Marilou's loving tribute to Ina

Have you ever taken care of a loved one suffering from a terminal illness — yes, the Big C? It’s a heart-breaking and at the same time eye-opening experience, isn’t it? You die with the patient little by little, helpless because medicine can only do so much and you have no recourse but to surrender everything to Him. As a line from the Basil Valdez song Lift Up Your Hands (composed by Cecile Azarcon) says, Cast your burden upon Me those who are heavily-laden…Come to Me and I will give you rest…

That’s what you feel when you watch Ikaw Ang Pagibig, the spiritually-enriching movie written, produced and directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya as some kind of a tribute to Our Lady of Peñafrancia who is lovingly called Ina not only by the Bicolanos who venerate her with the same deep affection as the devotees of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo, the Sto. Niño of Tondo and the Sto. Niño of Cebu. Every Sept. 14, devotees take all the risks (being trampled upon by the crowd, etc.) to pay homage to Ina during the fluvial procession and believers, especially those who are sick, claim that they are healed by the experience.

Just watching the movie at the recent preview had a healing on me as it had, I’m sure, on the others present. Ikaw Ang Pagibig is a story of, besides love, unwavering faith. It’s the story of a wounded family made up of an estranged couple (played by real-life couple Nonie Buencamino and Shamaine Centenera) whose daughter (Ina Feleo) is so career-driven that she doesn’t have time for God, not even for sorting out her relationship with the father (Jomari Yllana) of her love son (Yogo Singh). The irony of it all is that the couple’s son (Marvin Agustin), who is a priest, is the one afflicted with cancer (a fast-progressing type of leukemia). The movie chronicles the family’s painful journey, never mind if in the process they lose their material possessions but with their spirit enriched.

“The two-and-a-half journey of Ikaw Ang Pagibig has been long and arduous,” said Marilou in her welcome address to a well-heeled audience that included Naga Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi, National Artists Dr. Bien Lumbera (for Literature) and Eddie Romero (for Film), ABS-CBN boss Charo Santos-Concio and Malou N. Santos, managing director of Star Cinema which is marketing the movie (showing first week of February). “But perhaps because the story of Ina has been unraveling for much longer than that, 300 years to be exact, the experience has also been so deeply healing for all of us who worked on the movie. Ina has been leading us by the hand in this very intense pilgrimage — navigating us, protecting us from harm, teaching us to remain steadfast in faith, hope and love. Above all, our Ina has been teaching us how to find The Lord’s joys and consolations in all things, especially in the midst of worldly trials and uncertainties,” thanking many others including Rev. Fr. Ramon Bautista, S.J., and Dr. Joven Cuanang, M.D. (SVP For Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer of St. Luke’s Medical Center Quezon City and of Global City) “whose spiritual direction and medical management, respectively, have fortified me, body and soul, and kept me on cancer remission throughout the production.”

At the preview: Marilou and Naga Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi with (from left) Marvin, Ina, Star Cinema managing director Malou N. Santos and Jomari

Himself a cancer survivor, Archbishop Legaspi said that the devil was active in thwarting the production, to no avail. The good triumphed over evil. The archbishop is the movie’s executive producer and, more than that according to Marilou, “my co-pilgrim, my co-cancer survivor and my friend.”

What I like about the movie is that it doesn’t bluntly say that it’s Ina who is responsible for the remission of Marvin’s cancer (since he’s undergoing chemotherapy and intensive treatment), but Ina is definitely the healer of the family wounds — the couple gets back together again (the husband quits his job abroad and comes home for good), the daughter finds God and marries her boyfriend, the whole family starts to lead a new, happy life together even if they have sold everything (the house, the appliances, etc.).

It’s Ina’s biggest break as an actress and she really fleshes out her role obviously straight from the heart. I’m sure it helps that Marvin’s character is named Johnny, after Ina’s dad Johnny Delgado who was waging a battle with cancer when the movie was being filmed. “It’s deliberate,” said Marilou who with Ina’s mom Laurice Guillen are the industry’s only two influential female directors.

How do the other actors fare? Watch the movie and find out for yourself. It’s a must-see.

One scene that made me cry shows Shamaine alone in the chapel, angrily asking God why, of all people, He is punishing her son. “Galit ako. Bakit si Johnny? Mabait siyang anak.” I could identify with Shamaine’s character because my family and I were asking the same question 15 years ago when my brother Netoy was waging the same battle as that of Marvin’s character.

Up to now, I haven’t found the answer.

And I have stopped asking.

(P.S. We’re observing my brother Netoy’s 15th death anniversary on Tuesday, Jan. 25, and we are confident that he is in Good Hands together with our brother Rudy who went just a week ahead of Netoy. I’m sure they know the answer.)

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