wordpress - Filtering portfolio with php -

i working on portfolio page , since don't want repeat code, have 1 database portfolio pieces. have 2 categories, work , freetime. both categories have own page. under these 2 categories, have couple subcategories. work has holland, england, germany , freetime has belgium, france , spain.

how can make sure when don't select subcategories freetime, portfolio item doesn't displayed under portfolio items in work , vice versa? (i hope question clear enough)

this code have atm retrieve portfolio database , use foreach loop loop through items:

        <div id="container-portfolio" class="containerp">                <div id="effect-2" class="effects clearfix">                                     <?php                     $portfolio_items = get_field('portfolio_items',165);                         if($portfolio_items):                                                foreach($portfolio_items $index => $item) :                                                                               $category_work = $item['category_work'];                                                                                         $image = $item['image'];                                                             $title = $item['title'];                                                             $description = $item['description'];                             $short_description = $item['short_description'];                                                         $website = $item['website'];                             $why = $item['why'];                             $quote = $item['quote'];                             $quotename = $item['quotename'];                                 $category_freetime = $item['category_freetime'];                      ?>                    <div class="mix <?php print implode(' ', $category_work); ?>">                                                       <div class="img">                                                                <img  src="<?php print $image; ?>" alt="<?php print $title; ?>" width="175" height="175">                                                                <div class="overlay">                                                                      <a href="#"  data-toggle="modal" data-target="#<?php print $title; ?>"                                  class="expand"><?php echo __('more info..', 'info'); ?></a>                                                                          <a class="close-overlay hidden">x</a>                                                                  </div>                                                         </div>                                                   </div>                     <div class="modal fade" id="<?php print $title; ?>" tabindex="-1" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="mymodallabel" aria-hidden="true" >                                                      <div class="modal-dialog">                                                          <div class="modal-content">                                                                <div class="modal-header">                                                                       <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal">                                     <span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span><span class="sr-only">close</span>                                  </button>                                                                    </div>                                                                 <div class="modal-body" style="text-align:center;">                                                                        <img  src="<?php print $image; ?>" alt="<?php print $title; ?>" width="175" height="175">                                                                          <h1><?php print $title; ?></h1>                                  <p class="subtitle"><?php print $short_description ?></p>                                    <p class="description"><?php print $description; ?></p>                                 <p class="why">why love it</p>                                 <p class="whytext"><?php print $why; ?></p>                                                                                                                                                                       <hr class="portfolio_hr">                                 <p class="quotetext">&ldquo;<?php print $quote; ?>&rdquo;</p>                                 <p>&ndash;&nbsp;<?php print $quotename; ?></p>                                                            <hr class="portfolio_hr">                                    <p><a href="http://<?php print $website;  ?>" target="_blank">http://<?php print $website;  ?></a></p>                                                                                     </div>                                                           </div>                                                        </div>                                               </div>                                                                   <?php                                        endforeach; endif; ?>nter code here 

if need more information me, let me know.