Maris Racal on local athletes: ‘I hope there’s more support for them’

After the successful theatrical run of her film Sunshine, Maris Racal said she was proud of the feedback they received about her film with director Antonette Jadaone.

“The main goal of the film was to spread awareness, to get more people to be passionate about the message of the film. So I think we did it. We did that part. We took active, baby steps and nagawa natin paunti unti. And we’re going to get there,” she said.

The film, which tells the story of a young gymnast named Sunshine who faces a life-changing decision after she discovers she is pregnant while preparing for the tryouts of the national team, sheds light on issues like having to be faced with the country’s restrictive population control laws as well as the struggles that Pinoy athletes go through. Maris also reacted to the buzz that her film should be considered as the country’s bet for international film representation.

“I have nothing to say but thank you to everyone for saying that. It’s a big compliment. Honestly, I’m still over the moon. I still can’t believe what’s happening. He still hasn’t sunk in. But the happiness is already sinking in. I’m just really, really busy right now promoting it. But I’m very thankful for everyone who watched,” she added.

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During the launch event of the Maya Black Credit Card, Maris also shared her message for local athletes. “For the athletes, I really support them in a way that I hope there’s more support for them. It’s not just about applause because applause is needed, because they’ve already achieved something. It’s really about financial support while training while they’re young. Because while training for  Sunshine , I realized that there’s still a lot that can be improved, including where they live, how they live. So we really need to support our athletes because they’re also part of the culture of the Philippines,” she shared.

Through her latest film, Maris also hoped it helped encourage more people to return to physically watching movies in theaters again, with a more reasonable cost.

“I’m very, very happy. I agree with the price. It seems like it needs to be affordable so that more people can watch it. I hope the old culture returns. I know we’re used to staying at home now, but watching a movie is still different,” she said.