The Better Half

A slice of daily life in the slums of the Philippines. Gina, a poor but honest young girl sells banana slices. She lives with her grandmother and her younger brother and sister, her father being in jail. Nonoy, a water boy, delivers water up six floors to the rich Mrs. Alano. Nonoy is in love with Gina, but she desires her classmate, Jimboy, a handsome flirt, who is the son of Mrs. Alano.

When Mike's father died, it was a surprise to find out that not only did he leave a family in trouble, he also was having an affair with a former student. Knowing more about her is the surprise of falling for her.

Three advertising executives are doomed to perpetually look for the right man. Tates, Katie and Sonia are all are stuck in a rut with love, sex and marriage. Tates will do whatever it takes to just to have the man she wants even if he is tangled in a messy annulment case and even if it takes her to shed a lot of money to have him. Katie found her love story with a macho dancer but is scared to let her friends know because of his unconventional job. So she tries to give him a more decent look for her friends to see. She also finds bodily insecurities because of her chubby physique. Sonia is the two-timing chick that finds her self pregnant while being with two men. She is in-love with a painter but finds more security with a rich man. Despite her strong feelings for the former, she chooses to be with the latter in order to provide better for her and her child.

Middle-aged Manila storeowner Amelita supplements her tiny income by collecting bets for the popular numbers game of jueteng. While looking out for police crackdowns, the masterfully persuasive Amelita cajoles all comers into placing wagers.

Jerry is a wide-awake tourist guide in Cebu who knows all the angles, and who has supported his divorced mother and younger brother and sister since their musician father deserted the family for a younger woman. Jerry guides tour buses, taking the mostly Japanese tourists boating, golfing and to strip shows. Jerry also acts as a pimp, and even prostitutes himself. As the breadwinner he makes sacrifices for his family but wields control over his siblings and mother in return

Cynthia, a hopeful young woman filled with dreams and love for the people around her. Currently working as a nurse to sustain the needs of her poor but happy family, she has not given up on her greatest dream: to rebuild their family panaderia burnt to ashes in a fire incident years ago. In an unfortunate event, Cynthia is suddenly laid off from her job. This leads her to take on a new gig, a homecare nurse for a grumpy old lady. As she navigates a new job, challenges come along the way. Confused, Cynthia finds support from her family and a stranger named Franco.

A socio-realist drama-comedy film, it follows a seemingly usual day in the life of LOIDA MALABANAN (Vilma Santos) as she embarks on yet another shooting day of a soap opera as an extra. As the shoot goes on, we get a glimpse of the truth in the ruling system of the production as well as the exploitation of the marginalized laborers like her.

The eve of Christmas, the Aguinaldo family’s residence is burglarized, causing its members to identify stolen items and uncover lingering sentiments they have hidden from each other. Amidst the tension brought about by the burglary, the Aguinaldo family realizes how treasured sentiments have been lost, relationships have evolved as they arrive from church at a house in shambles.

A mother and her daughter—who are both victims of incest-rape perpetrated by the same man now languishing in jail—are approached by a couple of filmmakers with an offer to produce a movie based on the two women’s true story. They hesitate on the idea at first but agree eventually for the sum of money they will be paid in exchange for selling the rights to the material. When the finished film is finally shown in theaters, they proceed to the city all the way from their hometown to catch the screening. They are elated at the prospect of seeing the larger-than-life versions of themselves. But as the motion picture gradually unfolds before their very eyes, they instead go through another harrowing experience of a lifetime.

Far from being a senseless parade of beautiful bodies, "Bikini Open," is a satire on the current state of broadcast journalism in the country. That does not mean there won't be hot bodies in sexy swimwear.