When Narcing brings home his wife Puring to their hometown Mulawin in the 1930s, it sets off a series of events that include parricide, infidelity, betrayal, guilt and redemption.

1979 film

Middle class school girl Bona (Nora Aunor) skips class to hang around the sets of bit actor Gardo (Philip Salvador). When her father attempts to beat some sense into her, Bona moves into Gardo’s shack in the slums, delighted to play house–only to find herself not the wife, but the maid.

In 1985, in the obscure town of Dolores, the Orapronobis, a cult under the leadership of Kumander Kontra (Roco), murders a foreign priest who gave the last rites to an alleged rebel, who was also executed by the same group. At the success of the 1986 EDSA revolt, political detainees, led by Jimmy Cordero (Salvador), celebrate the fall of the dictatorship. All political prisoners are released, including Jimmy, an ex-priest-turned-underground revolutionary. Not long, after, Jimmy marries a human rights activities, Trixie (Bonnevie). Jimmy becomes an advocate of human rights. Despite Trixies protests, Jimmy and Trixies brother, Roland (Lorenzo), go with a fact-finding mission to Dolores to investigate the latest crime committed by the Orapronobis. Jimmy meets Esper (Alajar), his ex-girlfriend. He finds out that he has a son with her, Camilo (Herrera). They agree to keep Jimmys true identity a secret form the boy. Conniving with the military, the Orapronobis step up their acts of terror.
Jimmys group is forced to evacuate the townspeople to the town church, then later to Manila. Back in Manila, Jimmy turns down a friends invitation to rejoin the underground movement. Later, he and Roland are ambushed. Jimmy survives, but Roland does not. He recovers and shortly after that, Trixie gives birth to their child. Soldiers raid the refugee center with a masked man who identifies several of the barrio folk as rebels. The refugees and the human rights activists complain to the government. Esper and her son are abducted by the Orapronobis who accuse Esper of helping the rebels. She is raped and beaten up by Kumander Kontra in front of Camilo. Fighting back, she shoots at Kontra. In a hysterical rage, Kontra goes on a shooting rampage, killing Esper, Camilo and the captured barrio men. Later, the military bring the casualties to the town where Jimmy weeps over the bodies of Esper and his son. The film ends with Jimmy contacting his old colleague from the underground.

Arturo and his wife, Luz Manalastas, both work in a printing press. After Luz becomes pregnant, Arturo ("Turing") is forced to ask for a raise. When he does so, his boss asks him to sign a waiver stating that he is not part of any Labor Union. Soon after, his friends inform him that they are starting a labor union and that they are inviting him to join them. Because of the waiver, he cannot. He is branded by his mates as a traitor, and is treated badly by them. Soon after, the printing press is closed down, and the hospital where Luz is confined will not let Luz go until Turing comes up with the money to pay them. This leads Turing to pursue a life of crime.