Batang Quiapo

Maria and Tikboy drift through Quiapo, Manila, making pickpocketing their livelihood. They target Baldo, a former pickpocket just released from prison, hoping for an easy score. Baldo outsmarts their plan with quick thinking and leaves them chastened.

Baldo visits Iska's restaurant and learns that Iska fabricated a story claiming he was an overseas Filipino worker who just returned from Saudi Arabia to cover his disappearance. The revelation unsettles Baldo and strains his trust in his former allies. The ruse is meant to cover up his disappearance.

Maria and Tikboy arrive at Iska's restaurant to find Baldo eating at a table. He calmly returns the wallets he had taken from them, signaling a reluctant truce and a shift in their uneasy alliance. The exchange marks Baldo's move from threat to possible ally.

Baldo meets Momoy David, an old friend who helps him look for a job. He lands employment as a charcutier at a local lechon shop, beginning a new, steadier chapter in his life. This job marks his break from the street-level crime of his past.

Maria becomes close to Baldo and convinces him to let her help on a mission. They work together to help Miniong retrieve money lost to counterfeiters and swap it for a fake gold bar he had been tricked into buying. The plan succeeds, strengthening their partnership.

Baldo confesses his criminal history to Maria and urges her to quit pickpocketing for good. He presents a path away from crime, and Maria agrees to leave that life behind. The moment cements a deeper trust between them.

Maria notices Baldo spending time with another woman and jealousy flares up. The sight tests their budding partnership and hints at emotional conflict ahead. Baldo's commitment to reform is put to the test by her doubts.

Maria drinks and works as an entertainer at a club to vent her frustration, drawing Baldo's ire. Their confrontation about their feelings is interrupted by Maj. Corrales, who asks Baldo for help in taking down a drug syndicate led by Kits. The case pulls Baldo back toward danger and action.

Dodong and Caloy deliver drugs to Kits, but Baldo intercepts the shipment and removes the narcotics from the bird cage. He and his allies then catch Paquito delivering money to his paraplegic boss Don Julian at a mansion. The drug operation is disrupted and the police are drawn closer to the syndicate.

With the drug operation under pressure, Baldo arranges a ruse using Don Julian's mansion as a front for Iska. A banquet is held for Katrina and George, while Kits and the syndicate arrive to collect Dodong and Caloy. Baldo answers a call with a disguised voice and his friends ambush the intruders at the banquet.

Iska reveals to Katrina that the mansion is not truly hers and that Katrina isn't defined by wealth alone. Katrina accepts Iska for who she is and leaves with George, content with their chosen life. Momoy later informs Iska that the mansion will pass to her after Don Julian goes to jail.

Ms. Ramos visits Iska's restaurant to confirm that Dodong's orphan papers are settled, freeing him from social services. She will be heading to the United States soon. Maria overhears the news and embraces Baldo, a moment that stings Tikboy.

In the wake of the day’s revelations, Maria's happiness culminates in a warm embrace with Baldo, signaling a possible new start for them. Tikboy watches with mixed feelings, unsure of what the future holds for their trio. The film closes on this note of fragile hope amid tensions.