My House Husband, Ikaw Na!

**** Production Company: OctoArts Films ****

Nothing prepared ROD (Ryan Agoncillo) and MIA ALVAREZ (Judy Ann Santos) for the major changes that took place in their lives. ROD worked as a manager of a bank while MIA opted to remain a housewife taking care of their two children — MIGO and KAYE — with an occasional sideline of selling insurance. MIA gave up her promising career in sales because ROD wanted to be the padre de familia. For ROD, it was the role of the man to provide for his wife and children … in the same manner that there was a clear cut delineation as to what are the duties of a husband from that of the wife.

But when a larger bank merged with ROD’s employer, he found himself out of work. Overqualified in a scarce job market, ROD’s pride forbade him to reveal the truth immediately to his wife. Eventually, when he could not find employment, he had to agree to take care of the house and the two kids most especially after their trusted housekeeper had to leave for an emergency vacation.

In the process, ROD learns to do the housework — as he begins to adjust to a life of domestication which he thought was unthinkable for a man like him to find interest. And as he learned the ropes in running a household, MIA’s career in selling insurance begins to blossom. MIA was surprised to find out that all the unfulfilled potential she had in her suddenly emerged for the appreciation of her bosses in the insurance company.

Trapped at home, ROD befriends their next door neighbor named AIDA (Eugene Domingo) who everybody knows is a kept woman of a rich man who would occasionally visit her and her son to spend the night. Despite the scathing opinions hurled against AIDA, ROD discovered a completely different woman — over and above all the moral charges set against her. She was simply looking for someone who could take care of her, provide her and her son a good sense of the future. More so, she was led to believe that all women were meant to be cared for by men… and, in return, the woman sacrifices everything for that sense of belonging.

Slowly AIDA teaches ROD that there is nobility in being the caregiver of the family as well as the manager of the household. ROD, in turn, slowly opens the eyes of AIDA that she cannot depend on anybody except herself to fend for survival. AIDA was not too bright to realize that her material comforts were all too temporary because her benefactor could not provide her with a good future. As ROD and AIDA’s friendship intensifies, MIA felt all the more suspicious about their neighbor’s intentions.

But the longer it took for ROD to find a job, the sooner it was for MIA to find a new definition to her life as well as a far more impressive level of confidence. Although the couple kept the situation a secret to the rest of their clans, ROD felt even more belittled when MIA’s arrogant brother-in-law HENRY and sister CYNTHIA began to offer help . ROD did not see this as an act of sincere help but as his wife’s family making him feel all the more inferior and helpless. It also did not help that MIA’s career advancement was most impressive — so much so that ROD realized that indeed there was a role reversal in their household. Now he had become the house husband while his wife became the successful provider.

Finally ROD decides that all this must come to an end. He decided to go abroad –to try his luck in Canada. MIA willingly agreed to give up her work and prepare for the family to move elsewhere. ROD was surprised to discover that his wife was willing to give up all she had ever wanted as a career fulfillment to become a housewife again in a foreign land. In the same vein, ROD made AIDA realize that she too had to take a hold of her life and work on her own.

But as fate would have it, their luck finally changed. ROD finally found a job and he decided that if it would make MIA happy to keep her work in the insurance agency, then she should be given the chance to look for her own identity. Even AIDA, now abandoned by her benefactor, has found greater self-assurance and worth when she stopped depending on the kindness of others to give meaning to her life.

**** Directed by Jose Javier Reyes. ****