The people we encounter
every day are often the ones
we take for granted and overlook. Tonight, let's hear
the story of Apple, a child who only wishes
for the attention and love of her family. [rooster crowing] Bro, good morning.
Wake up, come on! [clicks tongue] Bro, wake up! -It's already five o'clock, bro.
-[clicks tongue] Fine. Later. Sis, wake up.
It's already five o'clock. -We still have to go to school.
-[groans] -Sis!
-All right! Get out. -Good morning, Mom.
-Apple, you woke up so early. I'm going to fetch water, Mom. Mom, can I have one peso? Oh, sweetie,
you're always asking for money. Here. Mm. -Thank you, Mom.
-All right, go on. Good morning! -Oh, mister's gaining weight.
-Unbelievable. -Oh!
-Hi, Apple. -Let me help you.
-Huh? Are you sure? -Yes.
-Thank you. Oh, kid, you're still very young
and yet, you help your neighbors so much,
don't you? You're very hardworking. This is my stop. -Apple, thank you.
-You're welcome. Good day, Uncle Ed! What's good about this morning?
I don't see anything. Well, it's nice, sunny, a little cloudy
but it won't rain, Uncle Ed. Isn't that good? Smile a little, will you? Would you like this? [Ed] I don't want that!
I don't want that! It's for you. -Auntie Nena! Auntie Nena!
-What is it? -How are you?
-This kid! Tomorrow you won't
see me anymore. I'm dying! Oh, Auntie Nena,
what are you saying? You're still young,
you won't die yet. All right then. [Josie]
What are you all waiting for? Go ahead.
You'll be late for school. Your brother will help me here. -Okay, Mom, we're going.
-Goodbye, Mom. -Goodbye, Mom.
-Take care, okay? What's that? What's that?
What are trying to get? Don't worry,
I've already listed it, Mom. I'll pay for it
when I have money. Besides, I might not
have enough money, and I'll get hungry. You guys are always hungry! Go ahead, take it. Goodbye, Mom! Apple, what are you still
doing there? Come on, I'm tired.
Let's go home. Mom, can you buy me this. Sweetie, you already have
so many hairpins! Come on! Please, Mom, just this one. -Fine, fine. How much is that?
-[vendor] Ten pesos. -[Josie] Here.
-[vendor] Thank you. Thank you, Mom! I thought you came with me
to help carry my stuff. It seems like
you just came along to ask me to buy things! Come on, let's go home.
My feet hurts! Wow, Mom, look at this! Come on, Mom, buy me this. It'll be your Christmas gift
for me. [sighs] Miss, how much is this? It's just 150. Let's go. This is so expensive!
We don't have money anymore! Come on, let's go home.
Don't be so stubborn! Hmp! You're such a headache! [Charo] <i>"Dear Charo, a nuisance,</i>
<i>always asking for money,</i> <i>a spender, stubborn.</i> <i>This is how I used to see</i>
<i>my youngest child, Apple.</i> Apple, let's go. <i>Given our tough life</i>
<i>and our big family,</i> <i>every cent that me</i>
<i>and my husband,</i> <i>who's a driver, earned,</i>
<i>is very important to me,</i> <i>We worked very hard</i>
<i>to make ends meet.</i> <i>That's why we often can't pay</i>
<i>much attention to our children,</i> <i>especially Apple.</i> Here, this is for you. Your mom might get mad
at you again because of me. I'm embarrassed. It's okay. She doesn't know
it's for you anyway. Is it pretty? Who's it for? It's for my mom. It's my Christmas gift for her. It because she's always tired
from work. Here, it's for you. Thanks, Apple. Come on, I'll clip it for you. There you go. Thanks for letting me borrow
your pencil. It's okay. You can keep it.
I still have another one. Thank you. [man on TV]
<i>...Carlo Aquino de Guzman,</i> <i>he's the one who showed it</i>
<i>on the websites...</i> [woman on TV]
<i>Hmm, I think I like that.</i> [man] <i>I exchanger Juan Carlo</i>
<i>Aquino de Guzman, take it away!</i> Mom, let's turn on
our Christmas lights. [sighs] Honey, let's not. We're trying to save
on electricity. Please, Mom. It's Christmas. [sighs] All right, all right. Here. Mm. There, the lights are on now. Can you stop bugging me?
I have a lot to do. Wow. [Edwin coughs] -Sweetie.
-Dad! Josie... Josie, I'm here now. -Dad.
-May God have mercy on you. Honey. Riz. [Josie] I'm glad
you made it with us. I rushed my ride
so I could be with you for Noche Buena. Josie, I need to rest a bit.
I'm very tired. Wake me up at 12:00. Dad, we're going to church
before Noche Buena. Please come with us. Honey, I'm exhausted. I had a long day
from work, okay? Please, Dad. -Come on, I'll rest first.
-I've missed you so much. Stop being so stubborn, okay?
I told you I need to rest. [Edwin] So stubborn. Sorry, Dad. <i>I know now, my friends,</i>
<i>why we're always sleepless...</i> Bro, let's watch something else. I was here first. How's your studies? Karen. It's going well, Dad. -Rizzilyn.
-It's okay, Dad. -And you, Christian?
-I'm doing fine, Dad. I hope you're not goofing off and wasting what your mother
and I work hard for. Don't be like
some people out there who are lazy in school. They don't realize
how lucky they are to have parents who work hard
to send them to school. I'll look for a job now, Dad. Don't worry, if I get one,
I'll help with their education. I'll make it up to you. That's if someone offers you
a job with a decent salary. If only you had just finished
your studies, you could've had better
job opportunities. Merry Christmas! [Edwin] Apple. Merry Christmas. -Merry Christmas, Dad!
-Thank you, dear. -Merry Christmas, Mom!
-Thank you. Thank you. -Merry Christmas, sis!
-Thank you. -Merry Christmas, bro!
-Thank you. -Merry Christmas!
-Thank you. Merry Christmas, bro! [sighs] Oh, sweetie, we don't have a gift for you. It's all right, Mom. The important thing
is that we're all together this Christmas. Isn't it more important that
we're happy and together? Sis, can you pass the juice,
please? You can do it by yourself. Look. You can, right?
Here's your glass. I want you to get it for me. [hisses] You can do it! Look, it's so close to you.
I'm still eating. Come on, give it to her.
You're fighting over this. Come on. It's Christmas. Eat your food. [Charo]
<i>"There are moments like that</i> <i>when Apple lightens our spirits</i> <i>and reminds us</i>
<i>of what's important.</i> <i>But in the daily struggles</i>
<i>of life,</i> <i>those moments</i>
<i>are easily forgotten.</i> <i>When January came,</i> <i>my husband and I had</i>
<i>a new hope for our family.</i> I want to be
a sacristan like you. Only boys can be sacristans. No way!
My classmate is also sacristan. You thought
you could fool me, huh? Beh! Beh! -Uh, bro, can I come with you?
-Mom! -Mom!
-[Josie] What's wrong, dear? [Noel] Mom, I got the job! Thank God! Oh, son,
this will be a huge help. Hey, didn't I tell you
that you're not allowed here? Does mom know you're here? Go home! I can't watch over you. -[bell tolling]
-Come on, go home. Let's go. -Apple, you're here.
-Good morning. Are you going
to attend the mass? Father, can I become
a sacristan too? We already have enough
sacristans for now, Apple. But, you know, our church needs something else
more than sacristans. This church has been without
a choir for a long time. Can you help me find people
who can form a choir? Sure, Father!
I can help you with that! -Father Jess! Father Jess!
-Apple! Here's the choir
you were looking for! Do they all want to join? Are you all willing
to give your time to the church? -[children] Yes, Father.
-Oh, my. It turns out you're the solution
we've been waiting for to our problem. -Thank you very much.
-It's fine. <i>♪ You're my only... ♪</i> [Charo] <i>"My daughter</i>
<i>became active in the choir.</i> <i>I have to admit,</i>
<i>I was happier back then</i> <i>because it lessened her</i>
<i>constant nagging towards us.</i> <i>At that time,</i> <i>I also had too many things</i>
<i>to worry about.</i> <i>Especially sending my children</i>
<i>to college."</i> <i>♪ I want to see your... ♪</i> Apple, what are you doing?
You're too loud. You've been at it since earlier. Don't you like my voice? Your sister is right, Apple. Enough, we can't hear
each other anymore. I'm sure my boss won't lend me
any more money. I already borrowed once
for Rizzilyn's tuition. Uh, sweetie, I'll go to your school tomorrow. I'll ask if they can... allow me to pay your tuition
in installments just so you can take your exams. Oh, but, Mom,
I already did that. I asked them,
but they didn't agree. Dad, Mom, please let me work No. Your mother and I
will find a solution. Just focus on your studies. We'll take care of it. Don't worry, dear. When your brother comes back, he might have some money
to give, all right? What are you gonna do with that? I'll just give this to Daisy. You guys aren't
gonna eat it anyway. No. Put it back. We can still have it tomorrow.
We have nothing for dinner. Mom, what if Daisy
and her family have nothing to eat tonight? What about us? Have you ever thought that we might have nothing
to eat tomorrow? Give it back and don't you give
our food away! Our lives are already so hard, and you're still giving
things away? Are you serious? Put it back! I swear, this kid. [Edwin] Here, add this. [Edwin clears throat] Mom, Dad,
this is Ruby, my girlfriend. You guys already want
to get married? We're of the right age,
and Ruby and I love each other. [scoffs] Hold on, son.
Why are you in such a hurry? [Josie] Tell me the reason-- Mom, Ruby is not pregnant. Why were you all thinking that? Even her family says
the same thing. Because you're too hasty
with your decisions. Getting married is not a joke. Besides, when you get married,
what happens to your siblings? You promised them
that you'd help them with their education. I also have my own life. I've been helping them
for nearly two years now. You talk as if you've already
done so much for this family. I wouldn't be surprised, anyway. After all, you're not
really dependable! At least I'm still helping you. In fact,
it's not even my responsibility to help my siblings. It's your responsibility
because you're the parents. I never said
you should keep having children. -What are you trying to say?
-Stop it. -Are you showing off now?
-Enough already. -You have no respect!
-[Josie] That's enough! Talk to your son! I don't need your permission. We're getting married,
whether you like it or not. Let's go. [sighs] -Where are you going, bro?
-I don't know. I just don't want
to be here anymore. Why are you being
like this, bro? Mom and dad are being nice, and you're picking
a fight with them. You didn't even finish
your studies, and now you're leaving. Is that a good thing? You're our eldest brother. I hope you know how hard
mom and papa work for us. But you've just wasted it all. Come on, apologize
to mom and papa. Apologize to them. What are you doing?
You're so annoying! All right, you'll see. If you don't apologize to them,
your nose will get clogged up. [chuckles] -Dried fish again?
-[shushes] [shushes] Why, Rizzilyn? Do you think that
if I could afford a better meal, I wouldn't buy it for you? With all the problems
we have now, this is the best I can do. At least we still have this. Our food is yummy, especially when partners
with coffee, right? Isn't it? Mom, I'm sorry for what I said
to you and dad. I really love Ruby. I hope you'll allow me
to marry her. I'll still help
even if I'm already married. [Charo] <i>"I couldn't do anything</i>
<i>about what my eldest son wanted.</i> <i>They soon got married</i>
<i>to each other,</i> <i>and they had a child.</i> <i>They still live with us,</i>
<i>which made our family bigger,</i> <i>and our lives became</i>
<i>even harder.</i> Mom, do you have any
extra money? Jaja is out of milk. Didn't I just give you
some the other day? Yes, mom.
But we spend it already. You need to figure that out. Your mother is already
worried enough. She even used her savings
for Karen's project. [Edwin] You're both so stubborn. If only you had listened to me, not to get married
and had kids early, then we wouldn't be having
these problems. But I do have a job.
Not just a stable one. Then find a stable job. We already have so many
problems here, and you keep adding to them. Edwin. -Go to sleep.
-All right. -Mom...
-What is it? Here, mom. -Where did you get this?
-It's mine. Maybe it can help my brother. I'm going to bed now. There it is. Letter I. Twenty-one! -[man] Liwanag's age. Eighteen.
-[man 2] Wow! [Apple] No. Eight. Eight. [man] Eight! [Apple] See? It's eight! You just got lucky. It wasn't luck. It wasn't luck. -Here you go.
-It says eight. -Look, it's eight.
-Apple? [man] There's a three.
There's a three. Hey, there's a three. From gambling? That's why you keep asking
for money because you're gambling it away! Mom, I'm not a gambler. I'm just watching. I didn't raise you
to be a gambler! You're so such a stubborn kid! Mom, the money didn't really
come from gambling. I just wanted to help. Mrs. Josie,
what she's saying is true. We're not playing.
We're just watching. You too! You better go home!
Leave! Go home! I'd rather you not help
than do something wrong! I know we're not well-off, but it doesn't mean
we should do something wrong just to make money! That's why your father and I
work hard to send you to school,
so you don't end up like us, with this kind of life! Why don't you just invite
some of your relatives to take care
of your brother's kid? While my brother
is still recovering, I'll manage his shop
in the market. Think about it,
1,500 every two weeks. That will help us a lot
to pay off our debts. But that's far, Josie.
What about our children? I'm already gone most
of the time, and now you're leaving. Mom, please don't go. Sweetie, mom's just going
to save up some money. When I've saved enough for you, I'll come back. [Charo] <i>"I was separated</i>
<i>from my family for four months.</i> <i>Although it was difficult,</i> <i>I to endure it</i>
<i>because I thought I was doing it</i> <i>for their own sake."</i> [Josie] My nephew is so cute. [Charo] <i>"When I had already</i>
<i>saved some money,</i> <i>that's when I decided</i>
<i>to return home.</i> Edwin, are you still holding a grudge
against me until now? [Edwin clears throat] Why do you treat me
as if I did a big mistake? I just worked there.
And it was for us. That's exactly it. What impression do you want
to send to our children? To our neighbors? That you need to go that far
to support this family? That I can't provide
for all of you? That I'm useless? Is it more important
for you to care about what other people
would say? Edwin, what's important to me
is to feed our children. To provide them education! I don't care about
what others would say! There it is. You don't care. Then why don't you
just leave again. Why, Mom? Are you crying? No, sweetie. It's nothing.
Just leave me alone for now. Don't you want to see
the card I made for you? For sure,
you'll smile once you see it. Can you stop being so annoying? And stop giving me those cards! You're just wasting paper! It's not funny anymore! Bro, don't change the channel! -No, let's change it.
-I was here first. [Noel hisses]
You're so stubborn. No, bro! You're so stubborn.
I said I'm changing it. [grunts] What are you even watching? I was here first. I don't care.
Who's the eldest here? What's going on here? [Josie] Why is there
so much mess? I thought you were going
to clean up? Why is it so messy? It's Apple's fault, Mom. No, it's brother, Mom. I was just watching the TV. I came here first and he grabbed
the control from me. Stop it, both of you! I'm already so tired, and you're fighting
over something so trivial? And you, Apple,
why are you so stubborn? You keep teasing your siblings! They're older than you,
so you should listen to them! You always bring home
so much mess to this house! Throw this away!
I don't want to see that. I wasn't the one
who made a mess, Mom. It's not my fault. You're now answering me back! Even if you didn't
make the mess, you should still care
for this house! [crying] Why is it always me, Mom? Even if I haven't done
anything wrong, I'm always in the wrong! I follow all your orders, I do everything
to make you happy, to make you smile, but you never see any of it. Why? Don't you love me, Mom? Why can't you ask me
once how I'm doing? You can't even watch me sing
in church. Why is that, Mom? What did I do wrong? Why can't you love me? APPLE'S DEBT Here, Mom, drink this. Thank you. Mm. Apple, I'll do it. I'll help you, Mom. Sorry for taking my anger
out on you last night. You were the one I vented
my anger on. We just have so many problems,
that's why. It's okay, Mom. I understand. Anyway, I promise you
I'll finish my studies. Once I become a teacher, we'll be able to afford
the food we want. My sister won't complain
anymore, and dad and brother Noel won't fight anymore
because of money. And every Christmas, we'll be able to pay
the electricity bill! I want our house to be well-lit. We'll have so many
Christmas lights that it will be almost blinding. Oh, sweetie,
you have way too many plans. Anyway, one day
you'll have a lot of money because of me. All right, Mom,
I'm going to church. Why? Are you going to sing? Yes. There's a wedding later. All right,
I'll come to see you there. I'll watch you sing. Yay! Finally, you'll be able
to watch me sing! I love you, Mom! Okay, okay, you might be late. Why? I love you, Mom! Goodbye! <i>♪ You're my only ♪</i> <i>♪ Treasure ♪</i> <i>♪ That I can't fully ♪</i> <i>♪ Discover ♪</i> <i>♪ What you have created... ♪</i> Oops, I made a mistake. Sorry. I need to get everything right because my mom
will be watching later. One more time. <i>-♪ You're my only... ♪</i>
-[tricycle honk honks] <i>♪ My only treasure... ♪</i> Mrs. Josie! Mrs. Josie! It's Apple! My daughter... My daughter... [crying] Apple! Apple! Apple! What happened to her? -[screams] Apple!
-Apple! Apple! Josie! Apple! Let go of me! Josie, Josie, that's enough. -I want my daughter!
-Enough! No! I want my daughter! There's nothing more
we can do, Josie! [screaming] Apple! Josie, that's enough. Miss, how much is this dress? This one? It's 600.
But we have a cheaper one. This one is only 300,
and this one is 450. Mom, this one is okay. No, I'll take that one. Miss, we'll get it. I'll just get a bag. Mom, here's the plastic. [woman] Honey,
which doll do you want? This one. Miss! Miss! -[vendor] What do you want?
-[woman 2] How much is this? [vendor] It's only 100. [woman]
Every day, I always thought I'm getting old, that my life won't
last much longer. But she was right. Until now, I'm still alive, and she even got
there before me. I share my condolences with you. [girl]<i> Apple always defends me</i>
<i>from those who teases me.</i> <i>No one wants to be my friend,</i> <i>but not Apple,</i>
<i>she became my friend.</i> <i>She even bought me a hairpin.</i> [girl 2] <i>She always gives me</i>
<i>snacks at school.</i> <i>She knows that we often</i>
<i>don't have food to eat.</i> <i>She also frequently gives me</i>
<i>leftover food.</i> <i>Even when you used</i>
<i>to be mad at her,</i> <i>she didn't stop.</i> <i>She continued anyway.</i> [girl 3] <i>In the choir,</i> <i>she has one of the most</i>
<i>beautiful voices.</i> <i>She's extremely compassionate.</i> <i>She often gives us bread</i>
<i>whenever we have rehearsals.</i> [girl 4] <i>If it weren't for her,</i>
<i>we might be dead by now.</i> <i>Karen's condition</i>
<i>in the hospital</i> <i>might have been worse.</i> <i>She was the one</i>
<i>who saved us from danger.</i> <i>Apple is really kind.</i> <i>We're very thankful to Apple</i>
<i>for what she did for us.</i> [Jess] <i>She's the only child</i>
<i>who willingly cleans the church.</i> <i>She feels sorry</i>
<i>for our secretary,</i> <i>so she helps her</i>
<i>with the cleaning.</i> <i>That's why I sometimes I offer</i>
<i>to give her money.</i> <i>At first, she didn't want</i>
<i>to accept it,</i> <i>but whenever I remind her that</i>
<i>it can help you in some way,</i> <i>that's when she accepts it.</i> [Ed] This is the money
you've been giving me every day just to make me smile. I want to give it back to you
when the time is right. This is for you, Apple. Thank you very much. ["Tanging Yaman instrumental"
playing] [Christian] <i>If I had known</i>
<i>that Apple would be gone,</i> <i>I wish I had gone with her</i>
<i>to the church</i> <i>and not push her away.</i> [Noel] <i>I wish I had just let her</i>
<i>watch TV whenever she wanted.</i> [Rizzilyn] <i>I wish I had given in</i>
<i>to her simple request</i> <i>to pass her a drink.</i> <i>I would've let her cuddle me</i>
<i>every day if she wanted.</i> If I had known
it would turn out like this, I wish I had spent time with
her every time I came home instead of just sleeping. I should've made the most
out of the time I had with her. [Apple]
<i>Dear Mom, Happy birthday!</i> <i>I worked hard on this card</i>
<i>for you.</i> <i>But I'll just give it to you</i>
<i>when you're no longer mad.</i> <i>I love you, Mom.</i> <i>Dear Mom, Merry Christmas!</i> <i>I miss you so much.</i> <i>Mom, I wish you were here</i> <i>so I could kiss</i>
<i>and hug you again.</i> <i>I just want you to be here.</i> <i>I want us to be together</i>
<i>all the time.</i> <i>That's why I'm saving up</i> <i>so you won't have</i>
<i>to leave anymore.</i> <i>I love you, Mom.</i> <i>I'm saving this money</i>
<i>for mom and papa.</i> <i>So that they won't have</i>
<i>a hard time with our expenses.</i> [Charo] <i>"I felt like</i>
<i>I was going to die</i> <i>from the pain I feel</i>
<i>in my heart, Charo.</i> <i>How can I move on</i>
<i>without my daughter?"</i> I only saw these now. They're beautiful. People gave a total
of 121,000 pesos in donations. Every time she asked me
for a snack, every time she asked
me for money, I always got mad at her. But she kept a record of it. [voice breaks]
She said she'd pay me back. [sighs] Now she has paid us back
more than enough. To me. Many people said that Apple was a very good child. Kind, happy, and generous. But why am I, her own mother, was unable to see that? [crying] So many thoughts are racing
through my mind right now. Why is our child like that? I don't know. Because I, her own mother,
don't even recognize her. Losing a child is very painful. But what's even more painful is that she left
without me even knowing her. Now that she's gone, I can't answer the questions about my daughter
that I have for myself. I never really knew her. And I didn't reciprocate
her goodness. [crying continues] [girl]<i> Dear Apple,</i>
<i>We have a card making project.</i> <i>We missed how you always</i> <i>be the first one</i>
<i>to make those cards.</i> <i>So, we're making them</i>
<i>for you now.</i> [girl 2] <i>Dear Apple,</i> <i>We never got to say thank you</i> <i>for being a good classmate</i>
<i>and friend,</i> <i>so we'll write to you every day</i> <i>to fill the heavens</i>
<i>with thank-yous.</i> <i>We love you, Apple.</i> [girl 3] <i>Dear Apple,</i> <i>thank you for all the memories</i>
<i>you left with us.</i> <i>We will never forget you.</i> <i>Thank you for all the smiles</i>
<i>and laughter you shared with us.</i> <i>We miss you.</i> [girl 4] <i>Dear Apple,</i> <i>we know you're happy up there</i>
<i>in heaven with God.</i> <i>Even though your loss</i>
<i>was painful to us,</i> <i>we've accepted it</i> <i>because you left</i>
<i>so many happy memories behind.</i> <i>Thank you so much.</i> [Christian] Good morning, Mom. [Charo] <i>"As we lose Apple,</i> <i>we learned</i>
<i>to cherish every moment</i> <i>we have together.</i> <i>Even now, with my children</i>
<i>having their own families,</i> <i>we never forget to come together</i> <i>and express our love</i>
<i>for each other.</i> <i>Through that,</i> <i>we keep Apple's memory alive.</i> <i>With the utmost respect, Josie."</i> Good morning! You're working hard. Of course.
Sweeping is good exercise. Josie, let us carry
that for you. Thank you. There's Josie, Apple's mother. -[Ed] Good morning, Josie.
-Good morning to you. The morning is beautiful. A bit gloomy, but it won't rain. -All right then.
-[woman] All right. [Charo] Dealing with life's
daily challenges can be draining on our time,
strength, and patience. But let's not forget
to make room for the people who matter to us. A kiss, a smile, or a small compliment
may seem insignificant, but they hold immense value
in the hearts of those we love. This is Charo Santos
reminding you that life is short. So, let's make
the most out of it. Good evening, Kapamilya.
