Watch the full recording of the April 18 convocation, Renato Constantino Revisited — a forum on the role of dissent in development, the usable past, and his lifelong romance with Letizia Roxas Constantino in pursuit of national liberation. Or jump directly to individual speaker sections. Transcripts and papers from select speakers are also available. WATCH HERE
An overview and review of Philippine Native Trees 404: Rooted and Rising
Renato Redentor Constantino, 28 April 2026, Club Filipino
Patnubayan nawa tayong lahat ni Leonard. Paumnahin din sa lahat. Sampung beses kong sinubukang tumanggi ngunit kumbaga sa basketbol, ang score po ay Imelda Sarmiento, 100, at ako po ay zero. Ang consolation prize ko lang ay nandito rin po kayong lahat dahil sa powers niya.
She goes by many names; I call her Tita Ime, a person whose power of persuasion defies all laws of physics. She is a force of nature. No one can say no to her. You can try but in the end all I can say is God bless and may the Force be with you.
I ask everyone to focus on the next speakers, especially Dr. Lillian Rodriguez and Jayson Mansibang. They are the real experts. They are botanists, their expertise is unparalleled, and they are incredibly [READ]
Few people have ever seen the elusive Philippine mouse-deer in the wild. But chances are, if you’re old enough to read this paragraph, then you might have read or even more likely had a parent read to you, the Adarna House adventures of Pilandok the mouse-deer as a child. The mischievous hero used guile and trickery to run circles around his opponents. In one story, he deceives a murderous sultan using a supposedly golden egg. In another, he outsmarts a greedy datu by luring him into a cage at sea.
For many kids in today’s heavily urbanized world, nature is something that often begins in the imagination. Read and reread in bedrooms and classrooms far from the jungle, the stories of Pilandok, Diwa the Dugong, Mayumi the Forest Pig, and Macky, ang Maliksing Paniki, serve as important avenues for children eager to explore the wilderness of the mind.
Still, it would be [READ]
by Red Constantino
All the tools available to you, use them, and use them for the greater cause of national freedom and social liberation. Decolonize. Words often said by Letizia before she passed away in 2016. We did a lot of the first point last Saturday at the convocation for Renato Constantino, and likewise discussed in different details the second point, because we cannot completely decarbonize without full decolonization, and without decarbonization we cannot fully decolonize.
Much was shared by the speakers, but UP College Media and Communication (CMC) Dean Diosa Labiste framed a lot of narratives early when she spoke of the long overdue review of Renato Constantino’s contributions as a journalist.
We talked briefly before the event formally began as Dr. Labiste recounted The Manipulated Press, a book by one of the speakers, Rosalinda Ofreneo, published in 1984 with an introduction by Constantino. I mentioned The State of the Philippine Press, [READ]
Outtakes from last Saturday: It was a full house last Saturday at the auditorium of the UP College of Media and Communication. We appreciate the support of (tech person for helping, and Jingky), as well as King and Zylon for contributing photos of the event. So many questions, and so many angles tackled meant it was a fruitful day not just for all the participants who found time but also the speakers, who appreciated the questions and comments. Maraming salamat of course to Dean Diosa Labiste and Professor Emeritus Rene Ofreneo, who both hatched the idea of the convocation. A recording of the talks will be posted soon; watch this space. We thank once more our co-organizers UP CMC, Alpha Phi Beta, and the Asia-Europe Institute of Universiti Malaya.
38 Panay Avenue, Bgy. Paligsahan, QC Linangan Gallery of Constantino Foundation
© 2026 • Constantino Foundation • All Rights Reserved
38 Panay Avenue, Bgy. Paligsahan, QC
© 2026 • Constantino Foundation • All Rights Reserved
