I first met Lilian in 2007 when we did the documentary “Sa Mata ni Ekang”


Lilian was just two years old at that time. Her mother was a drug pusher, her father was a snatcher and her grandmother, a pimp.   She grew up in a very harsh environment. In 2017, at the height of the government’s drug war, Lilian’s mother was shot inside their home. This traumatic incident did not break Lilian’s character, instead, she used this as a motivation to achieve her dreams. She studied harder than anyone else and vowed to change her family’s path. Lilian has left their house in Metro Manila and now lives with some relatives in Cavite. Her life is featured in the Iwitness documentary: “Sa Mata ng Bata”