I've been location hunting for the past two weeks. Three towns in Maguindanao - Buluan, Datu Paglas and Pagalungan - were initially shortlisted because of their diversity in landscape and availability of technical and logistical support from both local government and private sector. But I couldn't stand the heat of Buluan. Datu Paglas poses sound problems (trucks carrying bananas ply the round the clock, causing the earth to shake even if you are miles away). Pagalungan, on the other hand, is full of s****d people.
Then I was able to talk to government representatives in Cotabato (the city of my birth) and the neighboring Datu Odin Sinsuat and they expressed their full support. So Qiyamah will be shot there. I just hope that it wouldn't be a problem to my cast traveling to these locations considering the negative publicity that both places are getting.
