The real Auntie Terry, Teresita Sajonia, with the reel version, Angeli Bayani.
Although the Singaporean film “Ilo Ilo” is based on director Anthony Chen’s fond childhood memories of the Filipina maid that took care of him when he was 8 years old, the real-life Auntie Terry revealed that the boy depicted in the film is nothing like the Anthony she treated like her own son 16 years ago.
“Mabait yang alaga ko, magaling yan sa school, lagi ngang perfect sa test yan,” Teresita Sajonia, the 56-year-old former OFW told InterAksyon during the press conference to promote the regular theatrical run of “Iloilo” (its local title) at Resorts World Manila.
In the fictionalized account of Chen’s experiences, the boy’s character named Jiale, is depicted as naughty and hot-tempered which causes him to get in trouble with school authorities. Chen himself confirmed this and added that compared to Jiale, his actual childhood was very “boring”, which is why he stresses in interviews that the film is loosely based (as in, very loosely based) on his own story.
When asked how much she remembers about her time with the Chen family when she was still in Singapore, Auntie Terry said she does not really recall a lot of the things that she did for Anthony when she was still under his family’s employ. She did acknowledge, however, that they were very close up to the time she had to leave and go back to the Philippines.
“Pero hindi ko pa rin akalain na maalala niya ako after 16 years,” she confessed. “Nabigla nga ako at napaiyak nang dumating siya sa bahay.”
She was even more touched when she and her partner known only as Mr. Jhunie were flown to Singapore to grace the premiere of “Ilo Ilo” there.
“Maganda na ngayon ang Singapore. Ibang-iba na kumpara nung nandun pa ako. Noon, ang mga building hindi pa siya masyadong marami,” she said in reference to her recent return to the Lion City.
When Chen found her last July, Auntie Terry was living in a small hut in a village at a town called San Miguel in Iloilo. As reported by the Chinese-language newspaper of Singapore, Lianhe Zaobao, the former OFW lived in “a foul-smelling run-down house that’s akin to ‘a chicken shack’ in their village.
“Characterized by wooden planks, bamboo materials, muddy floors, well water, no toilet and lit only by a small light bulb, Auntie Terry’s place only has an old radio for its only appliance,” the report added.
These days, things are actually much better for Auntie Terry. Thanks to Charles Lim, a Singaporean who has been based in the Philippines for years, Auntie Terry said she and her partner now spend a lot of their time on a farm where they tend to two live hogs and 200 chickens that Lim gave them as additional source of livelihood.
Teresita Sajonia (center) with director Anthony Chen, Koh Jia Ler, Angeli Bayani and Yeo Yann Yann at the Singapore premiere of 'Ilo Ilo'.
Gracing the film’s premiere in Iloilo last Sunday and again at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at Resorts World Manila on Tuesday together with Chen and stars Koh Jia Ler and Angeli Bayani, Auntie Terry was very pleased to see the people’s “rapturous reception”, as Chen puts it, to the film.
As for Angeli’s performance, Auntie Terry only had kind words for her onscreen counterpart. “Napakahusay niya,” was all she could say.
Distributed by Origin8 Media, “Iloilo” opened December 4 at Ayala Trinoma, Ayala Glorietta 4, Market Market, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, SM Mall of Asia, SM Fairview, SM Manila, SM Iloilo, SM Davao, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Iloilo, Newport Cinemas and Lucky Chinatown Plaza cinemas.
Director Anthony Chen’s real-life Pinay nanny pleased to have inspired ‘Ilo Ilo’
Source: InterAksyon.com (December 04, 2013 at 09:55PM)
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