Website testimonials and publications page

“Pureza: The (Dismal) Story of Negros Sugar” by Ma. Isabel Ongpin
The Manila Times, Sat, 5 May 2018

In this Pureza, the documentary, should be a catalyst. It is a well-done, well written and well-planned, beautifully photographed with an extensive spectrum of subjects and interviews put in focus the search for Truth and hopefully, solutions.

“Film review: ‘Pureza’—an unflinching look at the Negros sugar industry” by Mikhail Lecaros
GMA News Online, Tue, 15 May 2018

There is a moment in the documentary “Pureza” when a sakada (migrant worker) is shown toiling in a sugarcane field while the audio is that of a pre-recorded interview. As the sakada labors on, his sweat visible under a rapidly rising sun, we learn that this man’s only wish over the past two years has been to earn enough to visit his home province and see his family.As many testimonials are presented denouncing the use of cheap labor over the introduction of costly machinery, there are just as many in defense of it.This is no simple task, we are informed; the man makes less than half the government-mandated minimum wage during the few months of the year he is able to find work. By the time a subtitle informs us that this scene is taking place just past 7 a.m. on Christmas Day, the documentary has the audience’s full attention, and it is impossible to look away.Taking its name from a term referring to the purity of the crop in question, “Pureza” is a new documentary from award-winning filmmaker, Jay Abello.