Amicus Curiae by Atty. Dennis Gorecho
Caring for children and protecting their right to dream extends far beyond biological ties.
“We all mother in different ways and have a collective duty to offer children a safer, brighter future,” says Iza Calzado of “Hand of God”, an entry in this year’s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.
Calzado plays the character of Farida, the mother of 10-year-old Khaleel (KD Omalin) who is a child soldier of a violent terrorist group in Basilan.
The war drama follows a military lieutenant (Ruru Madrid) who uses sports, specifically football, as a means of intervention and a chance at a different path away from war. He sets up a makeshift football post to win the trust of residents suspected of terrorist ties.
The movie highlights how children are the primary victims of adult-driven wars. The narrative emphasizes the urgent need to protect youth from being weaponized, focusing on a soldier trying to help a child soldier “remember how to be a child”.
Calzado said that stepping into the shoes of her character Farida—a mother facing unimaginable pain and the realities of conflict—brought a profound, visceral understanding of maternal grief.
In “Tayo lang Nakakaalam”, Gloria (Yayo Aguila) is a strong, maternal figure who shares a deeply affectionate and close bond with her son Bong (Miguel Odron) and his long-term partner, Neil ( Martin del Rosario).
The film explores queer family dynamics, personal loss, and hidden truths.
Gloria is forced to stay strong for her son while navigating the emotional weight of his illness, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The situation also forces her, Neil, and Bong’s estranged father, Benjie (played by Epy Quizon), to confront old tensions and unite.
Phrases like “tayo lang ang nakakaalam” (only we know) are used to capture the heavy secrecy, isolation, and fear of judgment that surround health struggles and stigmatized diagnoses.
“Mag-iina” (2026) follows Anj (Janine Gutierrez) as she returns to her ancestral home days before the 40th day of her father’s death.
She reunites with three generations of women in her family, mother Mita (Agot Isidro), aunt Ysobel (Cherry Pie Picache) and matriarch Angela (Jackie Lou Blanco) who are trapped in grief and madness, uncovering long-buried “dark forces.”
Director Giancarlo Abrahan described “Mag-iina” as an eerie family drama – “undomesticated by a horror that announces itself openly: in nightmares that bleed into waking, in the dead who have not crossed toward eternal light, in secrets that linger longer than the ghosts themselves.”
“Ganggang” (2026) by JL Burgos tells the story of children in a rural community experiencing the looming threat of anti-insurgency operations by the military.
Three boys Mel (Raine Dela Cruz), Ilay (Kenneth Vincent Mendoza) and Ten-ten (Don Richmond Cerbito) form an unlikely bond to find the best fighting spider against the spider of the school bully Anton (Prince España) until their own search puts their friendship to a test.
The stories on their mothers vary: Ilay’s mother was a desaparecido along with his father, Mel stays with his soldier father after his mother left them, Ten-ten’s mother had a miscarriage after soldiers swooped into their house in search of his father suspected to be a terrorist.
“Basic human rights are often swept under the mantle of economic growth. Those who speak and protest are silenced or forced to obey. The implementers are given too much power to suppress and enforce obedience to ensure economic progress”, Burgos said.
“Status: Rejected” follows the emotional and humorous pursuits of a 69-year-old widow Biring (Ruby Ruiz) of her dream of reuniting with her son and the repeated U.S. visa rejection.
She dives into online dating, leading into a complex romance with an American stranger named Steve.
The film explores multi-generational trauma, elder loneliness, systemic capitalism, and the digital divide.
“Kaka Sa Yawan” (2026) is the coming-of-age drama which follows Niko (Bryce Nicolo Mercader,) as he returns to Mindoro island years after a life-changing childhood friendship with Ayan (Dennis Dato), a Tadyawan-Mangyan boy.
Their mothers were portrayed by Nikki Valdez for Niko and Noelle Polack for Ayan.
Polack’s role as a Mangyan mother is instrumental in integrating the culture and beliefs of the Tadyawan community within its story, including the figure of Makadot, revered as a deity and guide of souls on their journey to the spirit world.
“2 Valid IDs” follows Sylvia (Marietta “Pokwang” Subong) , a provincial farmer who must obtain the two valid IDs needed to claim financial assistance for the treatment of her hospitalized husband (Joey Marquez).
Although she has no child in the film, she became a “temporary” mother to Denver (Zaijian Jaranilla).
(Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the Seafarers’ Division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0908-8665786.)
