On November 23, 1944, during the second world war, soldiers from the Japanese Imperial Army marched North of Manila to a small town called Mapanique, Pampanga.
They tortured and killed many of the inhabitants of the village.

The girls were asked to march several kilometers, where they were interred in red house,
and repeatedly raped for days.

In the 1990’s more than 90 of them gathered together and attempted to tell their story through the media, in hopes of seeking support and justice. Today, approximately 60 of them have passed away, not ever having seen any form of reparation. A few are losing their memory.

Those who remember told their stories.

namilipit ang murang katawan
our delicate bodies hardened

nasira na ang isip
our minds shattered

umuwi kami sa abo
we came home to ashes

hannah reyes morales

EMERGING ISLANDS >>