Why I Let My 5 Year Old Watch 'Pulang Araw' Despite Mature Themes

In case you haven't seen it, Pulang Araw is a historical family drama by GMA 7 that revolves around four characters and is set during the American and Japanese occupations in the Philippines. 

It tells the stories of Adelina (Barbie Forteza), Eduardo (Alden Richards), Teresita (Sanya Lopez), and Hiroshi (David Licauco), whose lives are intertwined from their childhood days. 

The first five episodes of the series dropped on Netflix on July 26, while the first episode debuted on GMA 7 on July 29. Its maturity rating on Netflix is age 16+ for themes of violence.

Nevertheless, I'm a parent who lets my 5-year-old daughter watch this new series with me, and here's why.

Why I let my 5-year-old watch the new TV series, Pulang Araw

Pulang Araw director Dominic Zapata said in a Philstar article that the series was based on true stories and inspired by Filipino heroes and survivors from the World War II. He also emphasized that while the series depicts the atrocities during the Japanese occupation in 1940s, "there's no hatred in this show." He explained that the goal of this project is to portray what it means to be a Filipino.

True enough, the cast and characters of Pulang Araw believe that the Filipino youth must watch the series, of course, with their parents' supervision. 

Richards, who portrayed the role of Eduardo, Adelina's half-sibling who grows up to become a freedom fighter, believes the series is a legacy for Filipinos who lived through World War II. He said, "Kailangan pong mapanood ‘to ng kabataan ngayon because this will serve as a reminder of where we came from and how we obtained the things we enjoy and that bring us joy today. That’s why po siguro it’s the most important project or series of GMA right now dahil yun po ang mensaheng gusto naming maiparating sa mga nanonood."

^{Richards play the role of the adult Eduardo, who is a freedom fighter}

For Forteza, who plays Adelina, the half-sibling of both Eduardo and Teresita, she believes that the quality of their work makes it important for the youth to watch.

Lopez, who plays Teresita, TV shows like this are timeless pieces that generations will enjoy watching over and over again. "It’s something we can watch even when we’re old and have our own families. This may be our way to give respect, value, and appreciate the freedom we enjoy today. If it weren’t for their sacrifices, what would our lives be like now? How would our lives be today? That’s why we salute you. And it feels great to be Filipino."

^{Young Adelina (Cassandra Lavarias) and Eduardo (Franchesco Maafi) grieve their mother's death}

Ten episodes into the series, I can say that the show indeed has tackled emotional and heart-wrenching topics that range from the death of a parent, to infidelity, and to violence. While these themes aren't appropriate yet for my daughter who is a Kinder student in a progressive school, I believe I can best guide her in grasping the message of the story and the lessons we can pick up together as her parent. 

^{There are several scenes where Carmela Borromeo (Angelu de Leon) hurts the young Adelina, who is the love-child of her husband Julio (Epy Quizon) with Fina (Rhian Ramos)}

Guidelines while watching Pulang Araw with your child

Here are some guidelines that we observe while watching this series which other parents can follow too:

1. Watch on streaming sites where there are no commercials.

Since this series airs both on mainstream TV and on Netflix, we chose to watch on Netflix to avoid commercials. According to What To Expect, kids under 6 have yet to understand the difference between a show and an ad so it's best to skip them. It also keeps them from getting overstimulated with the commercials in between. 

2. Choose shows that have short episodes.

Experts advise that children age 2 to 5 years old limit their screen time to about an hour per day. An episode of Pulang Araw on Netflix is just about 20 minutes tops. We limit our viewing time to up to two episodes maximum per day, and we watch one episode in the afternoon and another before dinner time. We prefer to watch together on the TV and not on my mobile phone, too.

3. Watch with your child.

This is one of the reasons why I allow my child to watch this series because we watch it together. We treat it as our bonding time—I put down my phone, turn off my laptop, and focus on the show when we do so. This way, I will be able to answer her questions and explain the situations that are happening in the show. 

4. Have a discussion or debriefing after every episode.

After watching an episode, we talk about what she understood and what lesson she learned. She also draws her own portrayal of the characters, and we talk about it afterwards. 

^{My daughter's drawing of the three main characters Teresita, Adelina, and Eduardo}

Lessons so far from Pulang Araw

1. It teaches the unconditional love between siblings.

For my daughter who loves the Disney movie Frozen, she finds the plot of Pulang Araw similar to it, particularly because of the two main characters who are sisters. When I asked what she loves about the series, she said that even though Adelina's mother died when she was young, she found comfort in her sister Teresita. Not to mention how Eduardo, Adelina's brother, has always strived to be by her side, too.

2. It fosters love for the Filipino language.

Aside from that, she also loves how the characters use Filipino language, and we pick up new words like husto na, which we don't use in everyday conversations. She is also exposed to people of different nationalities, like the Japanese and Americans, who speak their own language in the series. 

3. It makes us proud to be Filipino.

More than anything, Pulang Araw tells us an important story about our history as Filipinos, and how we have come to enjoy the freedom that we are experiencing right now. 

4. It teaches about the relentless pursuit of dreams.

In the story, sisters Adelina and Teresita, as well as Eduardo, are open about the dreams they want to achieve even as children. Throughout the series, they work and strive hard to pursue them, despite struggles and obstacles.

I recommend parents to watch Pulang Araw with your children, especially if you want to teach your kids about love for family, reverence for our country, and the relentless pursuit of dreams. 

Check out this mall in Quezon City that has the first-ever family cinema in the metro here.