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What does it take to be a mother, a wife and a daughter-in-law? Estella (Lorna Tolentino) is
facing some serious problems in this regard. Relationship with her mother-in-law Miling, a teacher (Nida Blanca), is strained and living with her who also supports her family
has not been easy. For years, husband Daniel (Albert Martinez), on the insistence of his mother, has been unsuccessfully looking for a job on board a ship. While
Estella, who has not finished even grade one, ekes out a living as a market vendor. Miling has taken over Estella's family, insisting that Daniel try again to board a ship,
even if she has to borrow money or pawn her valuables for him. She has taken over the care and supervision of her grandchildren and attributes this state of family affairs to
her daughter-in-law, and has convinced her son to think so. She says that Stella is unreliable ("hindi maasahan"), useless ("walang silbi") and dumb ("tanga") or knows
nothing. Miling sees her children's ambiguous attitude towards her, especially Beth, who has turned disrespectful. With dogged determination she sets out to regain her place
in her family by trying to gather them around her.
Tanging Yaman also wrote Abakada…Ina. Although, like the first film, carries a
valuable, rich and universal subject – mothers – it is not at par with the best picture for year 2000. It lacks that certain cohesiveness and delineation in the story and
characters to sufficiently touch the viewers. Nevertheless, the movie is an acceptably wholesome production.
Abakada…Ina presents
three portraits of three mothers and what has taken each of them to become a mother to her children. Are there basic requirements to be learned to be a mother, as there are
the ABCs to learn to be able to read, write and know things? Some answers are given. Although there is nothing objectionable regarding-sexual issues, or drugs and alcohol,
there are frequent verbal harassment/abuse and some physical violence.
Abakada…Ina is
recommended for classroom discussion on family and family relations. It is a rich source of subject matter to exchange ideas on and learn from. It is not only children who
must honor their parents — parents must also honor their children.
(Date reviewed: April 20, 2001)
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