The love story of Renato Constantino (10 March 1919—15 September 1999) and Letizia Roxas Constantino (9 April 1920—27 June 2016) was epic, not just because of the size of their love for one another. It shone brightly because they were committed to a cause larger than their romance. We might even say the ardor—the passion—was defined by and dedicated to the realization of a larger hope.

As a couple, it was their mission to contribute to the emergence of the decolonized Filipino. Both understood the power that a strong sense of the past could engender: A people guided by history would be more conscious of the full possibilities offered by the future.

The cause of nationalism animated their lives.

Renato and Letizia held to the belief that, more than just explaining to the masses the root cause of their impoverished condition, history would remind Filipinos of the power they wielded whenever they acted in concert and with an abiding sense of agency. As Letizia once said, “Only collective organized action can hope to dent the powerful foreign and local forces arrayed against our people.”

In a speech delivered at the founding congress of the Movement for the Advancement of Nationalism on 8 February 1967, Renato shared words that remain deeply relevant today. “Political education…” he said, “is a living force and not a stagnant profession…. Leadership is a process and not an end. If it develops healthily, it will eventually disappear. Thus, the genuine leader is a person who sets in motion the forces which will eventually end in his or her own negation.”

Renato and Letizia worked together for 56 years to advance progressive pedagogy anchored on a usable history, together with advancing the nationalist alternative.

Despite years of ostracism spurred by their spirited advocacies and beliefs, Renato and Letizia defied attempts by successive governments to silence their voices and to curb their effort to wake up a forgetful people so they themselves may deliver real and lasting change.

Letizia took up the leadership of the foundation when Renato passed away in 1999. Their son, RC, former businessman and fierce activist who dedicated decades of his life to support the work of his parents, became the foundation’s president in 2016 after the death of Letizia. RC passed away 4 April 2024. Today, the Constantino Foundation is managed by Renato Redentor Constantino, RC’s second child and the grandson of the founders.