‘Pulang Araw,’ OPM, P-pop music among Filipino cultural works to be sent to the moon

Several Filipino creations are set to soar into new heights, with their legacies to be preserved in a time capsule destined for the moon.

As reported by GMA News reporter Nelson Canlas on “24 Oras” last Wednesday, the Kapuso wartime series “Pulang Araw” has made a groundbreaking history as the first and only Filipino TV show to be part of the Lunar Codex’s time capsule set for the moon.

The series is included in the Polaris Collection, which will be part of the Lunar Codex project, a curated archive of cultural works from across the globe, launched via the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Artemis and Commercial Lunar Payload Services’ (CLPS) program partners.

According to its official website, Lunar Codex is a project by Incadence Corp., designed to preserve artistic and cultural creations for future generations. All works included have been archived with the creators’ permission, and copyrights remain with their respective owners.

“Individual works are copyrighted by their respective creators, editors, publishers, or owners, and all rights as appropriate remain with them, whether or not a notice appears adjacent to the work. All works included in the Lunar Codex have been archived with permission from their respective creators, editors, publishers, or owners, whether individually, or as represented in a collection such as an anthology, exhibit, catalog, or magazine,” read the organization’s statement on the website.

The Lunar Codex aims to send cultural works from over 40,000 artists, writers, musicians, and filmmakers to the moon in a time capsule. The project will use NanoFiche technology, a lightweight and durable format that compresses images of the works, ensuring their preservation on the moon — a site immune to earthly threats such as war and climate change.

“It costs about a million dollars per kilogram to send things out into space, but one of the biggest things that we’ve done is we’ve used semiconductor technologies on something called NanoFiche,” explained Dr. Samuel Peralta, founder of the project.

The Filipino works, along with other masterpieces from other creators from different countries, are scheduled for launch to the Lunar South Pole in 2025.

According to Philippine STAR’s report, the historical drama was invited to be part of the collection as it showcases a “significant part of Philippine history and reflects the indomitable spirit of Filipinos in facing adversity.”

“Pulang Araw’s” director, Dominic Zapata, announced the honor to the cast, with one of its main stars, Alden Richards expressing his gratitude: “Kanina nga, this morning, in-announce ‘yan ni Direk Dom, and we’re very honored na napili ‘yung proyekto namin para magkaroon ng opportunity to be part of the Lunar Codex project, so maraming-maraming salamat for the opportunity po.”

His co-star, Sanya Lopez, added: “Balita ko nga na bilang lang ang mga inilalagay doon, so parang ang sarap lang sa pakiramdam na isa na tayo doon.”

Pulang Araw also stars Barbie Forteza, David Licauco, Dennis Trillo, Angelu De Leon, Epy Quizon, Rochelle Pangilinan, Aidan Veneracion, and more.

Its story chronicles the lives of Eduardo (Richards), Teresita (Lopez), Adelina (Forteza), and Hiroshi (Licauco), set during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines. The characters will navigate an intricate web of loyalty, betrayals, sacrifices, and resilience amidst the backdrop of a war ravaging the country.

Aside from Pulang Araw, songs by P-pop groups SB19, BINI, and BGYO, as well as works by OPM band Apo Hiking Society, Ryan Cayabyab, Gary Valenciano, Moira Dela Torre and others will also be part of the Lunar Codex.