MANILA, Philippines — “Call Me Mother,” starring Vice Ganda, Nadine Lustre and child actor Lucas Andalio, emerged as the clear box-office leader on the opening day of the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), based on revenue estimates from cinema industry sources.
The MMFF traditionally withholds official box-office figures during the festival’s opening days, and no formal numbers were released for Dec. 25, Christmas Day. However, monitoring of the eight official entries showed a decisive lead for the Jun Robles Lana-directed film.
According to Pep.ph, as of 1 p.m. on Dec. 26, the opening-day earnings of “Call Me Mother” reached at about P49 million, accounting for roughly half of the total revenue generated by all MMFF entries on their first day.
A wide gap separated the top film from the rest of the field. Ranking second was “Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins,” which reportedly earned less than one-third of the top film’s gross, estimated at around P16 million.
Third place went to “UnMarry,” starring Angelica Panganiban and Zanjoe Marudo. While trailing the top two, the film recorded solid attendance, with reports of sold-out evening screenings across multiple theaters.
Fourth on the list was “Bar Boys: After School.” Theatergoers noted group audiences choosing the film, while 901 Studios announced an increase in the number of cinemas screening the movie starring Carlo Aquino, Rocco Nacino, Enzo Pineda, Kean Cipriano, Will Ashley and Odette Khan.
Fifth place went to the romantic drama “Love You So Bad,” led by Will Ashley, Bianca de Vera and Dustin Yu.
“I’m Perfect,” featuring Earl Amaba and Krystel Go, both actors with Down syndrome, ranked sixth.
“Manila’s Finest,” starring Piolo Pascual and Enrique Gil, placed seventh, while “Rekonek,” with a cast that includes Gerald Anderson, members of the Legaspi family, Bela Padilla, Andrea Brillantes and Gloria Diaz, ranked eighth.
Combined, the eight MMFF entries generated an estimated P98 million on opening day, with approximately P49 million coming from “Call Me Mother” and the remaining P49 million divided among the other seven films.
Vice Ganda thanked moviegoers in a social media post late Christmas night after visiting several cinemas.
“Thank you so, so much, Madlang People!!!! We just finished going around the cinemas. Every time I get back into the car, there’s always a moment when I just pause and space out. The love you’ve shown me is incredible. I truly feel it. I’m overwhelmed. Thank you so much!,” he wrote.
The 51st MMFF Gabi ng Parangal is scheduled tonight, Dec. 27, at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City. The ceremony will be livestreamed beginning at 8 p.m. on TV5’s Facebook page.
Meanwhile, prior to the festival, organizers held the MMFF Golf Tournament, where one participant won a brand-new car from Geely Philippines.
Proceeds from the festival support key industry beneficiaries, including the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation, the Film Academy of the Philippines, the Motion Picture Anti-Film Piracy Council, the Optical Media Board and the Film Development Council of the Philippines.
Source: Vice Ganda, Nadine Lustre’s ‘Call Me Mother’ dominates MMFF 2025 opening-day box office
