Batanes (2007)

When Pam meets Ivatan Rico in Manila, they have a whirlwind romance and she decides to give up her meaningless, stressful city life and following him to meet his parents, Boy and Lydia, and marry him. The sea immediately intimidates her and shows its power, telling her how it can end everything with a strong toss of its waves. Pam tries to adapt to the Ivatan way of life, but she also starts to hate the sea that Rico loves so much. Despite all these adjustments, she's happy with Rico and her new life. But everything changes when Rico doesn't return from fishing. Devastated, Pam blames the sea; realizing that she can't stay in Batanes without Rico, she decides to leave. But before boarding the boat, she realizes that the sea is laughing at her defeat, so she decides to stay. But she cannot forget Rico. On the anniversary of his death, she sails to the Ivujos Island and gets stranded there by an angry storm. She then sees a man lying facedown in the sand. For a moment she thinks it's Rico, but it is a Taiwanese man, Kao. She administers to his wounds and brings down his fever. When the storm breaks, she drags him to her boat and takes him back with her. The villagers, especially Boy and Manuel, are reluctant to accept him, since most Taiwanese fishermen fish illegally in the waters of Batanes. As Pam takes care of Kao, she starts to be drawn towards him and feel that he's 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 and eventually separate them? Essentially a picturesque romance, Batanes also explores the intimate portrait of a woman's relationship with the sea.