What makes us keep moving on when the day has already taken almost everything from us? Joseph Vitali’s kung paano kakalas, featuring Edison Conocido, also known as Chris Brown, begins with a simple premise: a street vendor in Manila trying to sell his remaining sherbet before Christmas ends. But what unfolds is more than a story of perseverance. It is a close look at a young worker whose need to make ends meet leaves little room to simply stop, rest, or celebrate.
Edison’s humor and banter give the documentary an inviting warmth. We laugh with him and become drawn to his personality, but the laughter also carries a deeper truth. Behind every joke is the reality of someone working because he needs to, not because struggle is inherently noble. His story exposes the uncomfortable contradiction of Christmas: while the city celebrates abundance and togetherness, some people are still on the streets trying to earn enough to afford the simplest things.
Vitali wisely avoids turning Edison’s hardship into an inspirational spectacle. Instead, kung paano kakalas allows us to see the person behind the livelihood and the circumstances that shape his choices. Edison represents many of us who are simply trying to make ends meet, holding on to faith, family, and loved ones not because struggle should be celebrated, but because sometimes these are the things that make an uncertain life a little more bearable. The film asks us not only to admire how people keep going, but to question why so many have to keep going without the privilege of stopping.
