Sa'Yo Lamang

Last night, I've finally watched the movie "Sa'yo Lamang" together with my mother. Honestly when I first saw the movie trailer weeks ago, I really told myself I have to watch it! Sa trailer pa lang kasi, I was moved already with some of the scenes. It is somehow similar to the story of my family.

The movie begins with the return of their estranged father, Franco (Christopher de Leon) who after ten long years decided to show up, of all occasions, at the housewarming of the family he left behind, hoping for forgiveness. Though his wife Amanda (Lorna Tolentino) seems willing to give him a chance, his children aren't as ready to welcome him back. Eldest daughter Dianne (Bea Alonzo) resents him for leaving her to take care of the family. Son Coby (Coco Martin) has grown to be a failure in a twisted attempt to be closer to his father. The two youngest James and Lisa (Enchong Dee and Miles Ocampo) barely know who he is. Through all of this, each of the members of his family go through their own personal trials, pushing them even further apart.

Most of the scenes in the movie is like a flashback to me of what our family went through. I have also a father whose dream is just to give his family a better life, decided to work abroad and it took him 18 long years before he came back. I was only like 3 years old when he left us, my eldest brother was 4 and my little brother was only 9 months old that time. Sobrang natouched ako dun sa lines ni Enchong Dee nung sinabi nya sa Tatay nya na "Pinilit kong hindi mag-isip ng masama nung nawala kayo. Pero ang hirap hirap pa lang lumaking walang Tatay". Akong-ako yun eh! It's really hard to grow up without a father. Syempre every child wants to have a complete family. Pero God tested our family. Everything happens for a reason!

Napicture ko yung eksena din namin nung bumalik yung daddy ko after 18 years. Lumaki lang ako na mga litrato at boses lang nya sa phone yung pinaghahawakan ko na meron akong Tatay. I don't know how to explain the feeling the very first moment I saw him. Hindi ko alam kung masaya, malungkot, galit o inis ako nun. "Bakit? Bakit after 18 years ka bumalik?" yun ang tumatakbong tanong sa isip ko nun. Syempre sa simula casual lang. Nasabi ko pa nga nun na "Wow, tunay ka pala daddy akala ko alamat ka lang eh". Thankful ako na pinalaki kami ng Mommy ko na wag magtanim ng galit. Kaya pinakisamahan namin sya despite of what had happened kasi kahit anong mangyari, Tatay pa din naman namin sya eh. Masakit lang tanggapin na after 18 years, akala mo you can start all over again pero may mas malaking problema pala. My father had an affair while he's abroad. Masakit samin mga anak yun eh what more pa kaya sa part ng Nanay namin. She'd done everything for us. She raised us. She worked hard. She'd been faithful after long years and then she will found out that her husband had an affair with another woman. Ang sakit! Ang sakit sakit nun! Pero 18 years kasi yung lumipas eh, sobrang tagal talaga! Sabi nga ng Tatay ko nadala daw sya ng panahon. Nung una kong narinig yun, nainis ako. Anong dahilan yun? Dahil sa tinagal nyo magkalayo, naghanap ka ng iba. Eh pano kung Nanay namin naghanap din? Anong mararamdaman kaya nya! Sakit sa tenga nung dahilan nya! Pero ewan ko kahit anong galit gusto kong ilabas nun, hindi ko malabas. Kasi naaawa din kasi ko sa kanya. Ito na lang chance nya na mapadama samin na Tatay namin sya, kaya why not give him another chance. And after all, I am not here if not because of him. Malamang mahirap din yung pinagdaanan nya sa buhay.

Pero mahirap magbigay ng second chance sa taong walang effort na gumawa para mapatunayan na deserve nya yun. I don't know how to label the status of my family right now. Definitely, we're complete physically pero mahirap kasi alam mong may problema. Hindi mo alam pano maayos kasi yung taong dapat mag-ayos nun walang ginagawa. Kaya I think we're complicated! ahahaha. I don't know where my family's story will go. I'll just let God continue to write His story for us. I still believe in happy endings.. haha.. :) I have forgiven my Dad. I'll just pray na sana he'll find the right path. Alam ko gulong-gulo pa sya ngayon pero sana in time makapili na din sya. I still believe everything will be alright if not right now, eventually. We all make mistakes. From those mistakes, we learned.


I super love this movie. This was indeed the best family oriented Filipino movie I've ever seen so far. Good job Star Cinema! You've met your goal! Nakarelate ako ng bonggang-bongga. Nakita ko sarili ko hindi lang sa isa pero sa halos lahat ng characters sa movie.

For movies in the category of drama, this scores a "perfect" for me. Up from the middle part of the movie till the end, my eyes were moist. I could hear some of my seatmates sobbing and sniffing, especially at what happens at the later part of the movie. (sobra naman nakakaiyak naman talaga yung eksena sa last part! Kahit ako masasabi ko yung linya ni Bea na , "Kaya ko kahit ano. Kaya ko naman lahat huwag lang 'to!) There were a group of older women behind us who were laughing and giggling, it was obvious that they were making fun of their companions who were crying, and at the same time giggling off to stop themselves from crying along with the movie.

If you're looking for a movie to lift your spirit and give you inspiration, "Sa'yo Lamang" will not disapoint you!