‘Pulang Araw’ praised for giving voice to forgotten comfort women

MANILA, Philippines — Sanya Lopez just can’t help but cry every time she talks about her experience of portraying a comfort woman in the GMA primetime series “Pulang Araw.” 

Sanya plays the role of Teresita Borromeo in “Pulang Araw,” a woman subjected to military sexual abuse amid the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II. Preparing for the role had been an emotional journey, especially after personally hearing the stories of surviving comfort women.

“It’s really heavy. Artista lang po ako, sa totoo lang po. (I’m just an actress, to be honest). But I feel deeply for the struggles of the comfort women. I cried because when I first met them, I really felt this way. I’m sorry, I get very emotional about this because what happened to them during World War II is real,” shared the actress during the recent Pandesal Forum with the media at the Kamuning Bakery Cafe.

She was joined in the forum by co-star Ashley Ortega and advocates from the #FlowersforLolaCampaign, a coalition of NGOs and activists calling for collective action to honor comfort women survivors, official apology and reparations from the Japanese government, and the inclusion of their stories in history books.

Sanya particularly recounted her visit to Lila Pilipina, an organization of comfort women. “It’s sad that only two survivors are left there. They spoke up, asking when they’ll finally receive the justice they deserve, as they’re getting fewer. I’m sorry but when I spoke to them, I was completely shattered. It hurts so much to hear their stories because what happened to them is true, and it’s not a joke.”

One story that stayed with her was from Lola Narcisa. “She said that when she sees young people now, she feels happy for them. She said, ‘Maybe if I were in their shoes, I’d also be so happy.’ Just from that, I realized how fortunate our generation is to not have gone through what they suffered during the Japanese occupation. We’re really very lucky. So when I portrayed Teresita in ‘Pulang Araw,’ I came to appreciate their experiences even more and I drew inspiration from their stories to give my best, to bring authenticity to my role as Teresita.

“To our grandmothers who