Hating Kapatid or How Siblings Divide the Loot.

LEFT - With bro and his sons.

BELOW - Pink flamingos at the San Diego Sea World.  

I have seen so many Tagalog movies since I arrived in P.I. last April than I have seen from the 70's and 80's combined. This would include some Tagalog movies accidentally seen at a Cable channel. This is a record.

The last Tagalog movie I saw in the big screen was "Hating Kapatid."  It starred Judy Ann Santos and Sarah Geronimo, both of whom I've seen only this time.

It was supposed to be a funny movie.  It had some good laughs, yes, but for a comedy, I liked "Here Comes the Bride," better.

"Here Comes the Bride," was an original concept. Acting was tops.  "Hating Kapatid," had to use and insert lines which were irrelevant to the movie, such as when Judy Ann asked an MLRT rider which deodorant he was using.  "Manong, ang deodorant n'yo ho ba ay Seven Dwarfs, paki-check nga ho kasi parang may namatay ng isa."  And this movie didn't hesitate, at all, to endorse products throughout the film.  

"Hating Kapatid," from last counting, was a hit movie.

In big families, the "hating kapatid," concept always comes into play.  But while, growing up with six siblings and one cousin, "hating kapatid," was rarely heard during our dinners, in sharing gifts and partaking of "pasalubong." 

Our eldest always got a sunny side up (over easy) egg for breakfast while the rest of us enjoyed "tortang itlog."  The eldest always had a bottle of coke, while the mid-ones (my other sister and me) had Sarsi.  The "Ate" always got ahead reading comic books, while the mid-ones waited in line. She had a beauty soap called Heno de Pravia, while us had the family soap, Palmolive.

In terms of household chores, "hating kapatid," didn't work out as well in our family. During summer breaks,  "Ate," did the general clean up - including cleaning the "kisame" of spider webs.  The second one was tasked with occasional cooking, the third helped in doing the laundry, the fourth and me, alternated doing the evening dinner dishes, while the two youngest didn't do anything.  My cousin had to sweep the floor, but she got up from bed at almost noon.  So, the real tasks were done by the help, if there was one, and by my two aunts. A "planchadora," was a constant figure in our house. 

Although seemingly lopsided, there was never competition among us siblings, and we fully respected sibling rank even as grown ups.

"Hating Kapatid," is a good Pinoy concept to follow through, especially if there's an estate left by dead parents. Nowadays, it is so common to hear about siblings who fight over family inheritance.