Last Tuesday, I attended a special screening of “Sunshine,” a gripping film starring Maris Racal and directed by the brilliant Antoinette Jadaone. Already making waves in the cinematic world, it tells the heartrending story of a young gymnast training for the Olympics who discovers that she is pregnant, which forces her to make almost impossible choices.
The film confronts urgent issues head-on: teenage pregnancy, abortion, and women’s reproductive health.
From its opening scene, Sunshine commanded my attention. The storytelling is riveting, the pacing intense. Maris Racal delivers a performance that is luminous, embodying a character whose struggles feel painfully real. Under Jadaone’s fearless direction, the film explores its themes with authenticity and depth, avoiding preachiness while retaining an emotional punch.
What stayed with me the most was not only the storyline, but the portrayal of crushing societal pressures that engulf young women faced with unplanned pregnancies. The humanity of the protagonist’s journey followed me home, keeping me awake into the night, reflecting on its real world parallels and the urgency of addressing them, especially in my role as a public servant.
As someone committed to the protection of women, Sunshine struck a personal chord in me. In my work at the Department of Justice (DoJ), I have seen firsthand the gaps in our systems that are meant to safeguard women’s rights. While progress has been made, the road ahead remains long and uphill.
At the DoJ, we have rolled out initiatives like the Action Center Lecture Series, training barangay Gender and Development (GaD) advocates and law students on the laws that protect women and children — from the Anti-Rape Law and the Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC), to the Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) Act, and the Safe Spaces Act. Sunshine reminded me that while these programs are vital, they are just the beginning.
We need to go further. That means backing the Department of Education’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) program launched this year under the leadership of former Senator Sonny Angara. Equipping our youth with knowledge and awareness gives them the power to make informed choices, reducing teenage pregnancies.
It also means pushing forward strong legislation that protects reproductive health rights. Laws like the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (RA 10354) have laid the groundwork, but measures like the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill must be passed.
And perhaps most urgently, we must confront the reality that doctors who perform life-saving abortions still face criminal prosecution and the loss of their medical licenses. Sunshine exposes the dangerous consequences of this criminalization.
For me, Sunshine is more than cinema. It is a mirror to our society’s struggles, and a rallying cry for action. It reignited my resolve to fight for policies that safeguard women’s rights and well-being.
As women, as advocates, as members of our respective communities, we cannot remain silent.
We must confront these causes with courage and urgency. Inspired by the truths Sunshine powerfully illuminates, I am committed to pushing forward until every woman can make the choices that are right for her life, knowing she has the full support of the law.
The film leaves us with a challenge to turn empathy into policy, and policy into lasting change. Let’s meet that challenge together.