THE mini-series ‘An/Na’ will have its last two episodes this Sunday and next Sunday. We’ve seen the first two episodes and we can relate to Janelle Tee’s character as Anna, a call center agent who is always having difficulty on how to make both ends meet because of her family who’s always pressuring her to give them more money.

To support them, Anna resorts to high class prostitution using another identity, Mei Ling. Janelle is very good in the title role and she gets us to sympathize with her plight. She is well supported by Rob Guinto as her best friend Eunice and Migz Almendras as her lover who introduces her to the world oldest profession. In the show’s final presscon, Janelle is asked about her role as a woman with a secret identity.

“I can relate with Anna kasi I’m really the breadwinner in our family,” she says. “Kaya nga naging Viva raketera ako hosting events, joining pageants, and now acting. But I will never resort to selling my body. I believe God really provides kasi kahit gipit ka sa pera, malalampasan mo, tamang diskarte lang ang kailangan. Maging maparaan ka para masolusyunan mo ang iyong money problems. Ako, I even resorted to selling dresses.”

She adds that she hopes that viewers of “An/Na” will be able to understand more about the plight of women who resort to selling flesh to earn a living.

“We really should not judge them easily kasi we don’t know what ourselves will do if put in their shoes, in the same kind of situation. So let’s show them more compassion. Si Anna rito, maaawa ka kasi araw-araw, iba-iba ang ka-sex niya. Some of them, ni hindi niya kilala. Then something tragic happens to her, something that she does not really deserve.”

We ask Direk Joey Reyes: what can audiences expect to happen in the show’s final two weeks? “We don’t want to spoil it but the conclusion will reveal a lot of things and it is very painful. You can watch the show for the earthy scenes, but I want people to think seriously about yung pinagdaanan dito ni Anna. It’s going to be heartbreaking because what she has gone through is really painful.

But I am not making her a saint as she made her own wrong choices in life. Gusto ko lang ma-realize ng audience what some people can do dahil sa masidhing pangangailangan. I want people to think at sana mapaisip sila when they watch the story of Anna.”

AUTHOR PROFILE

Mario Bautista