October 10, 2025 | 10:46am
MANILA, Philippines — The cast of upcoming drama feature “Meet, Greet & Bye” did not hide their emotions upon seeing the film’s full trailer.
The movie’s stars Maricel Soriano, Piolo Pascual, Juan Karlos and Belle Mariano all attended a grand media conference for the project which Piolo admitted they were all emotional about.
“Pasensya na, napaka-emotional namin sa pelikula. It was really hard to do because I don’t wanna say personally, but it really hits home, especially for Filipino families,” Piolo said.
“It’s something that we have to face inevitably, ang sakit sa puso. When we were doing the film, pinipigilan kami ni Direk [Cathy Garcia-Sampana] kasi bawal kaming umiyak. We were full of emotions, but we couldn’t show it as much,” he added.
Entertainment journalist MJ Felipe, who was hosting the event, then asked the cast how would they react if faced with the death of a parent.
Belle began with uncertainty, thinking her character Geri would handle the situation better.
“Ang strong, strong ng characters namin kasi just to go through that and face it, I don’t know how I’ll face it. Only time will tell if I’m in that situation,” Belle continued. “Siguro, I’ll do my best to be strong not only for me, but also for my mama.”
Related: Piolo Pascual, Maricel Soriano headline ‘Meet, Greet &Bye’ from Cathy Garcia-Sampana
The questions hits closer to home for Piolo and JK, who both their parents at an early age.
“I was 12. And I did not know what to do. And it’s okay. It’s okay to not know what to do,” JK responded. “There’s no right or wrong answer. We all go through these situations differently. We grieve differently. But at the very end of it, just remember that you’re never alone.”
Piolo meanwhile was 16 when he lost his dad, and he too was unable to process it at the time. Even now he finds it difficult should that situation happen again because one is just never ready.
“But you have to show up not just for yourself but also for your loved ones, especially your mom. No one is prepared for that. Kailangan mong magpakita ng kalakasan kahit masakit,” Piolo said.
A family’s story of love, laughter, togetherness, and pain is poised to captivate audiences and tug hearts in the upcoming film “Meet, Greet & Bye” beginning November 12.
The film follows the heartwarming journey of the Facundo family led by Mama Baby (Maricel), who is diagnosed with cancer but refuses to undergo chemotherapy after losing hope of getting better.
Her four children, Tupe (Piolo), Brad (Joshua), Leo (JK), and Geri (Belle) try to find and push for alternative treatment before time runs out for Mama Baby.
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