Malen (Angelica Panganiban) is the daughter of Chayong (Hilda Koronel), a widowed intercessor at Quiapo Church in Manila.[1] Selling religious charms as a way of meeting men, Malen falls for Mike (Jericho Rosales), a gigolo and hustler.[2] Mike hustles both for his own survival and that of his son, but also because “he knows essentially he’s just strong enough and unscrupulous enough” to do so.[3] After her mother takes umbrage at Malen’s assumed promiscuity, she moves out of Chayong’s house and stays with Mike. When her mother then dies of a heart attack, Malen feels guilt and becomes an intercessor despite having previously sworn the profession off.[1] Initially met with mistrust by her colleagues, one of whom exclaims that “She is defiling prayer”, Malen heals a child with a hole in its heart through her prayers,[2] despite not even praying seriously.[3] This meets with additional hostility, both from the other intercessors and the clergy,[4] and when Malen dreams of having stigmata, she is forced to confront the evil within her life, something which comes to a climax when she is asked to heal Mike’s dead son.[5] A side plot involves Father Tony (Johnny Delgado), an alcoholic priest who lives with Mike. Initially his drinking partner, Mike begins to taunt and tempt the priest as the film goes on.