There are moments when life’s miseries blind us with challenging emotions that we use as shields to avoid confronting the real cause of our despair. These often yield to conflict within ourselves and with those around us including friends and family. But even in times of hopelessness, our heart’s innate goodness has the power to lead us back to our true desires – the warmth of a family and forgiveness.
In this holiday season and as the year 2019 comes to a close, let us look back on these tear-jerking scenes from the Kapamilya primetime program, Starla to remind us that hope exists even in the midst of darkness and that home is a safe place for healing.
The tremendous sufferings that rained down on Teresa (Judy Ann Santos) at a young age caused drastic destruction in her heart. When all hope was gone, she only had one person to project the pain to – her father, Mang Greggy (Joel Torre) who was absent all throughout her struggles due to paying for a crime brought by his selflessness and benevolence. Seeing her mother die in her arms because of an illness she couldn’t afford medication was the greatest seed of discord that grew in Teresa’s heart. She decided to leave Barrio Maulap and managed to become a hotshot lawyer through the help of Robert (Tirso Cruz III), the father figure who took Mang Greggy’s place in her life. So, when Teresa found out that a conflict transpired between her two fathers, she decisively took Robert’s side, igniting a heated argument between her and Mang Greggy. Teresa lashed out at her biological parent and completely shut him out. Pouring out her emotions rooted from grief and rage, Teresa said nothing will ever bring back the things they lost, their father-daughter relationship included.
After paying for a crime that resulted from an act of heroism, Mang Greggy (Joel Torre) may have long been out of jail but he still continued to be a prisoner of a dismantled relationship with daughter, Teresa (Judy Ann Santos). For years, Mang Greggy suffered in remorse while holding on to the hope that he and Teresa would one day be reconciled.
Teresa (Judy Ann Santos) allowed her tragic past to coat her heart with animosity and vengeance yet Buboy (Enzo Pelojero) was among the first ones to slowly break her walls down. Teresa failed in her resistance when Buboy, a kid with nothing but pure intentions, broke into tears in front of her while apologizing for causing a short dispute between her and Mang Greggy (Joel Torre).
Teresa (Judy Ann Santos) often gazed at Ester (Meryll Soriano) with looks of judgment, rating her as just a freeloader who intends nothing but to take advantage of Mang Greggy (Joel Torre)’s generosity. But when Ester started explaining herself with a narrative akin to Teresa’s own sufferings, the brave act of humility sprung to Teresa’s sense of empathy.
In the wide spectrum of human relationships explored in Starla, Lolita (Anna Luna) and Lena (Chantal Videla)’s sisterhood was deemed indestructible until they got caught in the crossfire between their opposing views on success and contentment. A heated argument forced Lolita to reveal that Lena is adopted, inducing high emotions and wreaking havoc on their relationship as siblings.
In the pilot episode, Buboy (Enzo Pelojero), a runaway orphan, ended up sneaking inside Mang Greggy (Joel Torre)’s house to spend the night. The next morning, the grumpy old man was attacked by a rheumatic pain while shoving Buboy away, forcing him to take in the kid, so to have someone to assist him in the poultry farm. Besides, Buboy’s story about his parents’ tragic vehicle crash tugged at Mang Greggy’s heartstrings.
Sharing an intense confrontation with Mang Greggy (Joel Torre), a resentful Teresa got her bottled emotions off her chest. Anguish was written all over Teresa’s face as she poured out her feelings of bitterness over those who refused to lend her a helping hand when she was the one in need and disclosed her commitment to take revenge against Barrio Maulap, the place symbolizing her defeat.