Oro, Plata, Mata

The story unfolds during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, culminating in liberation in 1945. The families endure air raids, shortages, and the collapse of pre-war routines. As battles approach, their social games, rituals, and relationships are strained and reshaped by wartime realities.

World War II reaches Negros, forcing landowning families to seek safety away from the approaching conflict. The Ojeda and Lorenzo households retreat from the town to the Lorenzos' provincial hacienda, and later to a remote forest lodge as fighting nears. The landscape shifts from festive gardens to scarred fields, where scarcity, danger, and survival redefine daily life.

🪖 War Survival

The war forces the characters to abandon comfort and safety and improvise for survival. They learn to trust guerrilla fighters, redistribute scarce resources, and find ways to endure under occupation. The tension between duty, courage, and fear threads through the refugees' choices. Personal compromises become a means of staying alive.

🌿 Family Resilience

The Ojeda and Lorenzo clans lean on one another as violence and displacement erode their routines. They cling to small rituals—like mahjong games—to maintain a sense of normalcy. The crisis tests loyalties, leadership, and the willingness to protect kin at great personal cost. Out of the hardship, bonds strengthen and families attempt to rebuild a sense of home.

💔 Love Betrayal

Romance and loyalty become entangled with betrayal and trauma. Trining's decision to follow bandits and the violent acts surrounding Inday's household shatter pre-war certainties. Miguel's shift from playful youth to vengeful protector reveals how love can become a volatile force in crisis. The relationships that defined them are forever altered by war's cruel arc.