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An aging patriarch who shares a simple life with his younger son Jun and grandson Boy. He and his best friend Robin take carpentry jobs to keep the family afloat, despite the ire of neighbor Mang Andres and his daughter Melanie. His decisions are driven by a desire to protect family, even if it means an arranged marriage with Melanie to remain in the US.

Berto’s loyal best friend who joins him in rough-and-tumble carpentry work to make ends meet. He shares a cheeky, resilient spirit that helps them survive tough neighborhoods and immigration pressures. He later stands with Berto and Melanie as they navigate life in America, including moments of danger and rescue.

Melanie is the neighbor and a caregiver who becomes entangled in Berto’s life through shared struggles. She is later involved in an arranged arrangement with Berto to prevent deportation and builds a life in the US as a worker and potential family member. She is later a key figure in the plan for a future with Berto and Robin, and she becomes pregnant with Berto’s child.

Berto’s younger son, married to Luisa, and father to Boy. He embodies the pull between filial duty and the complexities of immigrant life, balancing his own family needs with the hopes his father’s choices place on him.

Jun’s wife and a key part of the family dynamic. She navigates support and conflict within the extended clan as they pursue opportunities abroad and manage the care responsibilities that shape their everyday life.

Jun and Luisa’s young son, the beloved grandson who symbolizes the stakes of family decisions and the future that Berto cherishes. His presence motivates many actions and reconciliations within the family.

Berto’s eldest son who embodies the tension between tradition and survival. His relationship with his father and the rest of the family influences many choices, including the handling of Berto’s immigration and marriage.

The neighbor whose ire often disrupts Berto and Melanie’s life. He represents the social friction and conflicts that arise in tight-knit communities during migration, and his interactions frame some of the film’s comedic and dramatic beats.