‘All The Things I Leave You’, a Philippine series told fully in Ilocano, tells a queer love story that goes beyond themes of identity to explore socioeconomic issues.
“Mahal kita kaso bente pesos lang pera ko.” (“I love you, but I only have 20 pesos left.”)
About a month or two ago, those words spread across social media platform X like wildfire, sparking the creation of art and thinkpieces about the difficulty of falling in love and maintaining romantic relationships when you’re an underprivileged individual living in a third-world country such as the Philippines.
Filipino films have explored the concept long before it went viral, like Cathy Garcia-Molina’s ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’ and Dwein Baltazar’s ‘Third World Romance’, to name a few.
In ‘All The Things I Leave You (Patawid)’, director Jade Castro seeks to tackle that same subject through the lens of a queer relationship.
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An Ilocano romance story
‘All The Things I Leave You (Patawid)’ is the first-ever Boys’ Love (BL) series told fully in Ilocano, a language in the Philippines commonly spoken in the Ilocos Region.
It stars Benedix Ramos as Jorge and Justin Paul Basobas as Kiko.
The series revolves around Jorge and his budding relationship with Kiko.
After his grandfather Tino’s death, he finds a box full of letters meant for Tino’s lover, Bong.
Together with Kiko, Jorge realizes that their stories may have taken place decades apart, but are in fact deeply intertwined.
Patawid (meaning ‘Inheritance’ in Ilocano) is a bittersweet queer love story set against the backdrop of the ordinary Filipinos’ struggle for a better life in an economy that seems to work against them.
More than your typical BL story
‘All The Things I Leave You’ moves the narrative beyond two boys falling in love and the related common themes of coming out and homophobia.
The struggle for acceptance becomes socioeconomic rather than simply identity politics.
It highlights how Filipinos, be it in the past or present, are still forced to leave their loved ones and hometowns behind in search of so-called greener pastures — a challenge underscored through the history of Ilocano ‘sakadas’.
‘Sakada’ is an Ilocano term for migrant laborers who left the Philippines in 1906 for sugar plantations in Hawaii.
Most of them were Ilokano illiterate and impoverished youth hoping to earn the kind of money they could not have back home for their families.
For years, they endured long hours, low wages, and constant exploitation from their foreign bosses.
In ‘Patawid’, Jorge’s grandfather Tino was a sakada, whose hard work led to a comfortable life.
Behind it, however, is the sacrifice of leaving his lover, Bong, behind, as their communication was later lost due to other circumstances.
This conflict persists in the present, as Jorge tries to deal with Kiko moving to Manila from Ilocos Norte to finish his studies, when their relationship has barely just begun, thus threatening a repeat of the doomed history of those who came before them.
“I always think of what will happen. Will things fall into place, or will we always be like this… always unsure, always dreading if this is all that the world has for us,” an older Bong says.
Most queer stories ask if love can weather the pressures of a prejudiced and ignorant society.
But in ‘Patawid’, the real question is this: is love enough to survive one’s desire for a bright future and a comfortable life?
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Championing Ilocano culture
‘All The Things I Leave You’ also aims to promote the beautiful province of Ilocos Norte and the treasures of Ilocano culture.
Throughout the series, viewers are treated to the gorgeous scenery of the municipality of San Nicolas.
The mouthwatering cuisine of Ilocos was constantly present, from the heartwarming ‘Miki’ to the viral ‘Ilocos empanada’.
‘Patawid’ also showcases the province’s traditions, especially during funerals and death anniversaries.
One of them is the ‘palualo’, wherein elders gather in prayer to honor the dead by reciting the names of their departed loved ones.
Behind the scenes, the show’s official soundtrack features Ilocano songs, while the ‘Patawid’ team also has Ilocano staff and those who can speak the language fluently.
They include Ramos and Basobas, who may both be from Pangasinan but could still confidently speak Ilocano.
The other cast members are Elle Pagdilao, James Lomahan, Brenda Lee Honorio, Lourdes Estabillo, Zairene Fernandez Aquino, Manolito Gonzales, Jem Theodore Arrieta, and Joshua Manalo.
Ultimately, ‘All The Things I Leave You’ shows that the lives of queer people are more than just their sexualities.
They are no different from their heterosexual counterparts, whose lives are a tapestry of their culture, struggles, and the lessons they inherited from their ancestors.
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Where to watch ‘Patawid’?
‘All The Things I Leave You’ is not yet available on streaming platforms, but it has been touring around the world for film festivals in an almost three-hour movie format.
The story was created by Lance D. Collins, while the script was collectively written by Castro, Jerome Dulin, Sef Arcegono, Tim Rone Villanueva, and Joseph Daoang.
It is presented by the Hawaii Institute for Philippine Studies, North Beach-West Maui Benefit Fund Inc., HK West Maui Community Fund, and Daluyong Studios.
The series was first shown in the Philippines during the Montañosa Film Festival in Baguio City in March.
It is currently screening in select local cinemas in time for Pride Month.
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Levi Mora 
KC Maderia 
Newsjustnews writers