Mira Angeila J.

Capito
July 12, 2022
Mindanao; An Eye-opening Movie
I woke up to a stunning Tuesday morning. At precisely 5 am, my
alarm went off. I made the decision to go to the market with my
mother to purchase something for our breakfast. On our trip to the
wet market, I relished the early-morning landscape and the calmness
of the city as the chilly morning breeze caressed my face. When we
got home, I checked tiktok and saw a segment from a movie starring
Judy Anne Santos. My attention was immediately drawn to it, so I
looked up the whole video on YouTube. I was happy to see that it
was available and chose to watch it since I was free of obligations
at the time.
The film began with some narration. A well-known tale takes
place in Mindanao, a region known for its rich culture and
traditions, and tells the tale of two courageous men named Raja and
Sulayman who fought off two dragon monsters that were attacking
local tribesmen. Saima, carried their ill daughter Aisa to the bus.
Along with them was a biscuit bucket containing Aisa’s medication.
Her cancer-stricken daughter was in pain. Saima took on all the
responsibilities because her husband had to head to the front
lines. Families of troops are typically affected by this type of
incident. Since my father used to be a military, I am aware of how
difficult it can be to continually worry for their safety. A
community called "House of Hope" that includes families with other
children who have been diagnosed with cancer offered support to
Saima. Saima observed some cancer survivors while the two of them
were staying there, which gave her hope for her child. Aisa
frequently requested that her mother retell the tale of the two
Sultans to her before night since she enjoyed hearing it. Somehow,
the story about the bravery of the two sultans gave her hope that
someday she might be one of the survivors of that deadly disease.
Even though the entire film was really gloomy, the scene where Aisa
and her father reconciled was one that really brought a tear to my
eye. I was truly moved by the child's yearning for her father. The
award that Sergeant Datupalo received was given to his daughter for
her fortitude in fighting cancer. He vowed to return shortly to his
daughter. Because of how painfully genuine and heartbreaking that
situation was, that promise made my heart grow weaker and I was
unable to stop crying.
The Datu decided to throw a feast in honor of Sulayman because he
had defeated Bulawan and saved the princess. However, Pula later
learned what had happened to her wife. Sulayman was later slain and
thrown into the river as retaliation for his actions. Raja arrived
to murder Pula as a result. He killed the dragon and broke off his
head.
Aisa questioned his dad, "Papa, what are you going to do if Bulawan
takes me?"
In addition to the combat getting worse, more soldiers were
dying. Because a close friend of Datupalo's was killed during
fighting, the rebels infuriated him. As a bomb impacted him, the
situation shifted. Saima was worried as he was cleaning her
daughter after it barfed on itself. She was slowly coming to terms
with the notion that Aisa wouldn't be able to continue. They
attempted to save the infant after she called the doctor, but her
fight was over.
Saima went to the House of Hope to pack their things up. There
she found the ice cream bucket, which Aisa loved. She inserted the
crayons, the family portrait that Aisa had drawn, and her father's
medal. The agonizing anguish will no longer be felt by Aisa. On
that deathbed, she will no longer experience pain.
Saima rushed to the headquarters to see if she could speak to
her husband, but she was disappointed to find out that he was still
fighting. "I need him before the burial of our child tomorrow at
2:00."
A white fabric was used to wrap the dead kid, which was then
fastened by wrapping it around the lower leg and abdomen. Muslims
frequently avoid embalming their deceased loved ones because they
desire to protect their bodies. Datupalo arrived too late to join
his child's funeral procession to the graveyard. The family was
saddened by the occurrence.
Later, Datupalo made the decision to renounce his profession in
order to live a regular life with his wife. Then Saima gave a
speech on the House of Hope celebration honoring cancer survivors.
She talks about how much Aisa enjoys the tale of the two valiant
young sultans.
“This is the last part of the story. When Raja would cry, the
wind blew stronger as if sympathizing with him. By the forest, a
goddess appeared, talked to him and said, “Your brother can never
be at peace until you’ve accepted his death. Because as you
continue to seek him, he seeks you as well.” From then on, whenever
the wind blew, they knew that Raja was longing for his brother. In
the same way,everytime Sulayman saw a ball of fire floating from
Lake Lanao to Liguasan river, they say it is the ring of Sulayman
that Raja is desperately looking for.”
She lighted a white candle, signifying serenity and the
innocence of their cherished child Aisa.
As they looked over the setting sun from their child's
graveyard, the couple persisted in their grief.