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Mana
Mana
most of the citizens here in the Philippines. The story focuses on the Villareal family in
Negros who is the most influential family in terms of politics and history in their time. It also
focuses on matriarch of the family who lies in her death bed. The children of Doña Concha
decide to go back to their ancestral house to choose who will take the inheritance of their
family and how to deal the issues within the family. In the end, Sandra is chosen to be the
heir of their family’s darkest secret. The story ‘’Mana’’ has a lot of social and cultural
implications as reflected in the main characters and in the conflict in the movie.
It happens in Negros where people give respect to the family. The said family is the most
influential in their time in terms of politics and history in their community. They are part of
its history. The community shows a belief of aswang folklore, cult and demonic rituals
through some scenes of veiled women practicing occultism. The movie also differentiates the
level of people in the society like the upper class, middle class and lower class. The Villarreal
family as the upper class the laborers, farmers and the common tao as the lower class.
One morning, Bombo Radio broadcasts that the well-known first lady of Negros is very
ill. Most of the people were bothering by the news and because of that they want to visit
Doña Concha to give their sympathy. The children of Doña Concha decided to go back to
their ancestral house so that they can talk to each other about their family’s darkest secret.
The characters in the movie also portray different roles and have different conflicts with
their family and the community. At first, no one wants to take the inheritance. Roly as the
eldest son and the farm manager of the family is obliged to take the inheritance but in the
movie he says that continuing their family tradition is pointless. And in the first place, when
his dad was alive, he clearly said to his father that he did not want to take the inheritance.
Mike is running for the position of mayor in their community and is currently busy in the
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SOCIOLOGICAL CRITICISM: MANA
campaign and because of that he does not want to take the inheritance. He says that he must
not be the one because he’s carrying their family name in politics. He is so greedy for wealth
and power. He is portrayed in the movie as an arrogant and boastful man. Ces who is their
half sister in Don Manuel’s child to their secretary. She is not able to take the inheritance
because she gives enough contribution in terms of taking care of their mother and in some
scenes in the movie she says that she is tied and she gave all his life to their house. She is not
able to take the inheritance because she is only a half-blooded Villareal. Lino, the drunkard
and the twin brother of Sandra. He is not able to take the inheritance because he is an
In some scenes in the movie he is bother of his conscience about his promise to his dad that
he will not let her mother suffer and he will be the one to take the inheritance but he has no
courage to do so. Sandra is the twin sister of Lino. She knows how to deal with people
because in one scene in the movie, she approaches the people and accommodates them to
keep them calm about their worries regarding Doña Concha’s situation. She is also portrayed
as a strong woman. She can speak her mind and confront her siblings head-on. She is capable
to take the inheritance but in some scenes in the movie she does not want to take it because of
her comfortable life in London. Bernie is the youngest child of Doña Concha. He abandons
their ancestral house due to their family secret. In some scenes, he confronts his mother about
the inheritance and it is revealed that his refusal to take the inheritance is the reason why he
abandoned their family. His older brothers and sisters also promised their mom that they will
protect Bernie from the curse. Nando is the surviving brother of Don Manuel. He is also an
aswang. He does not want any of the children of Doña Concha to take the inheritance. In the
movie he says that Villareal family are all traitors because they killed his child.
The movie features the aswang lore but actually in reality it symbolizes power. The
movie shows the struggle of the family passing their power and wealth to maintain their
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status in the community. The “MANA” symbolizes the reigning legacy of the Villareal
Family. On other hand, it symbolizes the passing of family’s wealth from generation to
generation through the inheritance. The family wants to maintain their popularity through
politics.