Alone/Together 2019

Christine “Tin” Lazaro, Liza Soberano, is a UP Art Studies major and a dedicated volunteer tour guide who leads students through the National Museum of the Philippines. While guiding, she meets Rafael “Raf” Toledo, Enrique Gil, a medical student and devoted Eraserheads fan. Their conversation quickly centers on the museum’s centerpiece, Juan Luna’s Spoliarium, a painting Raf adores and that even inspires his favorite song. What starts as a lively debate soon blooms into a romance as they explore their shared love of art, while each harbors big dreams: Raf aims to become a doctor, and Tin longs to someday steer a museum and to travel to New York to visit world-renowned institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Yet their happiness is shaken when Tin becomes entangled in a money scandal at work. She is rescued, emotionally and professionally, by Gregory “Greg” Fausto, Adrian Alandy, a coworker who cares for her. The relationship falters when Raf struggles to graduate again, and though Raf proposes to Tin to keep her in his life, Tin rejects him and ends their relationship.

Five years pass. Tin, now with Greg, attends an awards ceremony where she unexpectedly encounters Raf again—now a practicing doctor and an award recipient. Raf patiently waits in the hallway after Tin’s visit to the bathroom, hoping to spark a conversation and perhaps restart what they once had. When they reconnect, Raf introduces Tin to Aly, a fellow doctor and his current girlfriend, a moment that adds complexity to Tin’s choices.

Tin and Raf decide to visit the National Museum together, and Tin opens up about her recent life: this would be her first time back in a museum since the scandal, and she admits that she’s been aiming for a chance to work in the field she loves, possibly even a move to New York. Raf supports her, and the couple imagines a future where their careers—and their feelings—could intertwine again. Raf also reveals that Aly is no longer a central part of his life, and the two share a powerful, if bittersweet, moment as they reflect on past mistakes and what they mean for their futures.

As Tin travels to New York for a work opportunity, she applies herself with determination, visits the Met, and reconnects with the world of art on a personal and professional level. Unbeknownst to her, Raf has bought a ticket to join her in New York, hoping to rekindle what they once shared. In a moment of chance, Tin meets Alex, a Filipino US-based car dealer and former artist, and they discuss Alex’s artworks—a reminder of how art can cross paths with different lives. After a museum visit, Tin collects copies of interest forms as keepsakes and rests in a park, where Raf conveys that he has left Aly and wants to marry Tin. Torn between doing what’s right for those around her and following her heart, Tin declines his proposal, telling him that a marriage to him would hurt Greg and Aisha, Greg’s daughter.

Returning to the Philippines, Tin confronts the truth—that she isn’t happy in her current life—and she ends things with Greg. She seeks Raf again, only to learn that Aly is pregnant with Raf’s child. Feeling adrift but not defeated, Tin seeks guidance from her alma mater and sits in on a class taught by her favorite professor, Sir Alwyn. Nonie Buencamino, who plays Sir Alwyn, helps her reframe her ambitions and rebuild her life. After a string of unsuccessful interviews, Tin finally lands a job in a museum, a milestone that feels earned through honesty and resilience.

Tin’s renewed sense of purpose leads her back to Raf, where she apologizes for her past behavior and he admits he has also found himself estranged from Aly. Before their conversation can progress further, Raf is called away, but Tin remains hopeful and tells him that she still loves him. She continues to shape her life around what she is most passionate about, and she returns to the National Museum for an awards ceremony honoring emerging local artists, including Alex. During the ceremony, Alex acknowledges Tin’s influence and invites her to a stage moment that reinforces her commitment to art as a force for the people it serves. They share a sincere hug, and as Tin departs the museum, she finds Raf waiting outside. The two share a tender, tearful embrace, and the film closes with Tin and Raf meeting again—this time with Raf’s son nearby—while they gaze at the Spoliarium, a symbol of art, memory, and unresolved possibilities.