Júlio Madiaga, a 'provinciano', arrives in Manila to search for his beloved, Ligaya.

Julio Madiaga, a simple fisherman from the province, travels to Manila to find Ligaya, the woman he loves, who went away with a mysterious woman who promised her a better future in the City. When he arrives, he becomes immersed in the city lifestyle and gets involved with its inhabitants, experiencing extreme poverty, hard luck, and the overbearing need to grind for daily sustenance. While Julio relentlessly searches for Ligaya, the city changes him little by little, and he becomes like an animal doomed to live only for survival in a wild, inescapable jungle.—Terrence16