[Editor’s Note]
Hello fellow Filipiniana fans,
TBA Studios released the trailer for Quezon yesterday, August 19th. Nice touch dropping it on Quezon Day or Manuel Quezon’s 147th birth anniversary!
The movie itself hits theaters on October 15th, but we can’t wait to watch it. We’ll be there on opening day, “by hook or by crook!”
(See our related Instagram and TikTok posts)
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For those of you who have been our followers (from IG, TikTok, Threads or Facebook) for a while, you might see some replays as we ramp this newsletter up. I hope you don’t mind seeing them again. Or I hope you come across something you didn’t see the first time. In any case, while we post fresh releases, we will also take this time to post here some previous posts that resonated as a way to (re)introduce everyone to the blog.
Halina!
-Roi
[History] Renowned historian Ambeth Ocampo celebrated his birthday last week
Ambeth Ocampo celebrated his birthday last week, August 13th. We posted a greeting on our socials (IG and TikTok) but I thought it deserved an entry here as well. Enjoy!
I’ve been a reader of Ambeth Ocampo’s Inquirer column since my early college days but I became his lifelong fan when I took his HI 165 class. (Even though I only earned a B in that class!)
His reputation obviously precedes him. We know him to be a renowned historian and a gifted storyteller. In my experience, that’s an understatement. His approach to teaching history made it relatable and logical. To paraphrase him, the present doesn’t resemble the past because history repeats itself without reason – it repeats itself because people do not study history. His lectures made you appreciate why the past is the way it is and how it led to our present.
He’s also not afraid to use unconventional methods to make certain lessons stick. I remember one assignment he gave our class. We had to read an excerpt from Antonio Pigafetta’s account of the Magellan expedition and draw what he vividly described. On paper, it sounds straightforward – a reading assignment and creative exercise to practice our artistic skill. What made it fun was the subject. What Pigafetta described in detail were penis implements apparently used by natives at the time – the penis implements were so powerful that Pigafetta claimed, a woman would not "communicate" with a man without it.
Doc Ambeth, I hope you never change and that the Pigafetta assignment is still a requirement for your students! Happy birthday!
[🎬 Film] Sunshine (2024) gave the Philippine pro-choice movement a human face
Sunshine is a 2024 feminist sports drama film written and directed by Antoinette Jadaone, starring Maris Racal. The film revolves around a promising gymnast who discovers she’s pregnant just days before the national tryouts. It made its world premiere at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival and its European premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Crystal Bear for the Best Film. The film was released in the Philippines on July 23, 2025.
Jadaone’s latest feature film is a much needed wake-up call for a country where women’s reproductive rights are neglected. It put a human face on the Philippine pro-choice movement.
To this day, abortion is illegal in the Philippines. Conservative anti-abortion advocates often highlight the potential of unborn embryos – while indirectly demanding young women put their lives and ambitions on hold. The Philippine government insists on children being born, without giving mothers and the villages raising them adequate support.
The film shines a light on unwanted pregnancies – a dark problem our society dismisses while women are left to bear the consequences, often alone. Its attention to detail is impeccable. From costume design, cinematography, lighting, locations, color to strategic directions on which elements or parts of the story should be cut out, each decision is deliberate, reinforcing its feminist lens.
If you were already pro-choice before watching the film, or “gets mo na,” it is a stark reminder of the challenges women go through. If you were not, it is reasonable that you won’t immediately change your mind after watching the film. But I hope Sunshine has at least made you rethink how you view women’s reproductive rights and their autonomy over their own bodies.
This writeup was originally posted on our socials (Instagram, TikTok).
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Bonus: We watched a screening of the movie with a Talkback session with Writer-Director Antoinette Jadaone, lead Maris Racal, and the team behind the film right after.
My favorite part of the Talkback was when Maris shared that once the movie was released, she felt that Sunshine wasn’t just a character she played anymore. Sunshine became a person many women resonated with, even saw themselves in. She became a relatable face for the pro-choice movement.
Sunshine is every woman who has had to consider terminating a pregnancy. She’s every woman whose reproductive rights are restricted and health is considered only an afterthought in our country.
It was also great hearing the team discuss the choices they made – from costumes, production, locations, cinematography, use of color, directing. All very interesting and impressive considering how much the details made the film an instant classic.
This writeup was originally posted on our socials (Instagram, TikTok).
Highlighted Community Interactions
An actor named Jericho Rosales just followed our IG account. I followed back as a way to support his upcoming historical biopic. Just doing my part to support our fledgling young artists.
IG comment from Ambeth Ocampo in one of our earliest posts (back when we probably only had <100 followers). It was a small thing but validation from the renowned historian felt good!
Not all followers are like Jericho Rosales or Ambeth Ocampo, okay?
