Another Star Cinema releases this September is a Marilou Diaz Abaya Film! “Ikaw Ang Pag-ibig” an upcoming movie, which is a tribute to the 300th anniversary celebration of the Philippine’s devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia of Bicol province.

It is topbilled by Jomari Yllana, Ina Feleo, and Marvin Agustin. “It depicts the story of love between girlfriend-boyfriend, husband and wife, love of parents and how these different kinds of love are ultimately put to the test whether through illness or betrayal.” said its director, Marilou Diaz-Abaya. It is a joint project of Marilou Diaz-Abaya Film Institute and Arts Center and Star Cinema.

“Ikaw ang Pag-ibig” is Marilou’s comeback after several years during which she courageously battled cancer. She is now in remission, and like her, Archbishop Legaspi is also a cancer survivor, she said. There had been many plans in the past to film a story relevant to the devotion accorded to Our Lady of Peñafrancia but they all failed to materialize, until Marilou made it her personal mission. She believes it was her devotion to Ina that cured her of cancer.

There’s also an ongoing screening for students from different schools organized by Star Cinema. Marilou profusely thanked them all in her articulate, emotional, witty, and humorous way. Among the casts are Jomari Yllana as the OB-Gyne Joey, and Ina Feleo as Vangie, an editor by profession who wasn’t keen about marriage. Jom and Ina, both award-winning actors, were the ideal choices to play the lead characters, although at first Ryan Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos were invited to play Joey and Vangie.

Marvin Agustin plays the devoted priest Johnny (Marilou named the character after the late Johnny Delgado, Ina’s father and Laurice Guillen’s husband) who gets afflicted with leukemia but whose illness brings back together his family – his younger sister Vangie, and his estranged parents played by Nonie Buencamino and Shamaine Buencamino.

IKAW ANG PAG-IBIG opens September 14, 2011