‘As I always say, this love for the past, our cinematic history, must live on; if it dies with our generation, then that is the end of it. — Leo Katigbak’
BY GAY ACE DOMINGO
The recent Film Development Council of the Philippines’ (FDCP) Parangal ng Sining bestowed Lifetime Achievement Awards to the following luminaries: actress and MOWELFUND Chairman Boots Anson-Rodrigo, critic Dr. Nicanor Tiongson, screen writers Dr. Clodualdo “Doy” del Mundo Jr. and Armando “Bing” Lao, Society of Filipino Archivists for Film (SOFIA), ABS-CBN Film Restoration, and actress Gloria Romero.
FDCP also gave an award to the late film preservation and regional cinema advocate Teddy Co, and an Honorary Distinction to the late actress Jaclyn Jose.
It is worth noting that among the awardees, two are devoted to the restoration of Filipino movies: SOFIA and ABS-CBN Film Restoration which is also known as ABS-CBN Sagip Pelikula.
Leo Katigbak, head of ABS-CBN Film Restoration, declared that FDCP recognition makes them happy and gives their advocacy a boost. “It’s been very difficult but fulfilling,” he said of their task. “Hopefully, the award will also shine light on what we do leading audiences to watch them and explore more of the older titles as we have a rich legacy that sadly has faded to obscurity because so little of the pre-1970 survives.”
ABS-CBN Film Restoration began around 2011 but its roots can be traced to the ABS-CBN Film Archives, which was spearheaded then by ABS-CBN head of TV Production and Star Cinema Executive Producer Charo Santos-Concio.
In 13 years, ABS-CBN Film Restoration has completed work on 211 films; 155 of those are Star Cinema movies while the others include classics (such as “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?” and “Himala”), plus 11 LVN films and one pre-1970 film of Dolphy’s production company RVQ.
“We hope to bump that number up to almost 230 titles by end of 2024 but that’s still a moving number,” said Leo.
The restored films are shown in cinemas and are also available via video-on-demand online platforms such as Apple TV/iTunes, IWANTTFC, Netflix, JuanFlix, VIVAMAX, YouTubeSuperView and Prime Video. Leo noted that “Apple probably has the most extensive and that’s available in some 60+ countries.”
ABS-CBN Film Restoration’s achievement is not just in the number of restored titles, but more so in its mission to bring these classics closer to the audiences, especially the students. They do this through school tours, premieres, and “talk backs” with filmmakers.
The organization also partners with stakeholders such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Cinemalaya to promote our country’s remarkable cinema heritage.
Leo elaborated, “We are always tying up with different organizations like CCP, FDCP, embassies, local government agencies, private businesses, universities, museums, as well as find new showcase platforms, to expand our reach. it continues to be a hard working initiative if we are to bring the advocacy to the widest audience possible.”
Since ABS-CBN lost its franchise in 2020, and with the rising costs of film restoration and preservation, ABS-CBN Film Restoration’s resources have become more limited. Leo explained that Star Cinema films are prioritized for restoration as ABS-CBN’s film production arm can cover the cost of restoration. In any case, they still persist with restoring what Leo described as “marquee films” from the Philippines’ golden age. He said, “There are a few marquee titles we are still looking at but those are trickier to manage given that we have far more limited resources now.”
What’s good is that the credo “Maki-Sagip Pelikula” is a mission that everyone can adopt.
The task is not exclusive to the artists or to the technical people. As Leo pointed out, if you love Filipino films, you can do something. “Watch more of the classics as they become available. Go to the cinemas. Prefer the big screen as that is where they were intended to be seen in the first place. If you like what you see, share the information that will help promote the movies. Advocate being a film lover at Maki-Sagip-Pelikula.”
Whether it’s a forum in school or a post on Facebook, Leo takes every chance he gets to talk about their efforts, their passion. “We still take the advocacy on the road, speaking in campuses because that is where the future lies. As I always say, this love for the past, our cinematic history, must live on; if it dies with our generation, then that is the end of it.”
