MURO AMI
Directed by: Marilou Diaz-Abaya
Characters:
Fredo( Cesar Montano), a captain of the ship Amy Austria Kalbo ( Rebecca Lusterio), only female among the children Butong (Jhon Hilario) Dado (Pen Medina)Summary:
A brief summary of the story Fredo ( Cesar Montano), a captain of the ship, also called maestro was a greedy man who recruits divers yearly mostly children, to work for himself in his ship. With the consent of the parents, the children are even accompanied by their family to the ship for departure in the ocean for fishing for a couple of weeks. The lives of the divers are perilous especially the children but it is even worst when they are up in ship. The divers have to work first before they can eat their meal and only fed twice a day. The children sleep in rat-infested bunks and harassed for everyday work.
The story turns into miserable condition when Fredo with the command of his greed, increased their quota from 300 to 500 banyeras, making the divers double time their work under sub-human condition and unhappy for being unable to celebrate Christmas with their family. The divers, get mad but continued to submit to the rules of the maestro (Fredo) whom they believe to have an anting-anting ( amulet).
Kalbo ( Rebecca Lusterio) was the only female among the children who hid her real gender just to be admitted to the ship where later was found out by Fredo when she was caught in the act washing her underwear with the stain from menstruation. Fredo accused the young girl of fooling them but Kalbo reacted and accusing back Fredo for committing the same thing with them. “ niloko mo rin kami wala kang anting anting alam kong may sugat ka sa likod”, (“ you tricked us too, you do not posses any amulet, I know you have wound at the back”) Fredo became furious, dragged the girl and thrown from the ship, after a few minutes took her again out of the water after seeing a shark dropping by.
The anger of the divers was triggered when one was accidentally trapped in the fishnet underwater and drowned. Fredo, thinking of his losses if they will return, refused to bring home the corpse and have it salted while bringing it to the near island where he has it buried.
The situation become easy for his immediate assistant Butong (Jhon Hilario) to start a mutiny against him and influenced other crew to fight him. The coup became successful and was able to capture Fredo and his loyal companion Dado (Pen Medina), Butong immediately declared himself to be the new head of the ship. The two were thrown to the sea handicapped with the fishnet however; Fredo was able to survive and got back to the ship. To the astonishment of the crews and conquered with fear, they withdrawn support from Butong making the new captain to fight alone against Fredo which did not succeed.
Fredo did not retaliate to every attack of Butong instead persuaded the traitor to calm down and offered his help which the latter did not believe until the ship became on fire caused by their fighting. Fredo commanded the children to save their own lives while he carried the body of unconscious Butong trying to save his traitor that he treated to be his real son since he adopted him, realizing he couldn’t make it, Fredo preferred to die with Butong and let themselves sank with the ship. The survivors managed to swim to nearest island and saved themselves.
My Reaction:
The film of Muro Ami reveals the reality in the country. As a resident here in the Philippines, I’ve already know that other provinces are usually doing this kind of illegal fishing. The movie portrays a realistic scenario of the people that make a living entirely out of the sea. Giving the fact that we cannot deny that poverty drives the people go beyond the boundaries which is the real situation of our country.
The story of Muro Ami gives me a great impact on this movie not only touched the heart of the people but I believe it will lead to strengthening of laws about illegal fishing and forcing the child labor in a way of survival. I was greatly touch when I saw how the children were abused. They were asked to do an illegal job which endangers their lives and yet they were poorly compensated. Their health was also neglected because the ship where they were staying had poor sanitation and many of the children got sick and yet they were not given medication. This scenario opened my eyes to the abuses that children experience in the society and it was a shocking reality.
Fishers who made this muro ami fishing, they don’t realize that it gives bad effect for our marine natural resources. They love continue doing by destroying corals which centuries to build. It also pollutes the water, kills some of the fish, disturbs the marine ecosystem in the area, And It exploits also their own children who are used to handle bombs.
The government must do something the corresponding actions regarding the illegal activities done in our country. They must be alert for their co-residents in their areas who secretly doing this illegal fishing.
Philippines is rich in marine natural resources. We must keep the good image of our motherland and being a good people in our own country.
