SAN ILDEFONSO, Bulacan - Once a stately mansion, the “Bahay na Pula” or “Red House” has been reduced to a tattered structure, with the stories of what happened within its former walls also on the verge of fading away.

Built in 1929 by Don Ramon Ilusorio in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, the Red House, named after its prominent red color, was a witness to the gruesome experiences of residents of nearby Mapaniqui in Candaba, Pampanga during World War II.

In 1944, during the “siege of Mapaniqui”, Japanese soldiers rounded up everyone from the village, which was believed to be a stronghold then of guerilla fighters. Men, women and children suffered in the hands of the soldiers. Men were tied to poles and were shot, while the women were brought to the Red House, where they were repeatedly raped until they were released days after.

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The Bahay na Pula in San Ildefonso, Bulacan on March 19, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

The Bahay na Pula in San Ildefonso, Bulacan on March 19, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

The Bahay na Pula in San Ildefonso, Bulacan on March 19, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

The Bahay na Pula in San Ildefonso, Bulacan on March 19, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Residents living near the Bahay na Pula talked about screams they heard from the house, which has since been left to deteriorate.

The girls sexually abused inside the Bahay na Pula are now part of the group Malaya Lolas, fighting for recognition and compensation since its foundation in 1997.

From an original membership of 96, only 21 of them remain alive, according to their counsel, Virginia Lacsa Suarez, following the death of their president, Isabelita Vinuya, in November 2021.

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The painful experiences of the Malaya Lolas were immortalized in a song they shared in 2007.

In light of the lack of an official memorial for the Filipino victims of wartime sexual slavery, the group Flowers4Lolas is urging the government to turn the Bahay na Pula into a museum.

“Remembrance is critical to the understanding of the history of human rights violations endured by these women,” said Flower4Lolas Coalition’s Teresita Ang-See in a forum on March 17, days after the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (UN CEDAW) released its findings on the complaint filed by 24 members of Malaya Lolas.

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“Not only to restore the comfort woman statue, but to create a memorial to preserve the site of Bahay na Pula, the Red House, to establish another space to commemorate the suffering inflicted to the victims, survivors of wartime sexual slavery, and to honor their struggle for justice."

If the Philippine government allowed establishment of shrines for Japanese soldiers in the country, then it should also build a memorial for those they abused, Ang-See said.

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“Gawin nating museum ang Bahay na Pula, a shrine to our women victims. Kung pinayagan natin ang mga Hapon na magtayo ng kanilang shrine to honor the soldiers who killed our men, women and children, so what more (for the lolas), hindi ba?” she said.

The Philippines has yet to have a shrine or memorial for the victims of sexual slavery during World War II.

Back in 2018, a statue of a blindfolded Filipina depicting a “comfort woman” was removed months after it was erected, supposedly to give way to a drainage improvement project.

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It was later supposed to be placed within the compound of the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran, but the actual statue went missing before it was scheduled to be unveiled in the new location.

With the statue missing, a historical marker dedicated to the comfort women was unveiled instead in 2019.

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The renewed call for a memorial for the comfort women comes after the UN CEDAW found that the Philippine government failed to provide reparations for the victims of sexual abuse by Japanese soldiers during World War II.

The Philippine government has said it will study the UN CEDAW findings, and will submit a reply “within six months”.

The remaining lolas hope the government will act on it sooner so they can still benefit from it.

Aside from the Malaya Lolas, another group of "comfort women" called "Lila Pilipina" is also seeking official apology, just compensation and historical inclusion from the Japanese government, and support from the Philippine government for their cause. Only around 10 out of 174 original members of Lila Pilipina remain alive.

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As the Bahay na Pula is presently in danger of collapse, Ang-See said "we have to continue to honor the struggle for justice of our lolas."

"We can always forgive, but we cannot forget ever," she added.

"Karapatan natin na hingiin sa ating pamahalaan na magtayo ng isang permanent shrine to honor these women victims."

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