Some love stories are spoken aloud. Others are tucked inside old photographs, hidden in unsent letters, and carried quietly across generations.
That is the emotional heartbeat of All the Things I Leave You (Patawid), the Ilocano boys’ love mini-series turned into a film that began screening in SM Cinemas on June 17.
Producer Alemberg Ang, Justin Paul Basobas, Benedix Ramos, and director Jade Castro
Set between present-day Ilocos Province and memories of the 1940s, the story follows Jorge, a privileged but directionless young man, and Kiko, a practical newcomer hired by Jorge’s grandfather, Tino, a retired migrant farm worker or sakada in Hawaii. When Tino dies, the pair discovers a hidden cigar box containing old photographs and unsent letters that reveal a decades-old romance between Tino and his best friend, Bong.
As Jorge and Kiko unravel the secret love story, they begin confronting their own fears, desires, and the lingering effects of class, migration, and silence. Their own relationship slowly blossoms, showing that while times may change, love remains remarkably familiar.
Telling a BL story in Ilocano
Actor Benedix Ramos, who has also appeared in stage productions such as Yemaya and The Notebook this year, considers All the Things I Leave You a meaningful Pride Month project because of its strong regional identity.
Justin Paul Basobas and Benedix Ramos
Known in Ilocano as Patawid, meaning pamana in Tagalog, the series was filmed in Laoag and San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, with Ramos starring opposite fellow Pangasinan-born Ilocano speaker Justin Paul Basobas.
For Ramos, one of the biggest surprises has been audiences mistaking the series for a Thai or Indonesian production because of its language.
He finds it both amusing and a little sad. While he sees it as proof that BL has grown beyond the countries that popularized the genre, he also hopes viewers recognize the richness of Philippine languages. Rather than relying solely on Tagalog, he wants to see more stories told in Ilocano, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Bisaya, and other regional languages, believing this kind of representation better reflects the country’s cultural diversity.
More than box-office numbers
Director Jade Castro says he never expected the project to become a blockbuster. He said, “‘Yung expectations ko personally, kasi ako personally I’m not expecting a blockbuster.”
He acknowledged the realities of today’s moviegoing landscape. “Nowadays alam natin mas madami ’yung hindi kumikita sa mga kumikita.” But commercial success was never the only measure of the film’s worth. Instead, Castro said the team wanted to reach audiences who would genuinely connect with the story.
“Kaya tayo nandito ngayon, gusto naming ma-reach yung audience na magbe-benefit from viewing it.”
He also pointed out that many people hesitate to visit cinemas because of ticket prices.
“Minsan ayaw natin manood ng sine kasi mahal tapos hindi natin alam na magugustuhan pala natin yung palabas,” he said.
Castro hopes All the Things I Leave You becomes one of those films audiences discover and wish more people had seen.
“Minsan nagugulat ako pag pumunta ako sa sinehan tapos, ‘Ay ang ganda pala nito, sayang hindi masyadong napanood,’” he shared.
His biggest wish is simple. “Sana makaabot sa kanila,” the director said, referring to viewers who might find both enjoyment and meaning in the film before deciding to watch it in theaters.
Producer Alemberg Ang echoed that hope, particularly for audiences outside Metro Manila.
“Sana may manood especially from the regions,” he said.
For Ang, audience support would send an important message. “Kasi it goes to show na merong clamor, merong audience ang regional cinema,” he said.
Ilocos becomes part of the story
The film’s stunning locations add another layer to its storytelling. For Ramos, it is impossible to choose just one place because, as he puts it, “definitely the whole Ilocos region sobrang ganda talaga doon.”
Still, one location stands out.
His favorite was underneath the Laoag bridge, near the iconic Welcome to Laoag arch. “May tulay doon na sobrang laki,” Ramos recalled.
He described the space beneath it as a popular picnic spot where locals gather. “Yun talaga yung favorite kong scene kasi may lilim. Ang laking lilim kahit ang init-init… tapos may ilog.”
Basobas found himself drawn to the same location, but for a different reason.
He was especially captivated by the tall grass surrounding the bridge.
“Parang it reminds me doon sa old version din ng Philippines,” he said.
The scenery, he added, reflected the province’s enduring traditions.
“Alam naman natin na ang Ilocos talaga very oldies, na-preserve talaga yung culture and traditions.”
Adding another voice to Filipino BL
When asked whether the project helps move the local BL genre forward, Castro said that was never the film’s primary objective.
“Hindi naman ako nag-eexpect na kailangan mag-evolve ng BL,” he said.
For him, the genre does not need constant reinvention.
“It’s a genre that can stay the same all the time as long as it pleases its audience.”
Still, Castro acknowledges that All the Things I Leave You offers something different.
“May kakaiba sa kanya.”
Whether that becomes part of a larger movement or simply one meaningful contribution remains to be seen.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be part of an evolution or isa lang siyang pang-ambag… puwedeng maka-inspire.”
What matters most, Castro said, is that audiences recognize BL stories as fundamentally human stories.
“BL stories are human stories and they are stories of youth.”
He believes regional stories deserve just as much attention because they offer experiences that are both universal and uniquely Filipino.
“May ganong mga kwento sa mga regions. Hindi natin nakikita masyado yun.”
Castro hopes more filmmakers continue shooting outside Metro Manila.
“Sana dumami pa, hindi lang sa amin magtapos.”
Although he has seen a handful of productions head to the provinces since the pandemic, he wants that momentum to continue.
“Gustung-gusto ko yun… sana dumami pa yung ganon at magpatuloy.”
Love is love
When asked whether he has experienced a love similar to the one portrayed in the film, Ramos said its emotions feel instantly familiar because they reflect the Filipino way of loving. “This kind of love story is very universal.”
At the same time, he noted, it remains deeply rooted in local culture. He said, “It’s rooted sa kung papaano magmahal ang mga Pilipino.”
The story, he explained, unfolds through two generations. “’Yung older generations yung mga lolo namin and then yung kami.”
Watching both timelines side by side reveals that love itself has changed very little. “Makikita din natin kung papaano magmahal noong unang panahon sa kung papaano din magmahal at tumanggap ngayong present times.”
The biggest difference, Ramos believes, lies in the restrictions people once faced. “Yung mga limitations, yung mga restrictions noon medyo may nagpigil ng pagmamahalan.”
Today, he says, people have greater freedom to embrace who they are.
“Right in this progressive time, I think love is love.” His hope is that audiences leave the theater carrying that same message.
“We can just all accept the fact that we can be loved and we can love more.”
All the Things I Leave You offers a story about the memories families leave behind, the histories that shape the present, and the truth that love, no matter the generation, deserves to be remembered.
