I want to begin with acknowledging the collective grief we’ve all experienced these past few years.

We carry this grief with us everywhere we go. It sits quietly in our rooms, sometimes we forget its presence.

Other times it feels like you're caught under rapids. You will try to swim and fight your way to the surface just to find yourself drowning in panic... This grief we carry is weird, unpredictable and unforgiving.

In 2021 I lost the only grandmother I ever knew to COVID. The same grandmother who raised me for nine years while my motter worked in Manila City to keep 3 generations alive. Grief visited me many times during the making of this show. Grief reminds me of mud stained shoes, traysikel rides and shanty homes on seashores. In short, this grief of Mine reminds me of home.

I want to end by acknowledging that your experience with grief is not isolated.

Thank you for being here.

MAGMAHAL (to hold dearly)