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Bela Padilla on the emotional toll of filming “MMK Trafficked” and admiring Nadia’s strength

Article (news)

Liezel Dela Cruz

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1749866265853Thumb - 2025-06-14T092039.043.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div>For Bela Padilla, the two-part &quot;Maalaala Mo Kaya: Trafficked&quot; episode was a story she had to tell. The Kapamilya actress didn&#x27;t think twice about accepting the project, especially now that human trafficking has become even more rampant and hidden in plain sight. She saw how recruiters have become more creative in their tactics and how easily people can fall victim. In fact, during her interview on Kapamilya Chat, she mentioned how someone close to her had almost fallen for a seemingly harmless travel package deal that turned out to be a recruitment scheme. A few months back, she had also gotten deeply invested in a podcast series about human trafficking, which truly alarmed her and made her think about how anyone, even her close friends, or even someone like her who loves traveling solo, needs to stay alert to the dangers lurking out there. <script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz8gWM8iRADsJr&amp;cid=ABaiZImXwAFWRakn"></script>And in what felt almost like perfect timing, the &quot;Trafficked&quot; script was soon pitched to her, and she was instantly pulled in, knowing the story needed to reach people. Bela believes the two-part “<a href="http://maaalaalamokaya.abs-cbn.com">MMK</a>” episode will help the public recognize how real and close this kind of danger has become.  &quot;Kailangan na talaga nating ipagbigay-alam sa mga kababayan natin—not just here, but also abroad, lalo na sa mga OFWs—na may ganitong nangyayari,&quot; she pointed out, adding that Filipinos have become a common target of trafficking, largely because of how well we communicate in English, which makes us a prime pick for scam hubs. The episode revolves around the life of Nadia, whom Bela describes as a typical OFW and mother—selfless, loving, and someone who always held on to hope, something she also tried to teach her kids—only to end up falling victim to human trafficking. She was tricked into thinking she had landed a legitimate job in Thailand, but was instead brought to Myanmar and forced into a cyber scam operation.  Bela recalled that she already felt the pain in Nadia&#x27;s narrative even just while reading the script. &quot;Ang sakit na isa itong babae na nakipagsapalaran, lumaban nang patas, umasa, tapos ganito &#x27;yung nangyari sa kanya. Sobrang sakit.&quot;&quot;It was such a beautiful story,&quot; she mused, having completely fallen in love with the script, though she already knew from the start that this would be one of the more difficult &quot;<a href="http://maaalaalamokaya.abs-cbn.com">MMK</a>&quot; episodes to shoot, not just because of the heavy drama and constant emotional scenes that are a given in “<a href="http://maalaalamokaya.abs-cbn.com">MMK</a>,” but also because of the physical demands. The episode includes chase scenes and escape attempts that Nadia goes through while trying to break free from her recruiters, much of which will unfold in Part 2 airing this Saturday, June 14.  Bela knew she had to come in fully prepared for this project, so she started with the physical aspect first. She thanked her makeup artist for helping her achieve Nadia’s consistent appearance, even the placement of bruises had to feel authentic based on what the real Nadia went through. She also worked with a nutritionist so she could lose weight in a healthy way, to reflect Nadia’s condition after being held captive for 45 days. &quot;Pati physical inayos ko para &#x27;pag napanood siya ni Nadia, maramdaman niyang we gave justice to her story,&quot; shared Bela.  When asked about the most unforgettable part of filming, Bela mentioned the scene where Nadia starts hallucinating and sees her son standing in front of her, probably brought on by hunger, exhaustion, and the overwhelming anxiety. She wanted the scene to feel a little subtle, but she couldn’t hold back the wave of emotions that came over her.  &quot;This scene, I wanted it to be a quiet scene with the son lalo na no&#x27;ng shino-shoot namin siya wala naman &#x27;yung bata sa set. Pero na-imagine ko si Nadia in real life... kasi doon daw sa place kung nasa&#x27;n siya, it was so dark, wala siyang nakikita. So, na-imagine ko, &#x27;Gaano kaya kahirap &#x27;yun for her?&#x27; Tapos ang kausap niya daw usually is &#x27;yung anak niya. Doon ako pinaka-naapektuhan nu&#x27;ng nagte-taping,&quot; she explained.  She also walked us through what usually happens after filming intense scenes like that. Personally, Bela doesn’t have trouble letting go once the cameras stop rolling. One thing that helps is the light and cheerful energy on set, something she’s always appreciated about the Kapamilya work culture. Bela says that everyone is quick to go back to laughing and swapping stories after a heavy take. In fact, that part comes easily for her—but it’s the preparation at the beginning of the day that takes more effort. The hours before filming actually feel like a different zone for her. She starts loading up on emotions even while she’s still on the way to the location, sometimes playing music in the car to help her ease into character.  Asked about her message to Nadia, the actress expressed just how much she admires her strength.&quot;I&#x27;m so happy she made it out alive. I&#x27;m so happy that she survived this situation. Pambihirang lakas &#x27;yung pinakita niya.&quot; She added, &quot;I just want her to know na if ever she needs anything, she can reach out through ‘MMK’ to me. I don&#x27;t want her to feel that I&#x27;m imposing na I want to help her. But if she does need help, she can talk to the MMK team, and I&#x27;m here for here.&quot;Bela truly couldn’t imagine what Nadia went through, especially since she herself, after just four days of taping to tell Nadia’s story, was already having nightmares in between shoot days because of how heavy the events were. &quot;I hope she&#x27;s doing better. I&#x27;m sure &#x27;yung trauma na pinagdaanan niya is going to be a while to unpack,&quot; she continued, addressing Nadia. Bela also shared that after <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/2025/6/7/bela-padilla-s-delivers-gripping-performance-in-mmk-sim-card-2309">Part 1 of the episode</a> aired, she received a number of private messages from people who had either been victims of human trafficking themselves or had family members who went through the same thing. &quot;Nagulat ako na ganito na pala ka-widespread. Ang dami na palang situation na nangyayari.&quot; She was also surprised when she read in the script that the scam hub was already fully operational again just weeks after it was shut down—something that will be revealed in Part 2. That’s why Bela is encouraging viewers to take Nadia’s experience as a wake-up call and be more alert. &quot;Sana maging mapagmatyag tayong lahat lalo na &#x27;pag nag-a-apply ng trabaho. Alam ko mahirap ang buhay talaga ngayon. Lahat tayo naghahanap ng mapagkakakitaan. Pero sana mas lalong maging maingat pa tayo ngayon dahil may mga ganitong nangyayari.” Catch the Part 2 of &quot;MMK: Trafficked&quot; tonight, June 14, at 8:30 PM, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL) and A2Z.

Bela Padilla on why "MMK: Trafficked" was a story, and wake-up call, that needed to be told.

Bela Padilla on why "MMK: Trafficked" was a story, and wake-up call, that needed to be told.