Cathy Garcia-Sampana’s latest film, Meet, Greet & Bye feels familiar in the best way. Its story and treatment are unmistakably Pinoy, yet the emotions are “very universal.”
I caught the film on Tuesday at SM Megamall Cinema 2 during a BDO screening, coinciding with Star Cinema’s star-studded red carpet premiere at Cinema 3. Exiting the theater, I ran into fellow scribes and was immediately asked, “How many times did you cry?” I said, “Three… no, four times.”
The first tear fell during a searing confrontation between Piolo Pascual and Joshua Garcia. Joshua’s performance is a masterclass in controlled rage and heartbreak, holding everything in until he finally explodes. I thought that was it—but then Piolo’s restrained, perfectly measured line cut even deeper, leaving a lump in my throat.
The confrontation between Pascual and Garcia is a scene reminiscent of Four Sisters and a Wedding or Seven Sundays, but grounded in realism.
The third tear came when Maricel Soriano, already ravaged by chemotherapy and beginning to lose her memory, tells Joshua that she is trying to memorize his face so she doesn’t forget. The moment is quiet and subtle, yet it’s heartbreaking in a big way.
When Pink Siazon of PEP asked my impression as we waited for the stars to exit Cinema 3, I said simply, “This film will make you want to go home and hug your mom. Director Cathy’s intentions couldn’t be clearer—she wants to tell a story that grabs you by the heart and shakes you. Now I understand why there’s a pack of soft tissue paper in our seats.”
The film traces Baby Lopez-Facundo’s (Maricel Soriano) family as they face the shattering news of her stage 4 cancer. Refusing chemotherapy, Baby will only take medication if her family secures a VIP ticket to a Park Seo-joon fan meet.
In the chaos of fulfilling this wish, old wounds reopen among her sons Tupe (Piolo Pascual), Brad (Joshua Garcia), and Leo (Juan Karlos), while her granddaughter Geri Ann (Belle Mariano) becomes entangled in the emotional fallout.
The final scene on the beach is unforgettable. Ryan Bang appears, explaining that a friend who fell in the water while parasailing wants to thank Mommy Baby—and casually mentions he just came from a fan meet the night before.
The moment is open to interpretation: it could hint at a hopeful ending where Baby finally meets Park Seo-joon, or symbolize a gentle passage, with Ryan Bang acting as a guiding presence toward the afterlife.
