that is quick to move on to the next trending topic, Habac sits down with Metroscene Mag for our February 2026 Cover : Let Them Talk to unpack the invisible threads that tie his work together: the beauty of unrequited love, the urgent need for fearless queer narratives, and the exhausting, yet necessary, art of remembering.
The Unrequited
When asked whether a recurring theme keeps finding its way back into his work, JP Habac admits it’s not intentional, but it’s undeniable.
“Ako, hindi naman sinasadya, pero lagi akong bumabalik dun sa kapag gumagawa ka ng pelikula, yung ending lagi ay—unrequited… Kahit parang, sige, this time, magkakatuluyan na sila. Pero laging bumabalik sa parang, mas nauuna na bigyang importance yung sarili.”
Time and again, his stories resist the conventional happily-ever-after. Instead, they prioritize self-recognition over romantic completion.
“May beauty talaga for me yung parang hindi ka nakikita. Parang nandyan ka, present ka, pero hindi ka nakikita.”
But maybe this is where his work becomes most radical.
In a culture obsessed with grand gestures and mutual declarations, Habac lingers in the space where feelings go unreturned, where confessions hang, where love exists without validation. These are the stories that rarely get centered—the ones that don’t resolve neatly, the ones that feel unfinished.
And yet, they are often the most honest.
Some stories are not told because they are uncomfortable. Some are not reciprocated because they disrupt expectations. A love that chooses the self over the relationship. A character who walks away not out of defeat, but out of clarity. A presence that remains unseen, unheard, unacknowledged.
In many ways, these are the narratives we need most. Because perhaps remembering the stories that were not reciprocated—the ones that didn’t get the cinematic payoff—is what allows us to finally see.
The Stories Untold
As a vocal advocate and member of the LGBTQ+ community, Habac is acutely aware of the gaps in Philippine cinema. While the pandemic saw a boom in Boys' Love (BL) series and queer-centric media, the momentum has seemingly stalled.
"Nagkaroon ng surge during pandemic. Tapos, nagkaroon ng valentine film na two gay guys yung bida. Pero after that, parang nawala. Yun yung kulang. I think kulang pa yung matatapang na mga producers para mag-risk sa mga ganong klaseng kwento."
Beyond funding and industry limitations, Habac also points out a cultural hurdle among Filipino audiences: an aversion to reading subtitles, which often walls them off from incredible global and regional stories. Quoting acclaimed director Park Chan-wook, Habac reminds us that once we overcome that "one inch of barrier," a wealth of beautiful stories awaits.
Fighting Cultural Amnesia
Perhaps the most poignant part of Habac’s advocacy is his active fight against the Filipino tendency to forget. Whether it's historical events, political unrest, or recent acts of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, the news cycle moves fast, but the trauma lingers.
Habac uses his platform on Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast together with another great director, Antoinette Jadaone, not just for laughs, but as a critical space for social commentary.
“Tayo kasi as Filipinos, madali tayong makalimot... And sobrang apparent yun sa political and social landscape natin ngayon. So I think yung sa podcast, parang important para sa amin ito na kailangan siyang mapag-usapan lagi. Na kahit hindi June, kailangan meron kaming topics on Pride about issues ng community; or kahit hindi March, kailangan may awareness tayo para sa mga kababaihan... Parang kailangan tuloy-tuloy yung ganong klaseng usapan kasi, yun nga, dahil madali tayo makalimot.”
He recalls a specific Pride edition of the podcast reacting to a discrimination incident at a retail store. While they processed it with humor on air, the underlying frustration was palpable. "Siyempre, dinadaan lang namin sa tawa, pero deep inside nasasaktan kami," he admits, highlighting why these issues demand continuous dialogue.
"...'yung masasabi kong magiging promise ng Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast sa community na nabuo... ay tuloy pa rin sa kwentuhan. Tuloy pa rin 'yung mga bagay na kailangang pag-usapan. Kahit feeling mo walang nangyayari o wala nang pag-asang masolusyonan 'yung mga bagay-bagay, kailangang magpatuloy... Lalaban—dahil tayo ay pinalaki ng Sexbomb!"
No Story Untold
While different storytellers have different medium that they use, we all know that they pour their blood and sweat into their craft. For JP, he points out a poignant truth: a bridge between vision and a cultural milestone is one of the things that makes the story matter–the audience. That audience that sees your craft, criticizes, and loves it. Challenging the ‘colonial mentality’ that still haunts our local film landscape, with the unfair idea that “Gawang Pinoy” is somehow a step below art.
He echoes Park Chan-wook’s famous sentiment about the one-inch barrier of subtitles, applying it to our own cultural resistance. If we can just move past our biases, we’d realize that the stories we’re looking abroad are already being told; we’re not just open to them. “Marami naman na tayong film festivals na lokal, marami tayong mga storytellers, at marami tayong filmmakers na nagagawa yung mga story na gusto talaga nilang magawa. Kailangan lang i-embrace ng mga audiences at maging open sila sa mga ginagawa nating pelikula kasi marami talaga sila,” he urges.
Silence can be deafening in the creative industry, and Direk JP Habac is no stranger to this. Revealing that some of his most personal scripts that he has conceptualized, imagined, and written have been tucked away for over a decade. It’s a vulnerability rarely seen in an industry that demands constant content in this digital age. “Ako personally, marami akong kwento na hindi pa rin nagagawa na nasulat ko pa 10 years ago,” he admits.
Yet, it is within this patience that his craft grows. For him, filmmaking isn’t a race to the finish line, but a commitment to a path you explore. And that’s what trusting the process really is: believing that if a creative still stays true to his or her visions, the universe will eventually align. A reminder that art isn’t something you force–it’s something you nurture until it’s ready to breathe and see the light of day.
As the conversation draws to a close, Habac leaves a grounding message for both Filipino audiences and aspiring storytellers. For the viewers, the call to action is simple: embrace local cinema. The festivals are there, the filmmakers are creating, but the missing piece is often an open-minded audience.
For the creatives constantly questioning their path in a brutal industry, Habac offers a reality check wrapped in encouragement:
"Kailangan lang nilang magkaroon ng mas mahaba pang pasensya kasi hindi madali ang paggawa ng pelikula... Ako personally, marami akong kwento na hindi pa rin nagagawa na nasulat ko pa 10 years ago. Pero kung nagtitiwala ka sa sarili mo at sa path na gusto mong tahakin, susunod talaga siya. Kailangan mo lang talaga mag-trust sa process."
Director JP Habac’s work, whether on the big screen or through our earphones, reminds us that art isn't just about escaping reality. It's about the narrative that matters it, keeping the will to tell them , and above all, remembering it.
#MetrosceneMagCoverStories | February 2026 COVER: LET THEM TALK ft. Antoinette Jadaone and JP Habac of Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast
Executive Producer, Creative Director, Art Director, and Editor-in-Chief: Elwyn Baccay (@markelwyn)
Photographed by Gaile Geriane (@gailgeriane), assisted by Jutam Meregildo (@jutam_meregildo)
Makeup by Jia Achacruz (@jiaachacruz)
Hairstyling by Backie (@iambackie)
Styling by Angelo Vasallo (@angelovasallo__)
JP is wearing a Max&Co. (@maxandco) shirt and a HA.MU (@_ha.mu_) jacket
Videography and Lights Direction By Hans De Barras (@Bastahans) and Cloyde Godoy (@cloydegodoy)
assisted by Ayessa Espinola (@lxspnl)
Story by Elwyn Baccay (@markelwyn) and
Lanz Aron Bendaña (@la_bendana)
Shot at SINEPOP (@sine.pop)
Special thanks to
IM Rentals (@imrentals) for the microphones
#MetrosceneMag
Join the community of Young, Empowered, and Creative! Like, Follow, Subscribe to metroscenemag.com and our socials Facebook, X, and Instagram.
.png)
