Spotlight

Outtakes from a Full House at UP CMC

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.

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RENATO2026-06-17T02:18:35+08:00April 20, 2026|Tags: RenatoConstantinoRevisited|

Registration is now open for Renato Constantino Revisited!

Join us for 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.

UP CMC Auditorium, Plaridel Hall Annex

April 18

2:00 – 5:00 [READ]

RENATO2026-06-17T02:18:36+08:00April 14, 2026|Tags: RenatoConstantinoRevisited|

Save the date! A convocation in honor of Renato Constantino and current global and national issues blazing in the news today

What is behind the country’s persistent underdevelopment and what explains the acceleration of industrialization among our neighbors? What are the links closely binding decolonization and decarbonization and how do these shape our people’s aspiration to industrialize today? What is the relevance of Philippine history with regard to fossil economy-triggered conflicts in West Asia, territorial disputes in contested international waters, and the worsening climate crisis? What is the relevance today of the lives lived by Renato Constantino and Letizia Roxas Constantino and why did they dedicate their lives to advance the cause of nationalism and partisan scholarship in the Philippines?

These questions and more will be addressed at the event, which will be held at the ???????? ???????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ????-????????????. The Constantino Foundation thanks the UP College of Media and Communication, Alpha Phi Beta, Asia-Europe Institute of Universiti Malaya and visiting [READ]

RENATO2026-06-17T02:18:36+08:00April 10, 2026|Tags: RenatoConstantinoRevisited|

Honoring Letizia Roxas Constantino: A Generational Filipina from Capiz

Today, we remember one of the most understated figures in Philippine intellectual history – but no doubt, a proud daughter of the Province of Capiz.

She is Letizia Roxas Constantino, who was born April 9, 1920, to Mamerto Acuna Roxas and Mercedes Fuentes. Both parents hailed from the town of Capiz (now Roxas City). Mamerto Roxas was the older brother of President Manuel Roxas, while Mercedes Fuentes was the older sister of National Artist for Music, Jovita Fuentes.

Letizia Roxas was married in 1943 to nationalist historian Renato Constantino. With him, she devoted her life to scholarship, writing, and the pursuit of a deeper, more authentic understanding of the Filipino identity.

Working closely with her husband, she co-authored seminal works such as “The Philippines: [READ]

RENATO2026-04-10T22:39:23+08:00April 9, 2026|

Pandesal Forum at Kamuning Bakery Café

April 9, 2026 | 9:00 AM
43 Judge Jimenez St., Brgy. Kamuning, Quezon City

In commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor), the forum will feature discussions on World War II resistance, historical perspectives, and peace in Asia, with a lineup of historians, scholars, and public figures.

Live on Facebook tomorrow! See you!

Kamuning Bakery Cafe was co-founded by Lt. Marcelo Javier, who was a Hunters guerrilla. He was killed by invaders at the Battle of Manila. The father of his wife, Kamuning [READ]

RENATO2026-04-08T16:36:36+08:00April 8, 2026|

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|

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|

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|

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|

‘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|