Mano Po 6: A Mother's Love

Mano Po 6: A Mother's Love is the sixth installment in the Mano Po film franchise, following Mano Po 5: Gua Ai Di in 2006. Produced by Regal Entertainment, Mano Po 6 marks the first appearance of the Sharon Cuneta in a Regal movie.^[1][2] Co-starring with Sharon are: Zsa Zsa Padilla (in her third Mano Po role), Christopher De Leon, Boots Anson-Roa (fourth appearance in the Mano Po series), Kris Aquino (in her third Mano Po role), Dennis Trillo (in another Mano Po appearance, last seen in Mano Po III: My Love), former ABS-CBN talent and GMA actress Heart Evangelista, and Ciara Sotto. Joel Lamangan, who had last worked with Sharon in Walang Kapalit, was at the helm, in his fifth Mano Po directorial job.

The movie which was a 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival entry had its theater run from 25 December 2009 to January 2010.^[3]

Cast of Characters

• Sharon Cuneta as Melinda
• Zsa Zsa Padilla as Olive
• Boots Anson-Roa as Jin Feng
• Christopher De Leon as Alfonso
• Heart Evangelista as Stephanie
• Ciara Sotto as Carol
• Dennis Trillo as Alexies
• Kris Aquino as Vivenne
• Zoren Legaspi as Alberto
• Ryan Eigenmann as Gino
• Nina Jose as Erika
• Arthur Solinap as Emil
• Glaiza de Castro as Young Melinda
• JC de Vera as Young Alfonso
• Eda Nolan as Young Jin Feng
• Nicole Uysiuseng as Audrey
• John Manalo as Walden
• Ricky Davao as Atty. Del Rosario
• Dominic Roco as Jin Feng's Husband
• Tim Yap as Launching Host
• Elizabeth Chua as Beatrice
• Samuel Tan as Benito

Plot

Melinda Uy is a billionaire widow whose life is a rags-to-riches story. The daughter of a Chinese immigrant and a Filipino small businessman, Melinda had been a victim of discrimination in the local Chinese community, being only half-Chinese. Melinda was only in her late teens when she got married to Alfonso Uy, the scion of the wealthy Uy clan. But Alfonso’s parents frown upon the marriage, believing that it is cursed. Disappointed with Alfonso’s choice of wife, they disinherit him.

The couple strike out on their own, starting a small business from scratch as they raise a family of their own. But, as Alfonso’s parents predicted, a string of misfortunes hounds the marriage. The business they put up enjoys only a brief period of prosperity before it goes bankrupt. And just when they are slowly recovering from their financial woes, fire breaks out in their residence, wiping out everything they own. But the worst is yet to come. By this time, the couple already have four children, namely Carol, the eldest, followed by Stephanie, Audrey and Walden. But the kids would not enjoy the company of their father for long. Unexpectedly, Alfonso dies of a massive stroke.

A widow at a young age, Melinda along with her children is compelled to live with her in-laws who maltreat her. One day, Melinda, along with eldest child Carol, returns to the house of her in-laws from a visit to her mother. Melinda is shocked to find out that she is no longer welcome. She is driven away after a failed attempt to take Carol away from her.

Little Stephanie, Audrey and Walden are left behind in the house of the in-laws. Melinda’s efforts to take custody of them come to naught as her in-laws manage to hide the children from her. Melinda goes through hell in her attempts to take back her children. But Melinda’s determination is no match to the power of her in-laws.

Short of giving up, Melinda vows to someday take back her children as she channels her efforts to succeed financially, while continually monitoring the condition of her three children from afar.

Growing up away from her mother, Stephanie learns to hate Melinda, thanks to the constant brainwashing of aunt Olive who finds pleasure in demonizing Melinda.

Melinda experiences a good turn of fortune in the years that follow. She becomes one of the most wealthy and powerful women in the business community. At about this time, the fortunes of her once powerful in-laws are on the decline.

But Stephanie, now a young adult who’s already taking over the businesses of her aunt Olive and grandparents, is about to get married to a shady character, the dashingly handsome Daniel Chan.

Melinda is now ready to revive her claim on her three children, but years of separation make it seem impossible for her to win back their love. But the news of Stephanie’s marriage to Daniel Chan alarms Melinda, forcing the powerful widow to act, thus putting her on a collision course with Olive and the in-laws.

This time, Melinda is determined to succeed in having back her grown-up children. And this time, events transpire to make Melinda prove to her estranged children how much she really loves them. (information from http://www.regalmultimedia.net/manopo6/)

As the story progresses after Stephanie realizes her aunt's evil scheme and her fiance, Daniel is revealed to be working with the Chinese syndicate who have made contact with Olive for their illegal money laundering, she decides to leave along with her siblings in her house and reunites with their mother, Melinda. Daniel angrily contacts Olive after Stephanie calls off their marriage and was imprisoned by her mother Melinda about their deals which scares Olive. By the time, Olive angrily visits Melinda at her office, she rants her for ruining their business causing Melinda to confront her in 3 seconds to take her out of the office which she slaps her multiple times before she calls the security to take her out of the building. Therefore, she was called by Daniel who makes several death threats including his daughter, Stephanie. When Daniel's lawyer hires Gino a prison inmate to his cause, he was ordered by Daniel to assassinate Stephanie. As Stephanie is having a magazine conference as Melinda follows suit, she finally made it in time after she saw Gino was there in a motorcycle to kill her daughter, she shields her daughter to safety when she was about to be shot by Gino causing the conference to be postponed after the incident and Stephanie cries on her mother's arms who is in the bloody state. After Melinda was hospitalized for her gunshot wound, it reveals that she survived as Stephanie and her siblings are relieved to see their mother alive. Melinda narrates the turn of the events where Daniel is still in prison who reveals to the authorities that he has a connection with the syndicate including Olive in the money laundering. When the autorities are about to apprehend Olive, she decides to commit suicide after a big shame came through to her life by shooting her to the head and Gino's corpse was later seen after his failure to kill Stephanie he ends up being killed by fellow inmates from multiple stab wounds due to the orders of the syndicate. Therefore, the CIDG group infiltrates the warehouse where plenty of Chinese nationals are working with the syndicate are arrested and Daniel ends up imprisoned due to his pending case. After the incident, Melinda and her family are having a vacation in China and touring the Great Wall of China and to celebrate the traditional Chinese festival.

35th Metro Manila Film Festival Awards

References

External links

• Mano Po 6: My Mothers Love showing this December 2009