A celebration of love, laughter, and family filled the room as the star-studded cast of Star Cinema’s newest film, Meet, Greet & Bye, gathered for a grand media conference that perfectly reflected the heart of their upcoming movie, a story about holding on, letting go, and finding love in the most difficult goodbyes.

Headlined by Maricel Soriano, Piolo Pascual, Joshua Garcia, Juan Karlos Labajo, and Belle Mariano, the film is directed by blockbuster filmmaker Cathy Garcia-Sampana and will premiere in cinemas worldwide beginning November 12.

Meet, Greet & Bye follows the story of the Facundo family, led by Mama Baby (Maricel Soriano), who faces the painful return of her cancer but decides against chemotherapy after losing hope of recovery. Her children: Tupe (Piolo), Brad (Joshua), Leo (Juan Karlos), and Geri (Belle) — must come together to find an alternative way to save her, discovering along the way that love, unity, and forgiveness are the true anchors of family.

During the grand family affair, the cast reflected on the deeply emotional nature of the project. The Diamond Star Maricel Soriano expressed how proud she is of the film and what it represents, saying that they poured their hearts into the project for the audience. She shared, “Talagang pinagmamalaki namin ang pelikulang ginawa namin para po sa inyo na handog ng Star Cinema at ABS-CBN. Sana panoorin nyo, hinding-hindi kayo magsisisi.”

For Belle Mariano, Meet, Greet & Bye offers a reminder to cherish loved ones while there’s still time. “Sana yung mensahe umabot sa manonood natin. It will give so much importance to the people you love in your life,” she said, adding that working with some of the industry’s finest actors pushed her to grow. She admitted, “Kinabahan po talaga ako kasi syempre ang huhusay po nilang lahat, pero mas nagkaroon ako ng lakas ng loob para mas galingan pa.” Belle recalled the moment she first met Maricel Soriano on set, saying, “Sabi ko, ‘Inay, puwede ba kitang tawaging Mama?’” a connection that blossomed into a genuine mother-daughter bond both on and off the camera.

Entertainment journalist MJ Felipe, who witnessed the event, shared his admiration for Belle’s remarkable evolution as an artist, saying it was refreshing to see her share the screen with legends like Maricel Soriano and Piolo Pascual, alongside Juan Karlos Labajo and Joshua Garcia. He remarked, “Belle is no longer a Gen Z rising star. For me, Belle is now a Gen Z superstar.”

Meanwhile, Piolo Pascual and Juan Karlos Labajo both revealed that the film’s story struck deeply personal chords. Piolo admitted that portraying a son who must confront the reality of losing his mother was emotionally difficult but meaningful, saying, “It was really hard to do because it hits close to home, especially for Filipino families, it’s something we have to face inevitably no matter who we lose, as long as he’s part of the family.” Juan Karlos agreed, sharing that the film resonated with his own experiences, noting, “Especially with what I personally went through in life, it’s also way too close.”

According to the film’s writers, Jumbo Albano and Patrick Valencia, the story was inspired by a shared and universal fear of losing a parent. Jumbo explained that Meet, Greet & Bye is “a love letter to our parents,” while Patrick added that it’s a story meant for everyone, one that mirrors the collective human experience. “It’s a universal fear for everyone to lose yung mahal nila sa buhay, so yun ang naging focus namin while writing this story na sana maraming tao ang maka-relate. Gusto naming ikwento ‘to kasi kwento natin itong lahat.”

The film’s trailer, released last October 8, has already captured the hearts of viewers with its mix of lighthearted family moments and deeply emotional scenes. Its official poster, unveiled last weekend, also made waves as it illuminated ABS-CBN’s ELJ building with the glowing letters MGB, symbolizing the film’s message of love, hope, and homecoming.

As the cast stood together during the media affair, it was clear that Meet, Greet & Bye is more than just a film, it is a story of every Filipino family who has loved, lost, and continued to hold on. Filled with laughter, tears, and the warmth of togetherness, it is a celebration of family that promises to leave every viewer cherishing their own.

Meet, Greet & Bye opens in cinemas worldwide on November 12. Visit meetgreetandbye.com for tickets and updates, and follow Star Cinema on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.