RENATO, Author at Constantino Foundation

Pandesal Forum: Memory, Justice, and Geopolitics — April 9 Media Briefing at Kamuning Bakery

A media briefing this April 9/Thursday. Historians and analysts comment on the heroism of Hunters-ROTC Guerillas and the Huks and the campaign of justice for Comfort Women as it all relates to Japan’s military deployment to the Philippines – the first time since WWII – and heated disputes surrounding international waters in the Pacific, and the ongoing war on Iran. Yet another compelling Pandesal Forum at the house of memory named Kamuning Bakery.

RENATO2026-04-08T16:29:46+08:00April 7, 2026|

RC Constantino

April 4 marks the second anniversary of the passing of RC Constantino, activist and former chair and president of the Constantino Foundation. We share on this occasion a much loved poem he wrote, which calls on its readers to be better, to do better, and to live for causes greater than the individual self. We also leave you with a timely reminder from one of many campaigns RC was involved in, which defined who he was and the brand of nationalism he stood for.

Days ago, Iran allowed Philippine-flagged ships safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. To the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) bureaucracy and leadership, we say bravo, you deserve the public’s applause. However small or great the respite, given the global emergency created by the war on Iran, the relief this will give our [READ]

RENATO2026-04-04T20:16:22+08:00April 4, 2026|

Six Years Later: Mounting the UP Manila Exhibit at Last

We count more than just activities such as an exhibit the public can enjoy. What matters to us as well is the experience of working with institutions and building lasting friendships—comrades, if you will—in the shared work of advancing historical thinking.

We had a meaningful and memorable collaboration with UP Manila, working closely with the Museum of a History of Ideas. The exhibit was originally scheduled for March 10–21, 2020, but was put on hold and eventually cancelled due to the pandemic. It came as a pleasant surprise when, six years later, we were able to mount the exhibit on almost the exact same dates—March 10–21, 2026, later extended to March 24—without intending to do so.

This exhibition was made possible through the inspired leadership of Dr. Honey Libertine Achanzar-Labor, as well as the energy and dedication of Ana Selena Mercado and Marc Lester Racelis. We were also glad to have worked [READ]

RENATO2026-03-31T00:39:25+08:00March 31, 2026|

Binondo Day

We celebrate Binondo Day by sharing the post of a group that’s very much involved in nation-building. As ignorance fuels hate, so must we feed our senses – with history. If you haven’t tried one of their tours yet, we encourage you to seek them out. They’re mostly young folks from different offices and courses who’ve come together because of a common inspiration: our country’s past. They desire change for the better just like you, a rebirth, if you wish, as their name suggests. Thanks to their work they help reveal where we came from and who we are as a people.

Now: where exactly do we need to go, and what is the common future we must build together? Ah. That is no longer for Renacimiento Manila to decide. That question we must answer together – [READ]

RENATO2026-03-30T18:41:21+08:00March 29, 2026|

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 Alas ng Bayan 2.0 with a seminar on Crisis Preparedness 2026 where the foundation’s managing director Red Constantino provided a closing lecture on the urgency of using historical thinking and the notion of a usable past in the face of growing global instability and national challenges.

The March of Contradictions

Source: Malaya Business Insight | By Bernard Karganilla | [READ]

RENATO2026-03-30T11:20:48+08:00March 26, 2026|

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 ????????????????????????????????????????. 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:

????????????????: Barros was a member of the UP Writers Club, and the founding chair of [READ]

RENATO2026-03-20T13:23:17+08:00March 24, 2026|

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

2:00–5:00 PM

Scan the QR code on the poster to register and [READ]

RENATO2026-03-20T13:26:29+08:00March 20, 2026|

Karina Constantino – David

Magdiwang! Sa ika-80 anibersaryo ng kapanganakan ni Karina Constantino-David, handog namin ang ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????, ang unang awit sa album na ????????????????: １８９６-１９９６ ng kanyang grupo, ang ???????????????????? ????????????????, sa pakikipagtulungan sa grupong pinamunuan niya mula 1988 hanggang 1998, ang Harnessing Self Reliant Initiatives & Knowledge, o HASIK, Inc. Dugtong ang kaarawan ni Karina Constantino-David sa taong ito, ang ika-130 taong anibersaryo ng pagsiklab ng Himagsikang pinamunuan ng Katipunan na nagpatalsik sa kolonyalismo ng Espanya at naglayong makamtan ng sambayanan ang kaginhawaang pinaglaban ng Rebolusyon ng Filipinas. Ang boses sa kanta ay mula kay Becky Demetillo Abraham, matalik na kaibigan at katuwang ni Karina sa ???????????????????? ???????????????? at HASIK.

Ayon sa ????????????????: “Sinasabing ang orihinal na musika nito ay isang awit ng mga Guwardiya Sibil. Noong 1896, nilapatan ng mga Katipunero ang musika ng sarili nilang titik at ginamit [READ]

RENATO2026-03-19T14:25:43+08:00March 19, 2026|

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

March12, 2026 | Text by: Charmaine A. Lingdas
Photos by: Sarah Hazel Moces S. Pulumbarit

The University of the Philippines Manila Museum of a History of Ideas (MHI) launched the “Alas ng Bayan 2.0” exhibit on March 10, 2026, as part of the university’s celebration of National Women’s Month, highlighting the stories of five Filipina heroes through comic-inspired artworks that reimagine them as modern-day superheroes.

Organized in partnership with the UP Center for Gender and Women’s Studies, the Constantino Foundation, and the 350 Pilipinas, the exhibit features Gregoria “Oriang” de Jesus, Apolonia Catra, Remedios Gomez-Paraiso “Kumander Liwayway,” Ma. Lorena Barros, and Gloria Capitan.

MHI Director Dr. Honey Libertine Achanzar-Labor said the exhibit presents these exemplary Filipinas through the digital artworks of Basilio Pangilinan, a Quezon City-based Illustrator and an alumnus of UP Diliman with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. In “Alas [READ]

RENATO2026-03-18T12:15:36+08:00March 15, 2026|

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 the visual language of komiks, the exhibit reimagines five Filipina heroines—Gregoria “Oriang” de Jesus, Apolonia Catra, Remedios Gomez-Paraiso “Kumander Liwayway,” Ma. Lorena Barros, and Gloria Capitan—highlighting the enduring relevance of their courage, resistance, and commitment to the nation.

This engagement at UP Manila is made possible in partnership with the UP Center for Gender and Women’s Studies and UP-MoAHi.

UP Manila – Museum of a History of Ideas