ABS-CBN Film Restoration Takes Final Bow

(SPOT.ph) The shutting down of ABS-CBN in 2020 didn’t just change the Philippine media landscape drastically overnight, it put an end to livelihoods and dreams of thousands. And now here’s another casualty of that unfortunate event: the ABS-CBN Film Restoration will no longer be able to continue rescuing important and beloved Filipino films, and preserving them for the present and future generations.

Its head Leo Katigbak announced on May 1 via a Facebook post that ABS-CBN Film Restoration has actually ended its 14-year run last March 31, 2025. The office was responsible for the cleaning up of old Filipino film prints in the care of ABS-CBN, making sure the movies are in good, watchable condition. It was in charge of their digitization and preservation, as well as making these titles accessible again to the public.

240+ movies scanned, enhanced, restored and remastered

Among the movies the initiative has rescued from being lost and forgotten are film classics such as Himala, Kakabakaba Ka Ba?, Moral, Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos and Oro, Plata, Mata, all directed by some of Philippine cinema's best, all of which anyone can now view on YouTube.

“There are still some 300-500 films we would have wanted to at the very least re-scan,” Katigbak told SPOT.ph. He said there were initiatives he was working on that may allow the restoration work to continue “but I don’t know na what will happen.”

Also read: The Digital Restoration of 'May Minamahal'

What’s already been accomplished is nothing short of groundbreaking, however. The Sagip Pelikula initiative was the first real, sustained effort at rescuing our lost films from decay. “ABS-CBN Film Restoration had an amazing journey, some 240+ movies scanned, enhanced, restored and remastered, reintroduced to new audiences,” Katigbak said in his message. Some of these films were from as early as 1939.

What happens now?

While the restoration facet of the business is gone, some of the aspects his office was responsible for, Katigbak told Spot, would continue under different groups within the company. The Sagip Pelikula advocacy—which continues to educate audiences about Filipino film classics and gives access to these movies—will now be championed by film production arm Star Cinema and pay TV and movie channel Cinemo. As for the film archives—film prints, video tapes, and other important ephemera, Katigbak told Spot “there will be departments taking over the assets.”

Katigbak thanked former ABS-CBN Chair Gabby Lopez and former President Charo Santos “who had the vision to future proof the filmed assets of the company and allowed the initiative that became Sagip Pelikula to flourish and save many movies beyond it's initial scope.” He also expressed gratitude toward current President Carlo Katigbak “who afforded us another 5 years, delaying the department's closure in 2020 with a scaled-down group, during which time Sagip accomplished many more noteworthy restorations.”

The first movie the outfit ever restored was Ishmael Bernal's Himala, the biggest and most important film of the late Nora Aunor. The last batch of completed restored films included Mga Anak ni Facifica Falayfay, Buddy en Sol, Kailan Ka Magiging Akin, and another Nora Aunor starrer, Tatlong Ina, Isang Anak which is now showing in select local theaters.

Perhaps just to remind us on just what we gained when ABS-CBN created its film restoration arm, here's critic Noel Vera talking about it's real contribution: "Because if we forget the masterpieces of the past-- and trust me they are disintegrating as we speak-- we will lose a huge part of our identity, a huge part of our selves. We were a great filmmaking nation near the start of the last century up to now, and if we don't know that how can we even begin to start? If Santayana said 'those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it,' I propose a corollary: those who can't remember their past are condemned to never exceed it."

Also read: The First Shake, Rattle and Roll: Scanned, Enhanced, Back in Theaters