While 2020 has been a challenging year on all counts, there are a few saving graces that we could still point out.
Movie fans, for example, are spoiled for choice with movies to watch at home.
We saw the value of streaming technology as a tool to satiate our constant need for entertainment, especially in these desperate times.
Leading the pack is, of course, Netflix - the popular US-based streaming platform that carries a wide array of movie titles across various genres.
What's noticeable was the increase in the number of Filipino-made movies on the platform.
This is good news for us as viewers, and especially for local filmmakers who are always on the lookout for venues to screen their works.
Here are some of the local movies that have found their way to Netflix Philippines this year.
Director: Jason Paul Laxama
Cast: Anne Curtis, Marco Gumabao, Edu Manzano
Synopsis: An unhappily married woman meets a younger man in Portugal, and the two fall in love despite their commitments to others. She has a husband. He has a long-term girlfriend. Yet neither has really known love - until now.
Director: Darryl Yap
Cast: Kim Molina, Cacai Bautista, Cai Cortez
Synopsis: With dreams of having a lover since birth, a young, single woman desperate for an intimate relationship bargains with God for a boyfriend. Her love life has been loveless her entire life. But will a desperate rant to God finally attract the man she longs for?
Director: Rod Cabatana Marmol
Cast: Sue Ramirez, RK Bagatsing, Mark Anthony Fernandez
Synopsis: When a seasoned sex worker sleeps with a rookie call boy, they soon find that a strictly physical relationship doesn't completely satisfy them. They're two sex workers with a special arrangement. But can intimacy without intercourse work?
Director: Joel Ferrer
Cast: Enchong Dee, Janine Gutierrez, Victor Anastacio
Synopsis: When childhood chums Bert and Elise reunite, sparks fly -- at least for Bert, who's always loved Elise. Now that they're grown, will she reciprocate? She's his dream girl. He wants her to be his real girl, too. But she might like him too much to love him.
Director: Jun Lana, Perci Intalan
Cast: Sarah Geronimo, Ara Mina, Gina Pareño
Synopsis: After befriending a stray dog, a vibrant young woman with autism embarks on a long journey, convinced her furry friend can heal her ill grandmother.
Director: Connie Macatuno
Cast: Sanya Lopez, Derrick Monasterio, Cheska Diaz
Synopsis: When two ex-lovers revive their passionate relationship, a dark secret that connects their pasts threatens to disrupt their romance. Despite a failed relationship, they're trying again. But when a secret from the past reveals itself, love may not be enough.
Director: Jason Paul Laxamana
Cast: Bela Padilla, JC Santos, Regine Tolentino
Synopsis: A young woman helps a distraught man process a rough breakup, but the more their friendship blossoms, the less she can avoid her own personal demons. She's immersed in piecing his fractured heart back together. But how long can she ignore her own lingering wounds?
Director: Jose Javier Reyes
Cast: Cristine Reyes, Ashley Ortega, Janine Gutierrez
Synopsis: When a trio of girls tinkers with an antique Ouija board, evil spirits use them to seek justice for a crime committed years prior.
Director: Eduardo Roy Jr.
Cast: Ronwaldo Martin, Hasmine Killip, Maria Isabel Lopez
Synopsis: Barely making a living as pickpockets, a teenage couple in Manila resorts to desperate measures when their one-month-old child is kidnapped.
Director: Wi Ding Ho
Cast: Bayani Agbayani, Jeffrey Quizon, Alessandra de Rossi
Synopsis: Inspired by a 1958 Roman Polanski short, this lighthearted examination of modern life in Taipei follows two Filipino immigrants, Manuel and Dado, during their day off from work, when the chance discovery of a discarded couch leads to adventure.
Director: Carlo Ledesma
Cast: Carmina Villaroel, Mylene Dizon, Krystal Brimner
Synopsis: As the medical expenses for her daughter stack up, a mother takes a demanding call center job where the building's sinister secrets begin to haunt her.
Director: Eduardo Roy Jr.
Cast: Angie Ferro, Yves Flores, Meryll Soriano
Synopsis: An elderly woman finds her life disrupted when her family and village realize she has a chance at a world record for being the oldest grandmother alive.
Director: Sigfrid Andrea Bernardo
Cast: Cristine Reyes, Xian Lim, Rhen Escano
Synopsis: Meeting abroad, two strangers with intense desires and dark pasts enter a volatile relationship only to discover that perception and truth often clash.
Director: Veronica Velasco
Cast: Alessandra de Rossi, Paolo Contis, Joey Marquez
Synopsis: A couple on the cusp of marriage takes a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Iceland, where they find their relationship tested in unforeseen ways.
Director: Irene Emma Villamor
Cast: Bela Padilla, JC Santos, Matteo Guidicelle
Synopsis: An actress struggling with alcohol and a career in freefall makes an unexpected connection with a musician hoping to help.
Director: Marius Talampas
Cast: Pepe Herrera, Paolo Contis, Jerald Napoles
Synopsis: A bumbling crew of friends aspires to be known as the town's best thieves but plotting their first big heist seems more difficult than pulling it off.
Director: Joel Lamangan
Cast: Marco Gumabao, Tony Labrusca, Lovi Poe
Synopsis: After a tragic car crash, Gabby finds herself in a love triangle with the ghost of her fiancé and a friend seeking more than a platonic relationship.
Director: Jose Javier Reyes
Cast: Wynwyn Marquez, Enzo Pineda, Adrienne Vergara
Synopsis: Longing for a law student, a barista by day and writer by night gains the ability to turn back time and rewinds to the day they first met.
Director: Ice Idanan
Cast: Jessy Mendiola, Arjo Atayde
Synopsis: In the midst of a typhoon, a woman finds herself stuck inside her office building with a stranger whose attitude on life -- and love -- clashes with hers.
Director: Joel Ruiz
Cast: JM de Guzman, Rhian Ramos
Synopsis: A man with face blindness finds it impossible to connect with others -- until he meets a beautifully free spirit who changes his life.
Director: Easy Ferrer
Cast: Jerome Ponce, Jane Oineza, Barbie Imperial
Synopsis: When a young man with an extraordinary memory discovers he can't recall a past heartbreak, he revisits his exes searching for the mystery woman.
Director: RC Delos Reyes
Cast: Alex Gonzaga, Xian Lim
Synopsis: With the help of a spunky, lonely-in-love psychic, a deceased wife tries to get her grieving husband to move on. In the process, sparks begin to fly.
Director: Joy Aquino
Cast: Jane Oineza, RK Bagatsing
Synopsis: When two former flames cross paths years after parting ways, they face big questions over whether second chances are possible.
Director: Nestor Abrogena Jr.
Cast: Nicco Manalo, Emmanuelle Vera, Anna Luna, Alex Vincent Medina
Synopsis: Five years after their relationship ended, Sam and Isa spot each other by chance one evening and aren't prepared for the feelings that resurface.
Director: G.B. Sampedro
Cast: Ai-Ai de las Alas, Kisses Delavin, McCoy De Leon
Synopsis: A criminal matriarch with a gang of thieves is reunited with her estranged daughter, who is a firm believer of the law and everything right.
Director: Carlo Obispo
Cast: Carlos Dala, Barbara Miguel, Therese Malvar, JC Santos
Synopsis: Luis sets out to find his sister, Lulu, who the family lost contact with after a talent scout promises her a career as a singer in the city.
Director: Crisanto Aquino
Cast: Miles Ocampo, Rocco Nacino, Yeng Constantino, Joem Bascon
Synopsis: A young female writer teams up with a seasoned male writer to rewrite the script of an unfinished love story.
Director: Prime Cruz
Cast: Glaiza de Castro, Dominic Roco, TJ Trinidad
Synopsis: Two people who can't sleep spend hours lying awake while everyone else is asleep. Together they fight the loneliness that keeps them awake.
Director: Carlo Enciso Catu
Cast: Dante Rivero, Menggie Cobarrubias, Perla Bautista
Synopsis: An old unmarried couple broke the monotony of their daily lives when the woman's estranged husband reached out to them, seeking reconciliation and forgiveness.
Director: Perci Intalan
Cast: Iza Calzado, Therese Malvar, Nonie Buencamino
Synopsis: Liza is still drowning in grief from losing the love of her life when she receives an unexpected visit from someone from her past.
Director: Roderick Cabrido
Cast: Elora Españo, Barbie Forteza, Nora Aunor
Synopsis: A woman chosen to keep an age-old tradition alive must now choose between her granddaughter's life and the belief that shackled her in solitary confinement.
Director: Jyotirmoy Saha
Cast: Migo Adecer, Julie Anne San Jose, Ruru Madrid, John Arcilla
Synopsis: When tragedy and the search for his real father bring him to Manila, a basketball star finds a home on an unlikely team of misfits in search of glory.
Director: Dan Villegas
Cast: Angelica Panganiban, Carlo Aquino, Dionne Monsanto
Synopsis: After years apart, a former couple reunites and gets reacquainted with the pains of love as they work to heal wounds from the past.
Director: Cathy Garcia-Molina
Cast: Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, Darren Espanto
Synopsis: A young couple's house was once a happy home. But with one as the breadwinner and the other looking for a big break, can love still be there?
Director: Avid Liongoren
Cast: Angelica Panganiban, Sam Milby, Robin Padilla
Synopsis: In this adult animation, perfume sales cat Nimfa is torn between her macho askal boyfriend and a philandering business dog.
Director: Real Florido
Cast: Nova Villa, Dante Rivero, Freddie Webb
Synopsis: A newly retired and long-married woman reassesses her expectations about life when an old flame reenters the picture.
Director: Avid Liongoren
Cast: Rhian Ramos, Enzo Marcos, TJ Trinidad
Synopsis: A daydreaming comic book artist's unrequited love for his best friend fuels his imagination, and his attempts to save her from her hellish home life.
Director: Dominic Zapata
Cast: Jennylyn Mercado, Dingdong Dantes, Rocco Nacino
Synopsis: The romantic relationship between a Special Forces captain and a doctor is tested when duty calls on the battlefield. Adapted from the Korean drama.
Director: Antoinette Jadaone
Cast: Liza Soberano, Enrique Gil, Jasmine Curtis-Smith
Synopsis: Eight years after their breakup, college sweethearts Christine and Raf reconnect at different points in their lives as feelings from the past resurface.
Director: Ruel Bayani
Cast: Angel Locsin, Dingdong Dantes, Angelica Panganiban
Synopsis: When her son's condition becomes severe, a woman reconnects with the biological father. But the reunion puts a strain on their respective relationships.
Director: Cathy Garcia-Molina
Cast: John Lloyd Cruz, Toni Gonzaga, Carlos Agassi
Synopsis: Years after leaving his bride-to-be at the altar, a man crosses paths with his ex and tries to make up for the past, only to find he's been forgotten.
Director: Cathy Garcia-Molina
Cast: Sharon Cuneta, Robin Padilla, Julia Barretto
Synopsis: A pair of former batchmates cross paths 30 years later when they wind up as new neighbors, and their reconnection soon blossoms into something more.
Director: Cathy Garcia-Molina
Cast: Sharon Cuneta, Richard Gomez, Kathryn Bernardo
Synopsis: As they near their 25th wedding anniversary, Rick and Cristy try to conceal their crumbling marriage while their family prepares for a big celebration.
Director: RC Delos Reyes
Cast: Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Enchong Dee, JC Santos
Synopsis: To better connect with other people -- and her own emotions -- an HR manager seeks the mentorship of a coveted escort, who soon opens her heart.
Director: Marla Ancheta
Cast: Sue Ramirez, Jelson Bay, Sandy Andolong
Synopsis: On an emotional journey in Morocco, an entrepreneur pieces together the turbulent life of his estranged mother and meets her adopted daughter.
Director: Theodore Boborol
Cast: Ruby Ruiz, Soliman Cruz, Pryle Gura
Synopsis: A devoted grandmother contends with poverty, violence, an abusive husband, and societal demands as she raises her young grandson with autism.
Director: Jun Lana
Cast: Elijah Canlas, Eddie Garcia, Jaclyn Jose
Synopsis: Surrounded by tensions and secrets, a teenage boy searches for validation and navigates life with a dysfunctional family following an HIV diagnosis.
Director: Antoinette Jadaone
Cast: Julia Barretto, Joshua Garcia, Carmina Villaroel
Synopsis: In search of aliens, a young woman's road trip becomes an emotional journey when she finds -- and falls for -- a charming companion with cancer.
Director: Theodore Boborol
Cast: Liza Soberano, Enrique Gil, Yves Flores
Synopsis: An overconfident teen bets he can make a homely transfer student fall in love with him in 30 days -- but the wager starts to play games with his heart.
Director: Jason Paul Laxamana
Cast: Gerald Anderson, Julia Barretto, Yayo Aguila
Synopsis: A former actress takes a trip to Japan, where she meets a young man who provides an escape from reality and makes her consider a different way of life.
Director: Jun Lana
Cast: Paolo Ballesteros, Martin del Rosario, Christian Bables
Synopsis: Three gay siblings are told by their terminally ill father that they must each produce a grandchild in order to inherit their share of his fortune. They live life on their terms. But to get in on the family inheritance, they'll have to use their gifts to their advantage.
Director: Mae Czarina Cruz
Cast: Bea Alonzo, Dingdong Dantes, Enrique Gil
Synopsis: When his best friend gets stranded in the rain and becomes the subject of a romantic viral video, a morning show host must confront his true feelings.
Director: Jun Lana
Cast: Eddie Garcia, Princess, Bibeth Orteza
Synopsis: Gruff and alone, retiree Rene rejects most human contact but begins to soften when he comes to terms with his homosexuality.
Director: JP Habac
Cast: Elisse Joson, McCoy De Leon, Bembol Roco
Synopsis: A college student seizes his chance with a crush when an unexpected encounter turns into a night of bold dares, deep confessions, and possible romance.
Director: Derick Cabrido
Cast: Kim Chiu, JM De Guzman, Tony Labrusca
Synopsis: A young reporter's investigation into a string of grisly suicides takes a dangerous detour when she follows the clues to a cursed stretch of road.
Director: Cathy Garcia-Molina
Cast: Kathryn Bernardo, Alden Richards, Maymay Entrata
Synopsis: In Hong Kong, the lives of two overseas workers intertwine as they navigate daily duties, career aspirations, and romantic possibilities
Director: Prime Cruz
Cast: Maine Mendoza, Carlo Aquino, Lotlot De Leon
Synopsis: When an aspiring architect falls for her deaf neighbor, they develop a connection and set out to form their own language despite their difference.
Director: Mario Cornejo
Cast: Sid Lucero, Gwen Zamora, Annicka Dolonius
Synopsis: Believing he's the son of film director Francis Ford Coppola, a surfer from the Phillippines confronts his past while struggling to find a way forward.
Director: Khavn
Cast: Justine Samson, Pio Del Rio, Warren Tuano
Synopsis: In the US-occupied Philippines, a small boy flees his hometown with his grandpa and must survive the wilderness with a toddler he takes under his wing.
Director: Victor Villanueva
Cast: Jaclyn Jose, Chai Fonacier, Paul Vincent Viado
Synopsis: With her children in tow, Iyay embarks on a rowdy road trip from Cebu to Dumaguete to attend her estranged husband's funeral.
Director: Jade Castro
Cast: Mart Escudero, Lauren Young, Kerbie Zamora
Synopsis: A cursed teen jock suddenly becomes gay and has to battle his newly fabulous impulses, a homophobic serial killer, and a bevy of undead drag queens.
Director: Ivan Andrew Payawal
Cast: Elijah Canlas, Kokoy de Santos
Synopsis: In this recut of the popular web series, live-stream gamer Cairo calls for a rematch after losing to newcomer Gavreel--and an online romance blooms.