Father and Mother tearfully left Pedro and Maria in the forest, unable to feed their family anymore. Pedro, being clever, had dropped pandesal crumbs along the path to find their way home. 'Don't worry, Maria,' Pedro comforted his sister as darkness fell around them. But when they tried to follow the trail, they discovered birds had eaten all the breadcrumbs.

Lost in the Forest

Hungry and lost, the siblings stumbled upon a house made entirely of Filipino delicacies. 'Look, the walls are bibingka and the roof is made of puto!' Maria exclaimed excitedly. Mamang Margarita, an elderly woman with long gray hair, invited them inside with a suspicious smile. The children, too hungry to resist, followed her into the sweet-smelling home.

The Delicious House

Pedro soon realized Mamang Margarita was a mangkukulam who planned to cook them for dinner. Quick-thinking Maria tricked the witch into showing how to check if the pot was hot enough. When Mamang Margarita peered into the boiling pot, Maria pushed her in. The children fled into the forest where they met Tito, who apologized for his sister's wickedness.

Outsmarting Mamang Margarita

Tito gave them a small wooden box, saying it would bring blessings to kind hearts. Pedro and Maria finally found their way home to their bahay kubo and their surprised parents. When they opened the box, golden light transformed their humble home into a prosperous farm. The family promised to always help others in need, just as they had been helped.

The Magic Box

Slim, wears a camisa de chino and shorts, barefoot or in bakya

A 12-year-old Asian boy with short black hair, slim build, dressed in a camisa de chino and shorts, often barefoot or wearing bakya

Pedro

Wears a simple dress, hair in braids, expressive eyes, barefoot or in sandals

A 10-year-old Asian girl with medium brown hair styled in braids, expressive eyes, and wearing a simple dress, either barefoot or in sandals

Maria

Filipino, Wears a barong or simple shirt, salakot, weathered by labor

Father

Filipina, wears a malong or blouse and skirt, hair in a bun

Mother

Filipina, witch looking, Old, hunched, long gray hair, claw-like fingers, dark shawl, piercing eyes

An 80-year-old Filipina woman with long gray hair, a hunched posture, claw-like fingers, and piercing eyes, dressed in a dark shawl, exuding a witch-like presence

Mamang Margarita 

Worn barong, white beard, kind eyes, wooden staff

A 60-year-old Asian man with a bald head, gray beard, kind eyes, and dressed in a worn barong, holding a wooden staff

Tito

Pedro and Maria is a Filipino folktale-inspired story about two siblings abandoned in the forest by their struggling parents. Pedro, the clever older brother, leaves a trail of pandesal crumbs to find their way back. However, they discover a house made of Filipino delicacies, owned by Mamang Margarita, a wicked mangkukulam (witch) who lures them inside. Maria outsmarts the witch, trapping her in a boiling pot. They escape and meet Tito, the witch’s remorseful brother, who gifts them a magical wooden box. Returning home, the box transforms their bahay kubo, bringing prosperity, love, and a newfound purpose to help others.