Maria Labo

Last updated

Maria Labo
Maria Labo poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Roi Vinzon
StarringKate Brios
Jestoni Alarcon
Rey "PJ" Abellana
Mon Confiado
Dennis Padilla
Sam Pinto
Rez Cortez
Production
company
Starbuilders Production
Distributed by Viva Films
Release date
  • November 11, 2015 (2015-11-11)
Country Philippines
LanguageFilipino

Maria Labo is a 2015 Philippine supernatural horror film directed by Roi Vinzon. It is based on a Philippine urban legend about an Overseas Filipino worker believed to be an aswang known as "Maria Labo" who is said to have eaten her own children.

Contents

Plot

Maria is a loving and dutiful life wife to her husband, Ermin, a police officer with whom she has two children named Pablo and Rosalinda. Facing financial problems after Maria loses her job, and Ermin not being able to support the family on a policeman’s salary alone, Maria is convinced to become an Overseas Filipino Worker after learning that her high school friend Emily applied to become an overseas worker. Ermin is hesitant with his wife's plans initially but eventually relents. Maria then goes to England to work as a domestic worker and caregiver.

In england, Maria befriends Nanay Leng, a fellow OFW. After buying groceries for her employer, Maria is raped on a van and is later found wandering. She is brought to a hospital, where the doctor recommends that she be returned to the Philippines. While hospitalized, Nanay Leng passes a curse to Maria. The curse, by opening her mouth and letting an orange entity inside hop out from her stomach and into Maria’s, would eventually turn her into an aswang. In the process of transferring her power, Nanay Leng loses her immortality, and dies shortly after.

In the Philippines, Maria is transferred to a hospital in her native Capiz, where doctors conclude that she has amnesia and take note of her aggressive behavior. Ermin brings her back to their home, but a hospital employee discourages him due to their findings and says that his spouse might not even recognize him. Ermin eventually convinces the hospital to take her back home saying that it might bring her memories back.

Back at their house, Maria appears normal until she threatens her children with a knife for running around. Ermin learns of the incident with Maria claiming that the action was not within her control. Alone, her aswang curse begins to take control over her and one day she kills her children and cooks them. When Ermin discovers what she has done he repeatedly shoots her but she escapes with Ermin calling her a “monster.”

Ermin then buries their children. Shortly afterwards, he witnesses a remorseful Maria crying nearby whose aswang curse then takes over once again. Maria receives a wound on her face after her husband hacks her face with a bolo knife and escapes once again.

Following her escape, rumors of an aswang causing terror throughout the town spread. Ermin consults an albularyo who says that there is nothing that can be done to return Maria back to normal. The police then pursue the aswang. After some encounters, Maria is killed. As an embalmer works on Maria's body, he finds out that her corpse is nowhere to be found, only to find her still alive.

Cast

Production

Roi Vinzon decided to come up with a film based on an urban legend of an Overseas Filipino Worker who is believed to have become an aswang who have killed and ate her own children. Vinzon heard of the story while he was in Bacolod and became interested in making an adaptation of the tale into a film. To avoid legal problems, the real name of the woman was not used in the film. [1]

The tale is particularly well known in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. [2] Labo is said to be from the Visayas region with various accounts saying that she came from either Iloilo, Capiz, or Sorsogon. [3] It was rumored that Labo came to Davao in particular in the 1980s or 1990s. [2] "Labo" is an Ilonggo word for "to hack"; according to the legend, Maria Labo was given a cut on her face by her husband after the former cooked and ate their children. [4] [5]

The film project later received funding from a group of investors from Starbuilders Production. [6] The film is the first project of Starbuilders Production and also the first for Vinzon since 1998 when he directed Boy Indian. The film also had a comfortable but reasonable budget with Vinzon refusing to brand Maria Labo as an indie film. [7]

The film was primarily shot in Mexico, Pampanga with some scenes shot in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. [1] Director Vinzon, a resident of Angeles, decided to shoot the film in the city because he found the place compatible to his ideas he has in mind for the film. [5] Shooting in Dubai took a week to be completed. [7]

Vinzon also said that the film did not rely much on special effects since he wanted the film to feel "natural" as possible. [2]

Release

Maria Labo was released in cinemas on November 11, 2015. The film was distributed by VIVA Films.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camarines Norte</span> Province in Bicol, Philippines

Camarines Norte, officially the Province of Camarines Norte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Daet. The province borders Quezon to the west, Camarines Sur to the south, and the Philippine Sea to the north. It has historically been a Bikol-speaking region. However, there has been a language shift in recent years to Tagalog, which is more commonly used nowadays.

<i>Manananggal</i> Vampire-like creature from Philippine folklore

The manananggal is a mythical creature in the Philippines that is able to separate its upper torso from the lower part of its body. Their fangs and wings give them a vampire-like appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aswang</span> Philippine mythical creature

Aswang is an umbrella term for various shape-shifting evil creatures in Filipino folklore, such as vampires, ghouls, witches, viscera suckers, and transforming human-beast hybrids. The aswang is the subject of a wide variety of myths, stories, arts, and films, as it is well known throughout the Philippines. Spanish colonists noted that the aswang was the most feared among the mythical creatures of the Philippines, even in the 16th century. Although with no specific motive other than harming others, their behavior can be interpreted as an inversion of the traditional Filipino's values. The aswang is especially popular in southern parts of Luzon, and some parts of Mindanao and Visayas, especially the Visayan province of Capiz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overseas Filipinos</span> Filipino diaspora

An overseas Filipino is a person of full or partial Filipino origin who trace their ancestry back to the Philippines but are living and working outside of the country. They get jobs in countries and they move to live in countries that they get jobs in. This term generally applies to both people of Filipino ancestry and citizens abroad. As of 2019, there were over 12 million Filipinos overseas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pokwang</span> Filipino actress, comedian and singer (born 1970)

Marietta Tan Subong, known professionally as Pokwang, is a Filipino comedian, actress, television host and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filipinos in Saudi Arabia</span> Ethnic group

Filipinos in Saudi Arabia are migrants or descendants of the Philippines who live in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is currently the largest employer of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), and has the largest Filipino population in the Middle East. Filipinos make up the fourth-largest group of foreigners in Saudi Arabia, and are the second-largest source of remittances to the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kara David</span> Filipino journalist and television host (born 1973)

Kara Patria Constantino David-Cancio is a Filipino journalist, host, professor, and educational administrator. She is known because of investigative and multi-awarded documentaries in i-Witness. These documentaries are "Bitay, “Selda Inosente”, "Buto't Balat", and Ambulansiyang de Paa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mocha Uson</span> Filipino singer, dancer, model, blogger, and government official

Esther Margaux Justiniano Uson, better known as Mocha Uson, is a controversial Filipino singer, actress, dancer, model, political blogger, and public official widely known for spreading fake news and disinformation. She is also a co-founder of the group Mocha Girls.

The labor migration policy of the Philippine government allows and encourages emigration. The Department of Foreign Affairs, which is one of the government's arms of emigration, grants Filipinos passports that allow entry to foreign countries. In 1952, the Philippine government formed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) as the agency responsible for opening the benefits of the overseas employment program. In 1995, it enacted the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act in order to "institute the policies of overseas employment and establish a higher standard of protection and promotion of the welfare of migrant workers and their families and overseas Filipinos in distress." In 2022, the Department of Migrant Workers was formed, incorporating the POEA with its functions and mandate becoming the backbone of the new executive department.

Mark Angelo David Vinzon, known professionally as Roi Vinzon, is a Filipino actor and film director. He is best known for his role of Retired General Armando Soriano in the controversial drama My Husband's Lover. His latest films was an indie film Ang Babae sa Sementeryo and Baklas: Human Organs for Sale.

<i>Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles</i> 2012 film by Erik Matti

Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles is a 2012 Filipino action comedy horror adventure film written and directed by Erik Matti. The film stars Dingdong Dantes, Lovi Poe, Joey Marquez, Janice de Belen and Roi Vinzon. The film is the first full-length Filipino film entirely shot on green screen chroma key. The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics who praised its visual effects while criticizing the plot. Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles was followed up with a sequel Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles 2 in 2014, which was also directed by Matti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Señeres</span> Filipino politician and diplomat

Roy Villareal Señeres was a Filipino politician and diplomat who initially ran in the 2016 Philippine presidential election under the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka party before withdrawing on February 5, 2016, three days before his death. Señeres was elected as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives representing the OFW Family Club party-list in the 2013 general elections. He is the father of former congressman Christian Señeres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Ople</span> Filipino politician and advocate (1962–2023)

MariaSusana "Toots" Vasquez Ople was a Filipina politician and Overseas Filipino Workers' (OFW) rights advocate who served as the first Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michiko Yamamoto (screenwriter)</span> Filipina screenwriter

Michiko Yamamoto is a Filipina screenwriter of Japanese ancestry. Her screenwriting credits include Magnifico (2003), The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (2006), Remington and the Curse of the Zombadings (2013), On the Job (2013), and Honor Thy Father (2015).

The kidnapping of Angelo dela Cruz, a Filipino Overseas Filipino Worker working in Iraq, is an event that led to the withdrawal of Filipino soldiers from the Multi-National Force – Iraq, a United States-led multinational coalition which was a participant in the Iraq War.

Overseas Filipinos, including Filipino migrant workers outside the Philippines, have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of June 1, 2021, there have been 19,765 confirmed COVID-19 cases of Filipino citizens residing outside the Philippines with 12,037 recoveries and 1,194 deaths. The official count from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on the cases of overseas Filipinos is not included in the national tally of the Philippine government. Repatriates on the other hand are included in the national tally of the Department of Health (DOH) but are listed separately from regional counts.

<i>Muslim Magnum .357: To Serve and Protect</i> 2014 Filipino film

Muslim Magnum .357: To Serve and Protect, also known as simply Muslim Magnum .357, is a 2014 Filipino action film directed by Francis 'Jun' Posadas and starring Jeorge "E.R." Estregan and Sam Pinto. It is a remake of the 1986 film Muslim .357 directed by and starring Fernando Poe Jr., to whom the film is dedicated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the Philippines, Cairo</span> Diplomatic mission of the Philippines in Egypt

The Embassy of the Philippines in Cairo is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Arab Republic of Egypt. Opened in 1960, it is currently located in the southern Maadi district of Cairo, near the Cairo American College.

Jasmin Castro Bungay is a Filipino model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2024. An advocate for Overseas Filipino Workers and a vocal supporter of the SOGIE Equality Bill, Bungay will represent the Philippines at the Miss Globe 2024 pageant.

References

  1. 1 2 Santiago, Ervin (August 2, 2015). "Buhay ng Pinay OFW na naging 'aswang' isasalin sa pelikula" [Life of a Pinay OFW who became an 'aswang' to be adapted into a film] (in Filipino). Bandera. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Alama, Rudolph Ian (October 6, 2015). "'Maria Labo' the movie". Sun Star Davao. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  3. ↑ "'Maria Labo': Mother butchers her children, then eats them". Tempo. November 8, 2015. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  4. ↑ Amoyo, Aster (October 28, 2015). "Baguhang producer-actress umaasang papatok bilang aswang" [Newbie producer-actress expected to be a hit as an aswang] (in Filipino). Pilipino Star Ngayon. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Gabinete, Jojo (August 1, 2015). "The Source: Baron, babalik pa sa Pampanga matapos ang iskandalo!" [The Source: Baron, to return in Pampanga following a scandal!] (in Filipino). Abante. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  6. ↑ Bautista, Mario (November 6, 2015). "ROI: 'Maria Labo' A Big-Budget Film" (in Filipino and English). Journal Online. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "'Aswang' tale turned into film". Tempo. August 18, 2015. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.