Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia

Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia is a heartwarming story of overcoming one's fear and succeeding over adversity. The plot revolves around Bubuy (voiced by Nash Aguas) who is out to save his abducted grandparents in the land of Elementalia, a magical and mystical world that houses many of the mythical creatures of the Philippines and other enchanted elements. This locally produced animated film aims to reintroduce the other side of mythical creatures like the tikbalang, kapre, manananggal, and aswang by giving a new dimension to these typically reviled creatures.

After being cheated and defeated by his classmate bullies in a race, Bubuy (Nash Aguas) is forced to treat them with snacks but he is unable—making them upset, they instead challenge him to go the woods at dawn, in which he reluctantly agrees.

Bubuy arrives home sad at the outcome of the race and refuses telling his grandparents, Lolo Miong (Noel Trinidad) and Lola Nita (Nova Villa) what troubles him. When it's dinner, he excuses himself "to work with a project" at a classmate's house and that he will return soon, bidding them goodbye.

He arrives in the woods and meets up with the bullies. They command him to light a fire in the heart of the forest enough for them to see at a distance and give him a flashlight. Though scared of the night, he enters the forest and makes a fire out of matches and dry boughs. Accidentally, the fire spreads and burns the old Balete tree. With its destruction, the vines pursue Bubuy to his home and it results to the abduction of his grandparents.

Panicked, he prank asks help from their neighbors who go to his house, but seeing that everything appears to be fine contrary to what Bubuy has told, they get angry for believing that they are pranked. He was only comforted by two kind neighbors before they left him alone, advising him to rest.

While he was praying in his room, a manananggal named Anna (Katrina "Hopia" Legaspi) appears outside his home and offers to help him find his lost grandparents through a friend she knows. She opens a portal in the mound of their backyard that leads them to "Elementalia", the world of mythical and enchanted creatures. Both enter the portal and Anna consults Lolo Nano (Peque Gallaga), a nuno. Lolo Nano tells him to fetch a mirror and a picture of his grandparents back home. The nuno tells Bubuy and Anna that his grandparents are still alive, only enslaved by a powerful being he needs to defeat before full moon, which is the day after, otherwise, he will be trapped in their dimension forever. He himself must accomplish three tasks: get a sacred water from the Siyokoys, capture enchanted fireflies, and pluck four fruits from the Kapre's tree. Lolo Nano gives him the things he needed. To ensure his safety, he is given a magical slingshot that will kill any evil creature and Anna willfully accompanies him to his journey. Along their way, they meet Narsi (Michael V.), a Tikbalang who serves Bubuy (after plucking a few strands of his mane) and help them throughout their journey.

Bubuy accomplishes the tasks and battles the monstrous Balete tree and its minions with his friends and additional forces of Anna's father's army. They defeated the being and evil creatures and Bubuy finally returns to the human world with his grandparents.

Days after the incidents, Bubuy is seen winning the race and saving a student from being a victim of his former bullies using his slingshot given to him by Lolo Nano. Before the end, he replants the burnt tree with a new one as a sign of peace and respect. He later joins Anna in a flight around Manila, Watching Fireworks at the Mall of Asia. and enjoys the flight around EDSA while chasing with Anna's Aunts and Uncles.

According to executive producer Jessie Lasaten, Dayo required the work of over five hundred artists and took two years to complete. The film's entry into the Metro Manila Film Festival proved to be problematic when the screening committee rejected the script written by Temi Abad, Jr. and Eric Cabahug. The committee challenged Cutting Edge Productions to prove that Dayo was financially viable. The film's soundtrack used full orchestration from Gerard Salonga and FILharmoniKA. In addition, Lea Salonga performed the movie's theme's song "Lipad".[1]

Dayo's budget was revealed to be $1,300,000.00[2]

• Urduja, another Filipino animated film from the same year
• 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival

• Official website
• Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia at IMDb