Sunshine: I'm in a much better place now
Just a coincidence. That’s how Sunshine Dizon responds to comments that her reel life seems to mirror what’s going on in her real life.
Sunshine is the lead star of the GMA 7 afternoon drama Ika-6 na Utos (taking after the Sixth Commandment: “Thou shall not commit adultery”). It’s another take on the favorite teleserye and movie theme — marital infidelity — a subject that viewers naturally think Sunshine knows only too well.
“As they say, they thought it was patterned after (what happened to me). But no, it’s not. It’s similar in a way in that it’s the same situation, but it’s totally different from what happened to me,” the 33-year-old Kapuso star told The STAR in a recent interview.
Sunshine’s shocking separation from her husband of six years, which stemmed from cheating allegations, played out in the news and tabloids last year. With her Ika-6 na Utos role as the betrayed wife Emma Fuentabella, there’s really no escaping the comparisons.
In the series, her character has already shed her martyr self and is in fight mode, as she seeks custody of her child being kept away from her by her husband, airline pilot Jerome Fuentabella (Gabby Concepcion) who is now living with the other woman Georgia Ferrer (Ryza Cenon).
In real life, Sunshine has become less “combative,” dropping her charges (one for the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, and the other for concubinage) against husband Timothy Tan, who had also issued a public apology in December.
“It was a very hard and painful decision that I had to make, dropping the cases against my ex-husband but more than anything else I’m a mother. I still have two kids who need their father. I had to make that choice for them,” explained the mother of two, ages five and four.
Sunshine, however, added, that “my fight doesn’t end there. I’m still planning other things. I just don’t want to talk about it.”
Nevertheless, the drama actress was surprised by the amount of messages she received via social media about her situation.
“(I received) a lot. I get personal messages telling me that they love watching the show, or saying that they’ve gone through similar situations, or their parents went through similar situations, and then they also tell me, they look up to me.”
Sunshine continued, “Sometimes, it’s heartbreaking also to read their stories. There are so many women who are suffering silently. Parang they look up to me, in some ways like, ‘She fought for something.’ I actually don’t understand it, why I’m being put in that kind of pedestal, if you might say. But if my story helps them in any way, if it gives them hope, then I’m OK with that.”
Amidst all the upheavals in her personal life, Sunshine considers her career as her saving grace. “It keeps me focused, it keeps me busy. Work has really been my salvation, especially with all the crazy things happening in my life.
“It’s good that I’m able to focus my energy on doing something good. I’ve always loved my craft so, you know, just do good and be better at it,” she said, adding that she has always been drawn to challenging, unconventional projects, never mind if the storyline might be a little too close to home. “It’s work for me, a job that I have to do. I just do my best to separate my real life from work.”
When asked where she draws her strength to weather through her marital storms, Sunshine said, “Some people would say, hey you’re so strong. Honestly, I have my bad days… You know, it’s just a matter of deciding on what to do each day. For example, today, I’m feeling depressed, so what will I do tomorrow? Will I just sleep the whole day, or do nothing but cry?
“Why would I waste what’s left of my life, when it’s already there, you can’t do anything about it, it’s broken, you can’t piece it back together. So, instead of dwelling on it, and feeling sad and depressed, I just choose to be positive about it, and just push through with my life.
“I’m no robot that doesn’t feel anything, but I just choose to channel my energy wisely... I acknowledge that yes, it’s painful, yes it’s bad, yes it’s ugly, but you know, I still have a choice to make it beautiful. That’s what I try to do every time.”
Sunshine readily admitted that she still has many questions in her mind, foremost of which is why she has to go through this experience. “I just want to believe and I’m very hopeful, kumbaga parang ordained (like it’s somewhat ordained), lahat ‘to binigay ng Diyos dahil may plano Siya, mas may malaking plano Siya para sa akin. I just have to pass it gracefully. In spite of all the ugly things that have happened last year, I’m still here. I feel that I’m in a much better place right now.”