The film is based on the popular television soap opera or drama series; it follows Esperanza's (Judy Ann Santos) search for her real family. It seems that Esperanza's mother Isabel and father Juan Selgado got married without the approval of Isabel's mom. To be together Isabel refused to marry the man her mother promised her to, Jaime Elustre, and Juan left the girl he had been dating at the time, Sandra. As the years went by Isabel gave birth to three kids, two daughters and a son. One day Esperanza's mother took her and her sister and brother on a bus trip to visit someone; they got separated in a bus accident and had Juan believing that all of them were dead. This is the start of the ensuing drama.
—Ati atihan - Mother of All Philippine Festivals