Where was the 2023 Filipino movie What If filmed? We discuss the Netflix movie and the filming locations used by the production crew.
What If is a romantic drama from Netflix Philippines.
It follows the story of two newlyweds who are setting off on a new life together, but fate intervenes, stranding the couple on an island in a storm and forcing the pair to face some difficult home truths.
Romantic drama can often be a difficult genre to get right. You need a cast with chemistry and a script that sparkles, allowing the characters to shine, learn, and move forward in a satisfying arc.
READ: Where was Make Me Believe on Netflix filmed? Locations Explained
If things don’t gel together, it can be a bit of a frustrating viewing experience for subscribers, and I would venture that fans of this genre are as demanding as fans of horror movies are. Get it wrong, and your audience will boo.
You can read a full and frank review of the film right here on Ready Steady Cut. Brace yourself, but if you are more interested in the production of the movie, why not recline on a deck chair and take two minutes to read our piece on where was the 2023 Filipino movie What If filmed?
Where was the 2023 Filipino movie What If filmed – a breakdown of filming locations
Camarines Sur, Philipines
Camarines Sur is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. The province borders Camarines Norte and Quezon to the northwest and Albay to the south. To the east lies the island province of Catanduanes across the Maqueda Channel.
Producer and actress in the movie Alessandra de Ross would state that the idea behind the isolation came from the Covid pandemic and the strain that the lockdown had on relationships.
Stranding the two leads on an island, and watching how they interact when they are stuck together with no place to go, mimics the lockdowns of the pandemic and makes the premise relatable for viewers.
Panglao Island
There are plenty of islands located in the region. The film frequently mentions Panglao island in an early scene, with our newlyweds preparing for their honeymoon.
Panglao is an island in the north Bohol Sea, located in the Central Visayas region of the Visayas island group in the south-central Philippines. The couple meet their guide on the pier, and he is tasked with taking them to the island.
Arriving on the island, the beach takes the honeymooners to a wooden railed staircase that has over three hundred steps that they climb to reach their cabin. The film makes the most of its location, and there are plenty of shots of the beach and the surrounding areas.
The couple swim, stare into the middle distance, and walk on the beach, so there are plenty of views of the island and the ocean it sits in.
Angeles City, Pampanga
Special thanks are given to Angeles City, suggesting that filming for certain scenes took place there.
Angeles City is one of the proposed metropolitan areas in the Philippines.
It is roughly about fifty miles from Manilla and is served by the Clark International Airport.
San Ramon, Daldagon
Another credit suggests that filming took place here, too.
Formerly known as Daldagon, San Ramon is a barangay located in the municipality of Siruma in the province of Camarines Sur.
It has a tiny population of under nine hundred people, with half of them under the age of eighteen.
