Constantino Foundation – Dedicated to a usable history, where lessons from the past are used to shape the future.

Spotlight

Great news! The Alas ng Bayan exhibit is extended by a day!

Interested folks are invited to attend the Crisis Preparedness 2026: A Global Futures Colloquium and the exhibit’s closing ceremony on March 24. Museum of[READ]

‘Alas ng Bayan 2.0’ Exhibit Highlights Filipina Heroes Through Art and History

March12, 2026 | Text by: Charmaine A. LingdasPhotos by: Sarah Hazel Moces S. Pulumbarit The University of the Philippines Manila Museum of a History of[READ]

Alas Ng Bayan 2.0 opens at UP Manila.

Alas ng Bayan 2.0 continues its run at the UP Manila Museum of a History of Ideas in celebration of National Women’s Month. Through[READ]

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Spotlight

Great news! The Alas ng Bayan exhibit is extended by a day!

Interested folks are invited to attend the Crisis Preparedness 2026: A Global Futures Colloquium and the exhibit’s closing ceremony on March 24.

Museum of a History of Ideas, UP Manila

[READ]

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Pasts Revisited

Lorena Barros

We remember today Lorena Barros, who was killed in Mauban, Quezon on March 24, 1976 while fighting to bring down the Marcos dictatorship. According to the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, “Medical treatment was promised by her captors if she would cooperate with them, but she said she would rather die for her beliefs. She was shot in the nape. She was 28 years old.” Barros was a granddaughter of a 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘰. Her mother was part of the HUKBALAHAP guerilla resistance.

The artist Basilio “Billy” Pangilinan reimagined Barros in a particular way. Thanks to the ciphers noted down by the biologist Rio Constantino, who curated the Alas ng Bayan 2.0 exhibit, we know the following:

𝐌𝐊𝐁𝐊: Barros was a member of the UP Writers Club, and the founding chair of MAKIBAKA. She graduated from UP Diliman in 1970.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐒: Barros is wearing a maroon sash reminiscent of the 𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘺: worn by UP graduates. Her uniform is also purple, which is a color associated with the feminist movement. [CONGRADS is campus lingo, a combination of ‘congrats’ and ‘graduation’]

𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐔𝐒𝐀𝐘: The 𝘣𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯 on the rocks behind Barros spell out “Dangal” and “Husay,” the motto of UP.

𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆: Speaking of rocks, we decided to give Barros powers related to geomancy/earthbending because of the ideals she followed in life: Lorena being of the earth and the people who till it, and also a defender of the motherland as well.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃: When Billy first brought up the idea of undead Philippine constabulary, Duterte was president. Today, however, the ghouls of the past have literally clawed their way back into power in the form of the Marcos Jr. presidency. If Billy and I had known just what the future had in store for everyone, maybe we would have added an extra 𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘩 or two in the background to further highlight the irony (and urgency) of our times. [A 𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘩 is an undead evil monster in Dungeons and Dragons.]

Art often gives us new perspectives. Did you spot other gems in Pangilinan’s art? What about the other Alas ng Bayan pieces? #PastsRevisited #AlasNgBayan

March 24, 2026|

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Stories

The March of Contradictions

As we near the close of International Women’s Month, we feature the column of UP Manila Prof. Bernard Karganilla, who provides readers a view of affairs in the country from the lens of history. It has been a nation of contradictions indeed. Prof. Karganilla organized the concluding event to the exhibit[READ]

Nothing New in the World

Renato Redentor Constantino, The Poverty of Memory: Essays on History and Empire (FNS-2006), p. 52-55 Nothing New in the WorldThe winding path the United States took to September 11th. “Memory says, ‘I did that,'” Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote. “Pride replies, ‘I could not have done that.’ Eventually, memory yields.” Three years ago[READ]

Day Two: Lester Rodriguez Leads Watercolor Workshop with Sagay Youth

Lester Rodriguez, distinguished artist from Binangonan, begins the day with a watercolor workshop with Sagay youth. It's a great platform - later, we'll lead a workshop with teachers on how to use art in appreciating and interrogating history and science.

Opening Daybreak of the 13th Nature Encounter Arts Month in Sagay

Sunrise just before the 13th Nature Encounter Arts Month Celebration opens in Sagay, Negros Occidental. Themed "Duta, Tubig, Hangin," the festival was initiated in 2013 by the celebrated artist Nunelucio Alvarado. Festivities commence early morning at the coastal spot of Kape Albarako, with body painting, dancing, performance art, and kites flying against[READ]

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“Good read. At aliw. Ito ang kahapon na masarap balikan!”

Cherylle Lara Raguini
Subic civic leader, commenting on the foundation essay in ABS-CBN,
“Street names and the persistence of memory,” June 2024
“We have been so wonderfully blessed in the past week by the presence of tremendously inspiring people, one of them, the one who likes to “shake trees”, is Sir Renato Redentor Constantino who moved the entire plenary to feel, think, and act… people couldn’t help but share and talk about the presentation. I told Sir Red that by the second day of the event, people realized there were ‘deeper commitments than professionalism.’”

Floraime Pantaleta
Executive Director, Ateneo Zamboanga-Mindanao Institute
"... A Past Revisited sparked a different kind of revolution, one that urged Filipinos to view history through our own eyes and experiences. Thank you very much to our dear friend, ABS-CBN’s Karmina Constantino, a resident of San Juan, for inviting me to be part of this historic occasion."

Mayor Francis Zamora
San Juan City Governor , On his speech at APR 50th anniversary edition launch at NHCP Museo El Deposito
2025 August 29
“One of the most towering texts of nationalist historiography — co-authored by Letizia Constantino, whose voice carried the struggle for true independence into classrooms and beyond.”

Michael “Xiao” Chua
Historian , On his column at The Manila Times
“Letizia Constantino: Nationalist historian, wife and mother” 2025 June 17
“Frequented the area in the early ’80s because of Popular Bookstore (small door, beside the gate of Mapua High School), the only one that carried engineering books required for our course. It was still Martial Law… One buys … dangerous reading materials afraid of the Secret Marshals who were then infamous for salvaging (tokhang in the time of tatay digong) petty criminals and activists. Across Mapua High then was a parking lot of mini buses – now the Manila Grand Opera.”

Melvin Purzuelo
Iloilo environmentalist, commenting on the foundation’s history article in BusinessMirror,
“Cycling through the fabled history of an opera house, now a hotel,” June 2024.
“A Past Revisited was both a revelation and a challenge. It made us see the familiar narratives of Philippine history in new and unsettling ways. It invited us to ask deeper questions—about power, about colonial legacies, about the struggles and aspirations of our people. And it also gave us a sense of responsibility: to carry history forward not just as memory, but as a guide for action and transformation.”

Dr. Chas M. Navarro
Commissioner, National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)
On his remarks at the launch of the 50th Anniversary Special Edition of The Philippines: A Past Revisited
2025 Aug 29
“Taos pusong pagpapasalamat ng angkang Orosa for your inclusion of our Beloved Maria Y. Orosa in this PUP mural. Renato Redentor Constantino, we are ever grateful for this honor and recognition. Our forebears knew each other. Mine spoke highly of the Constantinos!”

Evelyn Orosa del Rosario Garcia
Great grand niece of Maria Y. Orosa and author of National Book Award winner
Appetite for Freedom: The Recipes of Maria Y. Orosa, with Essays on Her Life and Work.
“Thank you very much, Constantino Foundation! It was a lovely afternoon spent learning about history, poetry, art, climate change, street names, the bicycles in revolution, kickass heroines, and much more! Renato Redentor Constantino’s talk and Renato Senior’s book A Past Revisited really got under my skin. Maraming salamat!”

Gege Cruz Sugue
Flips Flipping Books book club, 12 August 2024
“At a low point in my life, I received a note from Letizia Constantino, unsolicited advice that encouraged me to keep writing. I never got to thank her personally for that pat on the back; this column is belated gratitude.”

Ambeth R. Ocampo
Historian, An excerpt from his column in Philippine Daily Inquirer
"Letizia Roxas Constantino, historian", 2025 June 06
“Mabuhay ka RC. Patuloy namin ikaw inaalala at ipinagdadasal sa lakbay mo ngayon. We will continue our conversations with family, even while you have left us. You will forever live in our hearts and we celebrate your life fully!”

Loretta Ann Rosales
Former member, House of Representatives
and former chair of the Commission on Human Rights
"Thank you for having us ... We truly enjoyed ourselves. The exhibit was very inspiring, beautifully presented and so insightful. We were all so impressed. Hope we can use some of the material in our Women’s Museum. ❤️"

Mayor Joy Belmonte
Quezon City Governor, On her visit at Letizia: A Life in Letters Exhibit
2025 July 30
“Yes, third time [sila/Inang Laya] pumunta at kumanta sa rally sa Dasmarinas town plaza, sa parish church sa our Lady of Perpetual Help sa Dasmariñas Bagong Bayan and sa martsa rali ng mga maralitang lunsod from Dasmariñas to Bacoor na hinarang sumama at di sya [Karina Constantino-David] umalis hanggang kinabukasan.”

Ian Yaun
March 19, 2024

Spotlight

The Foundation

Our Partners

Teacher Support

Spotlight

The Foundation

Our Partners

Teacher Support

Pasts Revisited

Lorena Barros

Events

Videos

Stories

“Good read. At aliw. Ito ang kahapon na masarap balikan!”

"... A Past Revisited sparked a different kind of revolution, one that urged Filipinos to view history through our own eyes and experiences. Thank you very much to our dear friend, ABS-CBN’s Karmina Constantino, a resident of San Juan, for inviting me to be part of this historic occasion."

“One of the most towering texts of nationalist historiography — co-authored by Letizia Constantino, whose voice carried the struggle for true independence into classrooms and beyond.”

“Taos pusong pagpapasalamat ng angkang Orosa for your inclusion of our Beloved Maria Y. Orosa in this PUP mural. Renato Redentor Constantino, we are ever grateful for this honor and recognition. Our forebears knew each other. Mine spoke highly of the Constantinos!”​

“At a low point in my life, I received a note from Letizia Constantino, unsolicited advice that encouraged me to keep writing. I never got to thank her personally for that pat on the back; this column is belated gratitude.”

“Mabuhay ka RC. Patuloy namin ikaw inaalala at ipinagdadasal sa lakbay mo ngayon. We will continue our conversations with family, even while you have left us. You will forever live in our hearts and we celebrate your life fully!”

"Thank you for having us ... We truly enjoyed ourselves. The exhibit was very inspiring, beautifully presented and so insightful. We were all so impressed. Hope we can use some of the material in our Women’s Museum. ❤️"

“Taos pusong pagpapasalamat ng angkang Orosa for your inclusion of our Beloved Maria Y. Orosa in this PUP mural. Renato Redentor Constantino, we are ever grateful for this honor and recognition. Our forebears knew each other. Mine spoke highly of the Constantinos!”