University of Mindanao Tagum College

Mabini Street, Tagum City

Pulang Araw: A series

Analysis about Friendship, Family,
And our Mighty History.

A Story Analysis of a Series Entitled Pulang Araw

Episodes 1 by GMA Network.
Watched on YouTube or on Netflix
Submitted to the GE20 Professor
In fulfillment of the final requirements
For the GE 20 Course
In the 1st semester of the school year 2024-2025.

Lourince Angelo A. Sumunod

Bench Troy B. Lazarte

October 2024
 “Pulang Araw”

Pulang Araw is a historical family drama about family, friendship, courage,

sacrifices, and hardship that every Filipino family faces during World War 2. The

main story of the series is about the four childhood friends who face the challenges

and cruelty of the Japanese occupation and World War 2, where their loyalties,

identities, and destinies are tested. The story was inspired by the tales of an unsung

hero who defied the odds of Japanese occupation and World War 2. Barbie Forteza,

Sanya Lopez, David Licauco, Alden Richards known as five of the biggest stars in

the nation, starred in the first family drama by GMA network.

The series started during the time when the Philippines was under the

American ruling during the years between 1939 and 1945. This is the middle timeline

of American colonization of the Philippine Islands and the countries in the Pacific.

When the Philippines faces great modernization in infrastructure, culture, arts, and

literature. It is the time when the Japanese start their influence in the Asia-Pacific

region, particularly in China, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, by establishing the

Great East Asia co-prosperity sphere, where Japan aims to form an economic and

military bloc consisting of the nations between East Asia and Southeast Asia against

western colonizers.

Episode 1 begins with the scene of Eduardo, portrayed by Alden Richards, a

Filipino-American teenager who hates the Americans because of his abusive father

but later on helps them fight against the Japanese tyranny. In that scene, he tells the

viewer about the history of the Philippines under American rule (Figure 1). We can
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see photos of our country back then having a massive influence on the colonizer's

culture, just like the vaudeville, commonly known as bodabil (Figure 2), a popular

theatric entertainment during the American era until the 1980s. We can see Adelina

(Eduardo’s sister) portrayed by Barbie Forteza and Teresita (Adelina’s half-sister)

portrayed by Sanya Lopez, a wealthy aristocratic daughter who later on became a

comfort woman by the Japanese authority, performing bodabil in front of the crowd

inside the theater.

The vaudeville in the series symbolizes the massive influence of Americans in

our entertainment industries that, until now, are still known to many. After that, the

scene changes, showing Eduardo as a guerilla warrior during the war, where he

fights together with them against the Japanese army. During this scene, we can see

the harsh conditions of the guerilla warriors during that time who sacrificed their lives

fighting the tyranny. Back then, the guerilla warriors were known as traitors in our

country according to the Japanese authority, but now they are considered heroes,

the same as the Katipunan warriors that fight against the Spanish authority; they all

symbolize the bravery of the Filipino people aiming for freedom and independence.

The scene cuts off and continues, showing a little boy giving a letter to

Adelina (Figure 3). That letter came from Eduardo, containing how he loved his sister

so much that he might sacrifice his life to protect her, just like what he promised to

their late mother. In my analysis, that scene symbolized how our ancestors promised

to fight for the freedom we desired no matter what, even though it was hard to

protect us, and the little boy symbolizes the future of our country. Also In that scene,

we can see Adelina's expression showing support for his brother, believing that they

can win and never lose hope.

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 During the flashback (Figure 4), we can see the start of the story of how they

met four: Teresita and Adelina were siblings in father but had a different mother,

while Eduardo and Adelina were siblings in mother but had a different father, but still,

Eduardo loved his sister so much that he made into fighting those who bullied his

sister and insulted his mother's status. Hiroshi portrayed by David Licauco, a yojin, or

the term for those Japanese, who migrated here from Japan, accidentally met them

at the softball field and later on became friends with the two of them. Their mother,

Filipina, was a loving mother who always supported and protecting them, teaching

them to pray and to be contented with what they have, which became their

inspiration to live as good and loving persons. Their mother symbolized what a

typical Filipino mother is. Sacrifice, love, and care.

Adelina often met his father, Julio, a businessman and bodabil performer who

owns a famous entertainment theater. He often came to Adelina’s house to visit

them and bring presents for them. Adelina didn’t even know about his father's and

her mother’s secret that his father had already a family until his mother died. It was

the most depressing time in their life when in such a young age, they lost their

mother. After that, Adelina moved to his father’s house and met his cruel stepmother,

who made his life miserable, and his sister, Teresita, who later on also became his

protector together with his brother and his friend, Hiroshi. Until the Japanese came,

that was the time when they faced the challenges and cruelty of the Japanese

occupation and World War 2, where their loyalties, identities, and destinies were

tested. That is the last part of the first episode of the series entitled Pulang Araw.

We are encouraged to study, watch, and analyze the story of the past and to

know the importance of that event that has a big impact on our generation today.

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Analyzing the story of our history makes us more patriotic by loving our country and

appreciating what we have today. This show opens our younger minds to how critical

history is in our daily lives. It shaped who we are today. Our culture, our tradition,

and our character. Hands up to the creators, producers, staff, and actors who made

this series move our hearts and make us feel from deep within how to be a Filipino,

which is very relevant these days. The series, Pulang Araw, was not only telling

about the history of our ancestors in the Japanese era but also the story of every

family and friendship that protects and fights for us. This drama series reminds me of

why we should love our country and be proud of being a Filipino.

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References:

Anglia, N. (2023, April 25). Why is it Important to Study History?

https://www.nordangliaeducation.com/nais-manila/news/2020/07/20/why-is-it-
important-to-study-history

Hernandez, C. G., & Borlaza, G. C. (2024, September 10). History of the Philippines |
People, Spain, United States, Revolution, Map, & Facts. Encyclopedia
Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Philippines

Manibo, V. (2021, January 29). War and Vaudeville — Victor Manibo. Victor Manibo.
https://www.victormanibo.com/blog/war-and-vaudeville

Timeline of events in the Philippines during World War II. (2019). In Rutgers University
Press eBooks (pp. 317–318). https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813548203-041

Warfare History Network. (2024, February 14). Guerrilla war on Luzon during World War II -
Warfare History Network. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/guerrilla-war-on-
luzon-during-world-war-ii/

Wise. (2024, February 28). Unsung Heroes of the Philippines: Their stories. Pinay Wise.
https://pinaywise.com/philippines-facts/unsung-heroes-of-the-philippines-their-
stories/

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Appendix:

Pulang Araw episode 1 by GMA Network.

You can watch the full episode or the
whole drama series at GMA Network.

Link:
https://www.gmanetwork.com/
fullepisodes/home/pulang_araw/239849/p
ulang-araw-full-episode-1-july-29-
2024/vide

Figure 1
With the arrival of the Americans in 1898
came a new breed of architectural
structures in the Philippines. Foremost of
the American contributions to the country was
the establishment of civil government. This led
to the erection of government buildings from
the city all the way to the municipal level.
Designed in the most respectable manner,
these government houses resembled Greek
or Roman architecture
Link:
https://www.crownasia.com.ph/lifestyle-
blog/the-past-classical-philippine-architecture/

Figure 2
Vaudeville in the Philippines, more
commonly referred in the Filipino vernacular
as bodabil, was a popular genre of
entertainment in the Philippines from the
1910s until the mid-1960s.
Link:
https://metronewscentral.net/metro-
entertainment/television/vaudeville-what-you-
need-to-know-about-the-theatrical-show-in-
pulang-araw

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Figure 4
Showing Adelina reading the letter of
Eduardo containing that he will protect
Adelina and his country, no matter what.
Link:
https://www.pep.ph/news/local/182123/pulan
g-araw-review-a724-20240805-
lfrm?s=kuih5uuc3cgm1fddb8fc08n1e5

The Aerial photo of Metro Manila during

World War 2 where we find how terrible
the war causes the destruction of the
whole skyline of the Capital City.

Link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ma
nila

Filipino Guerrillas was part Philippine

resistance movement, during WW2 which
opposed the Japanese Military Power
after the fall of Bataan and Corregidor in
Luzon of the Philippine Island with active
underground and guerrilla activity that
increased over the years.

Link:
https://deadliestfiction.fandom.com/wiki/Fil
ipino_Guerrilla_(WWII)

The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity

Sphere was Japan's attempt to form an
economic and military bloc consisting of
nations within East and Southeast Asia
against Western colonization and
manipulation, but it failed because of
Japan's inability to promote true mutual
prosperity within the alliance.

Link:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Greater-
East-Asia-Co-prosperity-Sphere