Lorelie Potencio 

When we speak of family, an image of a mother, a father, and a happy child often comes to mind, especially for a lot of us who grew up in conventional households. But what exactly makes a family? This is the question that Rafaela Abucejo asks the audience through 'Saan ako Pinaglihi?' — a film that challenges conservative society’s heteronormative understanding of family through the lived experiences of two mothers and their young child’s quest to understand how she came to be.


The 20–minute film is about an 8-year-old Chinky Mirasol (Zoey Madison Lim) as she tries to understand her identity while navigating her community’s perception of her two mothers, Bing (Cristina Diego Ponce) and George (Chase Salazar), and their unconventional family setup.  The short film revolves around a writing assignment from Chinky’s teacher about ‘paglilihi,’ a phenomenon wherein a gestating mother begins taking an “inexplicable liking to someone or something,” such as unusual food combinations among others. This would then manifest in the form of children inheriting certain traits from the object or person the mother became fixated on during pregnancy. 

A story of identity and struggle

Throughout the film, Chinky had to contend with various challenges, such as her family’s dire financial situation, the discrimination she faces at school from some of her peers, and her struggles in trying to understand what paglilihi means from such a young age, especially in the context of her being raised by a lesbian couple. 

These challenges are interwoven with themes of family identity, queer representation, as well as the struggles of the Filipino working class. The latter is highlighted in one of the scenes wherein Chinky overhears Bing talking to Auntie Esther (presumably a loan shark) about their delayed payments because of their bakery’s broken oven. Auntie Esther (Macy Regachuelo) would then go on a spiel about how Bing’s relationship with George is the reason for their financial troubles. She then ends the conversation with “ipagdadasal ko na lang kayo,” a subtle remark that underscores the bigotry and microaggressions that same-sex couples regularly face. 

Through it all, the love between Bing and George remained steadfast and self-assured. They drew parallels between their love and the process of baking pandesal, a beloved staple among everyday Filipinos.  It culminated in a sit-down, heart-to-heart conversation between the two and their daughter, with Chinky finally getting the answer to her question. 

Loose ends

While the film does an excellent job of bringing a powerful message to life, there were elements that could be improved upon. First, there were lines in the dialogues that could potentially compromise the viewers’ suspension of disbelief. An example of this is in the first classroom scene, wherein Janjan, Chinky’s bully, interrupted the class to make disparaging remarks towards Chinky’s family. The teacher (Jenny De Vera-Clemente) easily dismissed the comment, saying “it doesn't work like that.” She would then proceed to make her point about paglilihi.

This raises questions as to why the teacher did not reprimand Janjan and defend Chinky. Furthermore, it gives off the impression that the teacher is not well-equipped to handle gender-based discrimination in the classroom. As a figure of authority, it was a missed opportunity to have the teacher step up for her student while also creating a learning environment for both of her students and the audience to understand the basic concepts of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC). 

Another thing worth pointing out is the contrast between how Chinky’s family is perceived by their community. At the very beginning of the film, it was implied that their family has an amicable relationship with the community, given how Bing’s customers warmly greeted them in the opening scene. In contrast, when it came to the bullying Chinky experienced at school, it should have been made clear that the animosity towards Chinky’s family did not come from Janjan alone, and that he must have learned it from an older authority figure. 

This tidbit could be fixed by further developing Janjan’s character, who remained static throughout the film up until the end. This would have also highlighted how bigotry is learned, not innate in children. 

Still, the few points for improvement do not take away from the warmth that ‘Saan ako Pinaglihi?’ offers its viewers. It tugs at your heartstrings in the best ways possible and lends itself well as a film to watch at home or in the classroom. Overall, “Saan ako Pinaglihi” is a must-watch for audiences of all ages, especially for parents who are helping their children understand that family may take many forms, but the love for one another remains just as warm and tender, like freshly-baked pandesal. 

As Chinky herself puts it, “Masasabi ko ngang pinaglihi ako sa pandesal, lalo na sa paggawa nito na puno ng pagmamahal.”