Santa Mesa

Following the sudden death of his mother, 12-year-old Hector arrives in Manila to live with his grandmother, Lita, a woman he has never met.  Experiencing culture shock and isolation, Hector befriends Sel, a neighborhood girl and Miguel, a petty hustler. Falling in with the local street gang, things go terribly wrong during his gang initiation when he is caught breaking into the home of 60 year old Jose. Instead of turning Hector in, Jose challenges the boy to change his life, eventually becoming his mentor. Opening up a new world, with new challenges and ultimately exposing long forgotten secrets.