Love and life in the time of sars

Many good things have been said about Overseas Filipino Workers (ofws), the most outstanding of which is their being hailed as modern heroes or "Mga Bagong Bayani" since its their earnings and dollar remittances that have propped up the local economy ever since the 70s. These men and women endure separation from loved ones, loneliness in foreign lands and not a few abuses from employers just to earn a living, since there are few if any work opportunities in their own country.

On a micro level, the ofws have been the only hope of thousands of Filipino families dreaming of a better life. Transmitted monies mean education for a younger brother or sister, a roof over the heads of family members left behind, the seed money for a sari-sari store or a jeepney that can be used to ferry passengers or transport farm produce. Requests for additional money are common, especially during opening of classes and special family occasions like birthdays, baptisms, weddings and deaths of loved ones. Failure to comply often means endless recrimination and emotional blackmail.

In other words, the ofw is viewed as having found the proverbial pot of gold. Expectations are high from those left behind: just think about the dollars and yen to be sent home by Ate or Kuya, convert them to the depreciating peso and presto–a mini-fortune for the family!

But what happens if that domestic helper/caregiver comes home and needs help from family, friends and government? What happens if that ofw is afflicted with a dreaded disease called sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)?

This is the focus of the movie Homecoming by Gil M. Portes, the story of a young caregiver named Abigail Edades (Alessandra de Rossi) who comes home to marry her long-time boy friend, much to the dismay of her mother Salve (Elizabeth Oropesa) who had hoped that her daughter would remain in Toronto, Canada so she could still send money back home for the education of her younger siblings. Abigail’s father Victor (Bembol Roco) had earlier left the family for a younger woman.

The time is early this year. sars had already claimed several lives in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Canada. Not knowing that she had contracted the disease, Abby is at first warmly welcomed by her townmates in San Isidro, Quezon.

In less than a month, however, things start to unravel. When her youngest brother Noel dies of sars and it is discovered that Abby is the carrier, the whole town–from the mayor to her mother’s friends– shuns the family as if they were lepers.

Even her boyfriend’s mother (Dexter Doria), in a complete turn-around, tries to forbid her son from seeing Abby. Earlier in the film, the future mother-in-law is enthusiastically in favor of the relationship, with the dream of going abroad specifically to see relatives in Australia, which she thinks is geographically close to Canada. She figures that once her son marries Abby, a Canadian citizen, a petition for a relative is not far behind.

The same is true with her mother’s friends, who initially are all smiles and welcoming of the modern day heroine, who they envies for her dollar earnings. One even harbors the ambition of becoming a teacher abroad since local public school teachers are not given the proper renumeration and recognition, while children of politicians are sent to exclusive schools outside the country.

The only one sympathetic to the plight of the Edades family is the parish priest, who himself contracts the disease. His is the only voice of reason in a town afflicted by fear and ignorance.

What is first thought of as tragedy puts the family back together. Erring father comes back and stays by his family during the dark period. A brother (Lester Llansang) with a drug problem saves his mother from a former lover’s harassment. Each one gives the other much needed emotional support.

Meanwhile, reminiscent of what transpired in real life earlier this year in Alcala, Pangasinan where a returning ofw died of a sars-related ailment, San Isidro was placed under quarantine for two weeks to contain the deadly virus. Residents are given rations by the government and, like their counterparts in real life, are not allowed to leave the place.

Eventually, Abby is cured but not after suffering the pain and humiliation of being ostracized by her townmates, paranoid of being infected by the caregiver from Canada. As Abby puts it when she confronted her tormentors, "sars is curable, while your sickness of bigotry is not."

Homecoming shows the realities of today’s society. While it is true that Filipinos in general can be counted on during times of need, there are exceptions–and this can happen when one’s own self-interest and preservation are at stake. It becmoes each man for himself. Ever-helpful relatives and friends can be cruel, narrow-minded and judgmental.

The coterie of small town characters crafted by Portes is a colorful and interesting lot, each caught up in the pursuit of happiness and self-aggrandizement. From Puring, the town virgin who makes passes at the parish priest and finally shacks up with the town gigolo, to the hypocritical lady mayor who, like most politicians, plays up to the cameras with image-enhancing pronouncements but afterwards does the opposite of what she said in the tv interview, Portes gives us a ringside view of our own vanities and the inanities of politicians and bureaucrats.

The performances of the lead characters are nothing short of magnificent! De Rossi, Oropesa, Roco and Llansang are all worth watching, especially de Rossi and Oropesa, whose eyes say it all, from bitterness and betrayal to final acceptance of their fates.

From Miss X made over two decades ago–which tells the story of a Filipina prostitute (Vilma Santos) in The Netherlands–to Homecoming, Portes allows the audience to empathize with the tribulations of ofws and their families. His commentary on their treatment and what government has done to repay these modern heroes deserve commendation for telling the truth and awakening the rest of us from complacency, from simply paying them lip service without fully and truly realizing their immense sacrifices.

"Homecoming" is one of the entries in the Metro Manila Film Festival which begins on Dec. 24.