Julio was a fisherman in the countryside, but he left home for Manila in search of his childhood sweetheart, Ligaya. He finds work under cruel conditions at a construction site, while continuing his search. One of his companions at work, named Atong, takes care of him and invites him to his home in the slums. Julio sees a woman who Ligaya used to work for, and learns that Ligaya has become mistress to a Chinese man who lives in Chinatown. One night he visits the Chinese man′s house, but he is thrown out. He comes every night to stand on the road in front of the house trying to get a glimpse of Ligaya. Finally, Julio loses his job, and becomes so desperate that he sells himself as a homosexual prostitute. He goes to visit Atong at the construction site and discovers that Atong has fought with the work boss and died in prison. Atong′s home in the slums was also burned down. At last, one day Julio finds Ligaya in a church. They meet at movie theaters and cheap hotels, and Julio makes up his mind to take Ligaya back to their home village. However, Ligya does not show up at the place where they promised to meet, and Julio discovers that everything he has worked and hoped for can be extinguished in the course of a night. (production notes)