The story of “Ang Katiwala” revolves around Ruben (portrayed by Dennis Trillo) when he loses his job as a carpenter in a small town in Zambales where he lives with his wife EDNA and their 10-year old son, Budoy. Desperate to make ends meet, he accepts a job as a caretaker of an abandoned property in Quezon City. Ruben soon finds out that the previous owner of the house is an important figure in the country’s history. When he is interviewed by a TV reporter about this historical figure, Ruben feels embarrassed that he knows nothing about him.
Ruben soon starts reading up to get to know more about the life of this person, his accomplishments and what he has done for the people. Ruben’s fascination about the person’s life and his inevitable hero-worship irks the only friend he has in the sprawling compound, the night-shift security guard, Gimo, who jokes that Ruben is slowly being possessed by the soul of his new hero.
The film is inspired by an article that the writer-director read, about a controversial property that was being sold despite its significant historical value.
Also starring Ronnie Lazaro, Angelina Canapi and Neri Naig, “Ang Katiwala” is written and directed by Aloy Adlawan.