Howie Severino on Saturday takes viewers to the faraway tribal community floating on the crocodile waters of the Agusan River to meet its uncommon member.
She is called Bulaw, a 13-year-old albino girl who evokes mystery and even awe in her Manobo community. Some think she is a diwata or a child of the sun.
But she just wants to be a normal teen-age girl in a culture that believes in rituals and magic.
The modern world is butting into this enclosed community. The first computers have arrived in the school, opening up fresh vistas of knowledge that may soon include the revelation that Bulaw's condition has more to do with a medical condition than with magic. She is actually the president of her class and has the typical worldly ambitions of a promising student.
On the eve of Bulaw's 13th birthday is a bizarre competition among the girls around her age in the community. Bulaw has a role too, but it is different from the other girls'.
It's a warning of the dangers facing their ancient tribe, and at the same time a ray of hope that new knowledge and values can save it.
Join Howie Severino as he meets “Bulaw” this Saturday in I-Witness, after To The Top on GMA 7.