American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR) 2023 AJHSSR Journal Page | 121 American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR) e-ISSN :2378-703X Volume-07, Issue-04, pp-121-132 www.ajhssr.com Research Paper Open Access Defining the Realities of Overseas Filipino Workers in the Filipino Film ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’: A Semiotic Analysis Marhada A. Hadjirul 1 1 English Language Studies Department, College of Arts and Sciences, Basilan State College, Philippines ABSTRACT: This analysis is zeroed in on defining and dissecting the experiences of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), represented by Joy and Ethan, characters in the Filipino film ‗Hello, Love, Goodbye‘, starred by Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, respectively. Furthermore, this paper encompassed a comprehensive interpretation of Joy and Ethan through an analysis of different elements in the film and where they were parts of: characters, dialogues, colors, shot and editing techniques, and sound quality. Recommendations for further analysis were also included to further elaborate how a certain phenomenon can be dissected and represented in a narrative. Keywords : ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’, Overseas Filipino Workers, Semiotic Analysis, Signs. I. INTRODUCTION A narrative has been described by different scholars as the fundamental mechanism by which individuals understand one‘s life course development (Bamberg, 2004; Bruner, 1990; Polkinghorne, 1988; Halverson, 2010). According to Halverson (2010), people construct narratives as a way to understand themselves and their experiences in the world. Indeed, a narrative emerges to be a pervasive mechanism for sense-making. Further, according to Shirley Brice Heath (2000), ―the narrative form of shaping the self, others, and events, often with highly elaborated and specific detail, appears to be universal‖ (p. 125). Narrative, then, is a principal tool by which people construct their own identities. Roger Schank (1990) contends that identity is not an abstract, psychological concept; rather, identity is embodied through the narratives people tell of their own lives. Given the role narrative plays in helping individuals explore who they are; narrative theorists have proposed a reciprocal relationship between narratives of personal experience and external presentations of identity (Bruner, 1990; McAdams, 2001, 2003; Mishler, 1999; Polkinghorne, 1988; Schank, 1990; Halverson, 2010). It is through telling the stories of one‘s life that one builds notions of who they are across an array of social situations and interactions. In turn, the way people perceive themselves to be in these social situations shapes the stories they tell (McAdams, 2001). While there is no direct correspondence between the content of personal narratives and sense of identity, the sharing of narratives of personal experience with others provides opportunities for interaction around personal assumptions, beliefs, and presentation of self (Halverson, 2010). Keller-Cohen and Dyer (1997) account the significance of this link in social science research: ―In contemporary scholarship, it has become common place to observe that speakers use the site of narratives to construct particular identities … [where] each telling of a story [offers] the narrator a fresh opportunity to create a particular representation of herself‖ (p. 150). In the Philippine context, portraying one‘s self in narratives, specifically in films and television shows, has dramatically influenced and shaped Filipino‘s concept of one‘s reality. The fluidity of these platforms has squared the possibilities of mirroring society‘s norms and how an individual is viewed within those norms. According to Young Critics‘ Circle (2009), films have the capacity to create a discourse that can change society and history which entails that when the viewers distinguish that what they are watching is analogous to the events in their lives, they could possibly live by the messages expressed in the films. As such, film viewing gives value to its audience taking into consideration the reality it heightens through the varied elements of the film. It likewise provides hope due to its capacity to put together meaningful messages and exposes realities that are not apparently present by revealing veiled truths. Moreover, Lumbera (2011) stated that film viewing is not just for entertainment, but for education as well. Each film contains values, implicitly or explicitly, or hinted at through select ed situations. It shapes one‘s worldview and sets cultural values or norms by providing symbols, myths, and resources through which individuals obtain a common culture (Dates & Barlow, 1993; Kellner, 2003). To that end, media products such as film help create people‘s perceptions of social reality and influence how they understand the world in which