Cinemalaya’s latest crop of entries welcomes “Kaka Sa Yawan,” a coming-of-age drama directed and written by Alpha Habon, which tells the story of two boys from different worlds whose childhood friendship becomes the promise one of them must keep as an adult.
The film follows Niko, a 21-year-old from Manila who returns to Mindoro — the island that once broke him — and is pulled back into the memory of a pivotal summer he spent there as a child. It was during that summer that he formed a bond with Ayan, a playful Tadyawan-Mangyan boy with big dreams of his own. Their friendship, and the pact they made to stay inseparable and chase their dreams together, becomes the emotional core Niko must return to as a jaded young man trying to make good on a promise left unfulfilled.
“Kaka Sa Yawan” stars Beaver Magtalas, Bryce Nicolo Mercader, Dennis Dato, Noelle Polack, Nikki Valdez, Luis Alandy, Karl Medina, Queenay Mercado, Deanne Bautista, and Benedix Ramos. The film is produced by executive producers Ana Liza Aklan and Filipina Magtalas, with Tin Velasco as line producer and Dot Labro as production manager. Behind the camera are Patrick Rodil (cinematography), Joris Fernandez (editing), Kyle Jumayne Francisco (production design), Arbi Barbarona (original musical score), and Mikko Quizon (sound design).
At the film’s media conference, LionhearTV asked the cast about the weight of promises — a theme that anchors the friendship between Beaver Magtalas and Benedix Ramos’ characters onscreen. For Queenay Mercado, the answer was personal. “Ako, personally, napakahalaga sa akin talaga,” she said, admitting that a broken promise, whether hers or someone else’s, stays with her. “Palagi ‘syang tatakbo sa isip ko kung bakit hindi siya nangyari.”
Magtalas echoed the sentiment in his own words: “Ang favorite term ko na gamitin for that, is ‘keeping my word’? If I say I would do something, I definitely would. Ipipilit ko pong gawin ‘yun as much as I can.”
Nikki Valdez, meanwhile, framed promises as something that goes beyond words. “Promises are meant to be kept and not to be broken,” she said. “Mahalaga na ang promise ay hindi lang salita — talagang malaking gawa siya.” Karl Medina tied the idea back to trust, calling promises the foundation of any relationship. “Once you break a promise, or hindi natupad, nasisira ‘yung trust,” he explained.
The cast also opened up about shooting on location in Mindoro, where they lived closer to a “back to basics” rhythm alongside Mangyan communities. For Mercado, the experience reframed how she saw her own problems. “Na-realize ko na hindi naman pala ganon ka-kumplikado ang buhay,” she shared, recalling how the children she met there seemed to simply enjoy life despite carrying far heavier burdens than her own. She said the experience left her longing for a return to simpler joys — including for the next generation, hoping kids today might choose play over gadgets, the way memories are built and preserved in those unplugged moments.
Beyond its coming-of-age narrative, “Kaka Sa Yawan” positions itself as a celebration of Mangyan-Tadyawan traditions and intergenerational healing, using the memory of a childhood friendship as a vessel for grief, identity, and belonging. Torn between land and sea, memory and reality, Niko’s journey back to Mindoro becomes as much about honoring a friend as it is about rediscovering himself.
“Kaka Sa Yawan” is one of this year’s Cinemalaya entries. The festival runs from August 6 to 16.