Destined to be yours Episode 19 #DTBYPagkakautang
Wednesday, 29 March 2017 11:49![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
catatonic_17In this episode, Catalina shows why she’s boss, Benjie is suffering in silence as he keeps working for his grandfather (who’s keeping a close eye on him), Sinag is still in pain, and Ninay gives Marjorie a wash.
Recap
It’s a new day in Pelangi and Sinag braces herself to face another day. She starts complaining to herself about being emo and crying incessantly, wanting to stop but not being quite ready yet.
Downstairs, the rest of team Pelangi are gathered around the breakfast table, making it a potluck of sorts. While his grandparents brought food, Badong brings a bunch of flowers for Sinag…which she ignores when she comes down. Sinag chooses to focus on Tala, and everything in her life that she is grateful for. She tells them collectively that they are her lovelife.
Teddy and Sinag gaze at her mural together, where his father gives her a pep talk.
While the Obispos are relishing the fact that they still had each other and their home, Catalina asks the mayor what his plan was to get the Obispo property. Instead of telling her, he hands her an envelope (because that would give away the sense of suspense for the viewers I guess?). Their sinister looks are enough to let us know it’s a seemingly foolproof plan.
They immediately head to Bahay Obispo where Catalina herself faces the family (and oh my goodness, the show’s stylist dressed her up in heels again…when the character knows she’ll walk through a field. Stop turning her into an insensible fashionista. It’s against her character). The family comes out in full force, reiterating that they will not sell their property. The mayor tells them that he was not there to make an offer but to remind them of their unpaid taxes, which Catalina promptly elaborates. “How much would you have to pay?” and because the viewers can’t see what was in the document, Catalina provides the answer herself: 1.5M php. She gives them an ultimatum: either they raise the money to pay what they owe or lose their house to the government (who in turn would sell it to the Rosaleses. In this way, not only are the Obispos forced out of their house, they will also lose the chance to sell their house for 5M php, which was previously offered).
Sally and Teddy lashes out at the Mayor and he gives the convenient response that he was just following the law. Teddy insists that they will not leave their home, even if it means fighting till the death for it. Catalina (like a legit kontrabida) cryptically tells him, “I won’t be so sure.“
The resistance group gathers in the Obispos table where they discuss about the unpaid taxes. Badong provides comic relief amidst the tense situation. Sally and Teddy are aware of their unpaid dues but it’s impossible for them to pay with how little they earn. While her parents are worrying over this matter, Sinag points out to all the artworks they could sell to raise the money (why Sinag and family didn’t consider this when they needed money for Tala I have no clue. Maybe it’s because it would take time for them to find buyers and raise the money? And Tala needed the operation ASAP?). Sol adds that Teddy could sculpt again and sell it at a high price (which totally flabbergasts me. Isn’t the whole reason for their money woes the fact that Teddy could no longer sculpt? Did a miracle happen in the last few days that cured his disability or something?). Sinag’s burst of optimism inspires the rest to think of ways they can help to raise the 1.5 M. She is confident that they will be able to save the house, reminding everyone that no one was leaving town.
Back in Manila, Amanda is surprised that Benjie was back home. She asks him a barrage of questions, and Benjie tells her that Sinag already knows everything (Ugh. He’s gonna cry as if he’s the victim…again). Of course, his mom of course comforts him.
Sinag walks away from the berry farm, disappointedly, complaining about everything being ‘paasa.’ She sees a kind laundry woman who was concerned about her over what happened, and asks her for help in raising money for the house. While she and Ninay find part time work, Badong and Arman are working hard with their tricycle, and Teddy goes back to sculpting (Oh my God I was right about Teddy’s guilt keeping him from sculpting).
At Rosales Development, Benjie gets an earful from Don Vicente, who reiterates that his grandmother was the only reason why he was still at the company. For some reason, not firing him is not enough. Don Vicente assigns Benjie as senior associate for the Pelangi project (despite being a new hire, despite the fact that he has blatantly acted against his direct instruction. I’m gonna channel Catalina and insist that this is so unfair). Gone is the cocky newbie to be replaced by this timid shell of an architect. Before he steps out of the office, Don Vicente reminds Benjie that he has no right to fail again.
Ninay and Sinag end up taking up laundry jobs to raise money for the house. Meanwhile we have another gratuitous shot of shirtless Badong (whose screen presence is so negligible he has to resort to this gimmickry. Jak Roberto he is not) as he takes on odd jobs to earn money for Sinag’s family. Arman is also shirtless and he notices the bekis of Pelangi oggling them. After driving them away, he commends Badong’s dedication to Sinag. Back at Bahay Obispo, Teddy is in the zone as he churns out sculpture after sculpture.
As Sinag and Ninay talk about the money they have to raise and heart matters, Marjorie pops up from nowhere just to piss them off (honestly, I think she’s a stalker. How else would you explain why she would turn up at a laundry area? And that trying hard pa-sosy voice and enunciation is just so horrendous. She has got to be doing that on purpose). Ninay gets pissed and dunks her head in the laundry water and takes on her burly yaya as well. Cheesy bestfriend talk afterward.
At the conference room in Rosales Development, a colleague asks Benjie for his insights about the topography in Pelangi and he’s in a daze (I don’t get why he thinks it’s okay to slouch in his seat in the middle of a friggin company meeting. It’s as if he was just chillin at home with friends). He goes and tells them about the place as he reminisces about his moments with Sinag, lots of details but totally unrelated to the question asked him. And yes, he is crying in the middle of a company meeting (He totally looks like a rambling drunk).
Random thoughts
* Maine is so good that she can make a crying moving on scene so comical. Slay queen. Slay.
* Why didn’t the mayor bring this up before, instead of acting like a villain whose dastardly plan was foiled by ‘those meddling kids’? He’s the effin mayor. He of all people should know that the people of Pelangi don’t pay taxes (he said so himself when he first introduced the plan in the pilot week).
* There goes the styling team again. Making Catalina a non-sensible person, walking through a field in stiletto heels. Her OOTDs slay but her footwear is just not terrain appropriate.
* In defense to Benjie, this new dilemma is totally not his fault. Even if Catalina is not there, the mayor would have still brought the matter up.
* Isn’t there an NGO who could help them with this case? There are millions of similar cases around the Philippines I’m sure. Surely, a volunteer group of CPA or lawyers could help them negotiate their case?
* See, this is why Benjie grew up so self-centered. He always gets away with things. His mom apparently knew about what he did to Sinag and her family and nothing. Because she apparently saw that her son was remorseful about his mistake. And really, what can she do? It’s not like she could scold him. What good would it do anyway in that situation?
* With the way this story is going, I am starting to wonder if the Obispos are really fighting for the town and the environment or for their own personal interest. Think about it, of all the families in Pelangi, they have the most to lose if the town is sold off because they own a radio station and an art gallery of sorts, a tourist spot in the town. Teddy just took it upon himself to lead this resistance without consulting and getting insights from his co-citizens. The fact that most people were willing to sell their land and were hiding it from them made it clear that he did not represent the “will of the people.” Instead of uniting the town, he’s polarized it. So now anyone who is not on his side are “sell outs” who do not love Pelangi and the environment. He may not have said it like that, but that’s how it’s turned out.
* Marjorie never fails to amaze me. She’s wearing pants but she still ends up looking cheap. I’ve seen Pia Guanio and other celebrities wear the same pair of pants, the same outfit even, but they don’t look trying hard and pa-sexy. I mean we don’t have to see your naked hips peeking from your low rise pants just to know you’re wearing a body suit. Who is styling this character?
* I was so tempted to just skip the scene with Marjorie just because her very presence is irritating. But Sinag and Ninay are too awesome that I just gritted my teeth to get past her lines.
In conclusion
It’s nice how the theme of this episode is optimism and starting over (I particularly like that scene where Mang Teddy was sculpting again), which is in contrast to the gloom and doom from the previous episode. It sends a nice message that when you get hurt, you allow yourself to cry and feel the pain, but then get up and face the good things in your life with a smile. You never know who will be encouraged by that smile.
Last episode for an intense week tomorrow. Lots of big changes in tomorrow’s episode.
