MEGA: In
Sisa, Women Navigate a World of Disappointment, Trust, and Solidarity
Part
revenge thriller, part feminist retelling, Sisa shows us that sometimes, women
can only trust their fellow women.
By
Rafael Bautista
March
13, 2026
Right
off the bat, it should be noted that, contrary to the movie’s title, Sisa is
not about the fictional character in Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangére. Instead, the
title comes from the fact that it is the name the townsfolk give Hilda
Koronel’s character when she wanders into their community in a direct reference
to the novel’s madwoman.
Still,
even though they are separate characters, their plight is similar in essence.
Sisa in the novel goes crazy after losing her children and experiencing abuse,
while the movie’s Sisa fakes her craziness to disguise her act of revenge
against the people who took everything from her.
In
Sisa’s quest to do just that, it’s the women in the community who prove to be
her biggest allies. Director Jun Robles Lana’s women-focused revisionist tale
puts the spotlight on female victimhood in how its all-women lead characters
carry their own crosses and ultimately can only rely on themselves to get the
job done and attain the justice they desire. Through their pain, strength, and
sacrifice, the women of Sisa go through it as they discover that their freedom,
or at the very least their retribution, can only be brought about by
themselves.
The
Madwoman
Set during the final days of the Philippine-American War, the movie
tells the story of Sisa, an elderly woman who stumbles into a concentration
camp run by American soldiers. There, the village’s women, whose husbands were
killed or arrested, reluctantly serve the Americans as cooks, maids, and the
like.
The
women of the community call her Sisa because of how she can’t talk properly and
is prone to emotional outbursts. In reality, Sisa is a spy for the resistance
who is helping plan a major attack against the American garrison in the
community. It is here where we meet our main cast of characters, women who all
have their stories to tell.
There’s Delia (Eugene Domingo), Sisa’s caretaker of sorts, whose side
comments about being under American rule make for some of the best lines in the
film. Ofelia (Tanya Gomez) deals with the grief of her husband, who served as
the village chief, being arrested by the Americans, but eventually rises to the
occasion to be the new community head with the help of Sisa’s encouragement.
Then there’s Leonor (Jennica Garcia), a young widow who has a not-so-secret
relationship with the leader of the camp, Commander Harrison.
It’s through these women and more that color Sisa’s story as viewers
learn about the lengths they go to continue with their lives and just survive.
But their experiences don’t hide their shared grief in how the Americans took
away their husbands, and, more importantly, their freedom in becoming servants
to the soldiers.
Their
Female Rage
Despite
overtures to “educate” the Filipinas in the American way of life, the women are
still being held captive, even if they aren’t physically tied up. Despite not
fighting in the war, Filipino women are the ones who have to pick up the pieces
and find some semblance of normalcy once the dust settles.
It is
in this context that their grief transforms into action. Instead of wallowing
in their plight, the women learn to rise with a newfound strength. Sisa serves
as the spark to light the fire as her steadfast presence and quiet bravery wake
up the community’s muted apathy into a collective act of resistance.
Slowly but surely, the movie explores how these women band together to
have each other’s backs and eventually fight back against their oppressors in a
show of female rage. We already know what happens at the end of the
Filipino-American War, so the movie explores how a group of Filipinas is pushed
to the edge in a world that doesn’t have their best interests at heart.
Their
anger is palpable, especially when the movie takes a shocking turn in its final
act that highlights how women will always get the short end of the stick, no
matter what they do. These women aren’t soldiers. Even Sisa was pushed to
become a spy because of a tragic incident. The faith they put in other people
proves fruitless, as they realize that their oppression and marginalization
aren’t just limited to their Western captors. In their own ways, the women are
faced with the reality that their trust, especially in men, becomes their
undoing.
Ultimately,
their quest for revenge and retribution isn’t just driven by their dislike
towards the Americans, but also by how they are constantly let down at every
step of the way. The anger is real, which pushes them to commit drastic acts.
While viewers can debate the morals of their actions and whether the women were
justified in doing what they did, it does come from a real place. These women
use the fact that they are seen as invisible and deemed disposable by society
to their advantage.
It makes for one of the most compelling Filipino movies of 2026 yet, and
a reminder that no matter the time or place, female solidarity will always be a
powerful source of bravery, strength, and hope.
Link: https://mega-asia.com/women/sisa-women-disappointment-trust-solidarity/
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