Forget about the quality, forget about the cinematography, forget about the acting skills. When you grew in one of poverty stricken slums in the Philippines and have watched this series, you will know how close the depiction was in real life. Even the moduses, the actuation, the "kalakarans" are shown in a perspective of educating people who are well-off enough. I personally grew up in a squatters area where drug trade is rampant, gang fights and street riots are part of our daily lives. I must say, this series is the truest depiction of the kind of life we wish our children won't have to grow up to. Probably the reason it became so controversial in the Philippines, having the so called "elites of society" even made a petition to take it down Netflix is because it destroys their narrative. The kind of narrative that puts all the blame to the current administration but turns a blind eye to the reality on the ground. Kudos to the cast, kudos to the director, kudos to the writers and researches who captured the reality on the ground.