Love, Ngo
| Love, Ngo | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Darryl Yap |
| Written by | Darryl Yap |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Edited by | Vincent Asis |
| Music by | Joshua Felinciano |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Viva Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 83 minutes[1] |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | Filipino |
Love, Ngo (sometimes stylized as Love, NGO) is a 2026 Philippine comedy film directed by Darryl Yap under Viva Films. The film centers around Ngongo a man with a cleft palate played by Jerald Napoles.
Premise
Set before the events of Ang Babaeng Walang Pakiramdam, Ngongo is a hardworking man with a cleft palate who helps run his mother's burger stand. Ngo also deals with daily life and society with his friends who shares similar conditions. He volunteers at the Kanguso Foundation, a charity organization for people like himself and meets Scarlet. Ngo and Scarlet falls for each other. However Scarlet's family opposes the relationship due to Ngo's condition and social status.[2]
Cast
- Jerald Napoles as Ngongo, a hardworking man with a cleft palate who helps runs his mother's burger stand.[3] He also works as a volunteer at Kanguso Foundation, which aids people with cleft palate.[4] The character was first introduced in the 2021 film Ang Babaeng Walang Pakiramdam[5] Napoles stated he went all-in with the portrayal for Ngongo, believing being too cautious would result to a half-bake performance.[3]
- Candy Pangilinan as Queen
- Gina Alajar as Ngongo's mother[6]
- Malupiton, a member of Ngo's friend group.[6]
- Tata Daclan, a member of Ngo's friend group.[6] An actor with a cleft palate in real life, this is his debut film.[7]
- Jobelyn Manuel, a member of Ngo's friend group.[6]
- Jack Argota, a member of Ngo's friend group.[6]
Production
Love, Ngo is a prequel of the 2021 film Ang Babaeng Walang Pakiramdam and focuses on Ngongo, a character with a cleft lip. Love, Ngo was directed by Darryl Yap under Viva Films.[8][9][10][11] Yap has already anticipated controversy considering the approach to use comedy to depict a film centering on characters with disabilities. He has made people with actual cleft lips as part of the cast in a bid to ground the film.[11] Subtitles were also included for the film. The production team describes the execution as "verbatim" and deliberately avoided correcting the dialogue of the characters with cleft palate.[12]
Marketing
When the film was still known by the name, Ngongo after the titular character. Promotional materials distributed in late 2025 received concerns and backlash. The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) released a statement calling the film's then title and promotional materials as appearing "to make use of derogatory and discriminatory language" and that maintained a position that disability should not be "exploited for entertainment value or comedic effect".[13]
Release
Love, Ngo premiered in cinemas in the Philippines on June 3, 2026.[14][15] The film was approved for release a month prior by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) after a "meticulous review" which had NCDA officials as part of the process in light of the film's controversy.[8]
References
- ↑ "Love, Ngo". SM Cinema. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Hit Filipino comedy-drama 'Love, Ngo' set to reach UAE cinemas soon". The Global Filipino Magazine. June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Fernando, Jefferson (May 8, 2026). "Jerald Napoles defends viral 'ngongo' role turned big-screen love story". Daily Tribune. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- ↑ Asis, Eugene (June 5, 2026). "Jerald, Direk Darryl sinalag ang mga kritisismo sa pelikula". Journal News (in Filipino). Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- ↑ Gabinete, Jojo (April 28, 2026). "Ngongo role ni Jerald Napoles, nagbabalik sa bagong pelikula" [Ngongo role of Jerald Napoles, returns in new movie]. PEP.ph (in Filipino). Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Jerald Napoles pang-best actor sa 'Love, Ngo'; Malupiton agaw-eksena!" [Jerald Napoles best actor worthy performance in 'Love, Ngo'; Malupiton steels the spotlight!]. Bandera (in Filipino). Philippine Daily Inquirer. June 4, 2026. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- ↑ Laurena, Adam (May 8, 2026). "Jerald Napoles, ibinahagi ang natutunan sa pagganap bilang taong may cleft palate". Pikapika. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Valderrama, Evangeline (May 28, 2026). "MTRCB OKs Darryl Yap's movie 'Love, NGO' after review with NCDA". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Mayo, Stephanie (June 3, 2026). "Darryl Yap breaks silence on 'Love, NGO' backlash: 'Pagsalitain n'yo muna'". Daily Tribune. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ "'Love, Ngo' ni Jerald Napoles hindi pambabastos sa mga may cleft palate". Bandera. Philippine Daily Inquirer. May 12, 2026. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- 1 2 "Darryl Yap, Jerald Napoles explain the heart behind 'Love, Ngo'". Tempo. May 9, 2026. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Iglesias, Iza (May 16, 2026). "'Love, Ngo' aims to uplift people with cleft palate". The Manila Times. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
- ↑ Evangelista, Jessica Ann (November 26, 2025). "Gov't body condemns Darryl Yap's film 'Ngongo' over 'derogatory' portrayal of PWDs". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Cerezo, Anna (May 9, 2026). "Actors with cleft palates say 'Love, Ngo' made them feel seen". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Evangelista, Jessica Ann (June 3, 2026). "Kim Molina in full support of Jerald Napoles at 'Love Ngo' premiere despite criticism". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 8, 2026.