Ilongga nanny to attend premiere of Singaporean movie she inspired

ILOILO CITY, Philippines   â€“ She never expected to return to Singapore after 16 years, much less to watch a movie that she inspired, a film that won in this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Teresita Sajonia, 57, the Ilongga nanny who inspired the Singaporean film “Ilo Ilo,” faced local newsmen last Aug. 15 to thank them for their help and to tell them of another good news – that she is going to Singapore to watch the premiere of “Ilo Ilo” at the Marina Bay Sands Theater on Aug. 24 (tomorrow).

She will be staying at the Marina Bay for two nights with her common-law husband, Johnny Taguibe, 64. The couple lives in a nipa hut in Sitio Unas, Barangay San Jose in Iloilo’s San Miguel town.

Cebu Pacific Airlines, the movie’s official airline partner, is bringing Sajonia, or Auntie Terry as she is fondly called, and Taguibe to Singapore.  

Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing and distribution of Cebu Pacific, said in a statement, “We are honored to be part of this wonderful reunion and support Auntie Terry when she goes to Singapore through Cebu Pacific’s direct flights from Iloilo. For us, Auntie Terry represents the hard work and selfless love of global Filipinos. She and many other global Filipinos leave a lasting impact wherever they are in the world.”

“Ilo Ilo” is directed by Sajonia’s former ward, Anthony Chen, 29, the first Singaporean to win a top award at Cannes for a feature film. The Cannes Film Festival awarded “Ilo Ilo” the Camera d’Or Prize (best first film) last May.

Set against the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the film chronicles the relationship between a young Singaporean boy (Chen) and his Filipina nanny named Auntie Terry.

It is the film debut of Chen, one of three male siblings who Sajonia took care of as a domestic helper in Singapore.

In the Aug. 15 press conference, Sajonia said she was excited but nervous about her return to Singapore.

She said she was excited about how much of the story would resemble the real events in her life with the Chens, knowing that Anthony was only eight years old when she left for the Philippines for good.

She added she was also excited to see how the film’s lead, Angeli Bayani, portrayed her.

After winning the Cannes Film Festival, Chen expressed his desire to reunite with Sajonia. With the help of a Cebu-based public relations agency, the Iloilo media joined the search for Sajonia and finally found her last month.

“My family and I are completely overwhelmed by the goodwill coming from Iloilo and the Philippines in finding Auntie Terry. We honestly did not expect to hear any news so soon,” Chen said in a statement.

The search ended in an emotional reunion when Chen and his youngest brother Christopher, 24, flew to Iloilo to see her again after 16 years.

Sajonia worked for the Chen family for eight years, but had to return home in 1997 due to health issues. Since then, she had lost touch with the family but still carried photos of the three Chen boys with her.