Constantino Foundation – Page 33 – Dedicated to a usable history, where lessons from the past are used to shape the future.

Spotlight

Student Reflections on A Past Revisited following the 50th Anniversary Launch

These visual essays and testimonials capture how A Past Revisited continues to resonate with a new generation of learners. From critical insights on historical[READ]

Mga Liham ni Letizia

Ni John Iremil Teodoro GUSTO kong magsulat muli ng mga liham—sulat-kamay sa papel—kagaya ng ginagawa ko noong nasa kolehiyo ako, noong madalang pa ang kompiyuter,[READ]

From Past to Present: PUP Reflections on The Philippines: A Past Revisited

The enduring influence of The Philippines: A Past Revisited (APR) by Letizia Roxas Constantino and Renato Constantino was celebrated in a special book launch held at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) as part of the Research Colloquium of the PUP Department of History and the PUP Samahan ng Mag-aaral ng Kasaysayan. Nearly 50 years since it was first published, the book continues to resonate with new generations, reaffirming its place as one of the most important works in Philippine historiography.

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We are thrilled to share this feature on our upcoming exhibit!

“Pasts Revisited: An Exhibit on a Usable History and the Romance of Renato Constantino and Letizia Roxas Constantino” opens this June 11 at 3 PM at Y Space, Yuchengco Museum, RCBC Plaza, Makati City — and runs until July 11.

For the first time ever, see rare letters, never-before-seen manuscripts, artworks gifted by National Artist Vicente Manansala and other celebrated painters, and photos with luminaries who shaped Philippine history. The exhibit also features Alas ng Bayan, a powerful tribute to five Filipino women who resisted oppression[READ]

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Pasts Revisited

Karina David

Today, March 19, would have been the 79th birthday of feminist, composer, and former head of the country’s Civil Service Commission Karina Constantino-David. She is sorely missed.

March 19, 2025|

Events

Videos

Stories

One of the country’s longest running book clubs, Flips Flipping Pages, holds chose The Philippines: A Past Revisited for their monthly book discussion

Delightful Saturday discussion at the Foundation's Linangan Gallery with the book club #FlipsFlippingPages, founded 2007, centered on #aPastRevisited and #TheContinuingPast. [...]

Decolonization and Decarbonization in the Philippines: Philippine History and the Climate Crisis, with IPCC climatologist Lourdes Tibig and Red Constantino

Only those who email can be accomodated this Saturday/Sept. 7 at the Linangan Gallery on Panay Ave. Make sure you write to constantinofoundation@gmail.com if interested. [...]

Weathering the Storm: A PUP Lecture and Discussion on Philippine History and Climate Science with IPCC climatologist Lourdes Tibig and Constantino Foundation President Red Constantino

The lecture's open to the public this MONDAY/Sept. 9. In cooperation with the PUP College of Science, College of Social Sciences and Development, and Research Institute for Culture and Language, in commemoration of the 120th founding year of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. [...]

Weathering the Storm: A PUP Lecture and Discussion on Philippine History and Climate Science with IPCC climatologist Lourdes Tibig and Constantino Foundation President Red Constantino

In PUP last Sept. 9, the Constantino Foundation pointed to intersections between Philippine history and the climate crisis, with the esteemed climatologist Lourdes Tibig. The event was organized by PUP's College of Science, College of Social Science and Devt, and the Research Institute on Culture and Language. It was lovely to again break bread with Science Dean Lourdes Alvarez, Dr Reylan Viray, and Dr Sherrenne de Amboy, chair of PUP's College of History, in commemoration of PUP's 120th founding anniversary. [...]

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“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
“My first brush with Renato Constantino was through Mr. Herman Rochester, our 4th year high school adviser, who lent me his Miseducation of the Filipino. From then on I was hooked. In college, I encountered Parents and Activists, which helped me understand my parents’ objections to my activism, then his books A Past Revisited and A Continuing Past which made me learn history in a way that I was never taught in my elementary and high school years. His and his wife Letizia’s many articles, pamphlets, books and publications were guiding lights that stirred up the makabayan and palaban in me. Theirs was a writing that was nakakapagmulat at nakakataas ng pag-unawa.”

Teddy Casiño
Former Bayan Muna Representative, Facebook post
11 June 2026
“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
“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 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
“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
“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
“Renato and Letty kept the fire burning for country and people, fueled by their abiding love for each other and the cause they both pursued with single-minded devotion. In this sense, Renato and Letty may well be considered among the principal characters in one long epic love poem about the birthing of a free and caring society, still unfinished to this day.”

Dr. Rosalinda Pineda-Ofreneo
biographer, at the Pasts Revisited exhibit opening, Yuchengco Museum,
11 June 2026
“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
“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
“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
"... 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
“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

Spotlight

The Foundation

Our Partners

Teacher Support

Spotlight

The Foundation

Our Partners

Teacher Support

Pasts Revisited

Karina David

Events

Videos

Stories

“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.”

“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!”​

"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. ❤️"

“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!”

"... 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."

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

“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!”