Special Literary Section: Manila by Night Manila By Night
Story, Screenplay, and Direction: Ishmael Bernal Transcription and Notes: Joel David English Translation: Alfred A. Yuson
Forum Editor’s Note Since the film had been improvised from a short sequence list, Ishmael Bernal originally commissioned me to transcribe the material from low-end cassette tapes, which had to be returned to the producer in less than a week. When the movie was released with extensive cuts and deletions, I suggested publishing the transcription to “out,” so to speak, the integral material, at least in print; when he acceded, I added descriptions from my memory of a few screenings. The result was titled “A Review Exclusive: Manila by Night” in The Review (March 1981): 23–41. With the advent of digital recording, I was eventually able to correct several errors in the original. Many thanks to Theo Pie for scanning and rekeying from scratch and assisting with vocabulary, to Bryan Quesada for providing the best possible enhancement of the digital file, and to CorvicBoy Cuizon for processing visual material. Review editor Celina S. Cristobal took considerable risk in agreeing to publish the original transcription during martial law, while Bayani Santos, Jr. has been maintaining Bernal’s legacy with more care and enthusiasm than it had enjoyed during his lifetime; through their efforts we are able to avail of this opportunity to glimpse the visionary brilliance and transgressive sensibility of Bernal in Manila by Night. Photo sources (all used with permission): The Review (through Celina S. Cristobal), everything except for Seqs. 2, 11, 21, 22, 27, 33, & 34 (Bernardo Bernardo); and Seq. 3d (Mowelfund Film Archive).
About the Translator Alfred A. Yuson is the author of 25 books of poetry, fiction, essays, translation, travel, and stories for children. He is a Palanca Literary Awards Hall-of-Famer and has won numerous literary distinctions, including the SEAWrite (Southeast Asian Writers) Award given annually in Bangkok. A sometime theater and film actor,FAMAS awardee for screenplay, and longtime member of the Movie and Television Ratings and Classification Board, he also teaches poetry and fiction in Ateneo de Manila University, writes and edits biographies, corporate coffee table books and literary anthologies, and contributes a regular arts and culture column for the national broadsheet The Philippine Star.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Opening Credits [as presented onscreen,1 over theme music — new frames are indicated by semi-colons, lines are separated by slash marks, hash marks indicate spelling differences or older names]: Charito Solis; Alma Moreno; Lorna Tolentino; Rio Locsin; Cherie Gil; Gina Alajar; Orestes Ojeda; William Martinez; Manila by Night; Bernardo Bernardo; Johnny Wilson; Jojo Santiago; Sharon Manabat; with the special participation of Maya# Valdes; also starring Rolly Lapid / Rey Tomenes / Bong Benitez / Roger Saulog; Dante Castro / Tony Angeles / Perry Fajardo / Lucy Guinto#; Pinky Shotwell / Vangie Labalan / Aida Carmona / Abbo dela# Cruz; story and screenplay Ishmael Bernal; script consultants Jorge Arago / Toto Belano / Jose Carreon / Rick# Lee / Peque Gallaga / George Sison; music Vanishing Tribe; director of photography Sergio Lobo (f.s.c.#); film editor Augusto Salvador; asst film editors Toto Natividad / Efren Salvador; field soundman Bing de Santos / asst cameraman Pio Interno; publicity head Bibsy Carballo; publicity staff Lolita Solis / Rod Samson / Alfie Lorenzo; filmed thru the facilities of Regal Films, Unit 1 / unit maintenance Jovencio Davad# / Roger Radan; color processing LVN Laboratories, Inc.; post production facilities Magna-Tech Omni; sound supervision Vic Macamay; sound effects Abbo dela# Cruz; project coordinator Douglas Quijano; production manager Felix Dionisio; production design Peque Gallaga; art director Ronnie Lazaro / costumes Bing Fabregas# / crowd director Kokoy Jimenez / props Roy Lachica; associate director Warlito M. Teodoro; executive producer Lily Monteverde; directed by Ishmael Bernal
Seq. 1: Virgie’s house. Early evening. Int.–ext. Virgie’s house is a typical middle-class subdivision home with a manicured garden. Bicycle wheels rolling on pavement. People going home from office or school. Alex, Virgie’s eldest son, 18 years old, is by the fence talking to a friend. Virgie, fresh from a shower, appears in the doorway.
VIRGIE Alex. VIRGIE Alex. ALEX Ma? ALEX Ma? VIRGIE Akala ko ba may lakad tayo? VIRGIE I thought we were going out? ALEX’S FRIEND Good evening ho. ALEX’S FRIEND Good evening, Ma’m. VIRGIE Good evening. VIRGIE Good evening. (To Alex) Sabi mo’y guest mo kami. Aba (To Alex) You said we’d be your guests. ako’y naligo na. I’m ready to go. ALEX ALEX Oho ma, sandali lang. Susunod na ako. Yes, Ma, a minute. I’ll just follow. VIRGIE VIRGIE Hindi ba a las nueve ang kanta mo? Doesn’t your gig start at 9? I don’t want Ako, ayoko ng nahuhuli. Ang mga to be late. What about your brother and kapatid mo? sister?
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
ALEX ALEX Si Albert po yata nagba-basketball pa. I think Albert’s still in the basketball VIRGIE court. Anong nasa basketball? Tawagin mo! Si VIRGIE Ella? What? Call him then! And Ella? ALEX ALEX Na kina Menchu ho. Hindi ho yata She’s at Menchu’s. I think she’s not sasama e. coming along, Ma. VIRGIE VIRGIE Aba, ayoko ng ganyan. Usapan natin Uh-oh, I don’t like this. We agreed to may lakad tayo, sama-sama tayo, go out, all together. And now someone pagkatapos merong isang hindi can’t make it? That can’t be! Call them! pupwede. Aba hindi maaari! Sige This is getting irritating.… (Father’s car tawagin mo, nakakabwisit naman.… horn honks) Oh, that’s your Dad. Open (Father’s car horn honks) O ayan na ang the gate. daddy mo. Buksan mo ang gate. ALEX Hey, buddy, a minute, okay? ALEX O sige pare, sandali lang ha?
Father’s car enters driveway. Virgie and Alex meet him. We hear sounds of banging on corrugated iron.
FATHER FATHER O ba’t hindi ka pa nakabihis? Hey, how come you’re not dressed up ALEX yet? Si Mommy naman OA. A las nueve pa ALEX naman yon, Dad. Wow, Mommy’s overacting again. Dad, VIRGIE it isn’t until 9 p.m. O mabuti na yong nauuna kaysa VIRGIE nahuhuli. Ay punyeta, naririyan pa pala Well, it’s better to be early than late. ang mga karpintero ko! (To carpenters Aww, darn, my carpenters are still here! working on roof) Mang Romy, madilim (To carpenters working on roof) Mang na. Bukas na yan. Romy,2 it’s getting dark. Just come back MANG ROMY Oho, sandali na lang ito. tomorrow. VIRGIE O sige ho. MANG ROMY Yes, Ma’m. Just a bit and we’re done. VIRGIE Oh, okay.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Seq. 1a: Dining room. Virgie, her daughter Au-Au, and maid are setting the table.
VIRGIE VIRGIE Kunin mo yong paboritong achara ng Hey, bring out your daddy’s favorite daddy mo ha? pickled papaya, okay? AU-AU Opo. AU-AU Yes, Mom. VIRGIE (To maid) VIRGIE (To maid) Ilagay mo yan diyan ha; kaninong baso Set it there. Now whose glass is this? ito? MAID Albert’s, ma’m. MAID Kay Albert po. VIRGIE And where does Albert sit? VIRGIE Saan nakaupo si Albert? MAID Here, ma’m. MAID Dito po. VIRGIE VIRGIE Di diyan. Tandaan mo ha? Then set it there. Remember that, okay? MAID Opo. MAID Yes, ma’m. Seq. 1b: Bathroom. Father is taking a shower.
VIRGIE VIRGIE Daddy? Daddy! Sabi mo a las siete ka Daddy? Daddy! You said you’d be home uuwi. Ngayon seven quarter na. Nahuli by 7. It’s 7:15! You’re late! ka! FATHER FATHER Yes, sorry. My client wouldn’t stop Pasensya ka na, ang daldal nung shooting his mouth off. kliyente ko. VIRGIE Well, hurry as dinner’s ready. VIRGIE Dalian mo’t kakain na tayo. FATHER Okay, go ahead, I’ll catch up. FATHER Oo, susunod na ako. Seq. 2: Folk music nightclub. Int.–ext. Night. Alex, accompanying himself on the guitar, sings Graham Nash’s “Teach Your Children.” The folkhouse is full. Alex’s family watches him proudly. Manay, a couturier with a crush on Alex, swoons over him. Kano, a lesbian drug pusher, enters and transacts business with Alex’s friends. Suddenly a gunshot rings out and mayhem ensues.
*FATHER Mommy, pabayaan mo yan! *FATHER Mommy, keep away! Let me Ako’ng bahala diyan! Huwag mong handle it. Leave it to me! Alex, listen to pakialaman yan! Alex, umalis ka diyan us! Get away from there! sabi! *VIRGIE Get away from there! Alex, get *VIRGIE Umalis ka diyan! Alex umalis ka away from there! What are you still diyan! Ano’ng ginagawa mo diyan?! doing there?!
* simultaneous/overlapping lines
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Seq. 2a: Nightclub Driveway. People pour out of the folkhouse. Manay and other gays converge in driveway.
GAYS GAYS Hintayin niyo ako! Huwag mo akong Wait for me! Hey, stop pulling me! This hilahin! Nakaka-tense! Ay, nakakaloka! is terrible! It’s driving me crazy! Must Ayan, kasi liligaw-ligaw! Ang salamin be a love angle! See what that gets you! ko! Ayan, ang kalandian ninyo (Kano My glasses! See what flirting gets you! bumps into them) – ay kiki niyo! Halika (Kano bumps into them) – Oh you na nga! Halikana kayo. cunts! C’mon, let’s get away from here! Let’s go! Seq. 3: Sauna Turko. Int.–ext. Night. Kano, listening to Jeff Beck’s “Led Boots” on a portable transistor radio, walks into Sauna Turko, on Roxas Boulevard.
RECEPTIONIST (On phone) RECEPTIONIST (On phone) Hindi ko nga maintindihan kung ano I tell you, it’s a headache for me. I don’t ang gusto. Matapos akong bugbugin, know what he wants. First he beats gusto akong do-hin. Nung minsan nga, me up, then he wants to do me. One nasa simbahan kami, sa Santa Cruz pa, time, we were even in church, in Sta. gusto ba naman akong hipuan. Sinipa Cruz, and he wanted to feel me up. So I ko ngang bigla! (Gets joint from Kano) kicked him. (Gets joint from Kano) TY.3 TY. (On phone) Sabi ko sa kanya, kung (On phone) Told him if that’s his kind of gano’n ang trip niya, pumatol na lang trip, then he should hook up with some siya sa bakla! gay! KANO (To manager) KANO (To manager) Boss, ang siyota ko naman. Boss, how’s my darling? MANAGER (Teasing her) MANAGER (Teasing her) Ang lagay, e…. Well, what’s your offer?... KANO KANO Yaan mo, oorosin kita bukas. Sige na o. Don’t worry, I’ll butt-fuck you tomorrow. C’mon. Seq. 3a: Lounging area. Gaying watches amusedly as Bea, a blind sauna attendant, quarrels with another sauna girl.
BEA BEA Hoy, burat mong may kupal! Kahit Well, fuck you! I may have been sold by pinagbili ako ng nanay ko, mabili ako! E my mother, but I sell! What about you, ikaw, ano’ng ginagawa mo rito? Kaya ka what are you doing here? Nobody takes inaamag dito, kasi ang baho mo! you, cuz you stink!
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Top: Sequence 2; Bottom: Sequence 3b
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
GIRL GIRL Ba putang to, kung magsalita akala mo Well, fuck you too, you whore! You kung sino. Para sabihin ko sa yo, ikaw think you’re somebody, the way you ang hindi naghuhugas, paano hindi mo mouth off! I’ll tell you, it’s you who nakikita ang iyo. don’t wash up, cuz you never see yours! BEA BEA Bruha! Putang to! Akala mo kung sino Bitch! Motherfucker! Who do you think ka, nagmamalinis ka pa! Buwisit na you are!? You asshole, we’re in the same to, pareho lang naman tayo ng kalibre! fucking business! And you think you’re Pagkatapos sasabihin mo sa akin – somebody?! MANAGER MANAGER Tama na yan! Bea, nandiyan si Kano. Cut that out! Bea, Kano’s here. BEA BEA Gaying tara. Huwag kang madaan-daan Gaying, let’s go. Don’t you ever find sa Misericordia, puta ka! yourself in Misericordia,4 you bitch! GIRL Landi! GIRL Cunt! Seq. 3b: Reception area.
BEA BEA Kano, sama naman ng timing mo, puta Hey, Kano, such bad timing, you ka e. Nakipag-away ako doon sa loob. asshole. I was in a fight inside. KANO (already high) Oy mare. KANO (already high) Howdy, podner.5 BEA BEA Mga buwisit, mga leche! (Sniffs) Ang Fucking bitches! (Sniffs) Hey, you smell sarap ng amoy mo, a. Hmp! Akala nila good. Hmp! They think they can step all makakaya nila ako. over me? Assholes. KANO My idol. KANO My idol. BEA BEA O, ano bang idol ang pinagsasasabi mo – Hey, what are you saying? Heyy! ay! (Kano grabs her) (Kano grabs her)
Gaying giggles as Kano and Bea struggle on the floor.
*KANO *KANO Halika nga dito. Ano, lalaban ka? C’mon, give it to me. You wanna fight? Bibiyakin kita! I’ll bang you hard! *BEA *BEA Ay, bitiwan mo ako! Naku, kung naging Hey, let me go! If you were a man I’d lalaki ka lang, kinapon na kita! Ano ka castrate you! Stop that! If you’d been a ba! Kung lalaki ka kakapunin kita. man I’d cut your balls off.
* simultaneous/overlapping lines
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
KANO KANO Halikan mo ko, sige na. May regalo ako C’mon, give me a kiss. I have something sa yo, e. for you. BEA Regalo muna. BEA Let me have it. KANO Halik muna. KANO Kiss me first. BEA Basta regalo muna. BEA Give it to me first. KANO Halik muna. KANO Kiss me first. Seq. 3c: Corridor. Kano, Bea, and Gaying walk toward roof.
KANO KANO First class na first class ang regalo ko sa What I have for you is top-rate, podner. yo, mare. First-class! BEA BEA Hu, yung huling bigay mo, nahilo lang Yeah? What you had the last time just ako. got me dizzy. Seq. 3d: Rooftop. Kano faces city from rooftop and shouts.
KANO KANO Oowee! I love you Manila, kahit ano ka Oowee! I love you Manila, whatever pa man: bata, matanda, mabaho, pangit, you are: young, old, stinky, ugly, girl, babae, lalaki, bakla o – (amused by self- boy, homo, or – (amused by self- reference) tomboy. Halika, blow tayo! reference) tomboy. C’mon, let’s blow! (Kisses Bea) (Kisses Bea) BEA O, hindi ka na nagsawa. BEA Don’t you ever tire of it? KANO (attempts to light a stick of pot) KANO (attempts to light a stick of pot) Hindi ko ma-light, pa-light nga, o! Can’t light it up! Hey, can I have a light! (Flicks lighter by Bea’s breasts) (Flicks lighter by Bea’s breasts) BEA BEA Sige, sunugin mo’ng suso ko, sige!... Go ahead, burn my tits!... You know Alam mo, pupunta ako ng Saudi e. what, I’m going to Saudi. KANO Sasama ka na naman kay Greg KANO You’re going with Greg Williams Williams, no? again, right? BEA BEA Siyempre, pinasusunod yata niya ako. Of course. He wants me to follow. KANO KANO Putanginang Greg Williams Fuck that Greg Williams! (Leans on na yan! (Leans on rooftop edge) rooftop edge) I’ll kill myself, don’t Magpapakamatay na ako, huwag ninyo anybody stop me! I’ll really kill myself!! akong aawatin! Magpapakamatay I’m jumping off, I’m killing myself!
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Sequence 3d
na talaga ako! Tatalon na ako, BEA (pushing her forward, laughing) magpapakamatay ako! Go ahead, kill yourself, do it! BEA (pushing her forward, laughing) KANO Sige, magpakamatay ka, sige! Why, you fool, you really don’t love me, KANO do you? Tarantado ka, hindi mo talaga ko mahal, BEA no? Of course I love you. You give me dope, BEA right?... C’mon, another shotgun!6 Mahal, siyempre. Binibigyan mo ko ng damo, e…. Shotgun ulit!
Kano blows directly from lit end of joint into Bea’s nose, then Gaying’s, who fans away the smoke. The three, now all high, look out at the city lights of Manila.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Seq. 4: D’ Remark Kitchenette. Int.–ext. Night. Eva Eugenio’s “Tukso” plays on jukebox, beside which a man flirts with a waitress, girlfriend of the restaurant’s Chinese owner. Febrero, a taxi driver, arrives and exchanges smiles with his girl Baby, a waitress.
CHINESE OWNER’S RIVAL CHINESE OWNER’S RIVAL Mamayang labasan aantayin kita diyan When you’re done here, I’ll wait for you sa may simbahan ha. by the church, okay? WAITRESS WAITRESS Alam mong may trabaho ako dito e, You know I still have much work here. I hindi ako puwede mamaya. can’t meet you later. CHINESE OWNER’S RIVAL CHINESE OWNER’S RIVAL Intindihin mo yung Intsik na yon! Basta Never mind that Chinaman! What’s ang importante magkita tayo. important is that we see each other. WAITRESS WAITRESS Hindi nga puwede. Ayan nakatingin na I told you I can’t. He’s already looking sa tin! at us! CHINESE OWNER’S RIVAL CHINESE OWNER’S RIVAL Pambihira ka naman e. Oh, come on. WAITRESS 2 (to a customer) WAITRESS 2 (to a customer) Hoy ikaw ha, hwag mo akong lolokohin. Hey, you, don’t give me any bull. Or I’ll Hihipuin ko yung bayag mo! have you by the balls!
Baby spills some beer on her customer.
CUSTOMER CUSTOMER Ano ba? Tong babaeng to, hindi nag- Hey, watch it! Be careful, girl, or you’ll iingat, lulunurin pa ata ako a. Hindi drown me. Just watch it. nag-iingat. FEBRERO (intervening) FEBRERO (intervening) Hey, man, watch what you say. She’s my Pare dahan-dahan ka, syota ko yan. girl. CUSTOMER CUSTOMER Syota mo, probinsiyana yata yan e. Your girl? Is she from the boondocks? Hindi nag-iingat, e. She better be more careful. FEBRERO FEBRERO Okey na, okey na. Baby, ilagay mo na sa It’s okay. Baby, put it on my tab. I’ll pay chit ko yan, ako ang magbabayad. Ayos for it. That should make it okay, man. ba, pare? Right? CUSTOMER (mollified) CUSTOMER (mollified) Ayos na. Sige lang. That’s okay, that’s all right.
Baby returns beer to counter.
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WAITRESS 3 WAITRESS 3 Ikaw talaga, hindi ka na natuto. Why can’t you ever learn? BABY BABY E papano? (Spills beer on counter) But how? (Spills beer on counter) WAITRESS 3 Ang burara mo! WAITRESS 3 You’re so clumsy!
Hot Chocolate’s “Sexy Thing” plays on jukebox while Chinese owner signals to waitress to come over.
WAITRESS WAITRESS Sabi na sa yo, e. Nakakainis! See what I told you. Damn it!
Man shrugs then dances. Chinese brings waitress to kitchen where he tells others to go out in Chinese before confronting waitress.
CHINESE CHINESE O bakit lalandi-landi ka kanina do’n? So why were you flirting out there? WAITRESS WAITRESS Hindi naman ako naglalandi, kinukulit I wasn’t. He was pestering me. And how lang naman ako. Tsaka maaari ko ba can I do that to you, when you’re the namang gawin sa yo yon, e ikaw lang only one I care for? Here, so you stop naman ang mahal ko? O sige, para being pissed, (kisses him) there. You get huwag ka nang magalit, (kisses him) o a kiss, you’ll still be pissed? ayan. May kiss ka na magagalit ka pa.
Meanwhile among customers, Baby approaches Febrero.
BABY BABY Balikan mo ako pag labasan, ha? Come back for me when we’re done for FEBRERO the night, okay? Oo. Ang ganda-ganda mo. FEBRERO Sure. You’re so beautiful. Seq 4a. Cocktail lounge row on M. H. del Pilar St. After closing time, Febrero drives Baby home in his taxi.
BABY Kailan tayo pakakasal? BABY When are we getting married? FEBRERO Malapit na. FEBRERO Soon. BABY “Malapit na.” Mamaya mo BABY “Soon.” For all I know, I could matulad ako sa mga babae doon sa wind up like all those girls in the restaurant, puro mga dalagang ina. restaurant, all of them single mothers. FEBRERO Hindi, naghihintay lang ako. FEBRERO No, I’m just biding my time. Mag-ipon-ipon lang tayo. Until we have enough saved up.
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Seq. 4b: Baby’s house, a crowded tenement on Harrison Blvd. Baby alights from Febrero’s cab.
BABY O sige ha. BABY Okay, see you. FEBRERO Sige ha, ingat ha. FEBRERO Okay, take care.
Baby walks amid arguing prostitute and pimp toward her house.
PIMP PIMP Bakit beinte pesos lang binigay mo sa So how come I only got 20 pesos from kin kanina? you? PROSTITUTE PROSTITUTE E hanggang doon ang binayad sa kin, e. But that’s what I got paid. PIMP PIMP Nasa Del Pilar ka na yan lang kinikita You’re already on Del Pilar and you earn mo? only that? PROSTITUTE PROSTITUTE Alam mo naman hanggang Del Pilar You know I can only do Del Pilar. You lang ako e. Alam mong hindi ako know I can’t make it to the Boulevard.7 papasa sa Boulevard. PIMP PIMP So how much was your take this whole Magkano ba ang kinita mo nitong week? linggong ito? PROSTITUTE Hundred-twenty. PROSTITUTE Siento beinte. PIMP That’s all? Hundred-twenty? PIMP Siento beinte lang?
Baby enters house.
MOTHER Baby. MOTHER Baby. BABY Inay. BABY Ma. MOTHER O, gusto mong magkape? MOTHER You want some coffee? BABY Wag na ho, inaantok ho ako. BABY It’s all right, ma, I’m sleepy. MOTHER MOTHER Tatandaan mo’ng mga sinasabi ko Just remember what I tell you, okay? No sa yo, ha. Huwag kang mahihiya pag shame to be selling sweepstakes tickets, nagtitinda ka ng sweepstakes ha. okay? I’m telling you. Sinasabi ko ha.
Baby walks through congested room and undresses amid sleeping brothers and sisters.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Seq. 5: Adel’s house in San Nicholas. Int.–ext. Night. Adelina Macapinlac,8 in nurse’s uniform and carrying a large red bag, walks toward the house she shares with Febrero, her live-in lover. She enters courtyard and washes off her make-up. Febrero, already in underwear, waits on bed. When Adel knocks he pulls a latch-string to let her in. She washes her face, pausing to look at her reflection, then goes to Febrero. They kiss passionately.
ADEL ADEL Teka muna, magbibihis muna ako. Wait, I’ll change.
She undresses her nurse’s uniform in front of him, locks her red bag in a cabinet, then makes love to him. They are interrupted by a crying child, whom Febrero cradles while Adel prepares some milk formula.
FEBRERO FEBRERO Tama na. Sumosobra naman ang baby Quiet down, baby, you’re getting a bit ko. Pinagtitimpla ka na ng gatas. much. Your milk will be ready in a while. Seq. 6: Virgie’s house. Int.–ext. Day. After breakfast, the children are preparing to go to school.
VIRGIE VIRGIE Au-Au, andiyan na ang sundo mo. Au-Au, the schoolbus is here. ALEX Mommy. ALEX Mommy. VIRGIE (To maid) VIRGIE (To maid) Akina iyang baon ng anak ko.… (Notices Give me my son’s allowance…. (Notices maid’s appearance) Talagang hindi tayo maid’s appearance) Oh no, we really nagkakaintindihan. Di ba sinabi ko na don’t understand one another, do we? sa yong lagyan mo ng clip iyang buhok Haven’t I told you to use a hair clip? mo, baka mapunta pa yan sa pagkain ng Your hair could get into my children’s anak ko. food. MAID Lalagyan na ho. MAID I’ll wear it, ma’m. ALEX (interrupting) Mommy. ALEX (interrupting) Mommy. VIRGIE O? VIRGIE Yes? ALEX Di bale na lang ho. ALEX Oh, never mind. Seq. 6a: Driveway. Virgie walks Au-Au to gate.
VIRGIE VIRGIE Hija ito ang baon mo. Yung hotdog, Here’s your lunchbox, dear. Hotdogs, yung paborito mo. Mamaya pagsundo your favorite. Listen, when I pick you
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Sequence 5
ko sa yo doon ka na lamang sa may gate up later, just wait by the gate, okay, so I at hindi kung saan-saan kita hinahanap don’t have to look around for you.... Is it ha.… Masarap ba ang may mommy? nice to have a mommy? AU-AU Masarap. AU-AU It’s nice. VIRGIE O kiss. VIRGIE Give me a kiss. AU-AU Babay! AU-AU Bye-bye! VIRGIE Babay! VIRGIE Bye-bye!
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Au-Au rushes to schoolbus full of unruly classmates as her sister Ella comes out of the house.
ELLA: Mommy, alis na ako. ELLA: Mommy, I’m going. VIRGIE (noticing makeup on Ella’s face): O VIRGIE (noticing makeup on Ella’s face): Hey, ano yang nasa mukha mo? what’s that on your face? ELLA: E bakit ho yung ibang classmates ko? ELLA: My classmates put on makeup too, VIRGIE: E naku hindi pupwede. Alisin mo Mom. yan, alisin mo yan! VIRGIE: No way. Wash that off, wash it ff!o
Carpenters arrive.
MANG ROMY MANG ROMY Magandang umaga po, Misis. Good morning, Missus. VIRGIE VIRGIE Halikayo Mang Romy. (While leading Come over here, Mang Romy. (While the carpenters to the side of the house) leading the carpenters to the side of the Yung bubungan ko naman, bilis-bilisan house) I really wish you can fix up my nyo naman at may papagawa ako sa roof faster, as there’s still work to do in inyo doon sa may likuran. Yung bakod the backyard. The wall got damaged in na nasira no’ng nakaraang bagyo, e the last typhoon. So make it higher and taas-taasan nyo at matibay. sronger. MANG ROMY Oho. MANG ROMY Yes, ma’m. VIRGIE Sige na. VIRGIE Okay. Seq. 6b: Bathroom – Bedroom.
VIRGIE Albert? VIRGIE Albert? ALBERT Ma? ALBERT Ma? VIRGIE Papano ka ba naman maligo? VIRGIE My goodness, how do you take Basang-basa ito! Baka elepante ang a shower? It’s all wet in here! Was it an naligo dito a. Nagdi-disco ka pa yata elephant that washed up here? Or were dito. you disco-dancing? ALBERT Paano naman ho akong maliligo ALBERT But how can I take a shower nang hindi mababasa itong banyo? without the bathroom getting wet? VIRGIE Ba’t pag ako ang naliligo, yan VIRGIE Well, how come when I take lamang ang nababasa? Talaga kayong a shower, only this part gets wet? But dalawang magkapatid, buong banyo with you boys, the whole bathroom nababasa. Sige doon ka na. (Walks to gets wet. Anyway. (Walks to kitchen kitchen and sees maid) Aber, tingnan and sees maid) Well, can I see if you’ve nga kita? (Sees clips in maid’s hair) O done it? (Sees clips in maid’s hair) Okay, pagkatapos mo dyan, yung basahan sa when you’re done here, get that rag banyo iligpit mo, basang-basa. (Enters from the bathroom, it’s all wet. (Enters
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Top: Sequence 6b; Bottom: Sequence 6c
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her sons’ room, which is in a mess) Hay her sons’ room, which is in a mess) Oh naku Diyos ko, sa tuwing papasok my Lord, every time I come in here, I ako sa kuwarto ninyo, gusto kong feel I’m gonna faint. Should I just close himatayin! Ipikit ko na lang kaya ang my eyes? (Picks up smut magazine mata ko? (Picks up smut magazine on on bed) Oh my, I can’t even sit down bed) Naku, nakakatakot umupo dito, anywhere here, can’t tell what I could baka ano pa’ng maupuan ko. O ano be sitting on. Well, you two, what goes? kayong dalawa? ALBERT Me, I’m about to go, Mommy. ALBERT Ako mommy, paalis na. VIRGIE (to Alex) And you? VIRGIE (to Alex) O ikaw? ALEX ALEX Mommy, hindi ako papasok e. Mommy, I’m not going to school. VIRGIE Bakit? VIRGIE Why not? ALEX ALEX I got no more allowance. Naubos ko na po yong allowance ko e. VIRGIE VIRGIE What? Again? Won’t you ever change? Naku, na naman? Hindi ka na ba (Performs exasperation) I can’t stand magbabago? (Performs exasperation) it any more! Have you no mercy? Ayoko na ayoko na ayoko na! Hindi What do you think your dad does, shit ka ba naaawa? Sa ano’ng akala mo sa money? My God, I’m having such a daddy mo, tumatae ng pera? Aba e tough time raising you kids! And you’re hirap na hirap na ako sa pagpapalaki sa the oldest, and yet instead of helping inyong magkakapatid a. Ikaw namang out, you make it worse! panganay ka, imbis na makatulong ka, ALEX nagpapahirap ka pa! The only reason I run out of allowance ALEX is because of friendship. All the time, Kaya lang naman po naubos ang pera it’s my gang-mates that pay the bill. I ko, e sa pakikisama. Kasi po yung ibang get embarrassed, so sometimes I have barkada ko, lagi na lang sila ang nagbo- to pick up the bill too. blowout. Napahiya ako, siyempre nag- VIRGIE blowout na rin ako. So why do you live beyond your means? VIRGIE You have an allowance, make it last! E why do you live beyond your means? What if I tell you now that I picked May allowance ka, magtipid ka! E up the bill for some friends, so that kung sabihin ko sa yo ngayon nag- I’ve run out of money for food, and so blowout ako, wala tayong pambili we don’t have anything to eat, what ng pagkain, wala tayong kakainin? O then? Or that I went shopping for kaya nag-shopping ako, wala kayong myself and I ran out of money for your pang-matrikula? Aba kahit hindi tayo school enrolment? Why, even if we’re mayaman, pagdating ng matrikula not well off, when matriculation time meron akong ibinibigay sa inyong pera. comes, I have money to give you so Aba, hindi ako katulad ng ibang ina you can enroll in school. I don’t want diyan, kung kani-kanino nangungutang to be like other mothers who have to
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pag school opening. Ako hindi, palagi take out loans when school opens. Not akong handa.… (Turns sentimental) me. I’m ready with the money for your Hindi lamang nyo nalalaman, gabi-gabi schooling.… (Turns sentimental) You pinagdadasal ko kayo. E papano, ang may not know it, but every night I pray buhay ninyo balu-baluktot. Papano for all of you. Because of the way you kung wala na ako, wala ang daddy lead your lives. What happens when ninyo, papano na kayo? (To Albert) I’m not around anymore, and your O ano? daddy’s gone, too, how will you cope? ALBERT (To Albert) How? Alis na ko, ma. (Kisses Virgie, who ALBERT I’m going, Ma. (Kisses Virgie, momentarily forgets and smiles) who momentarily forgets and smiles) VIRGIE VIRGIE Uwi agad pagkatapos ng klase. Come home right after school. (Frowning, to Alex) E papanong hindi (Frowning, to Alex) So how do I stop ako magse-sermon, e paulit-ulit ka sa giving sermons, when your sins don’t kasalanan mo? E di paulit-ulit din ako. stop? So I can’t stop sermonizing, too! Sige, ikukuha na kita! Okay, okay, I’ll get you your allowance. Seq. 6c: Bedroom. As Virgie looks for money under stack of boxes inside closet, father, on bed, tickles her side with his foot.
FATHER ’Ney – FATHER Hon – VIRGIE Ano ba! VIRGIE Hey, stop that! FATHER (entreating for sex) FATHER (entreating for sex) Sige na. Come on. VIRGIE Ang aga-aga, e. VIRGIE It’s too early. FATHER Halika na, ’ney. FATHER Come here, hon. VIRGIE Ang aga-aga naman, e. VIRGIE Too early for that. FATHER Five minutes lang, sige na. FATHER Just five minutes, come on. VIRGIE Nakakainis naman, e. VIRGIE What a bother you are. FATHER ’Ney, ’ney, sige na. FATHER Hon, come on, hon. VIRGIE Umagang-umaga naman e. VIRGIE But it’s so early in the morning. FATHER FATHER Sige na ’ney, ’ney. (Father grabs Virgie Come on, hon. (Father grabs Virgie from behind, mashing her breasts, and from behind, mashing her breasts, and hauls her onto bed.) O – ahh! hauls her onto bed.) Oh – ahh! VIRGIE Ay, nakikiliti ako! VIRGIE Hey, you’re tickling me! FATHER Ang bango e. FATHER You smell so sweet. VIRGIE VIRGIE Stop it! Later, later! Tama na! Mamaya na, mamaya na! FATHER But you smell so sweet! FATHER Bango kasi e!
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VIRGIE (exchanges kisses with him) VIRGIE (exchanges kisses with him) Tama na. Okay, stop it. FATHER (Getting aroused) FATHER (Getting aroused) Halika! Come on!
Someone knocks on door. Virgie extricates herself and arranges her hair. Father, fly still open, pretends to sleep.
VIRGIE Ha, e, tuloy. VIRGIE Yes? Come in. ELLA Mommy papasok na ako. ELLA Mommy, I’m going. VIRGIE VIRGIE Tingnan ko’ng mukha mo. (Ella shows Let me see your face. (Ella shows her her face is clear of makeup) Sige. face is clear of makeup) All right. I’ll Sunduin kita mamaya ha. A, four-thirty pick you up later. At four-thirty, okay? ha? ELLA Yes, okay. Mommy. Bye-bye! ELLA Opo. Sige po Mommy. Babay! VIRGIE VIRGIE Bye. (Father starts up again, Virgie Bye. (Father starts up again, Virgie rejects him) Will you stop it? You never rejects him) Huwag mo nga akong ma- even consider how your children spend ganyan-ganyan. Ikaw hindi mo iniisip their money. kung paano gumastos ang mga anak FATHER What the heck – mo. VIRGIE FATHER Ano ba naman – I don’t want, that’s that. (Knocks are VIRGIE heard again, Virgie affects formality E ayoko e. (Knocks are heard again, and Father turns away) Come in. Virgie affects formality and Father turns MAID away) Tuloy. Ma’m, a woman’s outside, asking for MAID you. May naghahanap hong babae diyan sa VIRGIE Oh, okay. inyo sa labas. VIRGIE O sige. Seq. 6d: Living Room. Virgie is stunned at the presence of an overweight elderly woman, in cheap but skimpy attire, about the same age as her.
MIRIAM MIRIAM Hoy, Virgie! Hoy!... Nakakainggit ka Hey, Virgie! Hey!... How you’ve come naman ngayon. Donyang-donya ka a long way, how I envy you! You’ve na. Siguro hindi mo na ako kilala: turned into such a queen. Maybe you si Miriam, yung taga-Misericordia? don’t even remember me anymore. O. (Virgie nervously fingers rosary I’m Miriam, from way back in
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beads around her waist) Kasi nung Misericordia? (Virgie nervously fingers Miyerkoles nagsimba akong Baclaran. rosary beads around her waist) You Naku, nakita ko ba naman ang putang know what, last Wednesday I heard (Virgie is taken aback by Miriam’s Mass in Baclaran.9 And you know cusswords) si Minnie. E siya nagsabing whom I saw? Why, that whore (Virgie dito ka nakatira. Kaya sugod agad ako, is taken aback by Miriam’s cusswords) kasi ang laki ng problema ko e. Ikaw Minnie. And it was she who told me lang ang makakatulong sa akin e. Mag- where you live now. That’s why I rushed usap naman tayo o. over, cuz I have such a big problem. VIRGIE Ha? Mag-usap tayo? And you’re the only one who can help MIRIAM Oo. me. Let’s talk about it, okay? VIRGIE (goes back and forth between patio VIRGIE What? Talk about it? and sala) MIRIAM Yeah. Dito tayo. Ah, dito. Ah, dito. Ah, dito, VIRGIE (goes back and forth between patio dito na. and sala) MIRIAM (follows Virgie into sala) Here, let’s stay here. No, here. No, no, Naku ikaw nga si Virgie, hindi pa here, here, let’s stay here. nagbabago ugali mo e. MIRIAM (follows Virgie into sala) VIRGIE Upo ka. Oh wow, you’re still the same old Virgie, MIRIAM you haven’t changed. Ang ganda naman ng sala mo. Ang VIRGIE Sit down. ganda ng set mo. Ang mga bata? Hindi MIRIAM ko man lang inabutan Siyanga pala o, What a nice living room you have. Nice- manggang hilaw para sa yo. looking sala set, too. Your kids here? A VIRGIE (sets the green mangoes on the pity I didn’t catch ’em. Oh, by the way, table then rubs her hands) here’s some green mango for you. Salamat ha. (To her maid) Osang, ang VIRGIE (sets the green mangoes on the alcohol ko! table then rubs her hands) MIRIAM Thanks. (To her maid) Osang, get my Naku alam mo, hirap na hirap na kami alcohol bottle! sa Misericordia. Alam mo naman, yung MIRIAM mga ginagawa namin, ginagawa na You know what, we’re having such a ng mga sauna girls. Tapos yong mga miserable life in Misericordia. As you parak, ang taas ng hinihinging tong. may know, what we do, the sauna girls O, e alam mo naman – trenta pesos are doing too. And the cops, they’re lang ako isang chupa. E sa trenta, dose charging so high for protection. Now, lang napupunta sa akin – ano pa’ng as you must know, I only get 30 bucks mangyayari sa buhay ko? Ngayon, sabi for a blowjob. And out of that, only 12 ni Minnie, yung asawa mo malakas bucks get to me. So how do I live a life? ang koneksiyon sa pulis. Baka kako Now, Minnie said your husband has a makatulong sa amin, o.… Ay, ito strong connection with the cops. He palang manggang hilaw – pasensiya might be able to help us, I thought. Oh,
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ka na, walang bagoong, e. Yun so sorry, by the way, I didn’t get to bring ba namang putang nagpunta sa salted shrimp fry for that green mango. Pangasinan nangako ng bagoong, tapos Damn that whore who went home to nakalimutan. Pangasinan,10 she promised to bring VIRGIE back salted shrimp fry, but she forgot. Huwag kang magagalit, ha? Bakit VIRGIE hanggang ngayon nandidiyan ka pa rin? Don’t get upset, okay? But let me ask MIRIAM Talagang gano’n, e. you, why are you still there? VIRGIE MIRIAM Well, that’s life. Anong talagang ganyan? Mangyari kasi VIRGIE inisip mong hindi ka na magbabago! What do you mean that’s life? It’s a E kung nilagay mo ba naman sa isipan problem if you don’t think you can mo, hinigpitan mo yang utak mo, ever change. But if you put it in your susunod yang isipan mo sa pagbabago. head, and you keep it there, then Aba’y tingnan mo ako: mangyari everything will follow, you can’t help inisip ko, kaya sumunod ang utak but change. Why, look at me: I put it in ko sa pagbabago. Ikaw, tingnan mo: my head, that I will change, and so I did. hanggang ngayon nandidiyan ka pa rin. But look at you, until now you’re still Hindi ka na magbabago! Naintindihan there. You’ll never get to change. You mo ba’ng sinabi ko? understand what I’m saying? Seq.7: Manay’s shop. Int. Day.
MARICHU (knocking on Manay’s door) MARICHU (knocking on Manay’s door) Maria Cristina? Hoy. Teresa, ano ba? Maria Cristina? Hey, Teresa, c’mon! It’s Tanghali na. Beth, hoy ano ba. Dali, noon already. Beth, hey! C’mon, quick, bangon na. Maria Cristina, bangon na. get up. On your feet, Maria Cristina.11
Manay, naked except for thong underwear, wakes up beside a similarly naked sleeping male partner and opens door.
MANAY (still groggy) Hm? MANAY (still groggy) Hmm? MARICHU (whispers) MARICHU (whispers) Andiyan si Febrero sa labas! Febrero’s out there! MANAY (awakened by the news) MANAY (awakened by the news) Puta ka! Oh fuck! MARICHU MARICHU At saka si Vasquez, at ang buong And Vasquez, and the entire College of College of Engineering ng La Salle. Engineering of La Salle.12 MANAY MANAY Hwag kang maingay! I-delay mo muna Hush, quiet down! Hold them there. sila. Yung gown in Vasquez na kay Vasquez’s gown is with Caring. Tell her
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Caring. Sabihin mo i-rush, dali! Naku, to rush it! Rush it! Oh no, I’ll go crazy – maloloka ako sa inyo – (Gay leaves (Gay leaves but Manay calls him back) but Manay calls him back) Marissa! Marissa! (Manay beckons Gay back) (Manay beckons gay back) MARICHU What? MARICHU O ano yon? MANAY Don’t let Febrero in here, MANAY Huwag mong papapasukin okay? si Febrero dito ha? MARICHU Ya, ya, ya. MARICHU Oo, oo, oo. MANAY Wait until I tell you. MANAY Hintayin mong sabihin ko sa yo.
Manay wakes up sleeping man.
MANAY Hoy, kuwan, kuwan – ano MANAY Hey, you – what’s your name ba’ng pangalan mo? Punta ka sa banyo, again? Quick, go to the bathroom, hide magtago ka agad, nandiyan ang juwawa in there, my boyfriend’s here.13 Quick, ko. Dali, dali! (Manay hides man in quick! (Manay hides man in bathroom) bathroom)
Evita,4 in living room, holds court amid gays, students, and Febrero.
EVITA (apparently responding to news of Manay’s late awakening) By the ejaculation of all the saints in heaven, my third husband was also an insomniac, but he was already up and about – and you know what I mean by “up” especially – before sunset!
MARICHU MARICHU Sandali lang, titingnan ko yung gown Wait a minute, I’ll check on your gown. mo. (To gay dressmaker) Caring! (To gay dressmaker) Caring! Caring, Caring, yung gown ni Evita kailangan that gown for Evita is needed tonight. mamayang gabi. DRESSMAKER Just some hemming. DRESSMAKER Lilip na lang. EVITA EVITA Oh my God, Caring, don’t do what you Oy por Dios, Caring ha. Huwag mong did to me last week. Why, Aspiras was uulitin yong ginawa mo sa kin last week. my guest, and my back was full of safety Aba’y guest ko pa naman si Aspiras, pins!14 panay imperdible ang likod ko! MARICHU MARICHU Hey, Caring, that’s needed today, so O Caring, mamaya yan, dalian mo ha? rush it, okay? *EVITA (talking about Manay again) *EVITA (talking about Manay again) Ito naman si Manay Sharon, practically Aww, heck, this Manay Sharon, it’s turn of the century na, nasa practically the turn of the century, and Consciousness Two pa. he’s still at Consciousness Two.15
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*MARICHU *MARICHU Febrero, lalabas na yon, naghihilamos Febrero, he’ll be out soon, he’s just lang. washing his face. EVITA (looking at the students) EVITA (looking at the students) Gusto na yatang kumanta ng Vienna I think the Vienna Boys Choir wants to Boys Choir. start singing.
Manay and man are in bathroom where Manay washes his face.
MANAY Hoy, pag andiyan ang juwawa MANAY Hey, if my boyfriend comes in, ko, huwag kang mag-iingay ha. Huwag just stay quiet, okay? Don’t say a thing, kang kikibo. Huwag kang uubo, huwag don’t even cough, don’t sneeze, don’t kang babahing, huwag kang uutot, ha! fart! MAN Oo. MAN Yes. MANAY (looking into mirror after washing MANAY (looking into mirror after washing his face) Ay naku, bakla pa rin! his face) Oh, wow, still gay!
Evita continues talking in living room.
EVITA You know, chica, I met this EVITA You know, chica, I met this funny man last night. He was fixing funny man last night. He was fixing the the locks of my tocador, and then he locks of my dressing table, and what proceeded ba naman to make me do you know, he proceeded to chat me kuwento. He said, “You know Miss up. He says, “You know, Miss Vasquez, Vasquez, basta mabuhay, gagawin ko just to make a living, I’ll do anything.” ang lahat.” Ang sabi ko naman, “Really?” So I say, “Really?” He goes on: “I can Ang sabi niya, “I can fix radios, stereos, fix radios, stereos, and television and television sets.” And then, and sets.” And then, and then he says, “And then he says, “Ako marunong mag- I know how to arouse.” “Arouse!” I arouse.” “Arouse!” I screamed. Ang sabi screamed. And he says, “If you want, I nya, “Kung gusto mo, kukunin ko yung can get some grapes, attach a wire to ubas, ikakabit ko sa wire, at ipapasok them and insert them in your –” well, I sa –” well I don’t know how to put this don’t know how to put this delicately delicately so I’ll put it bluntly na lang “– so I’ll just put it bluntly “– anus.” (As anus.” (As her gay audience laughs) Que her gay audience laughs) Oh my, how deliciously shocking, que horror! deliciously shocking, the horror! MARICHU O sinubukan mo naman? MARICHU So did you try it? EVITA Yes! (They laugh again) EVITA Yes! (They laugh again) MANAY (from bedroom) MANAY (from bedroom) Marichu, si Febrero papasukin mo na. Marichu, you may tell Febrero to come MARICHU in. O Febrero, pumasok ka na raw.
* simultaneous/overlapping lines Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
EVITA (referring to Febrero and the MARICHU students) Hey, Febrero, you can go in now. Naku, between Robert DeNiro and the EVITA (referring to Febrero and the Vienna Boys Choir, siguradong panay students) imperdible na naman ako mamayang Oh my, between Robert DeNiro and gabi. (Shouts out to Manay) Hoy Manay the Vienna Boys Choir, I’m sure I’ll be Sharon, Bong Tangco’ng guest ko! full of safety pins again tonight. (Shouts Seq. 7a: Manay’s Bedroom. Febrero enters Manay bedroom. They kiss.
MANAY (embracing and kissing Febrero) out to Manay) Hey. Manay Sharon, I Hay naku, hmm. (After some kissing) have a special guest, Bong Tangco! O, you want some coffee? MANAY (embracing and kissing Febrero) FEBRERO Hindi na. Oh, my, hmm. (After some kissing) MANAY How about some juice? May You want some coffee? beer dito, malamig. FEBRERO Never mind. FEBRERO Hindi na, hindi na. MANAY How about some juice? There’s MANAY I have some chicken here, kung beer, too, ice cold. nagugutom ka. FEBRERO No, no more. FEBRERO Mamaya na. MANAY I have some chicken here, if MANAY you’re hungry. Are you sure? Buti naman at dumalaw FEBRERO Maybe later. ka, nami-miss na kita! Hmm! (Kisses MANAY Febrero again) Are you sure? Good thing you dropped FEBRERO (after kissing back) by, I’ve been missing you so much! May sakit ang anak ko e. Hmm! (Kisses Febrero again) MANAY (familiar with the routine) FEBRERO (after kissing back) May sakit ang anak mo o mambababae My kid’s sick. ka na naman? MANAY (familiar with the routine) FEBRERO (laughs a bit) Your kid’s sick, or you need it for Hindi, may sakit talaga yon. women? MANAY Baka naman ika’y FEBRERO (laughs a bit) nagsisinungaling lang ha. No, my kid’s really sick. FEBRERO (smiling) MANAY You sure you’re not shitting me? Ako ba naman magsisinungaling sa yo? FEBRERO (smiling) Me, shit you? MANAY MANAY Meron bang taong hindi Is there anyone who doesn’t ever come nagsisinungaling? up with bullshit? FEBRERO FEBRERO Ako hindi. (Assumes serious expression) Not me. (Assumes serious expression) Hindi, talaga, may sakit. Honest, my kid’s sick.
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MANAY MANAY O siya, magdadatung na ako. You love All right, all right, I’ll give you money. me? You love me? FEBRERO I love you. (They kiss again) FEBRERO I love you. (They kiss again) MANAY MANAY Ay naku, ewan ko ba. Ako kinakabahan Oh, hell, I dunno. I get all antsy with sa yo. Hindi ako naniniwala, e. Baka you. I just can’t believe you. You think I akala mo hindi ko nababalitaan ha. don’t hear about what you do? FEBRERO Huus. FEBRERO Jeez. MANAY MANAY Ikaw daw may kinalolokohang waitress I hear you’re crazy over some waitress, ngayon, probinsiyana, sinusundo mo some girl fresh from the boondocks, gabi-gabi. (Febrero laughs nervously) and you pick her up in your cab every Itanggi mo. Itanggi mo. Kung hindi night. (Febrero laughs nervously) Deny babae siguradong may sward kang it. Go ahead, deny it. If it’s not some kinalolokohan ngayon. Naku, kabisado girl, it’s another homo. I know all about ko kayong mga taxi driver. Hindi mo you cab drivers. You can’t deny it. That maikakaila sa kin yan. O ano, hindi ba late at night, when some homo gets pagka gabi, sumakay sa inyo ang sward, in your cab, the poor wretch will have dadalhin kayo doon sa madilim sa you take him to some dark spot by talahiban, any moment di-disappear na some empty lot with tall grass. And any yung ulo ng sward, makikita mo na lang moment his head will disappear, and ang ulo ng taxi driver, hii-hii. (Mimics only the head of the taxi driver stays orgasmic euphoria) O ano, itanggi mo. up, hii-hii. (Mimics orgasmic euphoria) O, ano’ng sakit ng anak mo? Go on, deny it. Anyway, what’s your kid FEBRERO Tigdas e. sick of? MANAY FEBRERO Measles. Two hundred, tama na yan. Yung kiss MANAY ko. (They kiss again) Two hundred, that should be okay. How about my kiss? (They kiss again) Seq. 8: Girls’ school. Ext. Day. Dismissal. Girls are going home or being fetched, some by their boyfriends. Among the latter are Alex and his friends. Alex fetches his girl, Vanessa.
ALEX’S FRIEND O saan tayo pupunta? ALEX’S FRIEND Where are we going? GIRLFRIEND Gusto ko sa Seven GIRLFRIEND I want it at Seven Seas, Seas para libre pomada. where there’s free lubricant.16 ALEX’S FRIEND Sige! ALEX’S FRIEND Okay! VANESSA (To Alex) Sabado bukas, ha? VANESSA (To Alex) It’s Saturday ALEX tomorrow, right? Alam ko, magsisimba tayo.
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VANESSA ALEX E nung isang Sabado pumalya ka na, e. I know. We’ll go to Mass. ALEX VANESSA Papano kina Gerry ako natulog. Yung Last Saturday you didn’t show up. maid ba naman nila hindi ako ginising. ALEX VANESSA That’s cuz I slept over at Gerry’s. And Hm excuses, excuses. Ang taong hindi their maid didn’t wake me up. marunong humarap sa Diyos, et cetera, VANESSA et cetera, et cetera. Hmm, excuses, excuses. Somebody ALEX who can’t face God, et cetera, et cetera, Para ka namang nanay ko. Kaninang et cetera. umaga tatlong oras at tatlong oras ALEX akong sinermonan. You’re starting to sound like my mother. VANESSA Hell, this morning I had to listen to her Sabi nga sa kin ng nanay ko kaninang sermon for three fucking hours! umaga, “Vanessa, kung mag-aasawa VANESSA kayo ni Alex, aba’y mag-ipon-ipon And my own mother told me this na kayo. At least kumuha kayo ng morning, “Vanessa, if you and Alex are lupang mahulugang unti-unti.” Sabi ko getting married, you better start saving naman, “Saan naman kukuha ng perang up. At least get a piece of property that panghulog ng lupa si Alex? E folk singer you can pay for by installment.” So I lang yung tao – nawalan pa nga ng said back, “And where will Alex get the trabaho e –” (Jesus freaks accost them money for any down payment for a at the gate with leaflets) Oh thank you. piece of property? Since he’s just a folk MAN (giving Alex and Vanessa a leaflet singer, and he even lost his job –” (Jesus each) freaks accost them at the gate with Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you. leaflets) Oh, thank you. WOMAN MAN (giving Alex and Vanessa a leaflet Jesus loves you. (In foreign accent) each) Mahal kita. Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you. VANESSA Thank you. WOMAN Jesus loves you. (In foreign accent) Seq. 9: Motel. Int. Alex and Vanessa make love in the shower.
VANESSA Teka muna, ang mata ko. Ang I love you. ginaw ng tubig, no? VANESSA Thank you.
When they finish showering, Alex closes the faucet and they get out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. Alex hands her a towel. They wipe themselves dry. As she combs her hair, she approaches the bed, where Alex is.
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VANESSA VANESSA Wait a minute. My eyes! Oh, the Urong nga o. (Alex moves aside for water’s so cold. her) Uwi mo akong maaga ha. Mommy VANESSA ko nagiging neurotic na sa aming Move over. (Alex moves aside for her) magkakapatid. Paano ba naman Take me home early, okay? Mommy’s yung utol ko tatlong araw nang hindi turning neurotic over all of us kids. umuuwi. Ewan ko kung ano ang Imagine, my bro hasn’t come home in gagawin. Ayun, ipapa-Metrocom yata. three days. No idea what happens next. ALEX (clicks his fingers then heads for the Mommy might sic the police on him. phone) ALEX (clicks his fingers then heads for the Pucha si Nonong muntik ko nang phone) makalimutan, tatawagin ko nga pala. Fuck, almost forgot. Gotta give Nonong Ubos na yung stuff ko e. (On phone) a ring. I’ve run out of stuff. (On phone) Hello, Operator? Outside line please. Hello, Operator? Outside line, please. (To himself) Buti na lang naalala kong (To himself) Good thing I remembered. tawagan. (Sees Vanessa picking up (Sees Vanessa picking up a sandwich) a sandwich) O, huwag ka munang Hey, hey, don’t eat yet, you’ll lose your kumain, bababa ka. (Hums for a while; high. (Hums for a while; on phone) on phone) Hello, Nong? Si Alex to. Oo. Hello, Nong? Alex here. Yup, what we O, yung pinag-usapan natin. Ano? Wow talked about, man. What? Wow, man, pare, hassle. Sinabi ko sa barkada kong hassle. But I told my gang I’d have it. meron. Wow…. Pano ngayon to? O sige, Wow…. Now what? Oh, okay, next week bahala na next week, ha? Thank you na then, okay? Thanks anyway. lang. VANESSA VANESSA What, nothing? Ano, wala ano? ALEX ALEX Ran out. Hassle. C’mon let’s do it. Wala. Hassle e. Tena na. (They kiss) (They kiss) VANESSA VANESSA Alex, I love you. Alex, I love you. ALEX ALEX I love you also. Sandali ha.... I love you also. Wait a minute.... (Gets a small box from his pants, takes (Gets a small box from his pants, takes out necklace inside and hangs it on out necklace inside and hangs it on Vanessa’s neck) Vanessa’s neck) VANESSA VANESSA O, saan mo naman nakuha ito? Hey, where’d you get this? ALEX ALEX Wala, inartehan ko lang si Mommy. Simple, I gave Mommy the act. Told Sinabi ko ubos na ang allowance ko, her my allowance had run out, cuz I’ve kasi ibo-blowout ko raw ang barkada e. been treating the gang. So she handed Bigay siya. me some.
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VANESSA VANESSA Hindi naman kaya magkulay-gray ito Won’t this tarnish if it gets wet? pag nabasa? ALEX ALEX Course not, crazy. Maybe when it gets Loka hindi. Baka sa pangalawang beses wet a second time. puwede pa. VANESSA (laughs) VANESSA (laughs) Thank you. I love you. Thank you. I love you. ALEX ALEX I love you also. (They kiss anew, then lie I love you also. (They kiss anew, then lie down to continue when Alex suddenly down to continue when Alex suddenly gets up) gets up) VANESSA (stopping him) VANESSA (stopping him) Alex, wait…. Hey? Alex, sandali…. O? ALEX Wait a bit. Just a sec. ALEX Saka muna, sandali lang. VANESSA You’re leaving me hanging! VANESSA Pambihira ka naman, ALEX Just a bit. bitinero! ALEX Sandali lang.
He gets a popper from his pants’ pocket, they sniff from it alternately, then proceed with their lovemaking. Seq. 10: Bea’s House. Int.–ext. Day. Bea’s house is a one-room affair on Misericordia. Greg Williams prepares for a trip while Bea and her two kids watch.
BEA BEA Hoy ikaw Greg Williams ka, baka Hey, you, Greg Williams, you sure I’ll naman pagdating mo ng Saudi e wala still hear from you when you get to na akong marinig sa yo. Pangako mo Saudi? You promised to send for me, ipapakuha mo ako, ha? right? GREG Oo. GREG Yep. BEA BEA Pag niloko mo ako, susugurin kita. If you’re shitting me, I’ll go after you. GREG GREG Hinde, mga dalawa-tatlong buwan lang, Naah, just give me two-three months, pasusunurin na kita. then you follow. BEA BEA At saka itong mga anak ko, huwag And my kids, hope you don’t forget to mo naman kakalimutang padalhan send ’em something once in a while. paminsan-minsan. Alam mo naman You know how their dad’s forgotten all ang tatay ng mga ito kung sumipot – about ’em. mga luko-luko.
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Top: Sequence 10; Bottom: Sequence 11
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
GREG GREG Oo, hindi ko makakalimutan yan, Yep, sure, I won’t forget ’em, they’re parang mga anak ko na rin yan e. almost like my kids now, right? GAYING (arriving from outside) GAYING (arriving from outside) Ate Bea, Ate Bea – ay, Kuya Greg! Ate Ate Bea, Ate Bea – oh, Kuya Greg!17 Bea puwede bang bumale sa yo kasi Ate Bea, may I get an advance from you, may sakit yung nanay ko e. Pambili lang cuz my mom’s sick? Just to buy some ng gamot. medicine. BEA Magkano? BEA How much? GAYING Ano, diyes pesos lang. GAYING Well, just ten pesos, please. BEA BEA You’re always after money. Puro ka pera. Ang dami-dami mo nang You’ve racked up so much advance pay. advance. Ang dami-dami nang perang You’ve asked for so much money from nakukuha sa akin. me already. *GAYING *GAYING Sige na. Please. *GREG *GREG Sampung piso lang, bigyan mo na! It’s just ten pesos, give it to her! *BEA *BEA Sige, kunin mo yung pitaka ko. Okay, get my wallet. GREG GREG Pag nasa Saudi na ako, padadalhan kita, When I get to Saudi, I’ll send you dollars pa. money anyway, in dollars at that! BEA (to Gaying) BEA (to Gaying) O magkano yan? Magkano’ng natira? Okay, how much is there? How much GAYING Setenta y siete. is left? BEA O tama. Sige, ibalik mo na GAYING 77 pesos. ang pitaka ko. Bumalik ka agad, ha? BEA That’s correct. Okay, put back Maliligo pa ako e. Maglilinis ako ng my wallet where it was. Come back bahay. Itong mga anak ko, ang dudumi right away, okay? I still have to take a (sniffs) – hm, mga amoy araw pa. O, shower. I have to clean up around here. magpaalam ka sa Kuya Greg mo. Aalis These kids are so filthy (sniffs) – hmm, yan, pupunta yan sa Saudi. and they stink, too. Hey, say goodbye to GAYING your Kuya Greg. He’s leaving soon, he’s Kuya Greg ha, yung Avon ko, ha? going to Saudi. GREG GAYING Oo, kung gusto mo, tatambakan pa kita Kuya Greg, you promised me Avon ng Avon! soap, didn’t you? GAYING GREG O sige Ate Bea, thank you. Babalik ako Yeah, if you want, I’ll send you tons of kaagad ha. Avon! GAYING Okay, Ate Bea, thank you. I’ll be back right away. * simultaneous/overlapping lines Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Greg approaches Bea and starts kissing her. She starts up.
BEA BEA Yung mga bata. (To her kids) Mga bata The kids. (To her kids) Hey, kids, go doon muna kayo sa pasilyo. Huwag over to the alley. But don’t stray too far, kayong lalayo, ha? okay?
The kids rush outside and play patty-cake.
SISTERS Juaniyo, Pancho, and Jose Mari / I like coffee, I like tea –
Back in the house, Bea motions to bed where she and Greg neck. Finally Greg gets up and picks up his bags, but Bea holds him back.
BEA Mahal mo ako? BEA You love me? GREG Oo. (Kisses her) GREG Yes. (Kisses her) BEA Ipapakuha mo ako? BEA You’ll send for me? GREG Oo. (Kisses her again) GREG Yes. (Kisses her again) BEA Alam mo ang istorya ng buhay BEA You know the story of my life? ko? GREG Yes. (Kisses her for the last time) GREG Oo. (Kisses her for the last time) BEA You really love me? BEA Mahal mo ako talaga? GREG Love you so much. GREG Mahal na mahal.
Greg walks out of the house, passing by some guys at the corner who sing opening bars of Florante’s “Pinay.” Bea meanwhile takes a bath, squatting on the floor and pouring water from a barrel with a tub.
GUYS (singing) Dapat ka bang mangibang- GUYS (singing) Do you have to leave the bayan? / Dito ba’y wala kang country? / Don’t you have a proper mapaglagyan? / Tungkol sa bebot, dito’y place here? / When it comes to girls, maraming okey / Dito ang kelot ay here so many are okay / Here there kulang / Bakit pa iiwanan ang lupang aren’t enough guys / So why leave our tinubuan? / Dito ka natutuo ng iyong native land? / Here’s where you learned mga – every – Seq. 11: Adel’s House. Int.–ext. Night. Adel steps out of outhouse wrapped in a towel. A neighbor in her congested slum neighborhood consults with her.
*WOMAN (overheard) *WOMAN (overheard) Ella, yung pinsan ko sa Cebu sumulat sa Ella, my cousin in Cebu wrote to me. akin. Aba e akalain mo gusto dito raw Imagine, she wants to come over and
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sa akin tumira. E yung kita ko para sa live with us. But the money I make isn’t amin lang kulang na kulang pa – even enough for us here – *ADEL *ADEL O, nakabili ka na ba ng Tempra? O sige Well, did you get to buy Tempra? Okay ito, painumin mo four times a day ha. then, have the kid take it four times a MAN (to another neighbor) day. Eba ano ba, yung mga anak mo nagkalat MAN (to another neighbor) sa lansangan. Para kang hindi nanay, a! Eba, hey, your kids are all over the street. You’re not being a good mother!
Adel finds Manay and Febrero home. Manay has brought a box of gifts – canned goods, pots and pans, dresses for the children.
*MANAY *MANAY Ito para sa mga bata, wala akong nabili These are for the kids. I couldn’t find para kay Ade e. anything for Ade. *ADEL *ADEL Hoy Manay, andito ka pala. Ano to? Hey Manay, good to see you here. MANAY What’s this? O ayan. Ayan mga gamit, binili ko para MANAY sa inyo, Ade. Ito, para sa yo ito o. Here you are. New clothes I bought for ADEL (holding umbrella) you all, Ade. Here, this one’s for you. Naku, ang cute-cute naman nito! ADEL (holding umbrella) MANAY (gives her an ice bucket) Oh wow, how cute this is! O ito, magagamit mo yan o. Ganda no? MANAY (gives her an ice bucket) ADEL And here, you can use this too. Isn’t that Naku, lalagyan ng ice! nice? MANAY ADEL Wow, it’s for ice! Ang dami kong dalang mga kakanin o. MANAY And I brought a lot of food. ADEL ADEL Naku may kaldero, may corned beef…. Hey, there’s even corned beef…. Wow, Naku salamat, ha? Sobra-sobra na ata thanks! This is too much. yan. MANAY MANAY No. You know me and my life Hindi. Alam mo na naman ang gimmick – Rosa Rosal.18 gimmick ko sa buhay – Rosa Rosal. ADEL ADEL Manay, don’t ever get tired of us, okay? Manay, huwag kang magsawa sa amin, (Begins to groom herself) ha? (Begins to groom herself) MANAY (glancing at Febrero) No I won’t.
* simultaneous/overlapping lines
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MANAY (glancing at Febrero) ADEL Hindi. Febrero, here, your food’s ready. ADEL FEBRERO (distracted by Manay) Febrero, handa na ang pagkain mo, ha. What? FEBRERO (distracted by Manay) ADEL Ha? And here’s your polo shirt that I ironed ADEL this morning. Manay, why don’t you eat At saka heto yung polong pinalantsa ko here too? Join Febrero. kanina. Manay, dito ka na lang kumain, MANAY samahan mo si Febrero. No more, I’m expecting a customer at MANAY the shop. Huwag na, may customer ako sa shop ADEL mamaya. Really. Maybe you just have a pick-up. ADEL (Proceeds to dress up for work) Hu, manghahala ka lang e. (Proceeds to MANAY Of course not! (Febrero laughs) dress up for work) ADEL Please close the window. MANAY Hindi uy! (Febrero laughs) ADEL Pakisarado ang bintana.
Manay gets up to provide Adel privacy by shutting the room’s window.
MANAY MANAY Ay naku, hindi ako basta-basta namu Why, I don’t just pick up anyone out mulot ng kung sino-sino diyan. Alam there. You know how those bastards mo na, peperahan ka lang ng mga just hit you for money. In these times, hayop na yan. Alam mo na ang mga tao everyone’s just out for money. In fact in ngayon, puro mga mukhang pera. Doon my shop, I sent off all my dressmakers. na lang sa shop, pinalayas ko ang lahat Can you imagine, even the buttons, ng mga modista ko ah. Biro mo, ultimo they were filching. Now I demand an mga butones pinag-iinteresan! Inuuwi NBI19 clearance from all applicants. sa bahay! Kaya ako, pag kukuha ako ng (Whispers to Febrero) I love you. modista, kailangan may NBI clearance. FEBRERO (whispers back) I love you. Wala akong panahon. (Whispers to ADEL Febrero) I love you. I have to be early at the hospital. A FEBRERO (whispers back) I love you. patient just went under the knife for ADEL hemorrhoids, and he’s been bleeding Kailangan maaga ako sa ospital e. May like anything. In fact I said to Doctor pasyente ako ngayon, bagong opera Vicente, that might not have been sa almoranas, ang lakas-lakas nga ng hemorrhoids, he could have cancer of agos ng dugo hanggang ngayon. Sabi the asshole! ko nga kay Doktor Vicente, baka hindi na almoranas yon, baka kanser na sa puwet!
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Everbody laughs.
MANAY (to Febrero, out of Adel’s earshot) MANAY (to Febrero, out of Adel’s earshot) O, kailan ka pupunta sa shop? When can you come over to the shop? FEBRERO FEBRERO Sa makalawa. May meeting kami bukas, Day after tomorrow. We have a meeting e. Tungkol ba doon sa pagbabago ng tomorrow. On changing the cab’s paint kulay ng taxi. color. MANAY MANAY Ang corny-corny, bakit dilaw? Dapat It’s so corny, why must it be yellow? magenta. Should be magenta. FEBRERO Ano’ng magenta? FEBRERO What magenta? MANAY Pink, purple. MANAY Pink, purple.
Adel goes to the door to talk to a neighboring woman.
ADEL Aling Viring? ADEL Aling Viring?20 ALING VIRING Oy? ALING VIRING Yes? ADEL ADEL Pagkagising ho ng mga bata, pakainin As soon as the kids get up, feed ’em ninyo tapos paliguan nyo ho. Si Boboy and bathe ’em, okay? Boboy pulled a ho noong isang gabi nag-alburoto. tantrum the other night. Maybe cuz it’s Siguro ho nainitan. so hot. ALING VIRING Ako’ng bahala. ALING VIRING I’ll take care of ’em. ADEL (to herself) Si Aling Viring ADEL (to herself) Oh, this Aling Viring. naman, oo. (Addressing Febrero) O ikaw (Addressing Febrero) And you, Febrero, Febrero, kalian ka naman aalis? (Gets what time are you stepping out? (Gets red bag from closet) red bag from closet) *FEBRERO *FEBRERO E hihintayin ko lang si Aling Nita. I have to wait for Aling Nita. And I still Maliligo pa ako e. have to take a shower. *ADEL (holding her nurse’s cap) *ADEL (holding her nurse’s cap) Manay, tulungan mo nga ako dito, o. Manay, can you help me with this please?
Baby cries, Febrero cradles kid.
MANAY (helping Adel with her cap) MANAY (helping Adel with her cap) Ihahatid na kita, dala ko naman yung I can drop you off, I have my car and kotse ko e. driver anyway. ADEL Sige. ADEL Okay.
* simultaneous/overlapping lines
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Adel waits for Manay to leave but hesitates outside the hospital. HOSPITAL INTERCOM ANNOUNCEMENT: Paging Doctor Brigada, emergency room please. Doctor Brigada, emergency room please. Seq. 12: D’Remark Kitchenette. Int.–ext. Night. Baby goes about her work while jukebox plays Anthony Castelo’s “Nang Dahil sa Pag-ibig” all throughout. When she nears pimp he solicits her.
PIMP PIMP Alam mo mas malaki ang kikitain mo You know, we’ll both make so much kung papayag kang ireto kita sa mga more money if I set you up with some Hapon. Kikita ka hanggang seven Japanese. You can make seven hundred, hundred, hindi ka pa pagod. Dito pagod easy. And it won’t tire you out. Here ka, maliit ang kita, barya-barya. you get all used up, for loose change.
Baby wrenches herself free from pimp and complains to Febrero, who’s just arriving. Febrero goes to pimp and challenges him while the place’s Chinese owner also confronts the man who flirted with his waitress-girlfriend. Their confrontation is interrupted by the fighting of Febrero and the pimp outside.
CHINESE OWNER’S RIVAL CHINESE OWNER’S RIVAL O walang aawat ha! Walang aawat! Okay, nobody steps in! Nobody Sandali! meddles! Come on!
Febrero is beaten up by pimp. Baby is visibly disappointed. Seq. 13: Bambang Street. Ext. Early evening, Alex and his friends are looking to score some drugs. Kano negotiates with them from outside their car.
KANO Mogs lang, e. KANO I only got Mogs.21 ALEX’S FRIEND Magkano? ALEX’S FRIEND How much? KANO Kagaya din ng dati. KANO The usual. ALEX’S FRIEND ALEX’S FRIEND Ilan ba’ng kukunin natin? So how many do we get? ALEX’S FRIEND 2 Tigalawa tayo. ALEX’S FRIEND 2 Two each. KANO KANO O sige. Hintayin nyo na lang ako diyan Okay, just wait for me at the corner. sa kanto ha.
A group of trannies are almost run over by the car of Alex and his gang.
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Sequence 13
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TRANNIES TRANNIES Gemma, Gemma, ano ba Gemma – ay! Gemma, Gemma, what the fuck, Ano ba yan? Putang to! Ay anak ka ng Gemma – hey! What are you doing, kabayo! Walanghiya! you whore?! Sonafabitch! Jesus Christ! ANOTHER TRANNIE (upon seeing Alex ANOTHER TRANNIE (upon seeing Alex and his friends) and his friends) Ay, mga lalake! Ang guwapo! Oh, boys! How good-looking! Seq. 13a: Trannies’ Outdoor cabaret. Alex and his friends amusedly watch trannies dancing to Lipps, Inc.’s “Funkytown” while waiting for Kano. Their attention is caught by a dwarf trannie in high heels.
ALEX’S FRIEND (describing the trannies ALEX’S FRIEND (describing the trannies they just saw) they just saw) Pare hayop ang dila nung isang yon! Man, dig that tongue! Seq. 13b: Streets of Sta. Cruz district. Alex and friends continue talking about the trannies while walking back to car from which they shoo away a white-robed old man leaning on it. Kano uses a child runner to deliver the goods, then joins them in their car.
KANO KANO O ito, kanino? Two hundred forty! Here, who picks these up? Two ALEX’S FRIEND Heto’ng bayad. hundred forty! KANO (to Alex) ALEX’S FRIEND Here’s the money. O ikaw, hindi ka na ba kumakanta sa KANO (to Alex) club? Hey, don’t you sing at the club ALEX anymore? Hindi na. Mula nang nagkaroon ng ALEX barilan nagalit ang ermat ko. Ayaw na e. Had to quit. After that shooting KANO (counting payment) incident. My Mom got so pissed and Twenty, forty… Diyos ko, aabutin ako scared shitless, made me quit. ng Miyerkoles sa pagbibilang dito. KANO (counting payment) ALEX’S FRIENDS Twenty, forty.… My God, it’ll take me a Ayos lang yan. Pare okey na to. Okey week to count this. na? ALEX’S FRIENDS KANO Should be no problem. Man, Okey. O pare diyan niyo na lang ako everything’s A-okay. Right? sa kanto, ha? (She alights from their KANO car then talks to Alex) Pare, kung sex Okay. Guys, you can drop me off at trip naman, may barkada akong sauna that corner. (She alights from their car then talks to Alex) Hey, man, if it’s a
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attendant sa Sauna Turko, malapit sa sex trip you want, I have this friend Bayside. who’s an attendant at Sauna Turko, near ALEX Type! Bayside.22 KANO Pare, bulag. (Alex and friends ALEX Type! laugh at the idea) Sige pare, ha. KANO She’s blind, man. (Alex and friends laugh at the idea) Okay, guys, see you. Seq 14: Virgie’s house. Int. Night. Late night, Virgie is massaging her husband in their bedroom.
VIRGIE Wala pa yung panganay mo, a. VIRGIE Your eldest isn’t home yet. FATHER Hwag mong masyadong FATHER You really shouldn’t be so strict higpitan yong mga bata. Lalo na si Alex. with the kids. Especially Alex. He’s a Lalaki yan e. guy. VIRGIE Hm! VIRGIE Hmmph! FATHER Ano’ng mangyayari do’n? Wala! FATHER What can happen to him? VIRGIE Maloloka na yata ako, e. Nothing! VIRGIE Oh, I’ll go crazy.
She rubs her hands with alcohol then takes a valium.
FATHER Tama na yan. FATHER Stop that. VIRGIE Hm, buti na ito kaysa mag- VIRGIE Hmm, this is better than turning hysteria pa ko! hysterical! Seq. 15: Sauna Turko. Int. Night. Alex has acquiesced to Kano’s inducement. Bea scrubs him vigorously in a tub.
ALEX ALEX May itatanong ako sa yo, huwag kang I wanna ask you something. Don’t get magagalit. angry, okay? BEA BEA Hu, taas mo nga ang kili-kili mo! C’mon, show me your armpits! (Raises (Raises Alex’s arms to scrub his Alex’s arms to scrub his underarms) You underarms) Pare-pareho kayong mga guys are all alike. You all ask the same lalake, iisa lang ang tinatanong ninyo. thing. This is better for me than having Mabuti na rito kaysa mamalimos. to beg. ALEX ALEX Nagtataka lang kasi ako dahil sa mata I was just wondering, since you’re mo. sightless.
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BEA BEA Ano ba, magpapa-sensation ka o Well, what are we gonna do? Do I iinterbyuhin mo ko? give you a blowjob23 or will you just ALEX interview me? Hindi ka ba naaasiwa? ALEX BEA You don’t find it awful? Ba’t ako maaasiwa? Yung iba nga diyan BEA nagmamalinis. Kalkalin mo ang buhay Why should I find it awful? I’m no nila ang baho-baho naman. Ako kahit hypocrite like others around who bulag ako, kumikita ako. Diyan nga ako pretend to be so clean. But when you hinahangaan e. Saan ka ba nae-L? dredge up their lives, they all stink! ALEX Me, even if I’m blind, I’m earning good Diyan, sa suso. money. That’s why I’m admired. Now where’s your sexy spot? ALEX There, my nipples.
Bea soaps his chest. She then pours water on him and they kiss. Seq. 15a: Cubicle.
BEA (Massaging Alex) BEA (Massaging Alex) Pero hindi naman ako magtatagal dito, But I’m not staying long here. e. Kasi may nanghula sa akin. Balang A fortune-teller told me that I’ll regain araw raw makakakita raw ako. At saka my sight sometime, and that I’ll go to pupunta ako ng Saudi. Andoon ang Saudi. That’s where my boyfriend is.… boyfriend ko e.… O, tihaya. Okay, turn over.
Alex turns over for frontal massage, then engages Bea in sex. Seq. 16: Bambang St. Ext. Night. Kano deals with some junkies in a car.
KANO Pare mahal talaga ngayon, e. KANO But man, it’s really gotten JUNKIE Mandrax lang, kukuha ako ng expensive. sampu ngayon. JUNKIE It’s just Mandrax, I’ll get ten KANO Hindi nga puwede pare, e. now. Kuwarenta na lang. KANO I can’t give it. It’s forty each. JUNKIE Beinte na lang. JUNKIE C’mon, twenty. KANO Hindi nga puwede pare, e. KANO No way. (Notices police car) Hey, (Notices police car) Pare parak! cops!
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KANO (whispering, to warn another KANO (whispering, to warn another pusher) Pare parak. pusher) Hey man, cops. VOICE OF WOMAN RESIDENT 1 VOICE OF WOMAN RESIDENT 1 Saan ka ba galing? Gabi na, hindi ka pa Where’ve you been? It’s so late, and you umuuwi! come home only now! VOICE OF WOMAN RESIDENT 2 VOICE OF WOMAN RESIDENT 2 Kay Aling Poleng, sa Tondo. I was at Aling Poleng, in Tondo. Seq. 17: Disco. Int. Night. Alex, Vanessa, Manay, and his friends dance on the crowded floor to Festival’s “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina.” Manay keeps eyeing Alex, who responds with smiles. When Vanessa notices their flirtation she teases Alex. The couple then take a seat while Manay and friends continue dancing.
MANAY AND FRIENDS All right! More, more, more, more!
VANESSA VANESSA Iuwi mo ako ng maaga, ha? Pano baka Take me home early, okay? Mommy mag-freak out na naman ang nanay might freak out again. She was pissed ko. Kanina nagalit, nag-sermon na off again today, and we got a sermon. naman. Pano nabalitaan yung kapatid Coz my sister found a job, but it’s on ko nakakita na ng trabaho, kaya nga the night shift. She kept saying, “What lang night shift. Sabi niya, “Anong night night shift – night shift? You work in shift – night shift? Kapag nagtatrabaho the daytime, not at night, because at dapat sa umaga, hindi sa gabi, dahil sa night, you sleep.” gabi, natutulog na.” ALEX ALEX Why don’t you tell your mom that we’ve Sabihin mo sa nanay mo nagpupunta been going to the moon?! na tayo sa buwan! VANESSA VANESSA Hey, c’mon! I also got it too. Now she Sus, ito naman! Ako nga din napasama wants me to shift course, and take up sa sermon niya kanina. Pinashi-shift ba Nutrition. She said she doesn’t know naman ako ng course, Nutrition daw. what I’ll do with Tourism. So I told her, Sabi niya hindi daw niya malaman kung “If I shift course, I better just go into ano ang gagawin ko sa, sa Tourism. Hotel and Restaurant Management.” Sabi ko naman, “Kung magshi-shift ako Thank God, her face turned green! ng course, magshi-shift na lang ako ng ALEX Give me a minute, I gotta pee. Hotel and Restaurant Management.” Sa VANESSA Okay. awa ng Dios, naging berde ang mukha niya! ALEX Sandali lang, ji-jingle ako. VANESSA Sige.
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When gays see Alex go to the rest room, they goad Manay on and cheer when he gets there.
MANAY’S FRIENDS MANAY’S FRIENDS Manay, go na. Go! Manay, go. Go!
In the rest room, Manay pees next to Alex.
MANAY (to Alex) MANAY (to Alex) Magkita tayo mamaya, ha? Let’s meet up later, okay? ALEX ALEX Kasama ko’ng siyota ko e…. Kung My girl’s with me …. If it’s okay with gusto mo, mamaya ihahatid ko muna. you, I’ll take her home first, and we can Magkita tayo sa labas ng a las dos. meet up by 2 a.m. MANAY Type. MANAY Type.
Seq. 18: Parking lot behind PICC. Ext. Night. Several vehicles are parked, several voyeurs cruise around. Sounds of couples making out. In Garpas taxicab are Febrero and Baby, necking in the back seat. Radio plays Victor Wood’s “Hahabol-habol.”
BABY Mahal mo ko? BABY You love me? FEBRERO Oo, mahal na mahal kita. FEBRERO Yeah, love you so much.
They continue necking.
BABY BABY Hindi mo naman ako ginagalang, e. But you don’t respect me. FEBRERO FEBRERO Ginagalang kita. Ikaw lang tong I respect you. You’re the only woman I babaeng ginagalang ko e. Kung hindi ba respect. If I didn’t respect you, would I naman kita ginagalang, hahalikan pa ba be kissing you? naman kita?
They neck some more.
BABY BABY Yang dila mo naman e, para kang Hey, your tongue, it’s digging too deep!24 kumakain ng kuhol e! FEBRERO FEBRERO But that’s where it tastes so good. Nandoon ang sarap, e. BABY BABY You’ll marry me? Papakasalan mo ko?
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FEBRERO FEBRERO Oo, pakakasalan kita. Ano bang klaseng Yeah, I’ll marry you. What kind of guy lalake’ng akala mo sa kin? do you think I am?
Their necking turns into heavy petting. Radio plays Sampaguita’s “Laguna.” Suddenly a whistle blows and people are discombobulated. After whistle blows twice more, security guard addresses everyone through a megaphone.
GUARD GUARD Hoy, pangkat ng mga malilibog! Bawal Hey, all you horny people! You can’t dito yang ginagawa ninyo! Magsilayas do that here! Get out, this is private na kayo dito, private property ito. property! You’re making a pigsty of Magsialis na kayo, binababoy ninyo this place. Go on, scoot! Or we’ll file ang lugar na ito e. O ano ba? Hindi cases against all of you! Get out of here pa ba kayo aalis? Kakasuhan namin right now, okay? (Vehicles start leaving) kayo! Magsilayas na kayo, puwede ba? Unless you want trouble. You can’t do (Vehicles start leaving) Naghahanap that here, this is private property! pa yata kayo ng sakit ng ulo e. Wag ninyong babuyin ang lugar na to, private property ito! Seq. 19: Manay’s Bedroom. Int. Night. Manay and Alex, after sex, cuddling and kissing in bed.
MANAY Do you love me? MANAY Do you love me? ALEX Okey lang. ALEX Kinda. MANAY (disappointed by Alex’s casual MANAY (disappointed by Alex’s casual answer) answer) You don’t love me? You don’t love me? ALEX Okey lang, trip lang. ALEX Kinda, good trip. MANAY Pero you don’t love me? MANAY But you don’t really love me? ALEX ALEX Love you siyempre…. (They kiss again) Of course I love you…. (They kiss again) Ganito pala no? Didn’t think it would be like this. MANAY Okey lang, di ba? MANAY It’s good, isn’t it? ALEX Nung una akala ko mahirap. ALEX At first I thought it would be Ngayon, okey lang. tough. Now, I find it okay. MANAY I love you. MANAY I love you. ALEX Me also. ALEX Me also. MANAY (takes a deep breath then exhales) MANAY (takes a deep breath then exhales) Sana magtagal tayo. (Shifts position I hope it lasts. (Shifts position to cradle to cradle Alex) Ayoko na ng mga Alex) I don’t care for flings anymore,
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flings, sawang-sawa na ako sa mga I’m sick of flings. If it turns out you’re flings-flings lang. Pag niloko mo ako, just putting me on, I’ll kill myself! magpapakamatay ako! ALEX But I have a girlfriend. ALEX Pano yan, may siyota ako? MANAY MANAY I don’t really mind, if it’s just chicks. Kung mga chicks lang okey. Pero pag But if they’re other fags, beware, I’ll mga ibang swards, naku, susunugin burn your house down! You know me, ko’ng bahay mo! Alam mo naman I’m tense and neurotic. And what I ako, neurotica saka tensionada. Sa can’t take is being made a fool of, and lahat ng hindi ko ma-take, yung cheated on. Too many bad guys in nanloloko’t nandadaya e. Marami nang the world already; let’s not add to that masasamang tao sa mundo; huwag na number. nating dagdagan pa. ALEX ALEX I just go along for the ride, anyone’s trip. Sakay lang naman ako ng sakay sa mga Whatever’s your trip, it’s my trip too. trip, e. Kung ano’ng trip mo, trip ko My friends are all kinda weird, after na rin. Ang mga barkada ko nga panay all. One’s a tomboy. One’s a blind girl. weird e. May barkada akong tomboy. (Manay laughs) Who does massage in a May barkada akong bulag. (Manay sauna parlor. That reminds me, maybe laughs) Masahista pa sa sauna parlor. you can help her. Siyanga pala, baka matulungan mo yung barkada kong bulag a. Seq. 20: Sauna Turko. Int. Night.
MANAY (at door, to doorman) MANAY (at door, to doorman) May hinahanap ho akong masahista, I’m looking for a masseuse, the blind bulag ho siya. Bea ata ang pangalan. girl. I think her name’s Bea. DOORMAN Ah, si Bea. DOORMAN Oh yes, Bea.
Men come out of a cubicle carrying a man, who’s had a heart attack.
MANAY Ay, puta! MANAY Oh, fuck! MEN Kasi sa libog, kaya inatake. MEN Got too horny and excited, Dahan-dahan! had an attack. Carry him carefully!
Manay moves inside lobby then bumps into Kano. “Full Moon Boogie” by Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Band plays on.
MANAY (to Kano) Excuse me. MANAY (to Kano) Excuse me. KANO Okey lang. (To man) KANO That’s okay. (To man) Pare ano’ng nangyari diyan? Hey, man, what happened there?
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MAN MAN Wala, inatake lang sa puso. Wala ito. Nothing much, just a heart attack. MANAY That’s all. Nakaka-tense naman dito ang mga MANAY happenings! Oh, what a place. This gets me tense!
Manay and Kano move toward coin-operated Space Invaders cocktail cabinet and sit on opposite sides.
KANO Pare may coins ka? KANO Hey, man, you have any coins? MANAY Coins?! Ano’ng palagay mo sa MANAY Coins?! What do you take me akin, alkansiya? for, a piggy bank? KANO Meron ka bang maliit na piso? KANO You have a small peso? MANAY (looks in his shirt pocket) MANAY (looks in his shirt pocket) Meron yata. I may have. KANO (gets a cigarette and offers Manay a KANO (gets a cigarette and offers Manay a stick) Gusto mong yosi, heto o, kuha stick) You want a cigarette, here, take ka. one. MANAY Sige; ilan ba’ng kailangan mo? MANAY Okay, how many do you need? KANO KANO Isa lang. Okey ba sa yo ang sounds? Just one. The sounds okay with you? MANAY (finds a coin and hands it to her) MANAY (finds a coin and hands it to her) Hindi masyado, medyo maingay, too Not really, it’s loud, too much. (Kano much. (Kano lights Manay’s cigarette) lights Manay’s cigarette) Type! Type! Gentleman! Bongga ang gimmick Gentleman! You got a good gimmick!25 mo!
Kano uses the coin to start a game session while Manay smokes his cigarette.
KANO Hinihintay mo si Bea? KANO You waiting for Bea? MANAY Oo. MANAY Yes. KANO Magpapamasahe ka? KANO Having a massage? MANAY MANAY Diyos ko day, kung magpapamasahe My Lord, if I needed a massage, why ako, bakit naman sa babae pa? Baka would I get a girl? Lightning might tayo kidlatin! strike. KANO KANO Alam mo, nagtataka ako sa mga katulad You know what, I wonder about your mo e. kind. MANAY I beg your pardon! MANAY I beg your pardon! KANO KANO Huwag kang maha-hassle, ha? Kasi Don’t get hassled, okay? Don’t you find
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hindi ka ba ano? Hindi ka ba.… (Asks it…. (Asks point-blank) Don’t you find point-blank) Hindi ba matitigas ang guys’ bodies too hard? mga lalake? MANAY MANAY You fool, that’s what’s pleasurable. Loka, yon nga’ng masarap, e. KANO (after a pause) KANO (after a pause) You believe in true love? Naniniwala ka ba sa true love? MANAY What? MANAY Ano? KANO True love! KANO True love! MANAY In a way. Yes. MANAY Medyo. Oo. KANO (smiling shyly) KANO (smiling shyly) Bea’s my true love, you know. True love ko si Bea e. MANAY (amused by her confession) MANAY (amused by her confession) And are you her true love, too? E ikaw, true love ka rin daw ba niya? KANO Dunno. KANO Ewan. MANAY So how’s that? MANAY Pano yan? KANO KANO Well, I dunno. It’s complicated. You Ewan ko nga e. Ang labo. Matagal ko na know, I used to take a peep at her in the ngang binobosohan yan, noong bata pa shower, way back when we were still kami sa Olongapo. kids in Olongapo.26 MANAY MANAY Malandi ka talaga! Isnabera! E papano You horny girl! So how’s it now? You’re ngayon yan? Ano’ng problema niyo? having problems with her? KANO KANO Ewan ko nga! Hindi naman bread- I really don’t know! Bea’s no bread- tripper si Bea. Siguro hindi lang siya tripper. Maybe she just doesn’t get it on talaga mahilig sa pars. Bigay-todo na with my kind. I give her everything, but nga ako sa kanya, e hindi ko pa rin alam I still don’t know what she wants. And kung ano’ng gusto niya! Ikaw? you? MANAY Ako? Ano? Ano pa, di bakla! MANAY Me? What? What else, I’m gay! KANO KANO Alam ko. Ang ibig kong sabihin, kung I know. I mean who’s your true love!? sino ang true love mo! MANAY So many…. MANAY Marami…. KANO Your one true love!? KANO Ang pinaka-true true love mo! MANAY MANAY There’s a student, there’s a … hey, what Meron akong estudyante, meron is this, True Confessions girl,27 what the akong … ano ba naman ito, True hell? But I do have one who’s a student. Confessions ’day, di ko ma-take! Anyway, He’s okay. Quite sweet too. meron akong isang estudyante. Okey KANO But are you his true love? naman. Sweet din. KANO True love ka naman niya?
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MANAY MANAY Tigilan mo nga ako ng mga true Will you cut that out? True love – true love – true love manay, hindi na uso love…. Hey, girl, that went out a long yan! Diyos ko, ’day, hindi ko ma-take time ago! Omigod, I can’t take this. You ito. Alam mo yan, ilusyones lang yan! know what, those are simply illusions! Ang say nila kapag natrue-true love daw, They say when you find your true love, gumaganda ang buhay. Pero ako, pag life becomes so beautiful. But with me, nai-in love ako, nagkakaputa-puta! every time I fall in love, my life gets ruined! Seq. 21: Misericordia. Ext. Night. Late night. Manay, Bea, and Gaying pray before street altar on Misericordia. A prostitute joints them momentarily then leaves. A doddering old woman genuflects before the altar. Presently they leave.
MANAY MANAY O, dahan-dahan at may kanal! Hay naku, Hey, careful, there’s a canal! Oh maloloka ako! Bakit? Ewan. (Giggles) wow, I’ll go crazy! Why? I don’t know. Funny no? I make my own questions, (Giggles) Funny, isn’t it? I make my own and I answer them myself. (Giggles questions, and I answer them myself. again) Ikaw, gaano ka nang katagal na (Giggles again) And you, how long have bulag? you been blind? BEA Mula nang pagkabata. BEA Since early childhood. MANAY Really? Paano nangyari yon? MANAY Really? How did it happen? BEA BEA Magtatatlong taon ako noon, bigla na I was three years old when my lang lumabo nang lumabo ang aking eyesight went fainter and fainter until paningin hanggang magdilim. Nasa everything turned dark. We were still in Olongapo pa ako noon. Olongapo then. MANAY MANAY Ay naku, you don’t realize how lucky Well, you don’t realize how lucky you you are! Really, napakasuwerte mo! are! Really, you’ve been very lucky! I I mean – that is the tragedy of my mean – that is the tragedy of my life: I life: lahat nakikita ko! Maski hindi ko see everything! Even what I shouldn’t dapat makita, nakikita ko. Maski wala see, I see! Even when there’s nothing to namang dapat makita, nakikita ko pa see, I still see. Crazy! rin. Loka! BEA BEA Maybe what you’re seeing is just in your E baka yung kadalasang nakikita mo, imagination. imahinasyon mo na lamang. MANAY MANAY You don’t say, how true that is, too! Say mo, true rin! Philosophical! How philosophical! Actually, what I Actually ang ibig kong sabihin, lahat
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Sequence 21
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ng mga tao sa mundo luko-luko! Hindi mean is that everyone on earth is crazy! ba? Yang mga mukhang inihaharap sa Isn’t that right? The faces we see are not atin, hindi naman yon ang tunay nilang the real faces, isn’t that right? People mukha e, di ba? Maraming mukha yang have multiple faces: there’s the face for mga tao: may mukhang pampamilya, one’s family, there’s the face for one’s may mukhang pambarkada, pang- gang, for the wife, for the girlfriend, for asawa, pang-girlfriend, pang- the gay friend, et cetera, et cetera, et swardfriend, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, isn’t that right? The faces keep cetera, hindi ba? Iba yan ng iba, di ba? changing, don’t they? Layers of them! Patong-patong! Tulad ko: when my Like me: when my boyfriend tells me “I boyfriend tells me “I love you,” anong love you,” what face is that? If I know, mukha yon? If I know, mukhang pang- it’s a face that seeks money,28 right? echeng ng datung, di ba? BEA BEA But why feel sorry for yourself? Even E bakit ka naman maaawa sa sarili if everyone’s crazy, the world keeps mo? Kahit luko-luko ang lahat ng tao, turning. All the good we do comes back umiikot naman ang mundo. Lahat ng to us someday, don’t they? kabutihang ginagawa natin bumabalik MANAY din naman sa atin balang araw, hindi Hmm, is that so?29 Queen of the ba? Martyrs, Part Two. MANAY Hm kyeme, Reyna ng mga BEA Martir Part Two. As for me, I only see what I must see. BEA What I don’t see doesn’t matter. Basta ako, makikita ko lang yung dapat MANAY kong makita. Yung iba, yung hindi ko What you see? Well, what can you see, nakikita, hindi bale na lang. when you’re blind? My God, girl, this is MANAY the most useless conversation I’ve had Makikita? E ano ang makikita mo, e in my whole life! (They arrive in front of bulag ka? Diyos ko ’day, this is the Bea’s house) Hey, little girl, by the way, I most useless conversation I’ve had in have a friend who’s a nurse. I’ll take you my whole life! (They arrive in front of to her, maybe she can help you. I’m sure Bea’s house) Oy, loka, meron nga pala she knows many eye specialists or so I akong kaibigang nurse. Sasamahan kita, think. Anyway, I’ve done my good deed baka matulungan ka. I’m sure madami for the day like a good girl scout. Okay, yong kaibigang specialists or so I think. bye. (Leaves) Anyway, I’ve done my good deed for BEA the day like a good girl scout. O siya. Just pick me up when you have the time, (Leaves) okay? BEA Sunduin mo na lang ako, ha? MANAY Okay. MANAY O sige. GAYING Watch it, a canal! GAYING O dahan-dahan, may kanal! BEA I know. BEA Alam ko.
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Seq. 22: Ospital ng Maynila. Ext.–int. Night. As Manay, Bea, and Gaying walk toward the hospital, Bea is accosted by shawled female psychic.
PSYCHIC PSYCHIC Hoy alam mo ikaw, noong eighteenth Hey, you know what, in the eighteenth century, ang kikay-kikay mo! May century, you were such a flirt! A painter isang pintor, in love na in love sa was so in love with you, even stole for iyo, nagnakaw para sa iyo, naputulan you, and had his hands cut off! That’s ng kamay! Kaya hanggang ngayon why you’re still paying for it. You nagbabayad ka e. Ang lakas-lakas have such strong psychic powers, girl, ng psychic powers mo hija, dapat you should develop them. And keep ma-develop mo yan! At magdadasal praying. Poor you, you’re paying for so ka, ha? Kawawa ka naman, ang bigat much in your past. That’s why you still ng pinagbabayad mo. Kaya hanggang haven’t seen your father. (To Manay) ngayon hindi mo pa nakikita ang tatay And you?... You’re a faggot! (She leaves) mo, e. (To Manay) Ikaw?... Bakla! (She MANAY leaves) Pay no mind, it’s the fashion here in MANAY Manila – to be off one’s rocker. Let’s go Huwag pansinin, uso ngayon yan sa on … careful, there’s a sidewalk. Maynila – yang mga luka-luka! Tayo na nga. … dahan-dahan at may bangketa.
They come across a crowd ogling the shooting of a movie in the hospital driveway.
BEA Bakit ba, ano ba’ng meron BEA What’s going on? diyan? MANAY They’re shooting a movie. MANAY May shooting. BEA Who’s the star? BEA Sino’ng artista? GAYING GAYING There’s Al Tantay, and there’s … oh, it’s Ayun si Al Tantay saka si ano o, si Marissa! Al! Al! Marissa o. Al! Al! CREW CREW Let’s go! Keep aside, to the side! Quiet, Let’s go! Tabi kayo riyan, tabi, tabi! please! Marissa, ready? Wait, wait. Pakiusap lang po, huwag pong maingay! Marissa, ready? Sandali, sandali.
A make-up artist is pouring fake blood on Al Tantay’s chest; Marissa Delgado, in nurse’s costume, checks her reflection in a compact mirror.
MANAY Tara, baka makaalis na si MANAY Let’s go, we might not catch Adelina. Paraan, paraan. Paraan. Adelina. Let us through, let us through.
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POLICE Tabi na kayo riyan. (To Manay POLICE Keep to the side. (To Manay and and his companions) O kayo, saan kayo his companions) Hey, you, where do pupunta? you think you’re going? MANAY Aalis na! MANAY We’re just going! POLICE (to other onlookers) POLICE (to other onlookers) O kayo diyan, tabi kayo riyan. Okay, you there, keep to the side.
At the hospital’s information section the nurses are looking over some clothes that their colleague is selling.
MANAY Good evening miss. A Miss, MANAY Good evening, Miss. Uhh, Miss, sandali lang. a moment, please. NURSE (with an Ilonggo accent) NURSE (with an Ilonggo30 accent) Good evening. Good evening. MANAY Baka puwede ninyo akong MANAY Can you help us, please? I’m matulungan. I’m looking for ano, looking for, uhh, Adelina Macapinlac. Adelina Macapinlac. NURSE Who’s she? NURSE Sino yon? MANAY A nurse here, she works here. MANAY Nurse siya dito, dito siya NURSE No nurse here by that name. nagtatrabaho. MANAY I drop her off here every night. I NURSE Wala, walang nurse dito na think her shift’s from six to twelve, the ganoong pangalan. evening shift. MANAY Inihahatid ko ho siya dito gabi- NURSE No one here by that name, I’m gabi. Six-to-twelve yata ang shift niya, telling you. I know all the nurses here, evening shift. and there’s no Adelina Macapinlac here. NURSE Wala, sinasabi ko – alam kong No one. lahat ng nurse dito’t saka walang MANAY You must be making a mistake. Adelina Macapinlac dito. Can you just check it out please? MANAY You must be making a mistake. NURSE I’m telling you, no one! Puwede bang paki-check niyo lang? MANAY Could you please check the NURSE Wala, sinasabi kong wala e. logbook, because I’m sure she works MANAY Puwede bang paki-check niyo here, I’m the one who drops her off lang sa logbook, kasi I’m sure she works here. (To another nurse) Miss, please? here, ako’ng naghahatid sa kanya e. (To NURSE I’m telling you, no one. Go another nurse) A miss, puwede ba? ahead and look. NURSE Sinasabi ko wala, e. O tingnan NURSE 2 What is it? mo, o. NURSE (reading names in her logbook) NURSE 2 Ano ba yan? Magallanes, Mesa. NURSE (reading names in her logbook) MANAY Would you know Adelina Magallanes, Mesa. Macapinlac? MANAY Adelina Macapinlac ba, kilala NURSE She insists there’s an Adelina nyo? Macapinlac working here, I’m telling NURSE Adelina Macapinlac daw, her, none! sinasabi kong wala e. NURSE 2 We know all the nurses here, but we don’t know the person you’re looking for. Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
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NURSE 2 Kilala namin ang lahat ng nurse NURSE No one, check out the logbook dito, pero yon lang ang hindi namin yourself, here. kilala. MANAY If she’s not on the evening shift, NURSE Wala o, tingnan mo. maybe she works in the morning now – MANAY Kung wala sa evening shift, baka NURSE No one, cuz I know everyone in naman nalipat na sa morning or – every shift here! I’m telling you! So why NURSE Wala, dahil alam ko’ng lahat ng do you insist? I’m telling you there’s no shift dito! Sinasabi kong wala, no, alam nurse here named Adelina Macapinlac! mo ba ang kulit-kulit mo? Sinasabi Here’s the list: Mesa, Milan! I’m telling kong walang nurse ditong Adelina you, but you still keep insisting! You’re Macapinlac! Nandiyan na nga, e: Mesa, such a busybody! Milan, wala nga. Sinasabi ko nga sa yo MANAY Look, I’m sure she works here, I ang kulit-kulit mo, e! mean, what, I wouldn’t come here if I MANAY Look, I’m sure she works here, I wasn’t sure she’s here. Because I need mean, ano, I wouldn’t come here kung to see her, because my friend who’s hindi ako siguradong nandito siya. blind, she needs a specialist. Will you Because I need to see her, because yung just please look in your files for me, kaibigan kong bulag, she needs ano, she because I’m sure her name’s there! needs a specialist. MANAY Hey, don’t you raise your MANAY Puwede ba, huwag mo akong voice at me! And don’t you call me a tarayan, huwag mo akong tawagang busybody! If you don’t want to help, get makulit? Kung ayaw mo akong somebody else who could help me! tulungan, get somebody else who could NURSE Ginambilan kita gaw, wara ngani help me! dire gaw Adelina Macapinlac! Nganga NURSE Ginambilan kita gaw, wara ngani sagad dire kasi disini man! Bwisit nga dire gaw Adelina Macapinlac! Nganga agi, ay kasi kasabad ay, magapakita ka sagad dire kasi disini man! Bwisit nga gaaway kaw?31 agi, ay kasi kasabad ay, magapakita ka gaaway kaw? Seq. 23: Adel’s sugar daddy’s house. Int. Night. Adel and her sugar daddy are fighting.
ADEL ADEL Ano pa’ng gusto mo sa akin, walanghiya What else do you want from me, you ka! Ano pa’ng hahanapin mo? Ano bastard!? What else are you looking pa talagang hindi ko nagagawa sa for? Is there anything I haven’t done yo? Ano pa’ng serbisyong hindi ko for you? What sort of service haven’t I nagagawa sa yo? At may reklamo done for you? And you’re still griping! ka pa! Pagbubuhatan mo pa ako ng And you still lay a hand on me! My kamay! Pasang-pasa na ang katawan body’s already so beat up from work, ko sa katatrabaho, pagdating ko dito
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Sequence 23
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
bubuwisitin mo pa ang buhay ko? and when I get here you still give a Leche ka, kung ayaw mo, magpahinog rough time? Fuck you, you get a life! ka! *MAN *MAN Try leaving, and I’ll break your face! Pag umalis ka dito, babasagin ko’ng I’ll break.... You ingrate! You have no mukha mo! Babasagin ko…. Wala fucking gratitude! Sure, you don’t need kang utang na loob! Ganoon ha? Wala me! That’s why you shack up with kang utang na loob! Oo hindi mo ako everyone, you fucking whore! kailangan! Kaya pala kung kani-kanino *ADEL kumakabit ka, walanghiya ka! Go ahead! Go ahead! I only came here *ADEL to have a life, or else I starve to death in Sige, sige! Pumunta lang ako dito the province. Whatever work there was, para mabuhay, dahil namamatay na I took it, just so I have a life. I didn’t ako ng gutom sa probinsiya. Maski rely on anyone for money. Go ahead, go anong klaseng trabaho pinasok ko na ahead! I don’t need you! I don’t need basta mabuhay lang ako! Wala akong you! inaasahan basta pera. Sige, sige! Hindi kita kailangan. Hindi kita kailangan!
Adel picks up a knife from the dining table.
ADEL ADEL Sige, lumapit ka. Subukan mong Go ahead, try getting any closer. Try it, lumapit, sige lumapit ka! come on, try it! Seq. 24: Luneta. Ext. Night. Cultists with woman psychic form a prayer circle on the grass. Gay wearing black costume and boots whirls around to Lipps, Inc.’s “Funkytown.” Manay scolds Febrero while gay friends talk among themselves.
SISTER MARY Poong Liwanag. SISTER MARY O Lord of Light. GROUP Poong Liwanag. GROUP O Lord of Light. SISTER MARY Hugasan mo ang aming SISTER MARY Cleanse our beings. katauhan. GROUP Cleanse our beings. GROUP Hugasan mo ang aming SISTER MARY O Lord of Light. katauhan. GROUP O Lord of Light. SISTER MARY Poong Liwanag. SISTER MARY O Lord of Light. GROUP Poong Liwanag. GROUP O Lord of Light. SISTER MARY Poong Liwanag. SISTER MARY Heart of peace. GROUP Poong Liwanag. GROUP Heart of peace. SISTER MARY Pusong mapayapa. GROUP Pusong mapayapa.
* simultaneous/overlapping lines Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Sequence 24
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MANAY (to Febrero) MANAY (to Febrero) Niloloko ka, niloloko – saan ba She dares put one over us, she dares! nanggaling ang babaeng yan? Akala Where the hell did that woman come mo kung sinong tweetie-tweetums from? You’d think she’s some tweetie- ha, daig pa ang pagkabirhen ng Boots tweetums, acts more virginal than Anson-Roa! E kamustahin mo naman Boots Anson-Roa.32 Oh, how she puts ang mga arte, ha: “Ah, ah, naku Manay, on the act: “Ahh, ahh, oh, Manay, thank thank you, ha. Alam mo Manay, mahal you. You know, Manay, I love Febrero na mahal ko si Febrero e.” Tapos – naku so much.” And then – I tell you, don’t huwag mong ipapakita sa kin yang ever let her near me, or I’ll have her babaeng yan, talagang sasagasaan run over! (Distracted by a handsome ko siya! (Distracted by a handsome passerby) Ayy! passerby) Ay! GAY (to Manay’s other friends, talking GAY (to Manay’s other friends, talking about Manay) about Manay) And this Marichu, she can’t be Eto naman si Marichu, ayaw namang held back. Just cuz Febrero isn’t magpapigil. Hindi lang kaharap here, the things she says. Listen to si Febrero kung ano-ano na ang her. “He doesn’t love me anymore, he pinagsasasabi. Kesyo “He doesn’t love doesn’t need me. He just uses me –” me anymore, he doesn’t need me. (Distracted by a male stranger) Wow, Ginagamit lang niya ako –” (Distracted lovely legs! by a male stranger) Ang ganda ng legs! GAY 2 Now those are legs! GAY 2 Yan ang legs! GAY But when he’s around…. GAY Pero pag kaharap…. GAY 3 Of course she’s head over heels. GAY 3 Siyempre dead na dead. Love Love Story Part Two. Story Part Two. GAY 2 Why, you know any faggot who GAY 2 Bakit ikaw, may kilala kang isn’t neurotic? baklang hindi neurotic? MANAY (to Febrero) MANAY (to Febrero) Hey, I’m not saying I’m that clean. But Hoy, hindi ako nagmamalinis if there’s anything I despise, it’s a liar ha. Sa lahat ng ayoko sa tao, yung or someone who takes me for a fool. nagsisinungaling o nanloloko. Aba’y Why, if you catch someone lying to pag nahuli mo nang nagsinungaling you, forget it! What are you otherwise, sa yo, kalimutan mo na! Ano ka, loka? crazy? What kind of woman is that Ano bang klaseng babae yang kabit mo, mistress of yours? From what side of ha? Saang impiyerno mo bang napulot hell did you pick up that demon whore? yang putang demonyitang yan?
Krip Yuson, poet, recites to no one and everyone, attracting two tots; costumed gay whirls by him as he speaks.
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KRIP YUSON There is no city but this city / This is the landscape of your life / Wherever you turn, black / Ruins of your loves come into view / You wish for other harbors and other places / But only an echo of the city / The selfsame city / Shimmers in the hearing glass / There is no city but this city….
SISTER MARY Poong Liwanag. SISTER MARY O Lord of Light. GROUP Poong Liwanag. GROUP O Lord of Light. SISTER MARY Punuin mo kami ng SISTER MARY Fill us with meaningful makahulugang init. warmth. GROUP Punuin mo kami ng GROUP Fill us with meaningful makahulugang init. warmth. SISTER MARY Poong Liwanag. SISTER MARY O Lord of Light. GROUP Poong Liwanag. GROUP O Lord of Light. FEBRERO (to Manay) FEBRERO (to Manay) Baka nagkamali lang yung receptionist. Maybe the receptionist just made a MANAY mistake. Puwede ba? Oy Febrero, walang MANAY Adelina Macapinlac sa putang ospital The hell she did. Hey, Febrero, there is na yan ha. Tinarayan ko’ng lahat ng no Adelina Macapinlac in that fucking malalanding nurses doon. Tinilian hospital. I already bitched at all the ko! Kinalkal ko lahat ng mga official fucking nurses there. I screamed at files doon, wala! Para akong luko- them! I went through all the official luko.… (Corrects himself) Luka-luka!... files, nada, zilch! I was like some crazy Talagang sa panahong ito, wala kang bastard.… (Corrects himself) Some mapagkakatiwalaan. crazy bitch!... I tell you, in this day and age, there’s no one you can trust! Seq. 25: Ade’s house. Int. Night. Febrero watches from his bed as Ade kisses him and then strips.
FEBRERO Saan ka galing? FEBRERO Where’d you come from? ADEL Sa ospital, saan pa? ADEL The hospital, where else?
Incredulous, Febrero turns away. She starts making love to him but he responds coldly. She embraces him by his neck, from which a scapular dangles.
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ADEL ADEL Bakit? Ha? Febrero bakit? Ano’ng Why? Huh? Febrero, what’s wrong? nangyayari sa iyo? Bakit?… (Suspects What’s wrong with you? Bakit?… something is seriously wrong) Febrero, (Suspects something is seriously wrong) mahal kita. Kahit ano’ng mangyari, Febrero, I love you. Whatever happens, huwag mo akong iwan. Huwag mo don’t leave me. Don’t ever let me go…. akong pabayaan….
Febrero softens up and responds to her entreaties. Seq. 26: Virgie’s house. Int.–ext. Night. Having taken another tranquilizer, Virgie stops by the hallway, fingering her keys, unable to look up at a religious statue gazing down at her. Instead she goes straight out to her lawn and stands by the fence looking out at the rest of the city. Her husband, seeing her, shakes his head and goes to her. She embraces him tearfully.
VIRGIE Sayang na sayang. Si Alex, VIRGIE Such a pity. That Alex, when I nung ipinanganak ko yan, hindi gave birth to him, I couldn’t believe it. I ako makapaniwala. Hindi ako just couldn’t believe it! makapaniwala! Seq. 27: Bambang St. open canal. Ext. Night. Amid a dilapidated movie-advertising vehicle and empty market stalls, Bea and Gaying cross an open canal (estero). Gaying sees Kano in the distance and calls out to her.
GAYING Kano! Kano! Kano!... Kano! Kano sees them and runs to embrace Bea. KANO My idol!
BEA (rejecting her) Heh! Galit ako sa iyo! BEA (rejecting her) Bah! I’m pissed at you! Galit ako sa mundo. (Begins sobbing) I’m pissed at the world. (Begins sobbing) GAYING Kanina pa yan. GAYING She’s been like that. BEA Galit ako sa inyong lahat! BEA I’m pissed at you all! KANO Ano na ba to? KANO Why, what’s wrong? BEA Ano ba to, ano ba to…. BEA Why, what’s wrong? Why, what’s GAYING Niloloko raw kasi siya ng mga wrong?…. tao. Kasi yung kaibigan niyang bakla, GAYING She says she’s being had by dinala siya sa ospital para patingnan everyone. Cuz that gay friend of hers yung mata niya. Tapos hindi naman took her to this hospital, so she could pala totoo yung nurse na doon have her eyes checked. But then that nagtatrabaho. Hm, peke pala o. nurse who was supposed to be there
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KANO Tama na yang drama mo, halika turns not to be working there at all. She na. Tama na, halika na. (Takes Bea by was a total fake. the waist) Halika na, Gaying. KANO Okay, okay, cut the drama. Let’s BEA Hindi bale, aalis naman ako e. go. (Takes Bea by the waist) Let’s go, Pupunta na ako ng Saudi. Gaying. KANO Oy naalala mo noong nandoon BEA Never mind, I’m leaving anyway. pa tayo sa Olongapo? Ang baho-baho I’m going to Saudi. mo pa noon, hindi ka kasi naliligo e. KANO Hey, you remember when we BEA Hu, mas mabaho ka naman. were still in Olongapo? Boy, did you stink then, cuz you never had a bath. BEA What are you talking about, you were the stinker.
Kano takes out a bottle of cough syrup, takes a swig and offers some to Bea.
KANO Oy uminom ka muna. KANO Here, drink up. You remember Naalala mo nagtitinda ka pa ng mga when we were still selling sweepstakes sweepstakes sa mga Amerikano? tickets to the Americans? And you kept Paingles-ingles ka pa noon e. trying out your English? BEA (returns bottle to Kano) O. BEA (returns bottle to Kano) Here. KANO “Hey Joe, wanna try your luck KANO “Hey Joe, wanna try your luck Joe?” Oow! Joe?” Oow! BEA (starting to lighten up) BEA (starting to lighten up) E ikaw naman, tindera ng PX goods And what about you, pretending to be kuno! Saan ka, binubugaw mo yung a seller of PX goods! When what you mga babae doon pag hindi mo makuha! were really up to was pimping for all KANO the girls you couldn’t get! O tarantado!... Ikaw ang idol ko, e. KANO BEA Hu, na-bust ka lang sa ’Gapo Crazy!... That’s cuz you were my idol. kaya ka andito ngayon, e. BEA Hah, you just got busted in KANO O hindi pa ako naba-bust ha! ’Gapo, that’s why you landed here. BEA Hu, alam ko yata. KANO Hey, I’ve never been busted! KANO Kaya ako nandito sinundan kita. BEA Hah, I know it too. KANO Reason I’m here is cuz I followed you.
Kano gives cough syrup bottle to Bea, who takes more swigs from it.
BEA Sinundan.… Na-bust ka e. BEA Followed me.… You got busted. KANO O, o, o tama na yan. Ginagawa KANO Okay, okay, that’s enough. It ain’t mo naman itong softdrinks e. May soft drinks. You’re already on a high, tama ka na no? right? BEA Oo. (Laughs more openly) BEA Yeah. (Laughs more openly)
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Top: Sequence 27; Bottom: Sequence 28
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Kano leads Bea into a pushcart, beside a garbage dump.
KANO KANO O pahinga ka muna dito, halika. Okay, c’mon, you can rest here first. BEA BEA Ano ba ito? What is this? KANO KANO Kariton. Dito muna tayo. A pushcart. We can stay here first. BEA (now high, in a laughing fit) BEA (now high, in a laughing fit) Ang baho naman dito! It stinks in here! KANO (laughing with her) KANO (laughing with her) E papano basura yan e! Pagtiyagaan mo How can it not stink, when it’s trash?! na yang amoy. E kasing baho mo naman You can take it, you used to stink like yan dati e! that. BEA BEA Hindi oy.… Sarap! (Kano starts Of course not.… Feels good! (Kano caressing her face, then her arms) Kano starts caressing her face, then her arms) ha, ayoko niyan…. Kano ha! (Kano Hey, Kano, I don’t like that…. Hey, mashes Bea’s breasts) Ang hilig mo Kano! (Kano mashes Bea’s breasts) You naman diyan, e. always want to do that. KANO KANO E andiyan ang rhapsody, e. Cuz that’s where the rhapsody is.33
As Kano starts kissing Bea, Gaying moves away, giggling, and hooks a bra from a clothesline. Seq. 28: Street accident. Ext. Night. Febrero and Baby are caught in a traffic jam caused by a vehicular accident. From the car men lift bloodied victims.
BABY BABY Febrero halika sandali – Febrero, listen – FEBRERO (distracted by accident) FEBRERO (distracted by accident) Oy! Oh no! BABY – mag-usap tayo. BABY – let’s talk. FEBRERO FEBRERO May aksidente a! (Gets out of the cab for An accident! (Gets out of the cab for a a closer look) closer look) BABY (follows him) BABY (follows him) May importante akong sasabihin sa iyo! I have something important to tell you! FEBRERO FEBRERO Ilan kaya ang namatay? Pisang-pisa a! I wonder how many died? What a wreck!
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
BABY Febrero – BABY Febrero – FEBRERO Ano ba! FEBRERO What is it? BABY Buntis ako. BABY I’m pregnant. FEBRERO (taken aback by the news) FEBRERO (taken aback by the news) Ano? Hindi ka ba nag-iingat? What? You haven’t been safe? BABY (surprised by his response) BABY (surprised by his response) Ha? What? FEBRERO Hindi ka ba umiinom ng pills FEBRERO You haven’t been taking pills?! mo?! BABY No. BABY Hindi. FEBRERO How stupid. You haven’t been FEBRERO Napakagaga mo naman pala e. taking your pills! So what now? Hindi ka naman pala umiinom ng pills BABY We should get married. mo e. E pano ngayon yan? BABY E di pakasal na lang tayo.
More victims are hauled out of the wreck.
FEBRERO FEBRERO Puro kamalasan ang buhay na to! Bakit What a bummer! Why have you been ba napakatanga mo? Ano’ng ipalalamon so stupid? What will I feed you? You ko sa yo? Intindihin mo naman ako! couldn’t care less about me, could you!? Ilan beses na natin napag-usapan yan? How many times have we discussed Lalaki ako! Hindi kita pakakasalan it? I’m a guy! I can’t just marry you and tapos pababayaan lang!... Ang gusto then not care for you!… I told you to ko sana maghintay-hintay, upang wait, until I manage some savings. And maka-ipon-ipon. Kung bakit ba naman what do you do but get stupid. napakagaga mo e! BABY (in tears) BABY (in tears) It’s because I love you so much. Kasi, mahal na mahal kita, e. Seq. 29: Virgie’s house. Int. Night. It is raining when Virgie undertakes a house cleaning. She is typically meticulous about the activity. When cleaning Alex’s table she drops a box and finds sticks of pot inside as well as other drugs. Then she and her husband take turns beating up Alex, hitting him with drawers and boxes, throwing plates at him, as his younger siblings cry.
*VIRGIE *VIRGIE Walanghiya ka! Babasagin ko’ng mukha You bastard! Let me at you! I’ll kill mo! Papatayin kita! Papatayin kita! you! I’ll kill you! Daddy, let me at him! Daddy pabayaan mo ako. Walanghiya Let me be! You bastard! I’ll kill you! ka! Walanghiya ka! Papatayin kita! I’ll kill you! You give me nothing but Papatayin kita! Puro sakit ng ulo’ng heartache! I’ll kill you! (Alex shouts
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binibigay mo! Papatayin kita! (Alex “Mommy!”) Daddy, kill that bastard! shouts “Mommy!”) Daddy patayin You’ll never learn, you goddamn mo’ng batang yan! Hindi ka na ba bastard! titino? Ha?! *FATHER *FATHER Let him be! Leave that goddamned boy Pabayin mo yan! Pabayaan mo sa akin to me! He’ll get it from me! I’ll beat ang batang yan! Makakatikim sa akin him to a pulp! You’re gonna run away? yan, ako ang gugulpi diyan! Tatakbo You motherfucker, I told you never to ka pa, ha. Tangina mo, sinabi ko na sa do drugs! You’re full of shit! You don’t iyong huwag kang magda-drugs! Puro know anything, do you!? Where do you ka kalokohan, wala kang nalalaman. think you’re going? We’ll kill you, you Saan ka pupunta? Papatayin ka namin fucker! I’ll kill him! I told you never to talaga, walanghiya ka! Ako’ng papatay do drugs! Never ever do drugs! Go after diyan! Ilang beses ko nang sinabi ko him, get him! Get him! na sa iyong huwag kang magda-drugs, huwag kang magda-drugs! Habulin niyo yan!
They chase Alex into his bedroom where, tearful and bloody, he later sneaks away from his house into the rain. Seq. 30: D’Remark Kitchenette. Int.–ext. Night. It is raining. The restaurant is almost empty of customers. Pimp approaches Baby, who is seated by herself, waiting for Febrero. Imelda Papin’s “Taksil” plays on jukebox.
PIMP PIMP Kawawang Baby, naghihintay na Poor Baby, waiting for nothing again. naman. Alam mo, may matagal na You know, I’ve wanted to tell you akong gustong sabihin sa yo, hindi ko something for the longest time, I lang masabi-sabi dahil baka masaktan couldn’t do it cuz it might hurt you: ka: naghihintay ka sa wala, e. Yung taxi you’re waiting for nothing. Your taxi driver mo may asawa – driver has a wife –
They are interrupted by the commotion of the Chinese owner expelling his waitress-girlfriend.
CHINESE CHINESE Layas, layas na! Sige ikaw, hindi ikaw Get out of here, get out! You I no need kailangan akin dito a! Sige ikaw, puta here, no need you! Go and leave, you ka, wala kang kuwenta! Sige, alis ka! (He whore, you’re no good! Go on, get out! throws her suitcases out into the street) (He throws her suitcases out into the O, ito pa damit mo, yan! Dalhin mo yan, street) There, take your clothes with * simultaneous/overlapping lines
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
yan pa, o! Walanghiya ka! Sige layas you! Take them. You fucker! Go and get ka, huwag ikaw babalik dito! O eto pa, out, and no come back here, you! Here, naiwan mo o, dalhin mo lahat yan! take them, you! Go and take all your PIMP (to Baby) things! Tingnan mo ang kapalaran ng babaeng PIMP (to Baby) hindi wise sa buhay. See what happens to women who don’t play it smart?
Chinese owner throws more of waitress’s clothes at her in the rain. She picks them up, crying and wet.
CHINESE CHINESE Diyan ka sa ulan! Mabuti nga sa yo Stay out there in the rain, you! Best lumayas ka! Parati malandi ka! Ayoko thing you leave! Nothing but a whore, na sa yo, masyado ka salbahe! you! Don’t want you anymore, too much, you! No good, you! Seq. 31: Bea’s house. Ext.–int. Day. Greg Williams, dirty and wearing the same clothes he wore when he left, comes home amid street guys singing Heber Bartolome’s “Buhay Pinoy.” Meanwhile Bea and her female neighbor are quarreling.
GUYS (singing) GUYS (singing) Tingnan niyo sa bangketa / Pulubi Look at the sidewalk / Where beggars ay naghilera / Mga kamay laging are all lined up / Their hands always nakasahod / Doon sila natutulog…. with palms up / And that’s where they *NEIGHBOR sleep…. Bruha, walanghiya, bwisit! Ku, landi! *NEIGHBOR Puta! Pampam! Fucking asshole! You shameless slut! *BEA Bitch! Whore! Pagkatapos sisipot ka dito, akala mo *BEA kung sino ka! Gaganyanin mo pa’ng You just show up here, who do you mga anak ko, akala mo kung sino kang think you are! And you’ll do that to naghahari-harian sa lugar na ito! Mas my kids, you think you lord it over this lalo kang pampam! Puta! place!? Why, you’re the bigger whore! NEIGHBOR (after Bea senses Greg’s arrival You bitch! and follows him with her kids into the NEIGHBOR (after Bea senses Greg’s arrival house) Akala mo, e wala naman talaga and follows him with her kids into the ang hinahanapbuhay niyan, e! house) She thinks she’s somebody, when she’s a worthless do-nothing!
In the house, Greg throws a fit.
* simultaneous/overlapping lines Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
GREG GREG Niloko kami ng recruiter namin Our fucking recruiter pulled a fast sa Bangkok, e! Nawala na lang at one in Bangkok! He just vanished. We sukat. Nagkagulo nga sa Bangkok turned Bangkok upside down looking sa kahahanap sa kanya e! Pati yung for the motherfucker! And the bastard tatlong libong bond naming tangay- even made away with all our papers! tangay! Nag-waiter nga lang ako para We had to work as waiters just so we may makain! E kung hindi ko ginawa could eat! Otherwise we would’ve yon, mamamatay kami ng gutom! starved to death! I had to borrow Nagkautang-utang pa ako para lang money left and right just so I could fly makauwi dito! Hu, tanginang yan! back. Now I’m fucking deep in debt! GAYING (from outside) Goddamn fuck it! Ate Bea nandito na ko! GAYING (from outside) BEA (turns on Gaying) Ate Bea, I’m back. Sa’n ka na naman ba galing?! BEA (turns on Gaying) GAYING And where’d you come from this time?! Di ba nagpaalam naman ako sa yong GAYING bibili ako ng gamot para sa nanay ko? Didn’t I tell you I had to buy medicine BEA for my mother? Saan ka bumili ng gamot, sa Tarlac? BEA Ilang oras kang nawala? Ang paalam And where’d you have to buy the mo sa kin sandal ka lang, a! Kanina medicine, in Tarlac?34 You’ve been gone pa ko nag-iisa dito, ang tagal-tagal, for hours! You said it would only take nakipag-away na nga ako diyan e! you a while. But you made me wait so Tingnan mo nga tong bahay, ang dumi- long, and I’ve been alone here so I even dumi, ang baho-baho. Sige, maglinis ka get into a fight outside! Look at our na diyan! house, it’s so filthy, and it stinks! Will GAYING (upon seeing Greg) you start cleaning up!? Kuya Greg yung Avon ko? GAYING (upon seeing Greg) GREG Kuya Greg, you have my Avon? Wala! GREG GAYING (still in good spirits) No, nothing! Ay, wala! (Walks away) GAYING (still in good spirits) BEA Oh, nothing! (Walks away) Avon – Avon.… Pag humingi kayo ng BEA pera ang bilis-bilis niyo. Pag kailangan Avon – Avon.… When you’re asking for kayo nawawala kayo! money, you’re so fast. And then you’re GREG gone! Tanginang buhay to, oo! Balik na GREG naman tayo sa wala! Fucking shit! What a life! We’re back to nothing!
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Bea moves her kids and herself toward Greg on bed.
BEA BEA Greg, anong klaseng tao ka? Greg, what kind of a person are you?
Still angry but silenced by her question, Greg glares at Bea. Seq. 32: Vanessa’s house. Int. Night. Devotees sing to Virgin Mary while Virgie talks to Vanessa on porch.
DEVOTEES DEVOTEES Araw-araw kay Maria kami ay Every day we pray to Mama Mary / nagdarasal / Si Maria’y aming Ina, ibig Mama Mary’s our mother, whom we naming marangal. (Rest of the song honor. (Rest of the song overlaps with overlaps with Virgie and Vanessa’s Virgie and Vanessa’s conversation) conversation) VIRGIE VIRGIE Well, you know, Alex left home. It’s Kasi e, umalis si Alex sa bahay. E, wala nothing. His Dad and I just scolded naman yon e. Kasi nakagalitan naming him. I’ve been asking his friends, but mag-asawa. E pinagtanong ko na sa they say they don’t know where he is. kanyang mga kaibigan pero hindi nila VANESSA alam kung saan naroroon. Well, Alex, you know how he is – VANESSA VIRGIE Yan naman ho kasing si Alex, e – That’s why I came here, you just might VIRGIE know where he is. Kaya lang ako nagpunta rito baka, baka VANESSA alam mo kung saan siya. It’s been some time since – VANESSA VIRGIE Matagal na rin ho na – You know, I know how you teen-agers VIRGIE are, how sensitive you all are. We just Alam, alam ko naman kayong mga teen- scolded him, and he left home just like agers, ma-mga sensitive. E kaunting that! But doesn’t that happen in every mapagalitan lamang, ayun, lumayas family? na! E siguro naman nangyayari rin sa VANESSA pamilya niyo yan, ano? Well, yes, it’s natural for – VANESSA VANESSA’S MOTHER (letting devotees in) Natural lang naman ho yon, e. Come in, come in. VANESSA’S MOTHER (letting devotees in) VANESSA (to Virgie) Tuloy kayo, pasok. But you know, ma’m, that Alex, he can VANESSA (to Virgie) be such a pain. He hasn’t even shown Iyan naman hong si Alex niyo, up for some time. I even hear he’s with nakakainis talaga e. Kahit sa akin hindi some swish.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
nagpapakita. Sabi nila sumama daw sa VIRGIE Swish? bakla e. VANESSA Yes, a gay!35 VIRGIE Bakla? VANESSA’S MOTHER (to Virgie, VANESSA Oho, sward! interrupting) VANESSA’S MOTHER (to Virgie, Missus, why don’t you come in and interrupting) join us in praying the rosary? Oh, by Misis, sumama na kayo sa parosaryo the way, here’s my husband. (To her namin sa loob o. Ah siyanga pala, siya husband) She’s the mommy of Alex, ang mister ko. (To her husband) Siya Van’s boyfriend; she’ll be our in-law. ang mommy ni Alex, boyfriend ni Van; (Giggles) And here are the rest of our siya ang magiging balae natin. (Giggles) kids. Ah eto pa ang ibang anak namin. VANESSA’S FATHER VANESSA’S FATHER Come in please. Tumuloy ho kayo. VIRGIE VIRGIE Oh, how lucky can I get. Naku ang suwerte ko naman. VANESSA’S MOTHER VANESSA’S MOTHER What do you mean? Bakit? VIRGIE VIRGIE I’m also a devotee of Fatima. May panata rin ako sa Fatima. VANESSA’S MOTHER VANESSA’S MOTHER Oh, is that so? Come in, come in. Ah ganoon ho ba? Tuloy kayo, tuloy.
As they pray, Virgie seems more worried than grateful.
VANESSA’S MOTHER (leading the Hail VANESSA’S MOTHER (leading the Hail Mary) Mary) Aba Ginoong Maria, napupuno ka Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with ng grasiya, ang Panginoong Diyos ay thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, sumasaiyo, bukod kang pinagpala sa and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, babaeng lahat at pinagpala naman ang Jesus. iyong anak na si Hesus. DEVOTEES, VANESSA’S FAMILY, AND DEVOTEES, VANESSA’S FAMILY, AND VIRGIE VIRGIE Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for Santa Maria, Ina ng Diyos, ipanalangin us sinners, now and at the hour of our mo kaming makasalanan ngayon at death, amen. kung kami’y mamamatay, amen.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Seq. 33: Manay’s dress shop. Int. Night. Virgie is seated apart from a group of gays, Manay’s friends, who are listening to Evita, dressed exotically with a turban on her head.
EVITA (laughing after every statement) And so let me tell you about how I met Lagdameo, M. D. But first of all I came down with this dreaded disease called vaginal herpes.
GAY Que gross. GAY How gross. EVITA Aba hindi, ikaw naman. Vaginal EVITA Of course not. It isn’t. It turns herpes pala, according to Time out that vaginal herpes, according to magazine, of all things is – of course Time magazine, of all things is – of you know where vaginal is? course you know where vaginal is? GAY Syempre! GAY Of course! EVITA Anyway, vaginal herpes, EVITA Anyway, vaginal herpes, according to Time magazine, is due according to Time magazine, is due to either venereal disease or (pause) to either venereal disease or (pause) emotional stress. emotional stress. GAY Maybe it’s the former? GAY Maybe it’s the former? EVITA Both! (Evita and gays laugh) So EVITA Both! (Evita and gays laugh) So there I was, dying with excruciating there I was, dying with excruciating pain ha, wheeling into the fourth floor pain, if you must know, being wheeled and Doctor Lagdameo comes and says, up to the fourth floor, and Doctor “Four-o-nine!” Boy! Did he examine Lagdameo comes and says, “Four-o- me! Started palpating me and talaga nine!” Boy! Did he examine me! Started namang I mean everywhere! He started palpating me, and boy was he doing it, I palpating me everywhere, hanggang mean everywhere! He started palpating umabot doon sa kailangang kong mag- me everywhere, until he reached that Joanne Drew! (They laugh again) part where I needed some Joanne GAY 2 (to Virgie) Drew!36 (They laugh again) Ah misis, maupo muna kayo, bababa na GAY 2 (to Virgie) yon. Oh, missus, take a seat, he’ll be down in EVITA (momentarily distracted by the a minute. reference to Manay) EVITA (momentarily distracted by the Manay Sharon yung aking gown! Diyos reference to Manay) ko ten-thirty na ang show ko, para pa Oh, Manay Sharon, my gown! My God, akong Soraya dito! my show’s at ten-thirty, and I’m still looking like a Soraya here!37
In his bedroom, Manay wakes up Alex.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Sequence 33
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
MANAY MANAY Oy gumising ka na, andiyan ang nanay Hey, wake up, your mom’s here. Hey, mo. Naku gumising ka na, andiyan ang better get up, your mom’s here and I nanay mo’t baka mag-iskandalo pa! don’t want a scandal! I said get up! Tumayo na sabi, e! ALEX But I’m still sleeping! ALEX Natutulog pa ang tao, e! MANAY (cleaning up Alex’s mess) MANAY (cleaning up Alex’s mess) What a mess you made here! Jeez! I said Ang dami-dami ng kalat, naku! Hwah! get up, this minute! See what you’re Tumayo na sabi, bilisan mo! Tingnan doing here, making a pigsty of my mo ang bahay ko, ginagawa mong house! It stinks so much already! parang bahay ng baboy! Ang baho-baho na!
Meanwhile Evita continues to entertain the gays and shock Virgie.
EVITA (continuing her hospital narrative) EVITA (continuing her hospital narrative) I tell you that guy talaga, napaka-sex I tell you, that guy, really, such a sex maniac! Nando’n ako halos nakatali maniac! There I was tied up to the four doon sa four posts of the hospital bed, posts of the hospital bed, mind you, ha, at pagkatapos, gusto pa niya akong, and he still wanted to mount me with gustong patungan ng protoscope niya! that protoscope of his! GAY Ano’ng ginawa mo! GAY So what did you do? EVITA Ha, diring-diri ako sa sarili ko! EVITA Omigosh, did I feel so dirty!
Their laughter subsides when Manay comes out, herding Alex before him.
MANAY Misis, ang anak ho ninyo. MANAY Missus, here’s your son. GAY (aside) Aw. Fetch ng mother. GAY (aside) Aww. Fetched by mother.
Fists clenched, Alex leaves the house as gays make snide remarks.
MANAY Mga kaibigan ko ho. MANAY These are my friends. VIRGIE VIRGIE Ah, e maraming salamat sa inyo ha! Ah Oh, well, okay, thank you so much, all sige, magpapaalam na ako sa inyong of you. We’ll have to go, okay? You lahat ha! E alam niyo naman ang mga know how it is with kids, they’re so bata, masyadong sensitive. E, gu-good sensitive. So okay, good night. night everybody! GAY (aside) Award!38 GAY (aside) Award! VIRGIE Thank you. (Rushes out) VIRGIE Thank you. (Rushes out)
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Sequence 34
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
*EVITA *EVITA Can you imagine? What’s the problem? Can you imagine? What’s the problem? What’s the problem? What’s the problem? *MANAY *MANAY O sige, sige. Naku cigarette, cigarette! Okay, okay. I need a cigarette, a Maloloka ako! I have to apologize sa cigarette! I’ll go crazy! I have to inyo my darlings – this doesn’t happen apologize to you, my darlings – this everyday na dinadalaw ako ng aking doesn’t happen every day that I get a mother-in-law! Oy lighter nga, lighter, visit from my mother-in-law! A lighter, lighter. Naku, maloloka ako! a lighter! Omigosh, I’ll go crazy! EVITA (eager to hear someone else’s story EVITA (eager to hear someone else’s story for a change) And so and so and so? for a change) And so and so and so? MANAY MANAY Paano naman hindi ka maloloka e kung Why won’t I go crazy, when, you titingnan mo, akala mo disenteng- know, if you look at her, she looks disente – mukhang teacher, di ba? so decent – she looks like a teacher, Naku former prosti, my mother-in-law, doesn’t she? But omigosh, she used my mother-in-law is a former prosti, to be a prostitute, my mother-in-law, manay! (Everyone responds, shocked my mother-in-law is a former prostie, but amused) Alam mo ba yang mother imagine that! (Everyone responds, ni Alex, yung boyfriend niya noong shocked but amused) You know, that araw, yung hawak niya connected dati mother of Alex, her boyfriend before, sa pulis, at ang resulta, at ang resulta he had connections with the police, nga yang Alex. And before you know and what happened was, the result was it, ayan – anak kete anak kete anak, Alex! And before you knew it, voila! instant family. Naku, maloloka ako! My Kid after kid after kid, instant family! mother-in-law, wa na prosti, mother! Omigosh I’ll go crazy! My mother-in- law, no more of a whore! Seq. 33a: Remedios Circle. At a street corner Virgie embraces Alex and pleads with him.
VIRGIE Alex, anak, Alex, huwag mo na VIRGIE Alex, son, Alex, don’t ever leave kaming iiwan. Huwag mo nang uulitin us. Don’t ever do that again, okay? yan, ha? Seq. 34: Outside Adel’s house. Ext. Night. Baby is waiting for Adelina in the rain. When Baby sees Adel walking down the street in her nurse’s uniform and carrying her red bag, she stops Adel.
BABY Miss, buntis ako. Huwag ka BABY Miss, I’m pregnant. Please don’t sanang magagalit sa akin, hindi ko na get angry, but I don’t know what to do
* simultaneous/overlapping lines Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
kasi alam ang gagawin ko e. Ayaw sana anymore. I didn’t want to bother you, kitang lapitan pero wala naman akong but there’s no one else I can turn to. I’m ibang malalapitan, e. Ang sakit-sakit! hurting so much!
Ade attempts to leave but Baby, crying, pleads with her.
BABY BABY Huwag mo akong iiwan! Ang mga Please don’t leave me! All the guys – all lalake – ang dami-dami kong kapatid – my brothers and sisters – my own nanay ko – mother – ADEL Sino ka ba? ADEL Who are you anyway? BABY (answering indirectly) BABY (answering indirectly) Si Febrero! It’s Febrero! ADEL ADEL Halika nga dito. (They take shelter in a You come over here. (They take shelter dark corridor) Ipalaglag mo na yan! in a dark corridor) Drop that baby! BABY Wala kaming pera, e. BABY But we have no money. ADEL Lalong walang pera si Febrero! ADEL Febrero has none, too! BABY Sabi niya papakasalan niya ako. BABY He said he’d marry me. ADEL Bagong salta ka no? ADEL You’re new in Manila, aren’t BABY Oo. you? ADEL E bakit ka nagpabuntis? Sana BABY Yes. nag-ingat ka. ADEL So why’d you let yourself get BABY Mahal na mahal ko si Febrero. knocked up? You should’ve been ADEL Lahat ng lalake iyan ang sinasabi. careful. BABY Bakit niya ako lolokohin? Hindi BABY I love Febrero so much. ko naman siya niloloko a. ADEL All the guys promise that. ADEL Bakit ba tayong lahat BABY But why would he fool me? I naglolokohan? Ewan. don’t ever lie to him. BABY Tulungan mo ako. ADEL Why are we fooling ourselves? I ADEL Papano? dunno. BABY Kausapin mo si Febrero. BABY Help me please. ADEL ADEL How? Makinig ka sa akin. Paano ka BABY Talk to Febrero. pakakasalan ni Febrero, e kasal na ADEL yon, dalawa na ang anak no’n? Baka Listen to me. How can Febrero marry akala mo ako ang misis niya – hindi, you, when he’s already married, in fact kabit lang ako. Hindi ko naman they have two kids? And I’m not his puwedeng ipasa sa yo, di ako naman wife – no, I’m just his mistress. And ang mawawalan, di ba? Tsaka ipasa ko I can’t pass him on to you, right, cuz sa yo o hindi, pareho lang dahil iyang it’ll be my loss. And even if I did pass mga lalakeng yan, maraming kabit. him on to you, no difference, cuz these
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Palibhasa bagong salta ka – promdi ka, guys have many mistresses. Heck, napakainosente mo. Ganyan din ako you’re so new here, you’re fresh from noong araw nung bagong dating ako the boondocks, you’re so innocent sa Maynila, laging naloloko. Yang si That’s how I was too when I just came Febrero, may kabit na bakla yan. Kaya to Manila, always getting fooled, by sa susunod mag-iingat ka bago ka everyone. That Febrero, he even has pumatol! Kung hindi, magkaka-leche- a faggot lover. Next time, be careful leche ang buhay mo. Kailangan mas before you hitch up with anyone! wise ka sa lalake, kung hindi lalamugin Otherwise your life will just keep on ka ng mga hindot na yan! At saka getting ruined. You have to be smart huwag mong iiyakan iyang mga lalake, with guys, otherwise the bastards will boring na yan. Tibayan mo ang loob mo, eat you alive! And never cry over them, tapos ipalaglag mo na yan. (Leaves) that’s so boring already. Toughen up, and drop that baby. (Leaves) Seq. 35: Virgie’s house. Ext. Night. Alex desperately searches his room, facing the prospect of cold turkey. Since his parents had probably cleaned the place, he finds nothing. He then seeks relief elsewhere – Seq. 36: Breakwater trip. Ext. Night. Alex, his friends, and Kano have apparently just finished a drug session and are passing the time by the waters of Manila Bay.
ALEX ALEX Alam mo, ang tingin ko sa Maynila You know, the way I see Manila, it’s parang, parang ulap, nakalutang; o like a cloud that’s afloat; or sometimes minsan nag-iiba ang korte, nag-iiba it changes shape, it changes color; ang kulay; minsan naman ang labo- then sometimes it gets vague, it looks labo, parang, parang ang tigas; minsan so hard; and sometimes it looks so naman napakalamig tingnan, okey; cool and comforting to look at; but minsan nakakainis, nakakasakit e. sometimes it’s such a piss-off, so Sakay lang ng sakay: yan ang trip e. hurtful. Well, whatever, just ride on: KANO that’s the trip. Alam mo pare, mas maganda ang KANO Maynila kaysa sa Olongapo. Sa You know, man, Manila’s so much Maynila – wow pare, sumasabog yan, better than Olongapo. In Manila – wow, pow, wow, kazam, kzzt, ahh! Ang man, it’s fireworks, pow, wow, kazam, galing, pare, ang galing. Ikot ng ikot kzzt, ahh! Great, man, just great. It just yan, bira ng bira! Kaya kailangang ikaw, keeps whirling around, and sparkling! sakay lang ng sakay kundi maiiwan That’s why you just have to ride on, or ka – kundi pati ikaw sasabog! Kailangan you get left behind – or you yourself explode! You gotta be fast, catch the
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mabilis ka, sakay ng sakay, trip lang ng ride, enjoy the trip. Isn’t that okay, man? trip. Okey ba pare? Di ba? Right?
Costumed trannies, apparently having just come from a Halloween party, suddenly emerge onto the same breakwater portion where Alex, Kano, and friends are. Led Zeppelin’s “Moby Dick” starts playing.
KANO KANO O ano, ano? O ano, type niyo bang Hey, what? Hey, c’mon, don’t you mag-join sa tripping? wanna join the trip? ALEX’S FRIEND ALEX’S FRIEND Pare okey ba, ha? Yeah, man, okay, right?
Alex, friends, and Kano begin stripping. Kano is wearing a cotton undershirt and briefs like the boys. Then they jump into the water with lifesavers, one with the design of a horned demon which they throw about. Soon they begin to see fireworks in the sky and candles afloat on the water, as the trannies continue to enjoy themselves. Seq. 37: Baby’s house. Int. Night. The family is preparing to leave for an All Saints Eve overnight vigil at a cemetery. Baby is discussing her pregnancy with her mother in a corner.
BABY’S MOTHER (to noisy kid) BABY’S MOTHER (to noisy kid) Oy ikaw, labas ka! (To Baby) Ilang Hey, you, go outside! (To Baby) How buwan na iyan? many months? MALE HOUSEHOLD MEMBER MALE HOUSEHOLD MEMBER Ano ba? Ang gulo mo! Hey! Stop bothering me! BABY Tatlong buwan ho. BABY Three months, Mama. MOTHER Puwede pa. Ipalaglag mo. MOTHER Early enough. Have it dropped. BABY Wala ho akong naipon na pera. BABY I’ve no savings at all. MOTHER Hindi ikaw, ang lalake mo! MOTHER Not you, but your guy! BABY Hindi ko na ho nakikita e, may BABY I don’t see him anymore, I hear kasama na raw hong ibang babae. he’s with another girl.
Outside Baby’s room, the prostitute and her pimp-husband, who were earlier discussing her earnings, are packing their belongings while other female members of the household prepare food to take for the all-night cemetery vigils.
PROSTITUTE PROSTITUTE Ay naku ang gugulo ng mga batang ito, Oh dammit, these kids are too much! oo! Umalis nga kayo diyan! Dalian niyo! Will you all get out!? C’mon, scoot! Right now!
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OTHER WOMEN OTHER WOMEN Nagpunta na ba kayo sa semeteryo? Have you been to the cemetery? What Oho. Anong oras kayo pumunta sa time did you go to the cemetery? semeteryo? PIMP (to his prostitute-wife) PIMP (to his prostitute-wife) Hey, take out the two bags, okay? Oy yung dalawang bags ilabas mo ha? PROSTITUTE PROSTITUTE C’mon, hurry, there’ll be so much traffic Dalian mo, mata-traffic tayo sa Grace at Grace Park. Park e. PIMP I told you to pack already. PIMP Sinabi nang mag-empake e. ANONYMOUS WOMAN ANONYMOUS WOMAN Esther, what else do we need? Esther, ano pa ba’ng kulang dito?
Baby’s father arrives.
BABY’S BROTHER BABY’S BROTHER Mano po, Itay. Good morning, Dad. MOTHER MOTHER O, nakakita ka ng trabaho? So, did you find work? FATHER FATHER Meron – sa Alabang. Labintatlong piso Yeah – in Alabang. Thirteen bucks a isang araw, pero napakalayo e! Ang day, but how far! The fare’s 2.50 going, pamasahe, dos singkuwenta papunta another 2.50 coming back. Plus money roon; pabalik, dos singkuwenta. E ang for lunch, so what else is left, almost pagkain pa, di bale wala! nothing! MOTHER MOTHER This child of yours, Tomas, she Etong anak mo Tomas, may problema. has a problem.
Prostitute and her pimp-husband pass by Baby’s family on their way out to take leave.
PROSTITUTE Aling Cora, tutuloy na ho PROSTITUTE Aling Cora, we have to kami. Lalakad na ho kami. leave. We’ll just have to go. MOTHER E saan ba ang tungo niyo? MOTHER So where are you going? WOMAN Babalik na lang ho kami sa WOMAN We’ll just return to Pangasinan. Pangasinan. MOTHER But why do you have to go back MOTHER E bakit pa kayo babalik doon? there? COUPLE COUPLE E…. Wala hong mangyayari dito e. Well…. Nothing will happen to us here. MOTHER O sige. MOTHER Oh, okay. COUPLE Sige ho, Mang Tomas, Baby sige. COUPLE Okay, Mang Tomas, Baby, okay. (Baby gives them a wan smile) Tuloy na (Baby gives them a wan smile) We’ll kami ha? O sige ho. have to go. Okay.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Seq. 38: Adel’s routine. Ext. Night. Febrero in his taxi is surreptitiously following Ade, still in nurse’s uniform, and who is in another cab. Ade enters Aloha Hotel. Meanwhile two prostitutes board Febrero’s cab.
PROSTITUTE 1 PROSTITUTE 1 Buwisit na punyetang Rudy yan! Akala Fuck that prick Rudy! I thought he was ko Hapon ang ibibigay sa atin, yun pala giving me a Japanese, turned out to be Bisaya! a Bisaya!39 PROSTITUTE 2 PROSTITUTE 2 E oo nga e! Kalbo na, gurang pa! Yeah! And a hairless old man at that! PROSTITUTES (overlapping) PROSTITUTES (overlapping) Seven hundred daw ang ibabayad, The fee was supposed to be seven iyon pala kalahati! Naku kawawa yang hundred, turned out to be half! Fuck Rudy’ng yan! that Rudy! FEBRERO FEBRERO Miss … mga miss, hindi ako puwede, Miss … hey, I can’t take you, I’m on may waiting ako! waiting time! PROSTITUTES PROSTITUTES E ano ka ba? E kami lang dito ang Huh, what are you? We’re the only ones kliyente a. Babayaran ka naman a! here. And we’ll pay you anyway! FEBRERO FEBRERO Sinabing hindi ako puwede e, may I told you I can’t, I’m on waiting time! waiting ako! PROSTITUTES PROSTITUTES Hell, fuck it, let’s get out of this stupid Hu, diyan ka nga nga! Suplado! cab! Damn prick!
Suddenly Adel emerges from hotel in full make-up and party dress.
ADEL (to guard) ADEL (to guard) Pakitawag naman ako ng taxi. Could you get a cab for me please? GUARD Taxi! GUARD Taxi!
Ade gets into the cab hailed by the guard. Febrero tails them. Adel gets down at a whorehouse in Leon Guinto.
BOUNCER Ade – BOUNCER Ade – ADEL Ako’ng bahala sa inyo. ADEL I’ll take care of you.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Sequence 39
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Seq. 39: Carnival. Ext. Night. Sights and sounds of a seedy carnival include an old man peering from a hole at a display, an upright roulette wheel being turned, and a female impersonator lip-syncing Eruption’s “One-Way Ticket.” Bea and Greg walk together through these sights and sounds.
GREG GREG Alam mo dito sa Maynila, abilidad lang You know, here in Manila, you just ang kailangan e. Napornada na din lang need some smarts and learn some yung trabaho ko sa Saudi, naghanap na tricks. Since nothing came out of my ako ng ibang trabaho – mas maganda job prospect in Saudi, I looked for other pa, magkasama pa tayo. work – which turned out better, and BEA Anong trabaho? we’re still together. GREG BEA What work? At saka mas malaki ang kikitain natin GREG dito kaysa sa kinikita mo sa sauna. Two And I’ll make a lot more than what you hundred lang ang dali-dali isang gabi, get in the sauna. Two hundred bucks a wala pang kahirap-hirap. Magkasama night, easy money, no sweat. And we’re pa tayo. together. BEA Anong klaseng trabaho? BEA What sort of work? GREG GREG E basta, may umareglo na. Malapit na You’ll see, it’s done, someone arranged yon. Maghintay ka na lang diyan. it. Just wait, it’ll come soon. Seq. 40: D’Remark Kitchenette. Int. Night. Slow night. A blind man passes by the kitchenette. Pimp finishes his drink and walks over to Baby by the door, waiting for Febrero.
PIMP PIMP Huwag mo nang hintayin yang taxi Stop waiting for your taxi driver. He driver mo. Hindi na babalik yon, buntis won’t be back, he’s already gotten you ka na, e. Alam mo naman ang mga knocked up. You know how guys are.… lalake.… Sumama ka na lang sa akin sa Why don’t you just come with me and mga Hapon. take on some Japanese?
Baby looks back at Chinese owner, who leers at her. Seq. 41: Whorehouse. Int. Night. Baby’s pimp brings Japanese into living room where Baby sits with other whores. On TV, Christian evangelist Rex Humbard preaches.
WHORE Hoy Sonny! WHORE Hey, Sonny! SONNY Reserbado to. SONNY He’s reserved.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Sequence 41
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
WHORE (disappointed) Ay…. WHORE (disappointed) Aww…. SONNY Kachi-san, this way please…. SONNY Kachi-san, this way please…. WHORE 1 WHORE 1 Naalala mo yung Hapon kagabi? Yung You remember that Japanese last night? mukhang puwit? The butt-faced one? WHORE 2 WHORE 2 Hoy Mila, huwag mong kalilimutan Hey, Mila, don’t forget, okay? We’re ha! Pupunta tayo sa munisipyo bukas, going to the municipal clinic tomorrow, magpapaburat na tayo ng ano natin! we gotta have our cunts turned inside Tandaan mo, ha? out! Don’t you forget! WHORE 3 WHORE 3 Hindi ako makaihi, nakakainis. Puputok I can’t pee, fuck it. My bladder’s na ang puson ko! bursting! REX HUMBARD (on TV) REX HUMBARD (on TV) If you read the pages of this book … a If you read the pages of this book … a message directly from me, and also message directly from me, and also from God’s word…. from God’s word…. PIMP (to Japanese) PIMP (to Japanese) Kachi-san, you may choose! Choose, Kachi-san, you may choose! Choose, choose, come on. choose, come on. ADEL (just arriving) ADEL (just arriving) Sonny malandi ka, hindi mo sinabing Sonny, you prick, you didn’t say there’ll maraming Hapon diyan…. be a lot of Japanese…. WHORE 4 (pointing out the new Japanese WHORE 4 (pointing out the new Japanese customer) Ade sukiyaki, o. customer) Ade, sukiyaki.
Adel and Baby see each other. Adel drags her downstairs to the garden.
BABY Aray ko! Ahh! BABY Ouch! Ahh! ADEL Leche ka, subukan mong ADEL You cunt, you try telling my magsumbong sa asawa ko kung hindi husband and I break every bone in your babaliin ko lahat ang buto sa katawan body! You wanna be picked up wrapped mo! Gusto mong madampot kang in newspaper? Why, you cunt! nakatakip ng peryodiko? Malandi ka rin, ano? Hah?! Seq. 42: Hotel room. Int. Night. Japanese customer attempts to strip Baby, speaking Japanese throughout. Baby refuses his advances and offers to undress herself. When customer suddenly embraces her she throws up on him, rushes to bed and then to bathroom. He helps her clean up and tries to clean up himself. Then he brings her back to bedroom but she faints on the floor.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Sequence 42
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Seq. 43: Vanessa’s house. Ext. Night. Christmas season. Alex and Vanessa are bickering by the garage. Alex is pallid and dingy, looking every inch like the addict that he has become. Vanessa is eating an apple.
ALEX ALEX Van may sabit ako, e. May papakiusap Van, I got a little problem. A favor, sana ako sa yo: puwede bang mahiram please: can I borrow that necklace I yang kuwintas na ibinigay ko sa yo? gave you? Just for a week. I need some Isang linggo lang. Kailangan ko lang bread. kasi ng bread e. VANESSA VANESSA So what will you do with it? Ano naman ang gagawin mo? ALEX ALEX I just need some bread to tide me over; Kailangan ko lang ng bread; isasanla ko I’ll hock it for just a week, then I’ll ng isang linggo, tapos isasauli ko din sa return it to you. Just a week. isang linggo. VANESSA VANESSA You’ll hock it – so you can buy drugs! Isasanla mo pagkatapos bibili – bibili ka ALEX ng drugs! No, no, I won’t get drugs, I just have a ALEX little debt to pay. Hindi, hindi ako bibili ng drugs, VANESSA No! kailangan ko lang kasi may sabit ako! ALEX C’mon, please. VANESSA Hindi! VANESSA ALEX Sige na o. No! Why should you take it back from VANESSA me, you’re terrible. Hindi! Bakit mo babawiin, pambihira ALEX I really need it. ka talaga. VANESSA No, you gave it to me. ALEX Kailangang-kailangan ko lang e. ALEX VANESSA Hindi, binigay mo na e. Hey, c’mon! What are you? What the ALEX hell, I told you I’ll return it to you Ano ba! Ba’t ang kulit-kulit mo? Isasauli anyway! I’m just borrowing it for a ko naman sa yo! Isang linggo ko lang week, damn it! hihiramin, ano ba – VANESSA VANESSA Well, that’s your problem, you get into Ang hirap naman sa iyo e, magda- drugs, and you even leave me for a drugs-drugs ka, pagkatapos ipagpapalit faggot! And now you need money, what mo pa ako sa bakla! Ngayong wala kang the fuck! pera, ano ba! ALEX ALEX I’m only borrowing it for a week. Isang linggo ko lamang hihiramin sa yo. VANESSA VANESSA A week, a week…. You haven’t even Isang linggo, isang linggo…. Hindi ka been showing up – na nga nagpapakita –
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Christmas carolers sing outside the gate.
CAROLERS CAROLERS Ang Pasko ay sumapit / Tayo ay Here comes Christmas / Let’s all sing / mangagsiawit / Ng magagandang tinig / Lovely tunes / Because God is love…. Dahil sa ang Diyos ay pag-ibig…. VANESSA (shouts to her brother) VANESSA (shouts to her brother) Ronnie, will you send those carolers Ronnie, paalisin mo nga itong mga away!? Fuck! carolers! Leche!
Ronnie goes to the gate.
ALEX Van. VANESSA Ano? VANESSA What? ALEX Yung hinihingi ko. ALEX What I’m asking. VANESSA E sa ayoko, e. VANESSA No way. ALEX ALEX Pambihira ka naman, parang wala C’mon, what the hell! Don’t you care at tayong pinagsamahan! all for me!?
Ronnie dismisses carolers then sees a friend and goes with him as well.
*RONNIE (to carolers) *RONNIE (to carolers) O kayo, ano’ng ginagawa niyo Hey you, what are you still diyan? Huwag na kayo diyan, umalis doing there? Get out of there, na kayo. just go. *CAROLERS Merry Christmas po! *CAROLERS Merry Christmas! *VANESSA *VANESSA Anong pinagsamahan? Tumigil ka nga What do you mean I don’t care? Will diyan! Binigay mo na, e. Ano ka, Indian you cut it out!? You gave it to me. What giver? are you, an Indian giver? ALEX Sige na, akin naman to, e. ALEX C’mon, it came from me anyway. VANESSA Huwag mong hahatakin to! VANESSA Hey, stop grabbing at it! ALEX E kailangan ko e! ALEX But I need it! VANESSA E hindi nga puwede! VANESSA I said no way! ALEX Akin na yan! ALEX Give it to me! VANESSA VANESSA Ano ba – (Necklace falls on floor. They What the fuck – (Necklace falls on floor. struggle to retrieve it) Ayan! Ikaw talaga, They struggle to retrieve it) Oh, shit! bitawan mo yan, akin yan! Tarantado ka Give me that! Let go of it! You asshole – talaga –
* simultaneous/overlapping lines
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VANESSA’S MOTHER VANESSA’S MOTHER Anong ingay yan? Ano ba’ng nangyayari What’s that noise? What’s happening diyan? (To Alex) Bitiwan mo’ng anak here? (To Alex) Leave my daughter ko! alone! ALEX Putangina niyo, a! ALEX Well, fuck you all! VANESSA VANESSA E kinukuha niya Mommy yung Mommy, he’s trying to get back my kuwintas ko e! necklace! ALEX ALEX Akin to, binabawi ko lang, kailangan ko It’s mine, I’m just getting it back, cuz I e! need it! MOTHER MOTHER Tama na yan ha, lumayas ka nga dito! Cut it out! Get the hell out of here! Lumayas ka na. Halika na, Vangie, doon Come over, Vangie, get back inside. na tayo sa loob. Huwag mo nang ipakita And don’t you ever show your face here ang pagmumukha mo dito! again! VANESSA (to Alex) Tarantado! VANESSA (to Alex) You shithead! ALEX Bog! ALEX You too! Seq. 44: Gay bar. Int.–ext. Night. Macho dancers in bikini briefs perform to Blondie’s “Call Me.” Gay customers tuck money inside dancers’ G-strings, kiss their own partners, etc. At one table sit Manay and his friends, with Alex in the same sorry state.
GAY 1 GAY 1 Oye Cristina, wala ka bang nata- Hey, Cristina, don’t you find anyone type-an diyan sa mga barkada ni Alex? your type among Alex’s friends? GAY 2 Alin, iyang mga yan? GAY 2 Who, those guys? GAY 1 Matagal nang tingin ng tingin sa GAY 1 They’ve been eyeing you! yo yan! GAY 2 GAY 2 Well, maybe if it were sometime ago, Noong araw sana, noong preskong- when they were still fresh out of college. presko sila galing sa kolehiyo. Pero But look at ’em now, they’re all drug tingnan mo ngayon: puro mga drug addicts. I’ll just go broke with that type. addicts. Maghirap pa ko sa mga yan! GAY 1 GAY 1 But don’t you want ’em with Ayaw mo niyan, experienced? experience? GAY 2 GAY 2 Anong experienced? Saan? Sa turok? What experience? With needles? GAY 1 (laughs) GAY 1 (laughs) Ang suplada naman nito! Hmm, picky, picky!
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
ALEX (to Manay) ALEX (to Manay) Manay, two hundred lang naman o. Manay, just two hundred. I’ll pay you Babayaran ko naman sa yo. back anyway. MANAY Puwede ba? MANAY Aww, please.
Gay bar workers and clientele continue their exchanges, oblivious to Alex and Manay’s deteriorating relations.
ALEX ALEX Manay please lang. Two hundred lang, Manay, c’mon please. Just two hundred, kailangang-kailangan ko. I really need it. MANAY Aagh! MANAY Aagh!
Manay drags Alex out in the street where he sermonizes in front of Alex’s friends and amid cruising gays. As he vents, behind him a cruiser succeeds in picking up a guy for the night.
MANAY (to Alex) MANAY (to Alex) Dito ka, dito tayo mag-uusap.Huwag Here, you come here, here’s where kang makulit, kakausapin kita. Ako we talk. Stop fidgeting, I’ll tell you maloloka na sa yo ha. Tuwing makikita something. I’m going crazy, with what’s kita you’re in the worst horrible happening to you. Every time I see you, conditions: wala kang tulog, wala kang you’re in the worst horrible conditions: pera, lasing ka, bangag ka, meron kang no sleep, no money, drunk, stoned, sabit, naku! Anong klaseng buhay yan? you’re in debt, after debt, after debt! (Alex attempts to leave) Hoy bumalik Shit! What kind of life is that? (Alex ka, kinakausap kita. You cannot spend attempts to leave) Hey, come back here, your whole life going from botica to I’m talking to you. You cannot spend botica to botica. Utang ka ng utang ng your whole life going from drugstore pera, hiram ka ng hiram ng pera; kailan to drugstore to drugstore. When the matatapos yang putanginang lecheng hell is that fucking stupid cycle gonna kaputahang lahat na yan?! Hoy Alex, stop?! Hey, Alex, look at yourself: tingnan mo’ng sarili mo: batang-bata ka you’re so young. And you’re so good- pa. Guwapo ka naman. May utak ka rin looking. And you have a head on your naman. Bakit sinasayang mo ang buhay shoulders. So why are you wasting your mo sa putanginang drugs na yan? I life away on those stupid drugs? I mean mean what’s the point? It’s stupid, that’s what’s the point? It’s stupid, that’s the the point! Puro kagaguhan yan, that’s point! It’s just totally senseless, that’s the whole point! Alam mo ba kung the whole point! You know what’s ano ang nangyayari sa yo, Alex? You’re happening to you, Alex? You’ve turned useless! Ano ba ang silbi ng buhay useless! So what kind of life do you have mo dito sa mundong ito? Wala! Wis! in this world? Nothing! Zilch! And what E ano ba ang ine-expect mo? Nakita do you expect? Have you taken stock
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mo ba ang sarili mo ngayon? You’re of yourself? You’re an addict, you’re an addict, sugapa! Ay naku, maloloka insatiable! Omigod, I’m going crazy ako sa yo! Maski ano pa’ng sabihin ko because of you! Whatever I say to you sa yo, hindi ka naman nakikinig! Ako goes out the other ear! I can’t accept nanghihinayang sa yo. I mean, bata ka how you’re wasting your life. You’re still pa. Dapat sa yo nag-aaral. You have so young. You should still be in school. your whole life ahead of you. You can You have your whole life ahead of you. plan your career, your future, et cetera, You can plan your career, your future, et et cetera, pero wala! Luko-luko ka, e. cetera, et cetera, but it’s become zilch! Kung anong iniisip mo, puro ka drugs. You’ve become an asshole, and you’re a Sinisira mo’ng buhay mo. Consciously wreck, you’re totally wasted. Cuz it’s all winawasak mo ang buhay mo sa putang just been drugs! You’re destroying your drugs na yan! Stupid! whole life because of drugs! It’s just so stupid! Seq. 45: Virgie’s house. Int. Night. Christmas dinner complete with Christmas tree, blinking lights, gifts on display. Virgie’s family is complete save for Alex. Beside Virgie, who’s at one end of the table, sits Au-Au; opposite her is her husband.
VIRGIE (to maid) VIRGIE (to maid) Wala ka na bang ibang sinelas? Palitan Don’t you have another pair of slippers? mo yan at ke ingay-ingay! Change what you’re wearing, they’re so MAID Opo, senyora. noisy! FATHER MAID Yes, ma’m. Alam mo may nangyari sa courtroom FATHER nung, nung isang araw. May kliyente You know, we had a courtroom incident ako, e bakla. Tumingin ba naman siya the other day. I had a client, who kay Feliciano, kay Judge. Sabi niya, happens to be gay. Can you imagine, he “Acheng!” Umarte na nang umarte! looked at Feliciano, at the judge. And Merong pa-ganyan pa na pa-ganito, at he said, “Acheng!”40 And he started gumanyan pa sa ganyan, at may pa- acting up, such a swish! Sashaying ganire pa. At hinawakan pa ang kilay – this way and that. And flicking his VIRGIE eyebrows – Au-Au, huwag gamitin ang kamay sa VIRGIE pagkain. Au-Au, don’t use your hands on the FATHER (flustered by Virgie’s interruption) food. Well anyway, ay, sabi ni Judge Feliciano: FATHER (flustered by Virgie’s interruption) “When you speak in court, you face the Well, anyway, Judge Feliciano said: court!” E sabi niya e, “Ache! I’d rather “When you speak in court, you face the face my audience!” – yon ang sabi niya. court!” And that swish replied, “A-che! Nagalit si Judge, kinuha ba naman niya I’d rather face my audience!” – that’s
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
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Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
yung gavel niya, at pagkatapos ipinalo what he said. The Judge got enraged, nang ipinalo nang ipinalo nang ipinalo – got his gavel and kept pounding it VIRGIE (hitting Au-Au’s hand) down hard – Hindi ba sinabi ko sa iyong huwag VIRGIE (hitting Au-Au’s hand) mong gamitin ang kamay mo sa Didn’t I tell you not to use your hands pagkain? Napakagaga mo, napakatanga on the food? Don’t be stupid, don’t you mo, hindi ka na ba matututo?! ever learn!?
Family returns to eating, quietly. Seq. 46: Roxas Blvd. Ext. Night. Greg is leading Bea.
BEA Anong lugar ito? BEA What place is this? GREG Papasok tayo ng trabaho. GREG We’ll go to work. BEA Trabaho? BEA Work? GREG Oo. GREG Yes. BEA Anong trabaho? BEA What work? GREG Basta pera din ito, sayang. GREG Relax, it means money. BEA Teka muna. BEA Wait a minute. GREG Halika na! GREG Come on! HAWKER Toro, toro! HAWKER Toro, toro!41 TOURIST TOURIST What’s a toro? Would you want to What’s a toro? Would you want to explain to me what a toro is, man? explain to me what a toro is, man? HAWKER It’s fucking. HAWKER It’s fucking. TOURIST TOURIST Hey quit that, man! Give me some girls, Hey quit that, man! Give me some girls, give me some girls. give me some girls. GREG Halika na. GREG C’mon.
Bea pauses to listen.
HAWKERS (close-up of mouths making HAWKERS (close-up of mouths making announcements) announcements) Toro, live show sir! Toro, toro, toro! Toro, live show, sir! Toro, toro, toro! Toro, live show sir! Live show, live Toro, live show, sir! Live show, live show! Mister, mister live show! show! Mister, mister, live show! Magagandang babae! Toro, live show! Beautiful girls! Toro, live show!
Bea realizes Greg’s intentions and attempts to flee. They quarrel violently.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
*BEA *BEA Eee! Ayoko, ayoko! Gagawin mo kong Eee! I don’t want! You’ll turn me into puta! Bitiwan mo ako! Bitiwan mo ako! a whore. Let me go! Let me go! I don’t Ayoko! Papatayin muna kita! Ayoko, want! I’ll kill you first! No, no! Let me ayoko! Bitiwan mo ako, ayoko, ayoko! go, I don’t want! You bastard! Walanghiya ka! *GREG *GREG Where you going? Come on! Hey, what Saan ka pupunta? Halika na! Ano ba! the fuck! Wait! Ouch, my hair! What Sandali! Aray ko, ang buhok ko! Ano the hell! You’re gonna fight me? You ba! Lalaban ka pa? Walanghiya ka! bitch! Come on! Halika na!
Greg manages to subdue Bea but only for a while. She kicks Greg from behind and manages to escape his clutches but could not run too far because of her blindness. He recovers and grabs her once more.
BEA BEA Bitiwan mo ko! Putangina mo! Get your hands off me! You sonafabitch! Hindot ka! Fuck you! GREG O ano? Sasama ka? Putang to! GREG What the fuck! You’re not BEA Hindot ka! coming with me? You bitch! GREG BEA Fuck you! Ano? Sasama ka? Putang to, GREG pinahihirapan mo pa ko! What? You’re not coming with me? Fucking whore, you’ll give me a hard time? Seq. 47: In front of Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Malate. Order is breaking down in the streets, with drugs, crime, and prostitution openly exhibited.
PROSTITUTE PROSTITUTE Umalis ka nga diyan, baka ako malasin. Will you move out of there, so my fuckin’ luck changes?
Baby, seeing Febrero in distance, rushes toward him.
BABY BABY Febrero, ano na’ng nangyari sa yo? Febrero, what’s happening with you? Hintay ako ng hintay sa yo, hindi ka I keep waiting for you, and you don’t naman dumarating. Tingnan mo, ang show up. Look, my belly’s so big laki-laki na ng tiyan ko! (Febrero runs already! (Febrero runs away from her) away from her) Ano ka ba, hoy! Hoy! Hey, what’s with you! Hey!
* simultaneous/overlapping lines Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
A drugged prostitute accosts Baby.
DRUGGED PROSTITUTE DRUGGED PROSTITUTE Hoy simba tayo, samahan mo ako sa Come on, let’s go to Mass, come with simbahan. me to the church. DRUGGED PROSTITUTE DRUGGED PROSTITUTE Simba tayo, halika na! Let’s go to Mass, come on!
Baby rejects the prostitute but the latter is insistent.
BABY (freeing herself from the drugged BABY (freeing herself from the drugged prostitute’s clutches) prostitute’s clutches) Ano ba! (Shouts at Febrero across the What the fuck! (Shouts at Febrero across street) Putangina mo! Mamatay ka na the street) You sonafabitch! I hope you sana, hayop ka! Duwag! Duwag! Ang die, you prick! Coward! Coward! Your asawa mo puta! Call girl! Nando’n sa wife’s a whore! A call girl! She’s there on Vito Cruz, sawsawan ng mga Hapon! Vito Cruz,42 feeding the Japanese with Ako, malinis na babae! (In tears) Hayop her body! Me, I’m a clean woman! (In ka, putangina mo! tears) You prick, you sonafabitch! Seq. 48: New Year’s Eve. Ext. Night. As fireworks explosions intensify Adel walks down a narrow alley in her nurse’s uniform and with her red bag, apparently on her way home. At the end of alley an anonymous hand grabs her and strangles her. The fireworks, welcoming the New Year, barely illuminate her lifeless body. Seq. 49: Morgue. Int.–ext. Night. Manay, carrying a bouquet, approaches the stocky morgue attendant with his gay friends, Febrero, and Alex.
MANAY MANAY Mister, mister, yun hong patay namin? Mister, mister, where’s our friend’s ATTENDANT corpse? Ano’ng pangalan? ATTENDANT MANAY What name? Adelina Macapinlac. MANAY ATTENDANT (points to a coffin) Adelina Macapinlac. Ayun o. (When they hesitate, he goes ATTENDANT (points to a coffin) to the coffin to clear it of clothes and Right there. (When they hesitate, he papers and open the window) Excuse goes to the coffin to clear it of clothes me, mga Misis. and papers and opens the window) Excuse me, Missus.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
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Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
GAY Miss. GAY Miss. ATTENDANT (in good spirits) ATTENDANT (in good spirits) Ayan o. Here she is.
Manay’s party is dumbfounded.
GAY 2 Manay ano yan? GAY 2 What the…. What’s that?
Inside the coffin is an old woman in nurse’s uniform. Manay goes over to attendant, who’s yawning.
MANAY MANAY Mister, hindi yan ang patay namin! Mister, that is not our friend’s corpse! ATTENDANT Ano’ng ibig mong sabihin? ATTENDANT What do you mean? MANAY Iyong sinabi ko! MANAY Exactly what I said! ATTENDANT Ano ba’ng sinabi mo? ATTENDANT And what did you say? GAY 3 Nakakaloka! GAY 3 Omigosh! MANAY MANAY Sinasabi nang hindi yan si Adelina, I’m saying that is not Adelina, don’t you napakakulit naman e! Nakaka- get it!? This is terribly infuriating! imbiyerna na e! ATTENDANT ATTENDANT Wow, these fag whores! Didn’t you Aba ang mga putang baklang to! Hindi ask for Adelina Macapinlac? That is ba sabi niyo Adelina Macapinlac? Yan si Adelina Macapinlac! Adelina Macapinlac! MANAY MANAY Hey, we may be fags but we’re not Hoy, mga bakla nga kami pero hindi whores, okay! And that is not Adelina kami mga puta ha! At hindi yan si Macapinlac! Adelina Macapinlac! ATTENDANT ATTENDANT Yan si Adelina Macapinlac! That is Adelina Macapinlac! MANAY MANAY Sinasabi nang hindi yan si Adelina I’m telling you it’s not Adelina Macapinlac e! Macapinlac! ATTENDANT ATTENDANT Huwag kang sisigaw! Don’t shout at me! GAY Aba! GAY Omigosh! MANAY (sarcastically whispering) MANAY (sarcastically whispering) Hindi yan si Adelina Macapinlac! That is not Adelina Macapinlac! ATTENDANT ATTENDANT E kung si Adelina Macapinlac yan, Well, if that’s Adelina Macapinlac, what ano’ng gagawin ko sa inyo? do I do to you?
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MANAY MANAY Ay naku, maloloka ako sa inyo! (Turns Omigod, he’s driving me crazy! (Turns away from him) away from him) ATTEDANT ATTENDANT Anak ng putang trabaho ito, oo! What a fucking job! These fags are Pambihira din ang mga baklang ito, oo! impossible! Well, if you insist, then your Sinabi nang wala, e ang pilit-pilit! Wala friend isn’t here! (Goes through several dito, e. (Goes through several files) files) GAYS (to Manay) GAYS (to Manay) Relax, take it easy. Easy ka lang. Relax, take it easy. Go easy. MANAY MANAY You expect me to be martyr to people You expect me to be a martyr to people like that? Ay naku! E kung nai- like that? Omigod! If he gets me imbiyerna ako, ano’ng gagawin ko? infuriated, what the hell should I do? Tigilan mo ko! GAYS GAYS Don’t be so high-blood. (Attendant High blood naman ito. (Attendant apologetically approaches them) Here apologetically approaches them) Ayan he comes. Porky reappears. na. Appear si Porky. ATTENDANT Oh, sorry, missus. ATTENDANT Sorry ho, mga misis. GAY Miss. GAY Miss. ATTENDANT ATTENDANT Ah, miss. Somebody made a mistake. Ah, miss. May nagkamali ho e. Kasi Their names are so similar, and their pareho ng pangalan e, nagkapalit ng clothes happened to be exchanged. damit. Yun ho pala si Avelina Macasaet. Turns out that one is Avelina Macasaet. Si Adelina Macapinlac ho napadala We sent off Adelina Macapinlac’s body na namin kahapon sa Cagayan, pero yesterday to Cagayan,43 but we’ll send a padadalhan namin ng telegrama bukas telegram tomorrow so it can be brought para ipabalik dito. back here.
Febrero faints.
GAYS (catching and carrying Febrero) GAYS (catching and carrying Febrero) Ay, ang bigat! Ano ba Manay, tulungan Oh wow, he’s so heavy! C’mon, Manay, mo ko dito! Doon, doon natin dalhin! help us here! (Toward embalming table, (Toward embalming table, which which Attendant clears) Hey, not there, Attendant clears) Ay, huwag diyan, para not there, that’s for the dead! There on sa dead yan! Do’n sa stretcher, dali! the stretcher, quick! Steady, he might Dahan-dahan lang, baka malaglag ha. fall off.
Overwhelmed, Manay breaks down and rushes out.
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MANAY (over and over) MANAY (over and over) Ayoko na. (To his approaching friends) I give up. (To his approaching friends) Layuan niyo ko! Ayoko na! Ayoko na! Leave me alone! I give up! (He screams (He screams in pain) Haaay! in pain) Haaay! Seq. 50: Kano’s flight and capture. Int.–ext. Night. Inside Sauna Turko Alex tries to borrow money from Bea.
BEA BEA Anong uutang ng pera? Ano’ng palagay What, borrow money from me? What mo sa kin? At magkano ang palagay do you think I am? And how much do mong kinikita ko dito? Pambihira ka you think I make here? Jeez! naman e! GIRL How noisy! GIRL Ang ingay naman! BEA (to girl) BEA (to girl) Heh, you quiet down! (Back to Alex) Heh, tumigil ka nga diyan! (Back to What a fucking life! Always a fucking Alex) Talagang buwisit talaga itong life! You come here, and you want to buhay na to! Lagi namang ganyan e. borrow money!? My God, have pity – Pagpunta mo dito mangungutang ka! Diyos ko, maawa ka –
Kano rushes in from the street, scattering a young sampaguita vendor’s wares.
KANO KANO Bea! Bea, halika itago mo ko! Bea! Bea, hide me, quick! The cops are Hinahanap ako ng mga parak! Itago mo after me! Hide me! ko! BEA BEA Oh, fuck! Will you guys get off me!? I’ve Ah leche, tigilan niyo nga ako! Sawang- had enough! I’ll have ’em arrest you! sawa na ko! Ipahuhuli kita! KANO KANO Why, you whore! Ba putang to!
Plainclothesmen hurry into sauna from car, passing by the vendor rearranging his leis. When Kano sees them she runs toward sauna building’s roof. Confused, Alex follows her.
GIRLS GIRLS Bakit, ano’ng nangyari? Ewan ko. May Why, what’s happening? I dunno. I mga pulis ata! think they’re cops! AGENT (to Bea) AGENT (to Bea) Miss, may nakita kang tomboy? Miss, did you see that tomboy?
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BEA BEA Nagpunta sa bubong. Doon ang daan, Up the roof. You pass through there, kanan tapos derecho. turn right then straight. AGENT (calling another agent) AGENT (calling another agent) Dodo! Dodo!
Agents chase Alex and Kano, who throws her stuff in a toilet. They run over roof, into a basketball court, disrupting a game. An overweight agent, reluctant to jump from the roof, goes out through the entrance of Sauna Turko and tells other agents.
AGENT AGENT Doon, pare, sa likod! Dali! There, over there, at the back! Quick!
Kano and Alex are chased through Roxas Blvd., past Central Bank’s open canal and around Harrison Plaza, where a young couple is seen arguing. Occasionally, overweight agent pauses for breathing.
GIRL GIRL Ayoko sabi e, ayoko nga! Bitiwan mo ko I told you I don’t want to! Let me go! I sabi e! Ayokong sumama. Basta bitiwan don’t want to go with you. Just let me mo ko! Ayoko sabi, walanghiya ka, sabi go! I don’t want to, you sonafabitch, I na sa yo. Ba’t ka namimilit? (Points told you. Why do you keep forcing her umbrealla at boy, after running me? (Points her umbrella at boy, after characters separate them) Walanghiya running characters separate them) You ka talaga, yayariin mo lang ako! sonafabitch, you’ll just fuck me up! BOY BOY Bakit nagpapakipot ka pa? Why are you playing hard-to-get?
After Kano and Alex turn into Harrison Plaza’s indoor bump-car amusement area, Alex huddles behind some boxes and rushes out when coast is clear. Agents take a shortcut and intercept Kano in middle of street.
KANO KANO Ah! Bitiwan niyo ko! Ayoko, mga Hey! Let me go! Leave me alone, you putangina ninyo! Mga burat ninyo! sons of bitches! You fucking pricks! Let Ayoko! (Traffic gets blocked) me go! (Traffic gets blocked) Seq. 51: Alex’s wandering. Ext. Night thru morning. After Kano’s arrest, Alex finds himself alone. Some trannies pass by him.
TRANNIES TRANNIES Ay, nakakaloka! E talaga namang luka- Oh, how crazy! Well, she’s really crazy, luka yon e! after all!
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Walking toward Luneta, we see a glimpse of Virgie taking tranquilizers, all dazed out.44 Alex sees an old man cleaning the sidewalk.
ALEX Mama, puwede ho bang ALEX Sir, may I bother you for some makahingi ng tubig ninyo? water? Just to wash my face a bit? Maghihilamos lang ho ako. MAN Why, sure, son, go ahead. MAN Aba oo, sige hijo. ALEX Thank you, sir. ALEX Salamat ho
Alex washes his face from a pail of water.
ALEX (after washing) Salamat ho. ALEX (after washing) Thanks, sir. MAN Okey. MAN It’s okay.
Baby is seen boarding a jeepney, her tummy swollen with child. Jeepney blares out Imelda Papin’s “Taksil.” Alex lingers by breakwater, where guitarist plays Graham Nash’s “Teach Your Children” and trannie in heart-shaped costume loiters. We see a glimpse of Manay arranging a religious statue. Alex walks down Luneta, where exercisers are seen shadow- boxing and doing martial arts exercises to the breaking dawn. Exhausted, he lies down on the grasss, flowers surrounding him like a halo. The whole park, with early-rising weekend citizens, is then seen against the morning sun.
Closing Credits [see note in Opening Credit section]: The End; acknowledgements Mile’s Auto Sales Corporation / Hospital# ng Maynila / National Parks Development Committee# / Turko Sauna Parlor, Roxas Boulevard; Bayside Incorporated, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City / Aloha Hotel & Restaurant, Roxas Blvd, Manila / Central College# of the Philippines, Quezon City; Ligaya Lodge, Old Sta. Mesa, Manila / National Park# Development Committee, Rizal Park, Manila / Ayala Corporation, Ayala Ave., Makati, Metro Manila / Harrison Plaza Commercial Center, F. B. Harrison, Metro Manila / Cultural Center of the Philippines, Roxas Blvd., Metro Manila; Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Malate, Manila; Shaw Case Restaurant, Shaw Blvd., Pasig, Metro Manila; Hon. Mayor Ramon D. Bagatsing / Hon. Mayor Pablo Cuneta / Hon. Mayor Adelina Rodriguez / Hon. Mayor Ernesto Domingo / Hon. Mayor Emiliano Caruncho / Hon. Mayor Nemesio Yabut / Hospital ng Maynila [repeated]
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
Notes
1. More information, including the roles played by each performer, can be found at the Internet Movie Database
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University
controversial First Lady, whose life had too many parallels with that of Imelda Marcos. The character name-drops two prominent Marcos-era ministers, Jose Aspiras (tourism) and, later, Arturo “Bong” Tangco, Jr. (agriculture). In a later disco scene (cf. Seq. 17), the dance version of the musical’s most popular hit will be played. 15. A reference to Alvin Toffler’s then-trendy 1970s bestsellerFuture Shock, in which a contemporary sensibility is supposedly susceptible to the overwhelming effects of increasingly swift changes in society and technology, necessitating a coping adjustment to be provided in the next wave of social development, called Consciousness Three. 16. Seven Seas Motel was a popular chain providing two-hour room rentals for “quickie” sex. 17. Ate and Kuya before people’s names could indicate fictive (sibling) kinships with older women or men respectively. 18. Film actress Rosa Rosal first became known for her femme fatale roles, then starred in a number of highly acclaimed prestige projects during the studio system era of the 1950s. She became known to a new generation of admirers for her humanitarian work with the Red Cross as well as for hosting her own TV charity program. 19. National Bureau of Investigation, of the Republic of the Philippines’s Department of Justice. 20. “Aling” is the equivalent of “Miss” or “Missus,” used with the addressee’s first name. 21. Short for Mogadon, a hypnotic prescription sedative popular among drug abusers. 22. Bayside was a popular nightclub along Roxas Boulevard. 23. Bea uses the term “sensation,” one of the euphemisms that emerged for polite- society discussions of sex activities in massage parlors. 24. Baby’s expression “kumakain ng kuhol” literally means “eating [freshwater] snails,” a local delicacy which requires sucking and use of the tongue to get at the flesh of the cooked mollusk. 25. “Type” is a double-clipped form of “Type ko” [my type], in turn a clipping of “Yan ang type ko” [that’s my type]; “bongga” is slang, usually a compliment meaning stylish, outlandish, extravagant, awesome. 26. Olongapo City is located near Subic municipality, the site of the (since- terminated) biggest American naval base outside the US. As a result, it had a thriving night-time entertainment industry for US servicepersons. 27. Manay uses “’day,” a shortening of the regional term “inday” (girl), adopted initially as gay-lingo and now mainstreamed. 28. The phrase “pang-echeng ng datung” literally means “to mooch [or sponge or sweet-talk] some dough [from ‘the tong’ or extortion money]” in gay lingo. 29. Manay says “kyeme,” a Spanish-sounding gay-lingo coinage (quieme) that means “nonsense.” 30. Ilonggo is one of the Visayan-region languages, less familiar to Manila residents than Cebuano.
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31. Roughly “I already told you, there’s no Adelina Macapinlac here! Yet you keep saying she’s around! You annoying, totally clueless queer, do you want to start a quarrel?” 32. Boots Anson-Roa, film andTV actress, was known for playing wholesome women characters. 33. “Rhapsody” is a twist on “rap-sa,” back-formation of “sarap,” the Tagalog word for pleasure. 34. Tarlac is a province north of Manila made seemingly more distant by its rusticity. 35. Vanessa uses the term “sward” — not the rarely used English term for grassland, but a Filipino coinage for “gay male,” free of the pejorative associated with traditional terms. 36. Joanne Drew Figure Salon (Australia-based, founded by Joan Andrews) was a popular slimming facility for Manila socialites. Evita would be referring to her lower waist area, including the crotch. 37. Dated reference, possibly referring to a Muslim-like appearance because of the turban that the character is wearing (provided by Paul H. Roquia and Ka Deniz Reyes of the Facebook Pinoy Film Buffs group); also possibly a playful corruption of “suray,” untidy or disarranged (as suggested by Nestor de Guzman of the same FB group). 38. Ironic usage, a reference to failure. 39. Some of the most impoverished Philippine provinces are in the Visayas region. 40. Acheng is a regional variation on Ate (elder sister); the seemingly French resonance has made it a preference for gay (and women) “femme” speakers. 41. Spanish for “bull,” toro suggests studly expertise as well as bullfighting, since inexpensive live sex is performed in the round (like a bullring), where the central couple is expected to display a variety of unusual and athletically demanding positions before the torero climaxes. Cf. the Japanese title of Nagisa Oshima’s In the Realm of the Senses: Ai no corrida, literally “bullfight of love.” 42. Vito Cruz Street would be toward the end of the former red-light district of Ermita, which had also catered to American servicepersons during the period when the US had military bases in the Philippines. Because of its farther location (closer to the seedier portion of Pasay City), it catered to older and/or non-Caucasian clientele. 43. The northernmost mainland province in Luzon, to which travel would be impeded by the presence of a mountain range and inadequate roads. 44. At this point additional footage that anomalously reappeared on a recent digital copy was inserted in a special release print, intended strictly for then-First Lady Imelda Marcos’s appeasement — which nevertheless was never granted; using footage already in previous scenes, it runs through some of the characters and announces, via male voice-over, how they were either punished or redeemed as part of the New Society’s moral renewal.
Kritika Kultura 19 (2012): 172–272 © Ateneo de Manila University