There was not a dry eye at the Dolphy Theater as soon as Piolo Pascual, Maricel Soriano, Belle Mariano, and Juan Karlos Labajo saw the trailer of their film ‘Meet, Greet and Bye’ for the first time.
After all, the upcoming film deals with a heavy topic of sickness and the possibility of death in the family. It follows the the Facundo siblings, namely Tupe (Pascual), Brad (Joshua Garcia), Geri (Mariano), and Leo (Labajo) who are grappling with the their mother Baby’s (Soriano) recurring cancer, and their struggle in dealing with her impending death.
‘Pasensya na, napaka-emotional namin sa pelikula. It was really hard to do because I don’t wanna say personally, but it really hits home, especially for Filipino families,’ Pascual said moments after the film’s trailer was revealed to the public for the first time in a media con, that left even the screen veteran Soriano teary-eyed.
‘It’s something that we have to face inevitably, ang sakit sa puso. When we were doing the film, pinipigilan kami ni Direk [Cathy Garcia-Sampana] kasi bawal kaming umiyak. We were full of emotions [while filming], but we couldn’t show it as much,’ he continued.
And the waterworks continued when Mariano, Labajo, and Pascual were asked about how they would react when faced with the death of a parent.
‘Five minutes,’ Mariano jokingly said in response while wiping tears off her face. ‘I honestly don’t know how I’ll take it. Me as Belle, and not as Geri. Grabe, ang strong, strong ng characters namin kasi just to go through that and face it, I don’t know how I’ll face it. Only time will tell if I’m in that situation. Siguro, I’ll do my best to be strong not only for me, but also for my mama.’
Labajo and Pascual, who both lost their parents at an early age, said no one will be prepared for the heartbreak that comes with losing someone.
‘I’ve been in that situation. I was 12. And I did not know what to do. And it’s okay. It’s okay to not know what to do,’ the ‘Ere’ hitmaker said. ‘There’s no right or wrong answer. We all go through these situations differently. We grieve differently. But at the very end of it, just remember that you’re never alone.’
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Pascual looked back on how he was unable to process the death of his dad, even as he was trying to rein in his emotions.
‘When I lost my Dad, I was 16. I couldn’t process it back then. But now that facing this kind of situation, it’s hard because you’re never prepared for it. But you have to show up not just for yourself but also for your loved ones, especially your mom. No one is prepared for that. Kailangan mong magpakita ng kalakasan kahit masakit (You have to show that you’re strong even if it hurts). It’s hard,’ he said.
Also part of the lead cast is Joshua Garcia, who was unable to join the media con, as it coincided with his personal vacation in celebration of his 28th birthday.
Joining Pascual, Soriano, Garcia, Mariano, and Labajo are Kaila Estrada, Kaori Oinuma, KD Estrada, Matet de Leon, Kit Thompson, and Robbie Jackson. It is set to hit theaters on November 12. /edv