Brave and Baliw: The Revolution According to Sisa
Sisa was baliw because her actions made sense in an otherwise impossible situation. The crazy are truly brave.
Published on Mar 4, 2026
Philippine history has had many powerful women. Despite their genuine merit, many of them are widows and counterparts of great men. Corazon Aquino, the first female president in Asia, was the widow of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. Former Vice President Leni Robredo is the widow of the reformist mayor of Naga City, Jesse Robredo. Gregoria de Jesus, or the "Lakambini," was the widow of Andres Bonifacio, founder of the Katipunan.
Even in history, womanhood is praised in the same breath as men, playing supporting roles to them. Though this connection does not diminish their contributions, who were these great women without the men? What about the unsung women who fought without male counterparts?
Wars and revolutions have often been stories of men in battle. The winners are determined by greater capacity for violence and domination. The movie is set at the tail end of the Philippine-American War, a period of history filled with many documented defeats. This can be seen in both history and in cinema, such as the more recently concluded Bayaniverse by Jerrold Tarog.
When the men have fallen or surrendered, the women fight on.
Jun Robles Lana brings back the legendary actress Hilda Koronel for her first movie in 13 years to play the titular role of Sisa. She is a common multimedia trope of a woman driven to madness by the tragedies of her time. Rizal originated Sisa in Noli Me Tangere as the mother screaming the names of her lost children, "Crispin" and "Basilio." The traditional Sisa is a victim of her circumstances. Robles and Koronel's Sisa turns the trope on its head, transforming the tragic figure into a symbol of quiet dignity and strength.
The story takes place at a concentration camp where American soldiers have enslaved a community of women and killed most of their families. In the interest of "benevolent assimilation," they are educated in English, clothed in fancy dresses, and forced to dance on the graves of their countrymen. Some of the women, such as Delia, played by Eugene Domingo, cynically survive by following orders, while women like Leonor, played by Jennica Garcia, enjoy favored status as the mistress of the American captain. This is a microcosm of occupation. Filipinos feared the colonizers' superior force, knew the cost of resistance, and understood the comfort of obedience. While resilience is often lauded as a Filipino virtue, the movie also shows the costs of simply surviving and tolerating oppression.
How then does Sisa teach us to resist? Koronel's performance was understated while maintaining an eerie gravitas. Sisa is explicitly named after Rizal's character by the other characters, but she is noticeably different. Koronel's Sisa is an unnerving presence that disrupts the camp not by shouting but by being herself: uncontrollable, ungovernable. She is an immovable witness to oppression in the camp until she is forced to act.
Baliw as Bravery
Sisa is the archetype of the "Baliw," or crazy person. During the media screening talkback, one audience member asked, "What does baliw mean?" We often use "baliw" as a joke or to label things that are foolish or don't make sense. Authorities use the label to discredit critics and dissidents. It is another means of silencing the populace. Jun Lana said he "was not interested in clinically diagnosing" Sisa but was rather "showing what happens when people run out of options." Sisa was baliw because her actions made sense in an otherwise impossible situation. Jennica Garcia responded by saying, "Ang baliw ay totoong matapang," or "the crazy are the truly brave." The traditional Sisa evokes an image of losing control. Koronel's Sisa was fully in control of her actions despite the clear costs and consequences. Furthermore, Sisa was able to translate and inspire her bravery in the other women, turning her singular defiance into collective resistance.
Citizen Sisa
It is timely and symbolic to release Sisa during Women's Month. Why are women celebrated at all? It is more a correction, as women have been specifically dismissed as hysterical and weak. The courage Sisa and the other women characters display is not exclusive to women, but they suffer circumstances specific to women of the time. They were not born brave but became brave because being a woman in that society was especially difficult. Their actions and worthiness are not defined by their womanhood alone. They are celebrated because their bravery can and should be emulated by all citizens. Their demand for dignity required greater courage precisely because they were invisible and underestimated. Their marginalization became their strength.
Jun Lana's Sisa is more than a historical drama; it is a necessary exercise in moral and civic imagination. Today, it is not only women who are ignored and discredited, but any activist, critic, or citizen who dares to speak out against oppression. We must therefore muster the courage to act "baliw" when our dignity is at stake. Resistance need not be as dramatic as Sisa's. According to Hannah Arendt, "Civil disobedience is not an overthrow of the system but its restoration." It is also only possible when done by many citizens together. Our resistance need not be destructive but a focused, resounding "no" against oppression. "Sana all, Baliw."
Matthew Ordoñez is a university lecturer at De LA Salle University-Manila. He teaches courses in Citizenship and Governance, Development Economics, and Cinema and Politics. He is a member of the Society of Filipino Film Reviewers and writes film reviews for Asian Movie Pulse.
View More Articles About: