GORGY RULA
After 40 years, nandiyan pa ba ang tunay na diwa ng EDSA People Power?
Nagkagirian sa EDSA ang mga rallyista at kapulisan nang ginunita ang 40th anniversary ng People Power noong Miyerkules, February 25, 2026.
Ayon sa obserbasyon ng karamihan, hindi na gaanong naramdaman ang diwa ng EDSA kung ibabase sa mga dumalo sa ginawa nilang rally nung araw na yun.
Hindi na kasindami ng mga pagdiriwang noon, at hindi na ginawang non-working holiday ang araw na yun.
Hindi man lang ini-lift ang color-coding, sabi ng mga driver.
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THE STORY OF SISA
Tamang-tama na sa darating na Miyerkules, Marso 4, ay ipalalabas na sa mga sinehan ang pelikulang Sisa na obra ni Direk Jun Robles Lana.
Nataon pa ito sa Women’s Month. Napapanahon pa rin ang mensaheng gustong iparating ng pelikula.
Matagal na raw nabuo ang Sisa, at dumating ang tamang panahon na ginawa nila ito, lalo nang tinanggap ng multi-awarded actress na su Hilda Koronel ang proyekto.
Saad ni Direk Jun Lana sa mediacon ng Sisa noong Pebrero 23, Lunes, sa Gateway Mall 2, Cubao, Quezon City: “Matagal na po siyang material. Nagkataon na dumating yung right opportunity to do it.
“Of course, when Miss H came on board, then dun nag-green light yung project. Because it’s not an easy film to produce right now.
“There are so many factors to consider. But when we Miss H came on board, then si Perci [Intalan] can already go to other producers to say, ‘We have Hilda Koronel. This is the comeback film. Would you like to be part of this film?’ So, that became easier.”
Kanya-kanya tayong interpretasyon kapag mapanood ang pelikulang ito.
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Pero ang gusto talagang iparating ni Direk Jun sa mga manonood: “What I always wanted to tell with this story, the story about erasure. A story about what it means to say ‘no’ when the world isn’t listening.
“And what happened to these women. They knew that they could not change history, but they can choose dignity at the very last moment of their lives.
“And that’s what they did. And I wanted to tell that kind of story.”
Ipinaliwanag niya ang pinanggalingan ng kuwento ng pelikulang ito.
“If you're familiar with Balangiga massacre? I mean, that’s the town where… we already knew that the Americans were already occupying the Philippines.
“They could not change that. But they still decided, ‘We’re going to fight, and we’re going to kill the Americans.’
“They wanted to resist. But in doing so, alam nila that if you do this, babalikan nila kayo. And that’s what happened.
“Hindi lang sinunog yung bayan. Sinunog sila,” pahayag ni Direk Jun.
Ang gusto niyang iparating ng pelikulang ito sa panahon ngayon: “The film asked that question… because when we look back at the American occupation, we are often asked to focus on the gifts.
“We are often asked to focus on the gift of stability, the gift of education, the gift of infrastructure. But is asking what’s the cause?
“Hindi yun benevolent intervention which happens until now.
“The idea of when you have to vote for people on power, they’re going to promise you things — progress, modernization and everything.
“We have to keep on asking ‘What’s the cause? What’s the damage? Ano yung kapalit?’” saad ni Direk Jun.
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NOEL FERRER
Para naman kay Hilda Koronel, hindi niyang puwedeng tanggihan ang proyektong ito.
“Imposibleng tanggihan ko itong napakagandang script ni Direk. At saka yung director.
"So, imposibleng tanggihan ko. It’s a great film,” pakli ni Hilda.
Para sa kanya, sino si Sisa sa pelikulang ito kung ikumpara sa mga Sisa ngayon?
Ani Hilda: “Sisa is a brave character. She is very focused. She is also very kind, she’s not a bad person. Makikita mo sa pelikula.
“I find her the embodiment of bravery and resistance.
“Kahit nasaktan na yun, the women were not really, you know… it’s a man’s world, and it’s still is somehow hanggang ngayon.
“Of course, mas nag-improve na tayo now, di ba? Hindi na tayo masyadong katulad noon.
"Pero nung time na yun, nahirapan talaga ang mga babae na mag-express.
“Tayo usually housewives lang, take care of the children, hindi tayo makapagsalita ng gusto nating sabihin.
“So, sa panahon na yun, makikita mo yung bravery ni Sisa na yun, yung kanyang… gusto niyang lumaban talaga.
“She wanted to really deal a blow to these people, to these oppressors, you know, na talagang inaapi.
“You can see, sa point of view natin, yung si Sisa, you can see that she is equivalent to the Philippines.
“Yung nangyayari sa kanya doon, iyon yung nangyayari sa kanya sa Pilipinas.
“So, talagang yun.. parang ano siya talaga, e. Siya yung symbol dun ng mga oppressed talaga.
“It’s a man’s world in those days, e. 1902 yan. Pero lumaban siya.”
Na-enjoy raw niya talaga ang karakter na ginampanan niya rito, ang matapang at palaban na Sisa.
“Palaban talaga ako,” bulalas ni Hilda.
“Ang dami kong pinatay, right? Enjoy na enjoy ako. Naawa lang ako kay Jennica [Garcia] talaga. Yung ginawa ko… but I enjoyed killing everybody.
“I really did! Ay! I love this script. Ang dami kong papatayin!” natatawa niyang pahayag.
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JERRY OLEA
Dahil sa ganda ng script, hindi umaangal si Hilda Koronel at co-actors niya sa hirap nila nung ginagawa nila ang Sisa sa Tarlac.
Kuwento ni Hilda: “Behind the scenes, talagang hirap na hirap kami sa init, at sa costume at sa wig.
“But we all love each other and enjoy na enjoy kami sa ginagawa namin. We love the film so much.
"And who cares kung nahirapan kami, nahihilo kami.
“Naka-brown make-up kami dun. Nanggigitata kami maghapon, dyusko! Ang bahu-baho na namin.
“Ang hirap talaga. Naglalakad kami, nakapaa. Puro tae dun ng kalabaw at kambing.
"Puro sugat yung mga binti namin, dahil yung mga halaman dun at talahib, my God!
“Mga bato… lakad kang nakapaa, aray, aray! Buti na nga, nakatalikod ako.
“But it was so worth it. Nakita naman ninyo ang ganda ng lumabas ng pelikula. Naghirap kami doon.”
Sabi naman ni Eugene Domingo: “And of course, they fed us well!”
Agree si Hilda: “Oo nga. Pataba na nga kami nang pataba hanggang ending. We truly enjoyed.”
Nagulat lang daw daw si Eugene Domingo na ginawa raw siyang “Mama Mama” ni Hilda.
“Ako ang Mama niya doon. Tinanggap ko na. Tinawag niya ako, ‘Mama!’ Mama?!
“Siyempre, Hilda Koronel siya. Sige na lang din, okay na. So, baby ko na siya,” bulalas ni Uge.
Sambot ni Hilda, “Baby niya ako. Para kaming pamilya doon. Isang pamilya.”
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SISA SPECIAL SCREENING AT FDCP CINEMATHEQUE MANILA
Nag-special screening din ang Sisa matapos ang inaugural ceremony ng FDCP Cinematheque Manila nitong Pebrero 26, 2026, Huwebes, sa Philippine Heritage Building, Intramuros, Manila.
Ang nag-ribbon cutting ay sina First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos at FDCP Chairperson Jose Javier Reyes.
Present sa event sina Hilda, Direk Jun Robles Lana, at producers na sina Atty. Joji Alonso, Direk Perci Intalan, at Jaime Baltazar.
Andoon din sina National Artist Ricky Lee, Cinemalaya President Laurice Guillen, AKTOR Chairperson Dingdong Dantes, CCP President Kaye Tinga, NCCA Chairperson Eric B. Zerrudo, FAP Director General Paolo Villaluna, Mowelfund Chairperson Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo, at Atty. Rochelle Ona of MMDA.
Dumalo rin sa event sina DepEd-MM Director Atty. Suzette Medina, CCP Vice President Dennis Marasigan, Administrator and Executive Director Atty. Joan M. Padilla of the Intramuros Administration, MTRCB Executive Director II Roberto Diciembre, Christian Bables, Direk Adolf Alix Jr., at Anna Feleo.
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