PCPT DINIO MELGAR JERI JR. C.

Reaction Paper for the film “ISKA”

The film started by providing an overview of who the main character is

and what sort of challenges she is going through. At the outset, it can be
observed that she is struggling to put clothes on his grandchild because the
latter keeps on screaming, resisting and rolling around the bed. Immediately, I
observed that the kid was not acting “normal”. Later on, the viewers will see
that the boy, named Dongdong, is a “special” child, taking care of whom was
one of the woes of the main protagonist Iska.
Iska is a typical Filipina mother living in the urban slums of Metro Manila.
She lives with her husband Joven, who is a womanizing, sloth and drunkard
person, who adds to Iska’s woes and heavy burdens of being the sole provider
of the family. Iska works as a digital printer operator during weekdays and as a
household maid during weekends. Her family hardly gets by with their daily
sustenance, so she cannot afford to lose her employments. Her husband works
as a driver but spends all his wages to satisfy his appetite for women, alcohol
and food.
The film depicts the love, extraordinary diligence, resilience,
resourcefulness, faithfulness, conviction, commitment and perseverance our
very own Filipina women in the face of all the difficulties and challenges life has
to offer in the Metro Manila Slums. Iska is a victim of sexual, physical, mental
and economic abuses. She stands as the sole parental guardian of Dongdong,
who because of the latter’s condition and minority, is entirely incapable of taking
care of himself. Iska must make the ends meet. She needs to go out for work,
and she needs to look for someone who will care for Dongdong while she’s out.
Joven neglects his grandson and believes that they rather have Dongdong
admitted to a child caring institution, an orphanage, or have him adopted by
someone else. He wants nothing to do with Dongdong, which makes it so
difficult for Iska to maintain her employment whenever there is no one to look
after her grandchild.
One day, she went out for work and left Dongdong to her close friend,
Bining, who lives nearby. There came a TV show personality who claims to
rescue those who are being maltreated and abused by their own families. This
person was a recipient of false rumors, saying that Iska had chained and locked
up Dongdong inside the house so that he his deprived of liberty and basic
needs, which is far from the truth. And so, the TV show personality “rescued”
Dongdong and caused him to be admitted to a child-caring facility not suitable
for special children like Dongdong.
Iska had no idea what had happened to his grandson and his
whereabouts. Her world fell apart. She had a mental breakdown because of too
much stress and anxiety surrounding the lost of his grandson. She cried a river.
She almost lost sanity. But eventually, she knew where Dongdong was but had
no money to pay for the fare. She wanted to visit Dongdong, but she runs the
risk of losing her job. The climax of the film revolves around Iska losing custody
of her grandson, losing her job and almost losing her life.
These are typical difficulties a woman goes through in the slums of Metro
Manila. Every day, women are exposed to violence, maltreatment, physical,
mental and emotional abuses. Iska’s character is an embodiment of how
Filipino women respond to these challenges. How a Filipino woman would
sacrifice her comfort, well-being, strength, peace, values, principles and even
her own life for the one she loves. Take care of her, she will take care of you.
The movie ends by showing how Iska tried to move on with her life, together
with Dongdong. But the challenges remain the same, so is her resilience. Kudos
to all the hard-working and loving women around the world. Mabuhay ang
kababaihang Filipino.