Thy Womb

Shaleha, the steadfast village midwife, helps deliver a newborn inside a stilt hut as Bangas-An stands by. After the child arrives, she asks for the umbilical cord and a neatly kept cabinet reveals cords from previous deliveries. The scene marks the quiet ledger through which she measures the lives she has helped bring into the world.

A storage cabinet keeps the cords she has claimed from prior deliveries, a quiet ledger of lives. The newborn's birth ties into this ongoing tally and foreshadows the weight of responsibility on Shaleha. The couple contemplates adoption as a potential path for their future.

As the day fades, the couple sits to weave banig and discuss whether to adopt a child or have Bangas-An take another wife to bear one. They recall that the last adoption did not work, and both worry about consent, tradition, and the costs of a future family. The question threads through their quiet domestic life as dusk settles.

In open water, the couple is overrun by gunmen; Bangas-An is wounded and their catch is seized. Shaleha uses folk medicine to tend his wounds and tighten the emotional grip of danger around their livelihood. The intrusion of violence underlines the fragility of daily life in the region.

At a bustling floating market, abundance gives way to tension as soldiers push through. The scene scatters sweet potatoes and disrupts the market’s rhythm, highlighting the instability that shadows everyday life. The couple navigates danger while maintaining a semblance of routine.

The community rallies to shepherd a traditional wedding for Ayesha and Nurjay, a moment of joy pierced briefly by distant gunfire. Yet the ritual continues, and the dance of celebration persists despite the undercurrent of violence. The episode reinforces the role the couple plays in guiding village life.

Shaleha admires a beautiful wedding veil in the crowds but steps back. Bangas-An surprises her by buying it, signaling his active involvement in marriage decisions. The small exchange marks a shift toward pursuing a traditional arrangement for their future.

A willing bride, Mersila, is found, but the dowry runs steep at 150,000 PHP. With only 50,000 saved, the couple borrows funds and even sells their motorboat to raise the price. The village elders witness the negotiation as a test of endurance and communal support.

When they arrive at Mersila's home, the dowry is accepted, and Mersila asks to speak with Bangas-An alone. It is revealed that Shaleha has given consent to a difficult condition: once Mersila bears a child, Bangas-An must divorce her. The honesty tightens the film’s moral tension around tradition and desire.

Back at their own home, Bangas-An quietly supports Shaleha as they continue weaving banig. A tender moment gives way to the hard truth of sacrifices each has made, underscoring a durable but fragile bond. Their relationship stands as a quiet testament to endurance.

Shaleha returns to her role as midwife and assists in the birth of Mersila’s child, with Bangas-An again acting as midwife. The baby is a son, symbolizing hope and continuity within the makeshift family. The scene reinforces how communal care threads through the couple’s life.

Shaleha requests the newborn’s umbilical cord, and Mersila grants it despite a hint of dismissiveness. As she cradles the infant, Bangas-An urges that the baby be handed to its mother. A flock of birds arcs across the horizon, signaling transition and fragile hope for the future.