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Mila
Mila
Directed by	Joel C. Lamangan
Screenplay by	Ricky Lee
Based on	The life story of Anita Pamintuan.
Produced by	Charo Santos-Concio; Malou N. Santos; Elma S. Medua;
Starring	Maricel Soriano
Cinematography	Monino Duque
Edited by	Tara Illenberger
Music by	Jessie Lasaten
Production; company	Star Cinema
Distributed by	Star Cinema
Release date	June 27, 2001;
Running time	116 minutes
Country	Philippines
Language	Filipino

Mila is a 2001 Filipino drama film directed by Joel C. Lamangan from a screenplay written by Ricky Lee, based on the life story of Anita Pamintuan.^[1] Starring Maricel Soriano in the title role, the film revolves around a public school teacher who joined a strike where she and her fellow educators demanded the government increase their wages and benefits. It co-stars Piolo Pascual, Princess Punzalan, Cherry Pie Picache, Kaye Abad, Serena Dalrymple, Jiro Manio and Angelica Panganiban.

Produced and distributed by Star Cinema, it was theatrically released on June 27, 2001, as part of the film studio's 8th anniversary offering.^[1]

Plot

Set during the administration of Corazon C. Aquino, Mila Cabangon is a public school teacher who deeply loves and cares for her students despite living with her abusive and good-for-nothing husband whom she later leaves him. One day, she and her fellow teachers went on strike after attending a meeting of the teachers' group.

Cast and characters

Maricel Soriano as Mila Cabangon
Piolo Pascual as Primo
Princess Punzalan as Linda
Cherry Pie Picache as Rona
Kaye Abad as Winona
Serena Dalrymple as Jenny, a student who has been in the third grade for two years
Jiro Manio as Peklat
Angelica Panganiban as Leni
Luis Alandy as Ruel
Nonie Buencamino as Nato, Mila's abusive and gambling-addicted husband
Eva Darren as Mila's mother
B.J. De Jesus as Boyet
Kathleen Hermosa as Teresa
Mel Kimura as Lucille
Alfred Labatos as Momoy
Don Laurel as Ronnel
Tony Mabesa as Mr. De Castro
Mario Magallona as Rambo
Bea Nicolas as Belay
Tom Olivar as Torres
Jim Pebanco as Noli Malvar
Caridad Sanchez as Mrs. Pangan
Berting Labra as Uncle Dodoy, Mila's uncle
Soliman Cruz as Kalbo
Florencio A. Pili as Mila's co-teacher

Cameo

Noel Cabangon as himself

Production

Development

The film was based on the life of Anita Pamintuan, a public elementary school teacher who died in 1990 following her involvement in a hunger strike organized by teachers' groups.^[1] Ricky Lee, who previously collaborated with director Joel Lamangan in films including Himala (1982), Pangako ng Kahapon (1994), and The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), conducted research about her after he was lingered from seeing a photo of her lifeless body at a newspaper and eventually, made into a screenplay.^[2] Lee originally pitched the screenplay to various film producers in 1992 and Nora Aunor considering for the role but it never realized.^[2] Finally, after years of being part of Lee's unproduced works, Star Cinema, which received box-office successes in the past year, gave a green light to the project.^[2]

MTRCB rating controversy

Despite the film having no "adult-aimed" themes, it was almost given an R-18 rating by the MTRCB due to the two uses of severe profane words uttered by the characters of Maricel Soriano and Cherry Pie Picache. Joel Lamangan, the film's director, criticized the censor board and blamed them as the "destroyer of the Philippine film industry" after MTRCB chair Anding Roces gave the said rating to the film. The censor board finally gave the film a PG-13 rating instead of R-18 to settle the issue.^[3]

Marketing

As part of the film's release, Star Cinema launched a nationwide essay-writing contest named "Sino ang Mila sa Buhay Ko – The Greatest Teacher In My Life", where participants would create an essay about their Mila on their lives. The panelists for the contest were the film's screenwriter Ricky Lee; singer and youth role model Cris Villonco; Etta Rosales, the representative of Akbayan party-list; Benilda Santos, the chairperson of Ateneo de Manila University - Filipino Department; and Tammy Bejerano, the senior creative manager of the film studio.^[4]

Release

The film was first premiered in the Philippines on June 26, 2001, at SM Megamall and a general release on the following day.^[5] It had a Philippine television premiere on Cinema One and a world premiere on Cinemax.