Vogue Philippines: Hilda Koronel Is Not Done Telling Stories About Survival

 

Vogue Philippines: Hilda Koronel Is Not Done Telling Stories About Survival

By Aylli Cortez

 

Photographs By Mark Nicdao

Styling By Anz Hizon

March 12, 2026

 

Multi-awarded actress Hilda Koronel brings decades of strong, woman-led storytelling into her latest leading role, Sisa.

 

Hilda Koronel is no stranger to playing survivors on screen. Following her film debut at age 13, she rose to acclaim in Lino Brocka’s Santiago!, a war drama set during the Japanese occupation. As Cristina, a girl left severely burned and unable to speak after a bomb blast, Koronel had no lines, and portrayed her role through physicality. The performance earned her the spot for Best Supporting Actress at the 1971 FAMAS Awards, making her the youngest ever winner in the category.

 

Fifty-five years later, Koronel returns from an over-decade-long hiatus in the titular role of Sisa, a historical thriller set during the American occupation. Her approach to embodying characters has stayed the same, but she now enjoys the freedom to choose her roles. “I would always look at the script first, and I would want something different,” she tells Vogue Philippines. “Sisa is totally different from other roles that I have done. So I want something exciting, something new, especially at my age.”

 

Written and directed by Jun Robles Lana, Sisa finds Koronel in a fugue state, crossing into a fortified camp where a group of imprisoned Filipina women name her after the “madwoman” in Jose Rizal’s novel. When the plot begins to unravel, the film itself seems to interrogate this assessment, as one scene offers glimpses into Sisa’s past: the cries of family, a call to arms, and a burning home.

 

At her Vogue Philippines shoot, Koronel recalls her discussions with Lana and why the role resonates. “I see in Sisa what was happening to the Philippines in 1902, during the Philippine-American War. She’s the embodiment of what was transpiring, what was happening to our people,” she shares. “I learned a lot of things from direk, explaining to me na pinag-aralan niya ito for how many years [that he researched this for many years]… And I said, ang dami kong hindi natutunan sa eskwelahan yan [there’s so much that I didn’t learn in school].”

 

In both films, Koronel is faced with the cost of living after her loved ones, bearing direct witness to their deaths as victims of war. Through her gaze, audiences feel the depth of a woman enraged, grieving, and gripping to sanity in a world gone mad.

 

Since she began in the ‘70s, Koronel has made a name for herself through raw portrayals of women seeking justice amid gender-based oppression and social adversity. Yet, there was a time when she hadn’t dreamed of becoming an actress, or of going by a different name.

 

Before she stepped into her screen identity, the veteran actress was born Susan Reid to a Filipino mother and an American father, a serviceman at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga, and was raised by her aunt in Pasay. She recounts the day she was discovered at 12 years old: “I was thrust into it,” she remarks. “I wasn’t looking for it. I guess it was just fate that somebody saw me in LVN Studios, walking around, and asked me if I wanted to be an actress.”

 

At her aunt’s encouragement, she became an exclusive contract talent for Lea Productions and adopted a moniker to distinguish herself from the ‘60s box-office star, Susan Roces. These decisions weren’t entirely hers to make, but as her career grew throughout her teenage years, Koronel learned to become her own staunch advocate. Among her non-negotiables, she insisted that she would balance acting with studying rather than dropping out of school. In a recent interview with Snooky Serna, she mentions writing her own contracts, as well as using her weekly television show Hilda as a personal training ground.

 

The drama series, which aired for five and a half years, saw her in constant collaboration with director and National Artist for Film Lino Brocka, with whom she credits for guiding her through emotionally tense roles at a young age. “I grew up with him. He taught me everything I know,” she says, the fondness clear in her tone. “It wasn’t just a mentor thing. He knew what my life was… All my sorrows, my fears, my anger, things that I have been through.”

 

The trust they established allowed Koronel to draw emotions from personal life experiences, translating them into powerful performances for the screen. She recalls the gentle way Brocka would sit down and brief her before a scene, sharing his vision for how it could play out while inviting her to give “more than a hundred percent” and make the role her own. “He knows yung kapasidad ko [what my capacity is], that I can still give more to it, even though I did not believe it myself. But he did. So that gave me courage more than anything else.”

 

Today, Koronel remains largely engrained in the public’s memory for two of Lino Brocka’s works: the 1975 social realist film Manila in the Claws of Light, where she plays the entrapped probinsyana Ligaya Paraiso, whom Julio Madiaga (Bembol Roco) travels to Manila in search for; and the 1976 drama Insiang, which sees the 18-year-old actress in the titular role, plotting her freedom from a household shared with a resentful mother (Mona Lisa) and her manipulative boyfriend (Ruel Vernal) in a story that was first presented as a Hilda episode two years prior.

 

Shot at Tondo’s Smokey Mountain, a 20-hectare landfill that enveloped the shores of Manila Bay until 1995, Insiang follows a young woman whose determination to survive is hardened by a series of verbal, physical, and sexual assaults. As Insiang weaves through muddy streets and makeshift shanties, her body cast against a gray sky or a glaring sun, she appears as a woman on fire, on the brink of realizing who she is and what she is truly capable of.

 

Koronel won Best Actress at both the FAMAS Awards and the Metro Manila Film Fest for Insiang, which became the first Philippine film to screen at the Cannes Film Festival in France. In 2013, Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project led the restoration of the two Brocka films in partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and both titles joined the Criterion Collection by 2018.

 

While the acclaimed actress counts versatile genres among her oeuvre, starring in romance films like Mike De Leon’s Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising (a set she says she’d love to revisit) to feminist ensemble comedies like Crying Ladies and Working Girls, the roles she keeps coming back for seem to be embedded in stories of resistance, reclamation, and women empowerment.

 

Even after leaving the industry and moving to California in 2012, she continued to receive offers every year, but held on to her husband’s reminder that she should pick the ones she really wanted. For her first role since Olivia Lamasan’s The Mistress, which earned her a Luna Award for Best Supporting Actress, she returns to Philippine cinemas with Sisa, alongside cast members Eugene Domingo, Jennica Garcia, Jorrybell Agoto, and more.

 

Until now, the character of Sisa both excites and teaches her. “Gusto niyang makaganti. Gusto niyang maganda yung kanyang pamilya, yung kanyang country. And gusto niyang madagok yung mga oppressors niya [She wants retribution. She wants her family and her country to thrive. And she wants to overcome her oppressors]. I love it,” Koronel admits with a smile. “And you’ll find these are strong women na nandyan talagang lumaban [who are really there to fight].”

 

In the film, Sisa becomes a binding force among the women, whose division is best captured by Delia (Domingo), a grieving mother in sharp opposition to the American soldiers, and Leonor (Garcia), a widow entangled in a relationship with the commander. When certain truths come to light, horror morphs into honesty and a sense of solidarity, the Filipina ensemble uniting to choose dignity on their own terms, and Sisa remaining Sisa, now with ownership of her name.

 

As the period drama begins screening at over 175 cinemas nationwide, the celebrated actress extends the film’s message to women around the world: “Kayang-kaya nila yan. Tayo mga babae [They are capable of anything. Us women],” she remarks. “And dapat pagsamasama tayo, nagtutulungan tayo. Hindi tayo dapat nag-aaway-away, nasisiraan. [And we should always stick together, help each other out. Not quarrel or try to destroy each other].”

 

It’s a vision she hopes will continue to materialize, especially as Philippine cinema expands and sees Filipino actresses and directors gain wider, even global recognition. Because after decades in the industry, Hilda Koronel is not done telling stories about survival, but she is done letting others make her decisions for her. In a career of singular, unforgettable roles, she remembers the path it took to get there, and wherever she’s headed next, she’s taking us with her.

 

“I’m not just a storyteller. I make the story come alive. That’s my purpose,” she says. “So when you’re watching me, I’m going to bring you in. I’m going to make you cry. I’m going to make you laugh. I’m going to make you angry. And that’s who Sisa is, and that’s who I am.”

 

By AYLLI CORTEZ. Photographs by MARK NICDAO. Video by LIAM R. TANGAN and LEVY DY. Stylist and Sittings Editor: ANZ HIZON. Makeup: Zidjian Floro. Hair: Gabriel Villegas. Deputy Editor: Trickie Lopa. Digital Associate Editor: Chelsea Sarabia. Producer: Julian Rodriguez. Media Channels Producer: Angelo Tantuico. Media Channels Video Lead: Wainah Joson. Digital Multimedia Artist: Bea Lu. Digital Content Writer: Daphne Sagun. Assistant Photographers: Arsan Sulser Hofileña and Crisaldo Soco. Photo File Manager: John Philip Nicdao. Senior Lighting Technician: Villie James Bautista.

 

Link: https://vogue.ph/spotlight/hilda-koronel-profile-sisa/

 

Rolling Stone PHILIPPINES | Hilda Koronel: ‘It Was Lino Brocka Who Would Always Save Me’

 

Rolling Stone PHILIPPINES

 

Hilda Koronel: ‘It Was Lino Brocka Who Would Always Save Me’

 

The award-winning actress talks about her career, from working with Lino Brocka and Fernando Poe Jr. in Santiago to the challenges and pleasures of working in Sisa

 

By Jason Tan Liwag

Photography By JL Javier

March 10, 2026

 

It is my first time seeing Hilda Koronel in person without a character between us. She arrives shortly after 1 p.m. at the Ramon Magsaysay Center. She smiles at everyone and shakes their hand. When we see each other, she recognizes me immediately: “You said you were gonna come back for me,” she says, partly scolding me. The first time we met was in Tarlac Recreational Park, on the set of Jun Robles Lana’s Sisa, more than a year ago. She was still deep in character then — frayed wig, muddied complexion, expression shaded by her character’s sorrow. Even her voice seemed to carry a different weight.

 

Today, it’s five days before Sisa returns from Tallinn, where it first premiered in November 2025. Since mid-February, Koronel has been promoting the film almost nonstop. She doesn’t enjoy press tours, but understands their necessity. After 56 years in the industry, the repetition has a way of wearing you down and flattening any surprise.

 

“‘Pag masaya ‘yung kausap ko, nag-e-enjoy naman ako. Pero kung pwedeng iwasan, I would. The questions are always the same,” she says. “Like: ‘Is it Rizal’s Sisa?’ If they ask me one more time about it, I’m going to flip.” At one point, she asks her videographer to pretend to be her in an interview. He obliges, answering in a near word-perfect imitation. The team doubles over laughing. For someone who claims to dislike the ritual, she sure knows how to make it fun.

 

When one thinks of Koronel, one can’t help but associate her with the so-called Golden Age of Philippine Cinema. She is the face of many now considered classics directed by luminaries such as Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, Mike De Leon, Danny Zialcita, Mark Meily, Olivia Lamasan, Laurice Guillen, and more. But there is a looseness to her that surprised me even last year. When we first spoke, we drifted into unexpected territory — from her love for martial arts films (“I love Bruce Lee and Jet Li”) and anime (“‘Yung Rurouni Kenshin, I’ve watched it six times. All of the seasons”). She recalled shooting Insiang in Smokey Mountain. “‘Pag umuuwi kami, sa garage pa lang naghuhubad na kami ng damit,” she says. “When we were filming that, may mga bandang tumutugtog. You can’t control the environment.“ Later, she speaks just as fondly of the actors she revere. “I miss the old ones,” she says, ticking off names like a private litany: Anita Linda. Gloria Romero. Eddie Garcia. Dindo Fernando. Ronaldo Valdez. Nora Aunor. Christopher de Leon. Tirso Cruz III. She would have continued if she had all the time in the world. “They’re all great.”

 

Today, between outfit changes and camera set ups, our conversations wander just as easily: Baguio (“No film makes it look as good as it did in Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising”); the advanced screening of Sisa at Intramuros (“I really love what Ricky Lee said about the film, about Sisa being the fulcrum”); and where she’d like to shoot next (“Sabi ko kay Direk Jun, next time, sa Tagaytay naman!”). At one point, we commune over her ridiculous job as a white lady in a horror house in Crying Ladies (“I love that film. I want to do more comedies!”).

 

 

When the shoot concludes, the staff ushers us up a narrow spiral staircase and into a glass-walled library. In the corner of the room is an archive dedicated to the works of Lino Brocka, the only Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for film. Koronel approaches the display quietly, scanning the books and memorabilia before resting her hands on the table. She studies the posters laid out before her, brushing her fingers across the faces of her former co-stars before lingering on Brocka’s. Her eyes glass over. The room, moments ago alive with small talk about the preservation, falls silent.

 

Her fingers trace the outline of his face before she speaks. “I am very sad,” she says. “We were always together. He was like my dad, my mentor, my taga-saklolo.” Our photographer, JL Javier, asks her what her fondest memory of Lino was. She closes her eyes. “I only have fond memories with him,” she says, now gripping the sides of the table for support. “I love him very much and I miss him.” She begins listing the names on the posters: Eddie Garcia, Lolita Rodriguez, Jay Ilagan, Mona Lisa, Mario O’Hara, Lou Salvador Jr, and then says what no one else in the room has voiced. “He’s gone. She’s gone. They’re all gone.”

 

Koronel and the rest of the Sisa team invite me into their van as they make their way to Quezon City. An hour from now, she’ll sit for another interview. Over the weekend, there will be six more before the premiere. If there is exhaustion, it never surfaces — not in her, not in the team that has been with her throughout this journey for over a year.

 

As the van cuts through traffic, our conversation stretches across decades: her beginnings in show business, how the industry and the world has(n’t) changed since she was 12, and the long road back to the screen. By the time we arrive, Sisa will be closer to its homecoming and Koronel to hers.

 

 

The following interview has been edited for publication.

 

Shortly before you were discovered [as an actress], you were in beauty pageants.

 

Like Ms. Owl?

 

Yes! Did you enjoy entering beauty pageants at that age?

 

No! Kaya lang ‘yung nanay ko talagang lahat ng pwedeng salihan, sasalihan para ma-discover ako. I think I wasn’t even 12 yet. Merong pictures sa IG of me noon. But I don’t like those.

 

But do you remember those first pageants?

 

Ang dami! When I was little Miss Community Chest [of Pasay City, at age seven] and Santacruzan here. Virgin Mary here. Ang haba ng buhok ko! Laging ako ang sinasali nila. I hated it! [Laughs] I don’t like people looking at me, ‘no! Yuck!

 

 

“When I started my contract, I was only 12 years old. Ano ba namang alam ko?”

 

 

Is that part of why film and television were so captivating? With theater, there’s always a huge audience with you. But with film and TV, there might only be a handful of people on set.

 

Yeah, I guess. Pero pareho lang naman ‘yun e. A lot of people will be watching you. Kaya hindi ako successful as a model. I used to model before, too, and I didn’t like it. I am a very shy person.

 

Your first onscreen lead role was Haydee (1970), but your first onscreen credit was Leslie (1969), right?

 

Screen test lang ‘yun. Nakita ako ng editor nila kasi ‘yung set nasa likod. Gusto lang makita if I was photogenic. It was Boots Anson-Roa’s film. I don’t even remember the title. Black and white pa ‘yun e. Parang tinawag lang ako, and that was it. After that, nasa Haydee na ako.

 

When Haydee was announced, Mars Ravelo was the one who endorsed you at the time. He was a “virtual starmaker,” having endorsed the likes of Tessie Agana, Dolphy, Lolita Rodriguez, and Ed Luna. Do you still remember that night? You commented on Instagram that you felt scared.

 

Syempre. God, I was so young. When I started my contract, I was only 12 years old. Ano ba namang alam ko? Wala akong kaalam-alam — how to act, nothing. “Ano ba itong ginagawa ko?” It was rattling.

 

Who was your North Star as an actor around then? Lino Brocka and many other directors obviously guided you later on, but who was your idea of a great actor or actress at such a young age?

 

Syempre ‘yung mga lumang-luma. ‘Yung mga napapanood ko sa TV. Hindi sina Tita Gloria [Romero]. ‘Yung noong araw pa. I can’t remember their names, but I love them. Bakit hindi ko na naaalala? Ang gagaling nila — ‘yung mga taga-Sampaguita. ‘Yung mga ganung artista noong araw. Those actors. Susan Roces. Amalia Fuentes. Lolita Rodriguez. Chato. They were so beautiful.

 

When you were emerging as an actor, were they the ones you saw and thought, “I would want a career like that”?

 

No. I never thought about it that way.

 

Really?

 

Not at all.

 

You were just moving forward.

 

I didn’t even know what it meant: ‘yung pagiging artista. Hindi ko alam kung may talent ako or wala. I was just thrown into it. My son was telling me, “You’re lucky, mom. You were thrown into this career na para sa iyo talaga.” And I said, “Yeah.” Hindi ko ‘yun naisip. Tama nga siya.

 

Have your children or grandchildren seen your films?

 

Yeah, they have naman. They study it e.

 

Wow.

 

Sa MassComm kasi. So napag-aaralan ‘yan.

 

Have they ever asked you about the process or filmmaking?

 

Hindi naman. I will not help them. I tell them, “You go watch it yourself. Saka natin pag-usapan.” My classmates, ganyan rin sila sa Maryknoll. “‘San, we have to watch your film. Can you tell us na lang?” I say, “No. Go watch it. Ang daya niyo.” [Laughs] Nag-sho-shortcut!

 

In Maryknoll, you were already working as an actor, right?

 

Oo naman! High school artista na ako, ano! In elementary, pa-graduate to high school, I was already working. I put myself through school.

 

Did having a stage name help you create a distinction between you as a celebrity and you as the regular Susan Reid?

 

I think so. When I was discovered, Susan Roces was still very popular. My name was Susan Reid. Parang masyado silang magkalapit. Ayaw nilang gamitin yung tunay kong pangalan. Though it is beautiful! Pumapatong kay Tita Susan. So gusto nilang maiba. So nag-imbento sila ng ibang pangalan.

 

So your friends watched Insiang while you were in college?

 

Yeah.

 

What were their reactions?

 

Syempre, they loved it. Kaibigan e. Mga kaklase. Very supportive naman ang mga kaibigan ko sa akin. Up to now. They attended the Sisa premiere.

 

When we spoke before, we talked about how interesting Santiago and Sisa are both set in wartime Philippines. The former was set in the Japanese occupation. With Sisa, we’re at the tail end of the Philippine-American war.

 

We also had Lupang Hinirang. Spanish times naman ‘yun. So may period films ako, pero hindi kasing tindi nito[ng Sisa].

 

Now that Sisa has concluded, could you walk us through the difference between making a period drama before and now?

 

Iba talaga. Itong sa amin, pinag-aralan talaga ni Direk [Jun] ito nang matindi para historically correct siya. Although the characters are fictional, it was very real. ‘Yung mga ginawa namin noon, everything was fictional. Although merong historical value rin siya, hindi katulad [or] kasing ganda ng ginawa namin ngayon.

 

Santiago was such a difficult first [leading] role.

 

Talaga! Pipi at bulag ako. Paano ‘yung acting doon? [Laughs] It’s kind of hard for a 13-year-old to do that, na walang experience, walang alam. But that was Lino Brocka. My first Lino Brocka. So it was fantastic.

 

How did Lino talk to you about it? I can’t imagine how someone would walk a 13-year-old through that, let alone guide them into an award-winning performance.

 

Wala lang. I just had to do it. [Laughs] Walang dialogue ‘yun. But then I won a FAMAS for it. It was such an experience.

 

Was there a favorite moment from the Santiago set that you still return to?

 

Ang memorable lang sa akin doon ‘yung gumawa sila ng schoolhouse tapos sinunog nila. Doon ako mahahanap ni Kuya Ronnie [Fernando Poe Jr.] e. When they burnt it down and hosed it, may mga embers pa. Lino would say, “Humiga ka diyan!” And I would say, “Lino, may mga apoy apoy pa.” [He’d say:] “Tatapunan ka namin ng putik!” Natatakot ako na masusunog ako. I was 13. Oh my god. But that’s Lino for you.

 

Talk about trial by fire.

 

I swear! Talagang tunay! But it was nice. All-star cast kami sa Lea [Productions].

 

You were with Lea for a five-year contract, right?

 

Five-year contract. Five pictures a year.

 

Shortly after, you did the Hilda show?

 

Sabay halos. ‘Yun ang training ko. Matindi ang bantay sa akin ni Lino. Gagawa kami ng pelikula, tapos sabay din ang Hilda show for five and a half years.

 

 

“Ang gagaling ng mga writers namin noon. Mario O’Hara, Ricky Lee. We had so many great writers then.”

 

 

How did you manage that while also being a student?

 

Walang tulog. All the time. They wanted me to stop. But I don’t like that.

 

Fulfilling decision to keep continuing?

 

Definitely. I wouldn’t stop for anything.

 

I discovered belatedly that Insiang was initially a teleplay on Hilda. What was the difference between the teleplay and…

 

The ending.

 

What was the original?

 

The ending was not the same as the one in the film. Mas maganda ending ng nasa TV.

 

What was it?

 

[Laughs]

 

I don’t have access to it! You’re my only access to it!

 

[Laughs more] Okay. Ang ending sa film: Nakulong ang nanay niya. Pumunta siya sa kulungan. Umiiyak siya. Sinasabi niya mahal niya ‘yung nanay niya, so on and so forth. But sa television? She went to the preso and she says: “Mabuti nga sa iyo. Mabuti ngang nakulong ka.”

 

Wow.

 

Hindi raw maka-Pilipino ‘yun. Pero maganda ‘yung ending namin. “Buti nga sa iyo. Hayop ka. You deserve it.” In Tagalog, of course. ‘Yung ganoon. ‘Yung talagang… “Tangina mo!” [Laughs]

 

What made them change it?

 

Ayaw ng gobyerno. Hindi raw maka-Pilipino.

 

This was before it was released? Or before it went to Cannes?

 

Bago na-release. Dalawa ‘yung ending nun. Ayaw nilang payagan. Pero mas maganda ‘yung original. Ang galing ng mga artista namin. I liked the original ending. Not necessarily because it was more controversial, but because it was more realistic. Why would you love somebody who did that to you? That’s the thing. That’s the difference when it comes to Sisa — it’s more realistic. It’s less forgiving matapos kaming inapi. I like endings like that. Makatotohanan. ‘Yung talagang nararamdaman mo. Insiang was like that originally. “Buti nga sa iyo.”

 

Sorry, kinilabutan ako.

 

‘Di ba?

 

I mean, it’s also because you’re the one saying it!

 

[Laughs] Ang ganda?

 

But that also speaks to the quality of the television at the time.

 

Oh yeah! Ang gagaling ng mga writers namin noon. Mario O’Hara, Ricky Lee. We had so many great writers then.

 

It’s great that they found great directors and muses.

 

We had so much fun with our scripts.

 

What was it about the ‘70s and ‘80s? Of course, politics and culture inform the work. But creatively, what was it about the community? Maybe the things that are invisible to us who weren’t witnesses to it firsthand?

 

People were aware of what was happening around us. Especially during the martial law era. Sensitive ‘yung mga tao. There was an awakening. Maynila [Sa Kuko ng Liwanag] and Insiang were capable of criticizing our society. Nagagawa natin ‘yun. Pero, of course, may repercussions. Napapatawag rin kami sa [Camp] Crame noong araw. [Laughs]

 

Really?

 

Yeah when we did [Behn Cervantes’] Sakada, napatawag ako sa Crame niyan. Sinabi ko sa kanila, noong ini-interview nila ako, “I’m an actress. It’s my job. But that’s about it. If you pay me, sige, I won’t do it.” [Laughs] Pabiro lang ‘yun syempre. Behn Cervantes ‘yun. He’s a good friend of mine. “Trabaho ko ito.” Hindi ko ito ginagawa to be political. It’s just a role I wanna do. Okay naman sila. Hindi naman sila nang-harass. Pero syempre, ‘pag mapapatawag ka, ninenerbyos ka na, right?

 

Speaking of the activist and director Behn Cervantes, you did a play with him, right?

 

I did. It was a Russian play. Of course, tinagalog ni Bienvenido Lumbera. He translated it [from Maxim Gorky’s Enemies]. It’s called Ang Kaaway. I won Best Actress also for that one. Si Behn ang nag-direct nun.

 

When we last spoke, you said that among the many media you’ve been involved with, theater was the one you were least in love with. Is that still true?

 

It’s exhausting. Lalo na ngayon. Meron akong mga offers sa teatro. Sabi ko, “No, it’s really tiring for me.” I don’t have the lung capacity for it.

 

Also, the shows go deep into the evening.

 

Kaya nga. Every time I was doing Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for Lino with sina Phillip [Salvador in 1978], every time pagkatapos nung show wala akong boses. It was very nice, but it was very hard. Nakakapagod. Especially at this age. Ayaw ko na.

 

So there’s no chance of it?

 

No. I have to think of my health. Hindi na importante sa akin ‘yan. I’d love to. But hindi na kaya. Ayaw ko nang ma-stress.

 

The involvement in the different forms, did that inform you as an actor?

 

We had to do it. Kapag sinabi sa amin [ng management] na pumunta kang Araneta Coliseum at kakanta ka doon, kahit ayaw ko, I go. We had to do it. Nasa kontrata ko ‘yun e. Sila ang bahala kung saan ka nila isasaksak. Wala kang say.

 

But eventually, were you able to say “no” to some things?

 

Yeah. In my fourth year sa contract, nag-reklamo na ako.

 

Under Lea?

 

Yeah. Pinakawalan nila ako in my last year. But they were trying to kill my career in that sense. “Okay, papakawalan ka namin. Pero lahat ng offers mo sa labas ng Lea Productions, sa amin dadaan.” Syempre, they always say “no.” But if it’s Lino who’s asking, they cannot say “no.” So it was Lino who would always save me. Wala akong trabaho nun. Binabara nila.

 

This was when you were 17?

 

No, 15 lang ata ako.

 

Right, cause you started at 12.

 

Wala pa akong 15 noon. I tried to get out. My salary sa first year ko, and star ka na doon ha, was P500 lang per film. Tapos sa second year, P600 pesos. Third year, P700. I mean, really? Come on.

 

This was the period when you were making five films a year?

 

Yeah. Umalis ako doon na marami pa akong utang. It was hard. It almost felt like child exploitation. “This is too much already.” “Yeah, but we discovered you.” But at that point, kailangan mo ring kumita. Sagad ka na nang husto, and they were making money off of you. Of course, I’ll always be grateful to them, pero exploitation talaga ‘yun. Star billing na ako noon ha. Grabe.

 

Is there a performance on set as it is unfolding that made you say, “Wow, that’s an actor”?

 

Lolita Rodriguez ang binabantayan ko. I was talking to a director and producer who wanted to do something na kaming dalawa. I was such a fan. Pero hindi natuloy because she passed. Sayang. I like watching the old, great ones; ‘yung pinapanood mo at nakakakakilig.

 

 

“In my 30s, I was thinking, ‘Hindi na ako magtatagal as a lead actress.’ ‘Yung bida-bida. Pero I will graduate to the mother roles. I’ll be the best one. Then graduate ako ulit. Andito pa naman ako, right?”

 

 

The acting is so different now.

 

Naiiba na nga ngayon. Iba-iba ang style. May mga high-strung. May mga low-key. Lolita was lowkey. Hindi siya OA. Hindi siya mataas. Hindi siya hysterical. That’s the type of thing I like.

 

Ika nga ni Eugene Domingo, “Hindi siya ‘nagbabagang balita’ acting.”

 

Yeah. Hindi. Pinapanood ko ‘yun. Pinag-aaralan ko. I really like na ayaw rin niya ‘yung over the top. Kailangang controlled ang acting. In some scenes namin, I was explaining to her and sina Otep Buncalan [executive producer of Sisa], “This is Eugene’s scene. I cannot go high on this. I have got to go low. Eksena niya ‘yun e.” Ayaw kong nantatakip ako ng ibang tao. Kasama ko sila. Katrabaho ko sila. Nena is her daughter [in the film]. Although I’m in shock, I’ve got to go lower than her because it’s her scene.

 

Sa ibang scene, I can go higher. But I never go hysterical. Ayaw ni Lino ng mga hysterical. Ayaw ni Lino na gumagalaw ang mga chin. [She twists her face in a grotesque manner with such control to demonstrate] Ayaw niya ‘yan! No movements on your face. Tight close-ups. Very tight. Very still.

 

Did knowing the technical aspects of filmmaking shape the kind of performance you’d deliver?

 

Hindi naman. In Sisa, we did it almost like it’s a stage play. Tuloy-tuloy ang mga eksena. Tuhog ‘yun. Para kaming nasa stage. Noong araw, hindi digital. Take one ka lang dapat. Kasi mauubos ‘yung pelikula! But now, pwede mong ulitin hanggang 15 takes. It’s fine kasi buburahin lang nila ‘yun. Medyo mahirap ng konti kasi pwedeng ulit-ulitin. Pero noong araw, if you were take one, fabulous ka na. Pero ngayon, iba na e.

 

Does doing take after take frustrate you as an actress?

 

Yeah! [Laughs] I like take ones! Sanay ako sa take ones. Lalo na if it’s a crying scene. My director, Jun Robles Lana, respects that. Kapag alam niyang mahirap ‘yung eksena at tutuhugin niya, very emotional and may iyakan or confrontation, nakukuha namin ng take one. Parang stale na kapag inulit ko. Masyadong rehearsed. I’d like to do it na isa lang para mabigay ko lahat ng emotion ko. Boom! That’s it.

 

So kailangan, take one lang, as much as possible. Senior na rin naman ako! If I can do it, I’ll do it. Pero ‘yung health ko ‘yung importante sa akin. I want to make sure na kaya ko. I won’t take on something na hindi ko kaya.

 

That question of longevity…

 

Ang hirap nun, ano! We talked about this when we were younger: Every two years! Ang daming palit nang palit dahil ang daming pumapasok. But to be there forever? ‘Yun ang medyo mahirap. Nora and Vilma. People like us na nagtatagal? Mahirap ‘yun minsan. Kasi ang daming bagong pumapasok na ang gaganda! But after two years, wala na ‘yun. May bago na. A lot of actors and actresses come home from other countries! Half ganito, half ganyan. So beautiful, so talented, so well-educated. Ang dami mong kalaban! Pero to be there forever? Medyo mahirap ma-achieve ‘yun.

 

What’s the secret? Is there one?

 

I don’t know! I couldn’t tell you. Siguro body of work lang namin talaga. I don’t know the secret to it.

 

When did you start thinking about the sustainability of this all? For you and your career?

 

I don’t think I ever even thought about that! I’m just very practical. In my 30s, I was thinking, “Hindi na ako magtatagal as a lead actress.” ‘Yung bida-bida. Pero I will graduate to the mother roles. I’ll be the best one. Then graduate ako ulit. Andito pa naman ako, right?

 

Our art director Nimu watched Tanging Yaman the other day. It’s still so decimating.

 

I love Tanging Yaman. Ang ganda ng cast! [She melts into her seat] I miss Johnny Delgado. I love Johnny.

 

Fondest memory with Johnny?

 

Palabiro kasi ‘yan! ‘Pag nasa shoot kami, you’d think seryoso siya, right? Lagi ko ‘yang rapist [onscreen] e. [Laughs] Sa Angela Markado. Kung saan saan. Mukha siyang nakakatakot pero he’s such a funny guy! I love working with him. Lagi kaming naglolokohan at nagbibiruan. Maloko rin ako e. We had fun. We had so much fun working together. I miss him. He’s such a great actor. Mabait ‘yan. Nakakatawa ‘yan.

 

Is there a role you never got to do that you still think about to this day?

 

No.

 

Wala?

 

In the more than five years of the Hilda show every week, that’s almost every role that you could think of! Nawalan kami ng material.

 

54 episodes each year for five years, right?

 

Yes. One episode a week for 52 weeks. But, let’s just say may bagyo or may sakit ako, we have to add another two extra. So 54 ‘yun. Imagine?

 

That’s 270 roles.

 

Yes. Walang katapusan! Wala na akong maisip when they ask me! So I’m just waiting for a really good script — like this one — to come and ma-e-enjoy ko, na naiiba naman ang role. Kasi I haven’t done anything like this. [Laughs] Of course, may drama pa rin. May confrontations that I do all the time. Pero naiiba ‘yung role niya.

 

Did you ever audition for anything?

 

No.

 

So it was mostly offers?

 

Yeah.

 

Was there any part of you that ever wanted to go through that process?

 

No. Why would I want the stress? Wala akong ambisyon masyado na ganyan. Masaya na ako.

 

You grew up onscreen and in the public eye. Did stepping away from show business and living in L.A. offer some respite?

 

Yeah. Nakapagpahinga ako. It was a quiet life. I liked it.

 

What made you step away from acting?

 

My husband’s work was in California. We had to go. Hindi naman pwedeng maiwan kami dito. I made the decision to go. I brought my son with me. That was basically it. Sabi naman ng husband ko, “Maybe it’s time to relax. Pwedeng maghintay ng project na maganda like The Mistress (2012).” Pauwi-uwi ka na lang. That’s what we did.

 

Was there any apprehension going back on set for something like Sisa?

 

No.

 

Did you have rehearsals before going on set?

 

No. Why? Why would we have rehearsals?

 

For blocking?

 

No. [Laughs]

 

Was Lino that kind of director?

 

Rehearsals? No. Ibibigay niya lang sa iyo ‘yung script. Bahala ka na. Noong araw ganun lang kami. There’s your script. Bahala ka na. Doon na natin pag-usapan ‘yan.

 

Were most of the directors you worked with also like that?

 

Yes! We didn’t have a script reading. So noong Sisa, I was like, “Script reading? What is that?” [Laughs] Syempre nagugulat ako na bago na ‘yung mga ganoon. “We have to sit you down.” “You have to read the script? I read it already!” “Yeah, Tita. Ganito po kasi.” What an experience! I was sleepy! [Laughs]

 

At the Sisa script reading?

 

Ang kapal e! 102 pages ‘yun! And I’m in all of it! Oh my god. “We’re reading all of it? We’re doing this? Ah! Okay. Sige lang. Tara!”

 

When I visited the set of Sisa, though, you’re so clearly in the moment. I know it’s the job, but where does that impulse to be present come from?

 

It’s natural for me to be still. Especially if the scenes are very hard. I really have to concentrate and make sure that na-imbibe ko lahat — including the environment. Acting is not just memorizing lines and giving the emotion, you have to know technically where you have to be, where your lights are, saan ka nakatayo, na hindi mo natatakpan ang mga kapwa mo artista. So on and so forth. There are so many things to consider. Minsan, maingay. Kailangan… na-a-absorb mo lahat ‘yun bago ka makapag-concentrate ka sa sarili mo. To act out everything with all of the distractions happening around you? It’s very hard.

 

 

“My son was telling me, ‘You’re lucky, mom. You were thrown into this career na para sa iyo talaga.’ And I said, Yeah.’ Hindi ko ‘yun naisip. Tama nga siya.”

 

 

Has it gotten easier?

 

No. Lalo na ‘yung mga scenes namin ni Direk Jun. Maraming tao. Sa confrontation scenes namin doon. You have two cameras following you. You have to make sure na tama ‘yung position mo. By the same token, maingay! Kumakalampag ‘yung sahig, ‘yung mga pinggan sa mga eksenang ‘yun. But I have to be very still — even in my thoughts. My lines are very important. They have to be perfect. And the emotions that go with that have to be real. It’s so hard to explain, na hiwalay ‘yun, but that you’re also part of the environment. But that’s how I do it.

 

What are you noticing with this new batch of filmmakers? Especially with someone like Direk Jun. Is there a quality sila that helps make part of your job as an actor easier?

 

Yeah. They listen to you. Minsan, ‘yung mga direktor noong araw, you just have to do what they tell you. What I like about Direk Jun is you can talk to him. We discussed the script. Script niya ‘yun, and I will always give him what he wants, but he’s always open to suggestions. He listens. I like that. I do that with Lino, too. Nag-uusap talaga kami. “Ganito ang gusto ko para sa iyo. Perfect na ito. Maganda na ‘yung ginawa mo pero I know you can give me more.” Direk Jun is so easy to work with because nakikinig siya sa iyo, but he knows what he wants also. I like that.

 

A lot of my favorite films of yours feature women-led casts.

 

Working Girls probably, ano? Sisa’s ganyan! Women are so strong.

 

What do you find in these women-led films? Is that something you look for when you look at projects?

 

Usually, my roles are like that: strong women. Whether they’re rich or poor, they’re very determined. They’re very resilient. They’re very strong. The characters are very… matapang. Personality nila lumalabas sa screen. Nakikita mong pinapanood ng mga babae. Parang nagiging role model ka. Especially Working Girls, hindi pa uso ‘yung women in the workplace na umaangat. Kami ‘yung nag-umpisa ng mga ganyan. I like to play characters that are like that. I think, in a sense, it’s because I’m also like that. I’ve been through a lot, and it makes sense na ‘yung characters ko ganun rin. They’ve been through hell and back. It’s nice to play roles like that — na katulad mo in a sense.

 

Patapos na po tayo.

 

Hopefully. [Laughs]

 

Did you ever feel underappreciated by the industry itself?

 

Sometimes.

 

Especially at the start?

 

Atsaka lagi kang tinatawaran. O ‘yung mga cheke mo tumatalbog. Syempre I feel like I give them everything that they want. I work really hard. Tapos para kang binabaratilyo. [Laughs]

 

Have you found a way to overcome that? Especially those feelings of being neglected or unappreciated?

 

Hindi naman ganun ka-deep ‘yung resentment ko. I take it in stride. Whatever. Okay lang sa akin. If they need me, they’ll call me again. Nag-aaway kami and then they’ll get me again. Ganun lang ‘yun. Ganun ang industriya. You just have to take it in stride.

 

Are there actors you still want to work with?

 

Wala naman. ‘Yung mga dati kong nakatrabaho, I have one in the works with them. Hopefully with Boyet. All of these people I’ve worked with. Like sina John Lloyd Cruz. But a lot of the people I’ve worked with are already gone. I miss Eddie Garcia. I miss Ronaldo. Johnny. Ang dami na e. I want to work with great actresses and actors. Marami nang bago at mahusay. So I’m excited to work with new people. Dito sa Sisa, ang dami nilang bago at magagaling lahat. Masayang kasama! I like working with people like that. ‘Yung enjoy ako. Very professional at ang huhusay. Ang sarap kasama nun, ‘di ba? Hindi ka na mag-iisip. It’s an excellent cast.

 

Will we ever see you in another mainstream movie again?

 

[Smiles deviously] You’ll never know.

 

 

Photography JL JAVIER assisted by APA AGBAYANI

Styling EDLENE CABRAL

Hair and Makeup CHAO VILLANO LILIO assisted by RC CORNEJO

Official Venue Partner THE RAMON MAGSAYSAY CENTER

 

 

Link: https://rollingstonephilippines.com/culture/film/hilda-koronel-sisa-interview/