4 Things Magnifico Taught us About Life and Death

Magnifico is one the classic Filipino movies produced in my time. It was written by Michiko Yamamoto and was showed in cinemas in 2003, a time too long ago if you ask me but a story too tender and brutally true that, 13 years later as I write this, still speaks to me about hope, love, and 10 year old determination. Here are four things that Magnifico has taught me growing up.

Prepare for the Inevitable

We have this illusion that we or our loved ones will live forever. We relate to the deaths of people in the news as something we should be careful of but to not constantly worry about so much so that getting memorial service plans are never on our conversation and funeral homes in the Philippines are the last places we want to visit even in the context of preparation. Magnifico lived in an impoverished family. His dad makes money through odd jobs, his sister has cerebral palsy—the reason why his mother can’t work—and his big brothers got dropped out of college. On top of all that, his grandmother was slowly dying of cancer. Over hearing the dilemma of his parents, Magnifico endeavors to make a coffin for his grandmother and ask a friend for a baro & saya that her grandmother can wear to her grave. As adults, the precept looks grim but to Magnifico, it was planning for the inevitable the way he knows how.

See People and Events in the Eyes of a Child

When we hear news stories and gossip, we quickly jump to our conclude using our assumptions and minus our naivety. Magnifico saw the impending demise of his grandmother as something that he cannot avert and therefore must help fix or at least make better. Not only that, but other people in his lives benefited from his benevolent world view like the very angry cemetery keeper, the two store owners who were always at each other’s necks, and his brother who was in love with a girl on the other side of the social spectrum—all of these, Magnifico only saw as an opportunity to help.

There is Always a Way to Help

Despite being small, young, and to his father’s credit, “dumb”, Magnifico always sought to find what the problem of other people were. He believed that, if only people could have one less problem in their lives, they can become more friendly to each other. The really mean cemetery keeper? Magnifico made a special medicine for her to relieve her sore throat. He even carried his afflicted sister to the carnival on his back so she can experience the outside world.

Leave a Legacy

It’s so easy to get caught up with the material promises of this world. Some of us would even casually get memorial service plans just to protect these properties and assets. Magnifico was a kid who had nothing material to offer but he gave a bit of himself to everyone in his community and his family that ultimately made people respect and love each other a little bit better. He left a legacy of humanity and values.