Love Child (2024) Movie Script
1
Villa?
Villa?
Please come in.
Please take a seat.
Your son has Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- Villa.
- Manalo.
We had his hearing tested
when Kali was two.
He is recognizing himself
and you as his parents just now.
Kali.
Kali.
Kali, son.
Kali.
Tim Burton.
Hm?
Tim Burton.
The filmmaker?
Yes.
He has autism too.
Ayla.
Let's do everything we can for Kali.
Let's give him his own wonderland.
I don't know what you were thinking!
Ma, we have a free place to stay.
Ayla's aunt owns the house.
Plus, the cost of living is cheaper there.
So now you're thinking about expenses.
If you had just completed film school,
you could've been
the next Darryl Yap by now!
You have to own this now.
You're head of the family!
Don't be like your father!
Okay, okay. Bye.
If only you used a condom!
Over here!
There they are!
There! Aunt Tess!
That's her. Aunt Tess.
Ayla! Thanks for the present!
Kali!
I'm your Grandma Tess!
He looks like your Uncle Arnold.
Oh my goodness, Ayla!
It's been so long since I've seen you.
Damn that annoying pandemic!
You didn't even have a child.
You were studying to be a lawyer.
Drop us off at the airport, okay?
You're leaving already?
To Siargao,
then Boracay, then Bohol, then Palawan.
You lazy bums!
You're all adults, but look at this!
Good lord!
They say Ilonggos are sweet,
but you all are a bitter pain in my ass!
Here, get this.
- Oh, they're here!
- Wash it later
- Come on!
- Hello!
- Hello
- Leave the laundry!
I'll open the gate.
Good day!
- Oh, shh-shh.
- Come on. Let's go!
- What?
- Just leave it!
What the?
Every Filipino rom-com
has quirky neighbors.
So, is this our rom-com?
Come in.
I'll bring this inside.
Kali!
Kali, give it to me.
That might break.
- Kali.
- Kali.
- Give it to me.
- Give it to Mama.
- Give it to me.
- Give it to Mama.
Kali, come here! Come here!
Come here! Come to Papa.
Kali.
Kali!
- Kali!
- You might break some stuff.
Kali.
Come here!
Kali.
I'll handle this.
I'll handle this.
Kali, stop it already.
Cut it out. Please stop it, already.
Kali, stop it already.
Kali...
- Come here, come here.
- Stop it already, Kali.
Pao.
This is
Uncle Arnold.
Let me see.
He looks like Kali, right?
He had autism too.
Pao.
I think Kali's condition
is from our bloodline.
I forgot about Uncle Arnold.
I'm so sorry.
- Why are you apologizing?
- I'm sorry.
Don't say sorry. You can't control that.
But maybe when I was pregnant with Kali,
we could have tested
for his condition early.
And then what?
Like that?
No
Nobody wanted this...
Coconut.
We can do this,
right?
Ayla,
remember back in college?
What our friends said
when they found out about us?
Caught.
Right. Caught!
But
who would expect
that because of a dating app,
the top debater who never missed class
would fall for a wannabe filmmaker
who was always absent for film festivals?
I wasn't the one who fell first!
Who was always hanging out at the oval,
even though it was far from his building?
Well, of course, you'd always be
the hero in your own version.
Really?
But seriously.
Remember what they called us?
No?
Come on!
Remember? That's what they called us!
We're still a power couple.
I promise.
We'll show them we're still the same.
For us
and for Kali.
Right, rom-com indeed.
Really?
You don't own that house.
- Yes, yes.
- How are your bills?
The electricity, the food?
We're okay here.
We've found
a developmental pedia for Kali.
Who is that?
No one. Just watching something.
How's your son, by the way?
You mean your grandson?
Alright.
The cousins are all excited.
You're the only one missing.
Bye.
You like it?
Towel off, towel off.
Time to get up.
Enough, already.
He doesn't talk yet, does he?
Not yet, Manong Bonnie.
Feed him some pig's vagina.
Look at Maring.
Her mom said she didn't talk much before.
They fed her pig's vagina,
and now she never stops talking.
She talks even while she's asleep.
The same thing happened
to my friend's son.
Kali.
They took him to a healer.
- Kali has a doctor
- Yeah, he has a doctor.
- Come on, Kali
- Ayla, just try it!
Come here.
Come here.
They just needed a black chicken.
They slit its throat
and let the blood drip on the child.
They even had to tie the child down
because he went wild.
The demon was inside him.
Just try it.
Come, I'll buy.
There's no harm.
Thank you. We're leaving!
Hey, wait. I have something for you.
Thank you.
Thanks!
Just give it a try.
- I'll come back once you're done.
- Thank you so much.
You're speaking Tagalog, huh?
Kali
You're not from here, are you?
Or are you the kind
who just set foot in Manila
and have forgotten how to speak
Hiligaynon, just Tagalog now?
We're really from Manila.
Do you have relatives here?
Yes, but they're on vacation.
Oh, so, it's just you here?
You're not married?
When are you getting married?
Oh, you don't have a religion?
Your child isn't baptized?
I really like it here in Bacolod.
You guys love small talk.
You need Jesus in your life.
Especially,
since you don't have relatives here.
Jesus can watch over your child
while you work.
It's not easy taking care of a child
with this condition, you know.
Jason! Oh my gosh.
No pissing here!
Is it possible for my son
to join a graded class?
He needs to be
in a non-graded class first.
We'll see how Kali progresses.
You'll create
an individualized program for him?
Looks like you've done
your research, Mommy.
Yes, that's what they said on TikTok.
If you have a PDF copy of the modules,
could you airdrop it to me?
Uh, okay.
Ideally, they should be
in a resource room,
but the school is still looking
for the budget for that.
I heard the Department of Education
cut their special education budget.
Did you hear that on TikTok too?
On Twitter.
Alright then.
- Kali.
- Say bye to Mom and Dad.
We'll be back later.
Kali.
Come on.
It's school time!
That went well, I guess?
Pao. I'll stay here for now.
You have work at home.
You sure?
Okay.
Follow Teacher. Let's go!
Come here.
I HEARD FROM JONEL YOU'RE IN NEGROS?
HOW'S YOUR FAMILY?
IF YOU NEED A JOB,
THERE'S ONE HERE IN AUSTRALIA.
JUST LET ME KNOW.
I WON'T BE LIKE YOU, PA.
I WON'T ABANDON MY FAMILY.
Pao.
Pao, be careful. There's a staircase!
Relax. I'm keeping an eye on him.
Get back to work. I got this.
Once we've saved enough,
let's get the bedroom's floor fixed, okay?
- Okay, okay.
- Kali.
- Let's do that first.
- Kali.
Ayla, I'm tiring him out.
That's not how you put
a child to sleep, Pao.
Why not?
Kali!
He needs to know that when we say sleep,
it means sleep.
Kali needs to associate the word "sleep"
with what it looks like.
But see how happy he is.
Is it that bad if he tires himself out
until he falls asleep?
You're just giving in to him.
We need to teach him discipline.
- Kali. Look, sleep.
- Give it to me.
Kali, sleep, says Mama.
Kali!
He doesn't want to.
Of course, not right away.
We have to do this repeatedly.
Okay, okay, I got this.
Seriously!
Come on. You have work to do.
Say bye to Mama.
Did you really talk to Pareng Bikoy?
Or were you just too lazy
to go to the hacienda?
Mother! They don't need
a new truck driver yet!
Because you took too long!
And what kind of boxing is that
Hey! What are you doing to your father?!
Two more lifts.
- Hey, cover up! You're embarrassing!
- You're mother is here.
Let's pick it up later, okay?
You're early.
Stop it.
You're embarassing.
Kali, let me have your bag.
Hey, look, Kali.
Kali, Kali, look.
- Damn, what's this?
- What?
We aim for the least
restrictive environment
for kids like Kali as much as possible,
which is why we encourage them
to interact with typical kids.
But this is the third time, Teacher Anne.
At first, we thought Kali just fell.
Don't worry.
We've already called
the parents of the child
who did this to Kali for an intervention.
I'm sorry this happened under our watch.
It's sad to admit,
but sometimes it's hard
to monitor 21 kids like Kali.
We added teachers
trained in Special Education.
But rest assured, this won't happen again.
It's him! He's the one who bullied Kali.
Come on. Let's go home.
It's about time. I'm really hungry.
I'm craving for bitso-bitso.
Let's go look for some.
My stomach has been growling
for a while now.
Ayla! Ayla!
Did you hurt Kali?
Yeah! So what?!
Buddy, what you did wasn't right.
Kali doesn't have a brother.
Can you be that for him?
Do you know Kali's mom is good at judo?
Yeah, that's me. I'm his mom.
You know, when I was younger,
my mom told me to learn ballet,
but I said no!
I wanted to learn karate, aikido, judo.
Ayla
I know all those.
I can kick, punch, flip,
chop, lift, spin,
and throw bad guys around like this!
Just what I expected.
Yeah, go ahead. Run!
You're dead!
Let's hurry. Manang Maring
might be tired of looking after Kali.
I'm still mad!
I hope his food
won't taste as good forever!
If I could just strangle that kid!
How much?
One hundred pesos.
- One hundred. Do you have a hundred?
- Yes.
I'll take one-fourth.
One hundred.
- Would that be enough?
- Yeah.
Well, you pretty much scared him to death.
He'll probably tell his mom.
I don't care! I'll face his mom.
I'll show her my Pacquiao combo.
Pao.
I don't want Kali to go back there
and get hurt again.
No child should get hurt, Ayla.
Can we move him to another school?
Yehey!
High five.
- Thanks!
- Thanks.
Our curriculum is similar
to the public school's
special education curriculum.
So they get more attention.
As of now, we only have eight students
in your son's age group.
Do you have any bullying incidents here?
Luckily, we haven't encountered any.
The children's conditions are similar,
and they rarely fight.
How much will it cost us?
How much do we have saved up?
About 250,000 pesos.
That'll go down
by 75,000 for Kali's tuition.
Our grocery bill is around
11,000 a month, right?
Yeah, that includes
Kali's milk and vitamins.
Then, it's 1,500 for his pediatrician,
4,000 for electricity,
700 for water, and 2,000 for gas
How much is that in total?
I don't know.
I made films because I'm terrible at math.
Don't go there. Just stay here.
That's around
18,000 pesos a month.
- It's kinda expensive.
- Then,
I only make 25,000
from my virtual assistance work.
I'm expecting
45,000 from the video I'm editing,
but inquiries are slow here.
Rates are much lower than in Manila.
Coconut.
We need extra income, Ayla.
How about we start a small business,
like a coffee shop?
Do we have enough savings for that?
No.
- Ayla!
- Son of a
You startled me.
But, I was looking for you.
Didn't know you were having a moment here.
You startled me.
I know what our coffee shop will be.
Thank you.
I could still take it back.
It's fine.
I can still take editing gigs.
All I need is my laptop.
But that camera Wasn't it the prize
for your first short film contest win?
Yeah, but
You sacrificed your car.
Your dad's gift to you.
If I have to sell a kidney
for you and Kali, I would.
You deserve some good sex tonight.
Manang Maring,
could we pick up Kali later?
Good morning! Can I take your order?
Do you have iced latte?
- Yeah!
- Two. Medium.
Okay, two.
Just a moment.
Thanks.
Can we borrow the menu?
Sure!
Just a bit.
Okay.
Did you make this film?
Yes, I did.
I used to make films like these, too.
Films with a cause.
Keep it up.
Thank you.
Come on, Kali.
Let's go up the stairs. Let's go.
Let's go.
Get up! School time! School.
Kali.
Teacher Dan, he seems unwilling.
Kali, it's school time.
- Are you sure?
- Yes, yes. Alright then.
- Don't forget your bag, Kali.
- Kali, your bag.
- Come here.
- Go.
Look!
Sorry we're late!
Kali will start speaking in no time.
That's how it was with Kacey before.
One-on-one sessions.
Every day?
Just once a week.
Same with an occupational therapist.
They have one-on-one sessions too.
How much does it cost?
Same rate for both therapists.
That's 1,500 a week.
On top of tuition here.
Those one-on-one sessions
have been a huge help for my Kacey.
My child's condition
really is for the rich.
That's how it is
when you're a mother, right?
No matter what shape, form,
or condition your child has,
you have to accept.
She's still your child.
She still comes from you.
I really relate to that.
That's why my job is like this for her.
And I sell properties on the side.
- You're a lawyer?
- Yes.
That was my plan too
if I finished my college degree.
Finish it. You'll need
a bigger salary for your child.
Especially now that
Tiempo Muerto is coming.
Tiempo Muerto?
The sugar cane harvest just ended,
and they're starting to plant again.
Many people are out of work.
No work means no money.
But at least,
you're lucky you have your husband.
Mine, five months after our child
was diagnosed, he just disappeared.
I never expected he'd be so weak
that he'd run away
from his responsibility so easily.
Don't let that happen to you.
Damn him.
Ayla, we might wake up Kali.
Ayla.
Kali
Ayla
Hey, wait. What's wrong with you?
Are you okay?
I don't want a dildo, Pao.
Where did that come from?
Calm down. That's enough.
Whenever Kali holds something,
he drops it or throws it away.
Does he do this at home too?
Would it be better
if he stayed home for now?
He's only turning five.
Kali's age is crucial for his development.
The earlier he learns, the better.
Maybe I could sit with him
while you teach?
At least someone
would be focused on him in class.
I've researched this.
I follow this vlogger,
and according to her,
the mother should know the child's needs.
There's supposed to be
someone licensed for that.
I'm Kali's mommy.
Do I need a license to help my child?
I wonder how much they get paid.
It's just 15,000 pesos a month.
Pao, that's expensive.
Look at this.
- She's the only affordable one.
- Look.
And it looks like Kali likes her.
Do you have kids of your own?
I do. Snow. My fur baby.
Personally,
married life and kids aren't for me.
But I do have five younger siblings here.
I practically raised them
when they were little.
You sit over there.
Here, coffee.
Not many customers here either.
What are you up to?
Nothing.
Kali is so sweet with her.
He's not like that with us.
Kali.
Can you cook?
Oh, look at that.
- It's the color green, right?
- But I did it yesterday.
Kali!
Kali!
Get out of there.
Ma'am, let me handle this.
Here, Kali. Look at this!
Hey, here it is.
Come. Let's prepare dinner.
I'll go get the ingredients
from Aling Maring.
Color this.
You're learning.
- Let's play.
- Pao, get him upstairs.
And you can fold the clothes too.
Yeah.
Mama's going to start working.
Look, there she is. She's working already.
Come here!
- Please! My boss can hear you.
- Yeah, we're leaving.
Let's make Mama happy.
Remember
Papa loves you so much.
Mama loves you dearly, too.
As long as you know that,
I'm happy.
Your boss.
They're still doing videoke, huh?
Yeah.
It's almost three o'clock
and they're still not done.
Tuff.
Kali's milk is running low.
We also need to go back
to the pediatrician.
Is this still a rom-com, Pao?
Every rom-com still has its plot points.
Pao?
Are we messing up?
Is this happening to us
because we didn't finish school?
Is it because we had a child early?
I've been thinking about that too.
Maybe
at first, yeah. Because
But now
That's what matters.
We won't fail when it comes to Kali.
What about me?
What about you?
Me
Am I failing as a mom?
Nope.
No, you're not.
Don't ever think about it.
I'll take care of Kali for now.
You can head home.
Is Ma'am Ayla not here?
She's at the coffee cart.
We're catching up with Kali there.
He made some artwork earlier.
Really?
Here.
Okay, I have this. Thanks!
Okay, see you.
Kali!
So, you made an artwork. May I see it?
Let me see.
Give it to Papa? Let me see.
Did you make this, son?
Ayla!
The straws!
Wait a minute.
Ayla.
It's Kali.
Pao.
It's been an hour
and his fever's not going down.
The medicine isn't working.
I'll do this.
If his fever doesn't go down soon,
let's take him to the hospital.
- Over here! Here.
- Where!?
How is he?
His fever is too high.
Please proceed to the cashier, Sir.
The dengue screening test is expensive.
How much do we have in the ATM?
Why?
We just paid Kali's tuition.
Pao, what are we going to do?
You just stay here.
Go back to Kali.
I'll figure this out.
Wait. I'll help you.
- No. I'll take care of this.
- Pao.
Don't worry.
I'll be back.
Sure, buddy. I'll send something,
but it might not be half.
Okay, Migs. Thanks, man.
I'll pay you back.
It's okay, bro.
Text me your account number.
I'll send it right away.
What?
Don't look at me like that.
You're in love with me?
I HEARD FROM JONEL YOU'RE IN NEGROS?
HOW'S YOUR FAMILY?
IF YOU NEED A JOB,
THERE'S ONE HERE IN AUSTRALIA.
JUST LET ME KNOW.
CAN I PLACE AN ORDER?
This one.
Wait.
It's too much.
You make me drunk.
You took advantage of me, huh?
- Thanks.
- You like me, don't you?
You want to take advantage of me, huh?
If only I had something to lend you.
It's really tough raising someone
like Kali with no savings.
Ayla, with or without the condition,
it's hard raising a child
here in the Philippines.
It's so easy for others to say,
"Hey, have kids,
because when you get older,
who'll take care of you?"
But how about when you're
already struggling to care
for those who should be taking
care of you in your old age?
If only I could shove back
my three kids inside my vagina,
and even drag my lazy husband along!
Lord, forgive me!
Manang Maring,
could you please
watch over Kali for a bit?
Sure! I can handle this.
- I'll go help Pao.
- Okay.
- Go ahead.
- Thanks, Manang.
Just say sorry.
Thanks!
Dammit!
Bro!
Bro, can I borrow this?
- Sure thing, bro.
- I'll be quick.
Pao!
Pao!
Sis, is that Ayla?
Ayla?
- You're here!?
- Denise!
What happened?
You can settle your bill now, Mommy.
Then you can go home.
Excuse me, Nurse.
Did you transfer the mother
and child from bed 3 to another room?
They've already been discharged, Sir.
And if Doc gave you prescriptions,
buy them at the pharmacy downstairs.
They have all you need.
Pao.
I've been trying
to call you since earlier.
My phone died.
Let's eat.
What about Kali?
Upstairs. Asleep.
Let's eat, Pao.
You didn't wait for me earlier.
Staying there much longer
would count as another day.
It adds up to the bill.
Where did you get the money?
I borrowed from Mama.
Borrowed.
Pay her back right away.
Let's just do the groceries first.
Pay her back tomorrow, Ayla.
She hasn't asked for it yet.
Next payday then. I'll pay her right away.
Pao!
Pao!
Rice. Cooking oil. Meat.
Vegetables. Soap.
Coffee. Lots of coffee
for the coffee cart.
Pao, we have a lot of things to pay for.
Gas. Electricity. Water.
At least we don't have rent!
Then, we'll go over
these expenses next month.
My salary is barely enough
to cover the bills.
Pao, let's set the money aside for now.
It might not be enough to pay her.
Pao.
Pao.
Pao.
Pao, come on!
Paolo!
Pao, what is your issue?
She's Kali's grandmother!
When did she consider Kali a grandchild?
She always says "your child",
"his child" to our son!
Right?
When did she call Kali
her grandchild? Tell me!
She was hurt by what happened to us.
She wanted to have Kali
aborted before, remember?
Ayla, she never wanted
Kali from the start.
How much more now
that our child has this condition?
But what if Mama was right,
that we should have just
aborted Kali back then?
Ayla!
What if Kali didn't exist?
So he wouldn't have to go
through all of this?
What if he never knew us?!
What if all this time, Pao,
everything was wrong?
Are you saying our child is wrong?!
That we are the ones
who are wrong for him?
Denise Javier.
Denise Javier. She was my classmate.
I saw her earlier.
What does she have to do with this?
She had plants with her.
She collects plants
from different parts of the Philippines
for her social media.
You know what they call them?
She was with Mylene Martinez earlier.
Mylene has a lot of cats.
She calls herself a fur mom!
Ayla, what's your point...
Kyd!
Kyd! Another classmate.
Flight attendant in Dubai.
That's always her caption.
Why are you telling me this?
Because maybe we're fools, Pao!
Maybe we were stupid to believe in love.
To start a family at this time.
Almost all our batchmates
don't care about building a family.
Just one-night stands.
But there's no love.
No chance to build a traditional family.
They always say, "How I wish,"
or "When will it happen to me?"
But if they have to choose
between sacrificing or themselves?
They'll choose themselves.
There's nothing wrong with that.
It's practical.
But here we are!
When we just wanted to make
a difference in college,
we became clich.
Like right now,
where we need to speak lines in English
like a clich rom-com!
Dammit, Pao.
We believed in fantasy!
Silent night
Holy night
All is calm
And all is bright
Round yon
Virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant
So tender and mild.
Sleep
In heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night
Holy night!
Shepherds
Quake at the sight
Glories stream
From heaven afar
Heavenly hosts
Sing Alleluia
Christ the Savior
Is born!
Christ the Savior
Is born
What is ABA?
I bet it's expensive, right?
Good thing his parents have jobs.
What do they do?
My daughter is a nurse
in the Netherlands.
She's been there for two years.
My son-in-law is a hotel manager in Dubai.
They're about your age.
That must be hard,
being apart from each other
and far from their child.
They realized the truth early on.
Their hope is to save up quickly,
so they can return to Milo
and be a family again.
Being a parent isn't easy.
If being parents is like
being superheroes,
the parents of kids with special needs
are the strongest superheroes.
That's you.
And the best thing about you,
like my daughter and her husband,
is that you can handle
the daily sadness and hardships
because you have your youth.
Stay here, okay?
That's my grandchild.
- Did you see Kali?
- Kali!
- I left him here.
- Kali!
- He's not here.
- Kali!
- The village security has been alerted.
- Kali!
- But maybe he hasn't gone out yet.
- Kali!
- Kali!
- Kali!
Check there!
Kali!
- Did you check the rear?
- Kali!
We already checked there, right?
Kali!
- Kali!
- My God, where did he go?
- Kali!
- Kali!
Kali!
- I hope nothing happened to him.
- Nothing will happen to him!
We failed again, Pao.
Don't be weak, Ayla, okay?
We will find him.
After everything we've been through,
we won't give up.
If only he could speak,
he could answer my calls.
But our child is like this.
Are you giving up, Ayla,
because our child is different?
We are the ones who will fight for him,
especially when he can't.
Isn't that what superheroes do?
Paolo!
Our child is missing! What are you saying!
We are not superheroes!
This isn't a movie!
We don't have magic! We don't have powers!
I know you're scared.
I'm scared too right now.
I'm scared for tomorrow,
for next week, for the coming years.
I don't know what will happen to us,
or to Kali,
but I know Kali will grow up,
he will get stronger.
He will get stronger
while we grow old and weak.
One day, we won't be able
to control him, and that's scary.
And I'm even more scared
that one of these days,
we'll be struck by lightning,
get kidnapped.
Kidnappers won't get
anything from us, Pao.
What if an asteroid
falls on us and we die?
Who will take care of him then?
Who will protect Kali from bullies?
But you know what I think about the most?
That even if I grow old and weak,
I don't care
I don't care because I know
I have a child to take care of.
Kali is my baby,
and even if he doesn't recognize
or know me, I'm his dad.
He'll be my baby for a long time
because his development is slow.
Other parents won't experience that
because their kids, by 16, 18,
will be hanging out with friends already.
And they'll start their own lives.
But Kali will be my baby for a long time.
And I'm happy with that.
And even if I gave up
my dreams for him, it's okay.
Our life is set to extra difficult. But
Dump all the problems on me. I don't care.
Because I've learned to love
because of you two.
Ma'am, we found him.
He's here, at the clubhouse.
- Kali!
- Kali!
Kali!
Kali!
- Kali!
- Kali!
Kali!
- Kali!
- Kali.
Are you okay?
Kali.
Are you okay? Are you hurt!?
Don't ever do this again!
What if something happened to you?
Do you want us to be crying all the time?
You scared us.
Did you hear that?
He called you Papa.
Can you do that again, son?
He just called me Papa.
He just called me Papa!
One more time, son. Call me Papa!
He said "papa".
One more time, "papa".
I still can't believe he spoke, Ayla.
Yeah.
It means
what we're doing is working.
But we can't keep living like this.
Always
holding our breath, afraid that tomorrow
we won't have anything
to withdraw from the ATM.
You
You still have dreams,
and I want you to achieve them.
I want you to become a lawyer,
a licensed notary,
winning lots of cases.
And me, I still want to be a filmmaker.
A bold filmmaker
who can tell the stories
about the corruption in the Philippines.
But also make money.
It's still possible, right?
That we can achieve those things
while raising Kali well?
If you can get struck by lightning twice,
then why not?
I need to work in Australia, Ayla.
Pao.
It seems like
going abroad is the best option right now.
Let's endure it, okay?
Like Milo's parents?
Dad has been offering me
a job there for a long time.
But you're angry with him, right?
Maybe this is our chance to reconcile.
And your mom
Maybe it's time to let her into our lives.
We need a bigger family for Kali.
You're leaving us?
I'm just going to save up.
I'll still come back to you.
Even though
Australia's healthcare system is great
and it's a good place to raise a child,
I still love the Philippines.
I love you and Kali.
I'll come back here.
I'll come back to Silay.
Because isn't this still our wonderland?
Will you let me?
And just like a rom-com,
we ended up at the airport.
But at least,
we didn't chase after each other.
No intercutting happened.
But isn't this still clich?
As clich as it gets.
Ayla, that's so corny,
but it tickled my butt a bit.
Say hi to your mom for me, okay?
Finally, I'll get to hear
her nagging again.
I'm excited.
Call me as soon as you land, okay?
No drama, right?
Pao.
Villa?
Villa?
Please come in.
Please take a seat.
Your son has Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- Villa.
- Manalo.
We had his hearing tested
when Kali was two.
He is recognizing himself
and you as his parents just now.
Kali.
Kali.
Kali, son.
Kali.
Tim Burton.
Hm?
Tim Burton.
The filmmaker?
Yes.
He has autism too.
Ayla.
Let's do everything we can for Kali.
Let's give him his own wonderland.
I don't know what you were thinking!
Ma, we have a free place to stay.
Ayla's aunt owns the house.
Plus, the cost of living is cheaper there.
So now you're thinking about expenses.
If you had just completed film school,
you could've been
the next Darryl Yap by now!
You have to own this now.
You're head of the family!
Don't be like your father!
Okay, okay. Bye.
If only you used a condom!
Over here!
There they are!
There! Aunt Tess!
That's her. Aunt Tess.
Ayla! Thanks for the present!
Kali!
I'm your Grandma Tess!
He looks like your Uncle Arnold.
Oh my goodness, Ayla!
It's been so long since I've seen you.
Damn that annoying pandemic!
You didn't even have a child.
You were studying to be a lawyer.
Drop us off at the airport, okay?
You're leaving already?
To Siargao,
then Boracay, then Bohol, then Palawan.
You lazy bums!
You're all adults, but look at this!
Good lord!
They say Ilonggos are sweet,
but you all are a bitter pain in my ass!
Here, get this.
- Oh, they're here!
- Wash it later
- Come on!
- Hello!
- Hello
- Leave the laundry!
I'll open the gate.
Good day!
- Oh, shh-shh.
- Come on. Let's go!
- What?
- Just leave it!
What the?
Every Filipino rom-com
has quirky neighbors.
So, is this our rom-com?
Come in.
I'll bring this inside.
Kali!
Kali, give it to me.
That might break.
- Kali.
- Kali.
- Give it to me.
- Give it to Mama.
- Give it to me.
- Give it to Mama.
Kali, come here! Come here!
Come here! Come to Papa.
Kali.
Kali!
- Kali!
- You might break some stuff.
Kali.
Come here!
Kali.
I'll handle this.
I'll handle this.
Kali, stop it already.
Cut it out. Please stop it, already.
Kali, stop it already.
Kali...
- Come here, come here.
- Stop it already, Kali.
Pao.
This is
Uncle Arnold.
Let me see.
He looks like Kali, right?
He had autism too.
Pao.
I think Kali's condition
is from our bloodline.
I forgot about Uncle Arnold.
I'm so sorry.
- Why are you apologizing?
- I'm sorry.
Don't say sorry. You can't control that.
But maybe when I was pregnant with Kali,
we could have tested
for his condition early.
And then what?
Like that?
No
Nobody wanted this...
Coconut.
We can do this,
right?
Ayla,
remember back in college?
What our friends said
when they found out about us?
Caught.
Right. Caught!
But
who would expect
that because of a dating app,
the top debater who never missed class
would fall for a wannabe filmmaker
who was always absent for film festivals?
I wasn't the one who fell first!
Who was always hanging out at the oval,
even though it was far from his building?
Well, of course, you'd always be
the hero in your own version.
Really?
But seriously.
Remember what they called us?
No?
Come on!
Remember? That's what they called us!
We're still a power couple.
I promise.
We'll show them we're still the same.
For us
and for Kali.
Right, rom-com indeed.
Really?
You don't own that house.
- Yes, yes.
- How are your bills?
The electricity, the food?
We're okay here.
We've found
a developmental pedia for Kali.
Who is that?
No one. Just watching something.
How's your son, by the way?
You mean your grandson?
Alright.
The cousins are all excited.
You're the only one missing.
Bye.
You like it?
Towel off, towel off.
Time to get up.
Enough, already.
He doesn't talk yet, does he?
Not yet, Manong Bonnie.
Feed him some pig's vagina.
Look at Maring.
Her mom said she didn't talk much before.
They fed her pig's vagina,
and now she never stops talking.
She talks even while she's asleep.
The same thing happened
to my friend's son.
Kali.
They took him to a healer.
- Kali has a doctor
- Yeah, he has a doctor.
- Come on, Kali
- Ayla, just try it!
Come here.
Come here.
They just needed a black chicken.
They slit its throat
and let the blood drip on the child.
They even had to tie the child down
because he went wild.
The demon was inside him.
Just try it.
Come, I'll buy.
There's no harm.
Thank you. We're leaving!
Hey, wait. I have something for you.
Thank you.
Thanks!
Just give it a try.
- I'll come back once you're done.
- Thank you so much.
You're speaking Tagalog, huh?
Kali
You're not from here, are you?
Or are you the kind
who just set foot in Manila
and have forgotten how to speak
Hiligaynon, just Tagalog now?
We're really from Manila.
Do you have relatives here?
Yes, but they're on vacation.
Oh, so, it's just you here?
You're not married?
When are you getting married?
Oh, you don't have a religion?
Your child isn't baptized?
I really like it here in Bacolod.
You guys love small talk.
You need Jesus in your life.
Especially,
since you don't have relatives here.
Jesus can watch over your child
while you work.
It's not easy taking care of a child
with this condition, you know.
Jason! Oh my gosh.
No pissing here!
Is it possible for my son
to join a graded class?
He needs to be
in a non-graded class first.
We'll see how Kali progresses.
You'll create
an individualized program for him?
Looks like you've done
your research, Mommy.
Yes, that's what they said on TikTok.
If you have a PDF copy of the modules,
could you airdrop it to me?
Uh, okay.
Ideally, they should be
in a resource room,
but the school is still looking
for the budget for that.
I heard the Department of Education
cut their special education budget.
Did you hear that on TikTok too?
On Twitter.
Alright then.
- Kali.
- Say bye to Mom and Dad.
We'll be back later.
Kali.
Come on.
It's school time!
That went well, I guess?
Pao. I'll stay here for now.
You have work at home.
You sure?
Okay.
Follow Teacher. Let's go!
Come here.
I HEARD FROM JONEL YOU'RE IN NEGROS?
HOW'S YOUR FAMILY?
IF YOU NEED A JOB,
THERE'S ONE HERE IN AUSTRALIA.
JUST LET ME KNOW.
I WON'T BE LIKE YOU, PA.
I WON'T ABANDON MY FAMILY.
Pao.
Pao, be careful. There's a staircase!
Relax. I'm keeping an eye on him.
Get back to work. I got this.
Once we've saved enough,
let's get the bedroom's floor fixed, okay?
- Okay, okay.
- Kali.
- Let's do that first.
- Kali.
Ayla, I'm tiring him out.
That's not how you put
a child to sleep, Pao.
Why not?
Kali!
He needs to know that when we say sleep,
it means sleep.
Kali needs to associate the word "sleep"
with what it looks like.
But see how happy he is.
Is it that bad if he tires himself out
until he falls asleep?
You're just giving in to him.
We need to teach him discipline.
- Kali. Look, sleep.
- Give it to me.
Kali, sleep, says Mama.
Kali!
He doesn't want to.
Of course, not right away.
We have to do this repeatedly.
Okay, okay, I got this.
Seriously!
Come on. You have work to do.
Say bye to Mama.
Did you really talk to Pareng Bikoy?
Or were you just too lazy
to go to the hacienda?
Mother! They don't need
a new truck driver yet!
Because you took too long!
And what kind of boxing is that
Hey! What are you doing to your father?!
Two more lifts.
- Hey, cover up! You're embarrassing!
- You're mother is here.
Let's pick it up later, okay?
You're early.
Stop it.
You're embarassing.
Kali, let me have your bag.
Hey, look, Kali.
Kali, Kali, look.
- Damn, what's this?
- What?
We aim for the least
restrictive environment
for kids like Kali as much as possible,
which is why we encourage them
to interact with typical kids.
But this is the third time, Teacher Anne.
At first, we thought Kali just fell.
Don't worry.
We've already called
the parents of the child
who did this to Kali for an intervention.
I'm sorry this happened under our watch.
It's sad to admit,
but sometimes it's hard
to monitor 21 kids like Kali.
We added teachers
trained in Special Education.
But rest assured, this won't happen again.
It's him! He's the one who bullied Kali.
Come on. Let's go home.
It's about time. I'm really hungry.
I'm craving for bitso-bitso.
Let's go look for some.
My stomach has been growling
for a while now.
Ayla! Ayla!
Did you hurt Kali?
Yeah! So what?!
Buddy, what you did wasn't right.
Kali doesn't have a brother.
Can you be that for him?
Do you know Kali's mom is good at judo?
Yeah, that's me. I'm his mom.
You know, when I was younger,
my mom told me to learn ballet,
but I said no!
I wanted to learn karate, aikido, judo.
Ayla
I know all those.
I can kick, punch, flip,
chop, lift, spin,
and throw bad guys around like this!
Just what I expected.
Yeah, go ahead. Run!
You're dead!
Let's hurry. Manang Maring
might be tired of looking after Kali.
I'm still mad!
I hope his food
won't taste as good forever!
If I could just strangle that kid!
How much?
One hundred pesos.
- One hundred. Do you have a hundred?
- Yes.
I'll take one-fourth.
One hundred.
- Would that be enough?
- Yeah.
Well, you pretty much scared him to death.
He'll probably tell his mom.
I don't care! I'll face his mom.
I'll show her my Pacquiao combo.
Pao.
I don't want Kali to go back there
and get hurt again.
No child should get hurt, Ayla.
Can we move him to another school?
Yehey!
High five.
- Thanks!
- Thanks.
Our curriculum is similar
to the public school's
special education curriculum.
So they get more attention.
As of now, we only have eight students
in your son's age group.
Do you have any bullying incidents here?
Luckily, we haven't encountered any.
The children's conditions are similar,
and they rarely fight.
How much will it cost us?
How much do we have saved up?
About 250,000 pesos.
That'll go down
by 75,000 for Kali's tuition.
Our grocery bill is around
11,000 a month, right?
Yeah, that includes
Kali's milk and vitamins.
Then, it's 1,500 for his pediatrician,
4,000 for electricity,
700 for water, and 2,000 for gas
How much is that in total?
I don't know.
I made films because I'm terrible at math.
Don't go there. Just stay here.
That's around
18,000 pesos a month.
- It's kinda expensive.
- Then,
I only make 25,000
from my virtual assistance work.
I'm expecting
45,000 from the video I'm editing,
but inquiries are slow here.
Rates are much lower than in Manila.
Coconut.
We need extra income, Ayla.
How about we start a small business,
like a coffee shop?
Do we have enough savings for that?
No.
- Ayla!
- Son of a
You startled me.
But, I was looking for you.
Didn't know you were having a moment here.
You startled me.
I know what our coffee shop will be.
Thank you.
I could still take it back.
It's fine.
I can still take editing gigs.
All I need is my laptop.
But that camera Wasn't it the prize
for your first short film contest win?
Yeah, but
You sacrificed your car.
Your dad's gift to you.
If I have to sell a kidney
for you and Kali, I would.
You deserve some good sex tonight.
Manang Maring,
could we pick up Kali later?
Good morning! Can I take your order?
Do you have iced latte?
- Yeah!
- Two. Medium.
Okay, two.
Just a moment.
Thanks.
Can we borrow the menu?
Sure!
Just a bit.
Okay.
Did you make this film?
Yes, I did.
I used to make films like these, too.
Films with a cause.
Keep it up.
Thank you.
Come on, Kali.
Let's go up the stairs. Let's go.
Let's go.
Get up! School time! School.
Kali.
Teacher Dan, he seems unwilling.
Kali, it's school time.
- Are you sure?
- Yes, yes. Alright then.
- Don't forget your bag, Kali.
- Kali, your bag.
- Come here.
- Go.
Look!
Sorry we're late!
Kali will start speaking in no time.
That's how it was with Kacey before.
One-on-one sessions.
Every day?
Just once a week.
Same with an occupational therapist.
They have one-on-one sessions too.
How much does it cost?
Same rate for both therapists.
That's 1,500 a week.
On top of tuition here.
Those one-on-one sessions
have been a huge help for my Kacey.
My child's condition
really is for the rich.
That's how it is
when you're a mother, right?
No matter what shape, form,
or condition your child has,
you have to accept.
She's still your child.
She still comes from you.
I really relate to that.
That's why my job is like this for her.
And I sell properties on the side.
- You're a lawyer?
- Yes.
That was my plan too
if I finished my college degree.
Finish it. You'll need
a bigger salary for your child.
Especially now that
Tiempo Muerto is coming.
Tiempo Muerto?
The sugar cane harvest just ended,
and they're starting to plant again.
Many people are out of work.
No work means no money.
But at least,
you're lucky you have your husband.
Mine, five months after our child
was diagnosed, he just disappeared.
I never expected he'd be so weak
that he'd run away
from his responsibility so easily.
Don't let that happen to you.
Damn him.
Ayla, we might wake up Kali.
Ayla.
Kali
Ayla
Hey, wait. What's wrong with you?
Are you okay?
I don't want a dildo, Pao.
Where did that come from?
Calm down. That's enough.
Whenever Kali holds something,
he drops it or throws it away.
Does he do this at home too?
Would it be better
if he stayed home for now?
He's only turning five.
Kali's age is crucial for his development.
The earlier he learns, the better.
Maybe I could sit with him
while you teach?
At least someone
would be focused on him in class.
I've researched this.
I follow this vlogger,
and according to her,
the mother should know the child's needs.
There's supposed to be
someone licensed for that.
I'm Kali's mommy.
Do I need a license to help my child?
I wonder how much they get paid.
It's just 15,000 pesos a month.
Pao, that's expensive.
Look at this.
- She's the only affordable one.
- Look.
And it looks like Kali likes her.
Do you have kids of your own?
I do. Snow. My fur baby.
Personally,
married life and kids aren't for me.
But I do have five younger siblings here.
I practically raised them
when they were little.
You sit over there.
Here, coffee.
Not many customers here either.
What are you up to?
Nothing.
Kali is so sweet with her.
He's not like that with us.
Kali.
Can you cook?
Oh, look at that.
- It's the color green, right?
- But I did it yesterday.
Kali!
Kali!
Get out of there.
Ma'am, let me handle this.
Here, Kali. Look at this!
Hey, here it is.
Come. Let's prepare dinner.
I'll go get the ingredients
from Aling Maring.
Color this.
You're learning.
- Let's play.
- Pao, get him upstairs.
And you can fold the clothes too.
Yeah.
Mama's going to start working.
Look, there she is. She's working already.
Come here!
- Please! My boss can hear you.
- Yeah, we're leaving.
Let's make Mama happy.
Remember
Papa loves you so much.
Mama loves you dearly, too.
As long as you know that,
I'm happy.
Your boss.
They're still doing videoke, huh?
Yeah.
It's almost three o'clock
and they're still not done.
Tuff.
Kali's milk is running low.
We also need to go back
to the pediatrician.
Is this still a rom-com, Pao?
Every rom-com still has its plot points.
Pao?
Are we messing up?
Is this happening to us
because we didn't finish school?
Is it because we had a child early?
I've been thinking about that too.
Maybe
at first, yeah. Because
But now
That's what matters.
We won't fail when it comes to Kali.
What about me?
What about you?
Me
Am I failing as a mom?
Nope.
No, you're not.
Don't ever think about it.
I'll take care of Kali for now.
You can head home.
Is Ma'am Ayla not here?
She's at the coffee cart.
We're catching up with Kali there.
He made some artwork earlier.
Really?
Here.
Okay, I have this. Thanks!
Okay, see you.
Kali!
So, you made an artwork. May I see it?
Let me see.
Give it to Papa? Let me see.
Did you make this, son?
Ayla!
The straws!
Wait a minute.
Ayla.
It's Kali.
Pao.
It's been an hour
and his fever's not going down.
The medicine isn't working.
I'll do this.
If his fever doesn't go down soon,
let's take him to the hospital.
- Over here! Here.
- Where!?
How is he?
His fever is too high.
Please proceed to the cashier, Sir.
The dengue screening test is expensive.
How much do we have in the ATM?
Why?
We just paid Kali's tuition.
Pao, what are we going to do?
You just stay here.
Go back to Kali.
I'll figure this out.
Wait. I'll help you.
- No. I'll take care of this.
- Pao.
Don't worry.
I'll be back.
Sure, buddy. I'll send something,
but it might not be half.
Okay, Migs. Thanks, man.
I'll pay you back.
It's okay, bro.
Text me your account number.
I'll send it right away.
What?
Don't look at me like that.
You're in love with me?
I HEARD FROM JONEL YOU'RE IN NEGROS?
HOW'S YOUR FAMILY?
IF YOU NEED A JOB,
THERE'S ONE HERE IN AUSTRALIA.
JUST LET ME KNOW.
CAN I PLACE AN ORDER?
This one.
Wait.
It's too much.
You make me drunk.
You took advantage of me, huh?
- Thanks.
- You like me, don't you?
You want to take advantage of me, huh?
If only I had something to lend you.
It's really tough raising someone
like Kali with no savings.
Ayla, with or without the condition,
it's hard raising a child
here in the Philippines.
It's so easy for others to say,
"Hey, have kids,
because when you get older,
who'll take care of you?"
But how about when you're
already struggling to care
for those who should be taking
care of you in your old age?
If only I could shove back
my three kids inside my vagina,
and even drag my lazy husband along!
Lord, forgive me!
Manang Maring,
could you please
watch over Kali for a bit?
Sure! I can handle this.
- I'll go help Pao.
- Okay.
- Go ahead.
- Thanks, Manang.
Just say sorry.
Thanks!
Dammit!
Bro!
Bro, can I borrow this?
- Sure thing, bro.
- I'll be quick.
Pao!
Pao!
Sis, is that Ayla?
Ayla?
- You're here!?
- Denise!
What happened?
You can settle your bill now, Mommy.
Then you can go home.
Excuse me, Nurse.
Did you transfer the mother
and child from bed 3 to another room?
They've already been discharged, Sir.
And if Doc gave you prescriptions,
buy them at the pharmacy downstairs.
They have all you need.
Pao.
I've been trying
to call you since earlier.
My phone died.
Let's eat.
What about Kali?
Upstairs. Asleep.
Let's eat, Pao.
You didn't wait for me earlier.
Staying there much longer
would count as another day.
It adds up to the bill.
Where did you get the money?
I borrowed from Mama.
Borrowed.
Pay her back right away.
Let's just do the groceries first.
Pay her back tomorrow, Ayla.
She hasn't asked for it yet.
Next payday then. I'll pay her right away.
Pao!
Pao!
Rice. Cooking oil. Meat.
Vegetables. Soap.
Coffee. Lots of coffee
for the coffee cart.
Pao, we have a lot of things to pay for.
Gas. Electricity. Water.
At least we don't have rent!
Then, we'll go over
these expenses next month.
My salary is barely enough
to cover the bills.
Pao, let's set the money aside for now.
It might not be enough to pay her.
Pao.
Pao.
Pao.
Pao, come on!
Paolo!
Pao, what is your issue?
She's Kali's grandmother!
When did she consider Kali a grandchild?
She always says "your child",
"his child" to our son!
Right?
When did she call Kali
her grandchild? Tell me!
She was hurt by what happened to us.
She wanted to have Kali
aborted before, remember?
Ayla, she never wanted
Kali from the start.
How much more now
that our child has this condition?
But what if Mama was right,
that we should have just
aborted Kali back then?
Ayla!
What if Kali didn't exist?
So he wouldn't have to go
through all of this?
What if he never knew us?!
What if all this time, Pao,
everything was wrong?
Are you saying our child is wrong?!
That we are the ones
who are wrong for him?
Denise Javier.
Denise Javier. She was my classmate.
I saw her earlier.
What does she have to do with this?
She had plants with her.
She collects plants
from different parts of the Philippines
for her social media.
You know what they call them?
She was with Mylene Martinez earlier.
Mylene has a lot of cats.
She calls herself a fur mom!
Ayla, what's your point...
Kyd!
Kyd! Another classmate.
Flight attendant in Dubai.
That's always her caption.
Why are you telling me this?
Because maybe we're fools, Pao!
Maybe we were stupid to believe in love.
To start a family at this time.
Almost all our batchmates
don't care about building a family.
Just one-night stands.
But there's no love.
No chance to build a traditional family.
They always say, "How I wish,"
or "When will it happen to me?"
But if they have to choose
between sacrificing or themselves?
They'll choose themselves.
There's nothing wrong with that.
It's practical.
But here we are!
When we just wanted to make
a difference in college,
we became clich.
Like right now,
where we need to speak lines in English
like a clich rom-com!
Dammit, Pao.
We believed in fantasy!
Silent night
Holy night
All is calm
And all is bright
Round yon
Virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant
So tender and mild.
Sleep
In heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night
Holy night!
Shepherds
Quake at the sight
Glories stream
From heaven afar
Heavenly hosts
Sing Alleluia
Christ the Savior
Is born!
Christ the Savior
Is born
What is ABA?
I bet it's expensive, right?
Good thing his parents have jobs.
What do they do?
My daughter is a nurse
in the Netherlands.
She's been there for two years.
My son-in-law is a hotel manager in Dubai.
They're about your age.
That must be hard,
being apart from each other
and far from their child.
They realized the truth early on.
Their hope is to save up quickly,
so they can return to Milo
and be a family again.
Being a parent isn't easy.
If being parents is like
being superheroes,
the parents of kids with special needs
are the strongest superheroes.
That's you.
And the best thing about you,
like my daughter and her husband,
is that you can handle
the daily sadness and hardships
because you have your youth.
Stay here, okay?
That's my grandchild.
- Did you see Kali?
- Kali!
- I left him here.
- Kali!
- He's not here.
- Kali!
- The village security has been alerted.
- Kali!
- But maybe he hasn't gone out yet.
- Kali!
- Kali!
- Kali!
Check there!
Kali!
- Did you check the rear?
- Kali!
We already checked there, right?
Kali!
- Kali!
- My God, where did he go?
- Kali!
- Kali!
Kali!
- I hope nothing happened to him.
- Nothing will happen to him!
We failed again, Pao.
Don't be weak, Ayla, okay?
We will find him.
After everything we've been through,
we won't give up.
If only he could speak,
he could answer my calls.
But our child is like this.
Are you giving up, Ayla,
because our child is different?
We are the ones who will fight for him,
especially when he can't.
Isn't that what superheroes do?
Paolo!
Our child is missing! What are you saying!
We are not superheroes!
This isn't a movie!
We don't have magic! We don't have powers!
I know you're scared.
I'm scared too right now.
I'm scared for tomorrow,
for next week, for the coming years.
I don't know what will happen to us,
or to Kali,
but I know Kali will grow up,
he will get stronger.
He will get stronger
while we grow old and weak.
One day, we won't be able
to control him, and that's scary.
And I'm even more scared
that one of these days,
we'll be struck by lightning,
get kidnapped.
Kidnappers won't get
anything from us, Pao.
What if an asteroid
falls on us and we die?
Who will take care of him then?
Who will protect Kali from bullies?
But you know what I think about the most?
That even if I grow old and weak,
I don't care
I don't care because I know
I have a child to take care of.
Kali is my baby,
and even if he doesn't recognize
or know me, I'm his dad.
He'll be my baby for a long time
because his development is slow.
Other parents won't experience that
because their kids, by 16, 18,
will be hanging out with friends already.
And they'll start their own lives.
But Kali will be my baby for a long time.
And I'm happy with that.
And even if I gave up
my dreams for him, it's okay.
Our life is set to extra difficult. But
Dump all the problems on me. I don't care.
Because I've learned to love
because of you two.
Ma'am, we found him.
He's here, at the clubhouse.
- Kali!
- Kali!
Kali!
Kali!
- Kali!
- Kali!
Kali!
- Kali!
- Kali.
Are you okay?
Kali.
Are you okay? Are you hurt!?
Don't ever do this again!
What if something happened to you?
Do you want us to be crying all the time?
You scared us.
Did you hear that?
He called you Papa.
Can you do that again, son?
He just called me Papa.
He just called me Papa!
One more time, son. Call me Papa!
He said "papa".
One more time, "papa".
I still can't believe he spoke, Ayla.
Yeah.
It means
what we're doing is working.
But we can't keep living like this.
Always
holding our breath, afraid that tomorrow
we won't have anything
to withdraw from the ATM.
You
You still have dreams,
and I want you to achieve them.
I want you to become a lawyer,
a licensed notary,
winning lots of cases.
And me, I still want to be a filmmaker.
A bold filmmaker
who can tell the stories
about the corruption in the Philippines.
But also make money.
It's still possible, right?
That we can achieve those things
while raising Kali well?
If you can get struck by lightning twice,
then why not?
I need to work in Australia, Ayla.
Pao.
It seems like
going abroad is the best option right now.
Let's endure it, okay?
Like Milo's parents?
Dad has been offering me
a job there for a long time.
But you're angry with him, right?
Maybe this is our chance to reconcile.
And your mom
Maybe it's time to let her into our lives.
We need a bigger family for Kali.
You're leaving us?
I'm just going to save up.
I'll still come back to you.
Even though
Australia's healthcare system is great
and it's a good place to raise a child,
I still love the Philippines.
I love you and Kali.
I'll come back here.
I'll come back to Silay.
Because isn't this still our wonderland?
Will you let me?
And just like a rom-com,
we ended up at the airport.
But at least,
we didn't chase after each other.
No intercutting happened.
But isn't this still clich?
As clich as it gets.
Ayla, that's so corny,
but it tickled my butt a bit.
Say hi to your mom for me, okay?
Finally, I'll get to hear
her nagging again.
I'm excited.
Call me as soon as you land, okay?
No drama, right?
Pao.