ABS-CBN Film Restoration Ends After 14 Years of Saving Philippine Cinema

It’s the end of an era for Philippine film preservation.

On March 31, 2025, the ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project quietly completed its 14-year run, a mission that saved over 240 Filipino films, many of them once thought to be lost to time. From the black-and-white classics of the 1930s to beloved films from the 1990s and 2000s, the team worked with heart and limited means to give these stories a second life. But after everything, the lights have dimmed, and the doors have closed.

The initiative, spearheaded by Leo P. Katigbak, wasn’t just about cleaning up old footage. It was about preserving memory, culture, and the Filipino soul. These were films that shaped generations, and restoring them meant reconnecting Filipinos with their roots.

The team began with the iconic Himala and ended with Tatlong Ina, Isang Anak, a poetic bookend, both films starring National Artist Nora Aunor. In between, the team gave new life to cinematic treasures from as early as 1939.

But this journey didn’t end naturally. It was cut short. In 2020, under the administration of then-President Rodrigo Duterte, ABS-CBN was denied a renewal of its franchise. The media giant was forced off the air, and its divisions, including the Film Restoration team, were deeply affected. While they continued to operate in a scaled-down form for five more years, thanks to the support of ABS-CBN leadership, the inevitable caught up.

Here are the 70 lawmakers who voted "yes" to reject ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal, effectively contributing to the shutdown of departments like ABS-CBN Film Restoration:

Raneo Abu
Cyrille Abueg-Zaldivar
Gil Acosta
Antonio Albano
Samantha Louise Alfonso
Juan Miguel Macapagal Arroyo
Cristal Bagatsing
Julienne Baronda
Elpidio Barzaga Jr.
Claudine Bautista
Juan Pablo Bondoc
Antonio Calixto
Precious Castelo
Joaquin Chipeco Jr.
Ma. Theresa Collantes
Anthony Peter Crisologo
Francisco Datol
Mike Defensor
Paulo Duterte
Faustino Michael Dy
Faustino V. Dy
Ian Paul Dy
Conrado Estrella III
Ria Christina Fariñas
Dan Fernandez
Bayani Fernando
Luis Ferrer IV
Pablo John Garcia
Janette Garin
Sharon Garin
Weslie Gatchalian
Sandro Gonzales
Eduardo Gullas
Bernadette Herrera-Dy
Dulce Ann Hofer
Eleandro Jesus Madrona
Dale Malapitan
Esmael Mangudadatu
Rodante Marcoleta
Eric Martinez
Francisco Matugas
Raymond Mendoza
Roger Mercado
John Marvin Nieto
Jose Fidel Nograles
Jericho Nograles
Henry Oaminal
Joseph Stephen Paduano
Wilter Palma II
Enrico Pineda
Jesus Crispin Remulla
Strike Revilla
Yedda Romualdez
Ferdinand Martin Romualdez
Xavier Jesus Romualdo
Deogracias Savellano
Frederick Siao
Jose Singson Jr.
Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado
Alyssa Sheena Tan
Sharee Ann Tan
Arnolfo Teves Jr.
Abraham Tolentino
Allan Ty
Christian Unabia
Rolando Valeriano
Luis Villafuerte Jr.
Camille Villar
Eric Yap
Divina Grace Yu

Their vote silenced not just a network, but also many projects that served the Filipino people, programs that informed, educated, and preserved our culture. One of those deeply affected was the ABS-CBN Film Restoration team, whose mission was never political, only historical and profoundly human. In the coming May 2025 elections, never forget their names, and never vote for them. Actions have consequences, and they chose to abandon not just a company, but the public it served.

Despite everything, Leo Katigbak and his team never stopped. Even with scarce resources, they poured their energy into finishing as many restorations as possible. “Until our very last day, we gave it our all,” he said.

Gratitude was a major part of Katigbak’s message, acknowledging the support of Gabby Lopez, Charo Santos, Carlo Katigbak, Cory Vidanes, Freddie Garcia, and partners like Central Digital Lab, Ritrovata, Wildsound, Star Cinema, Piolo Pascual, Ricky Lee, and many others.

These weren’t just coworkers, they were a family. From those who started the journey to the few who stayed until the end, they were united by passion. Katigbak even compared them to the final five contestants in Survivor, whose torches may have been snuffed, but whose fire still burns.

Moving forward, Sagip Pelikula, the legacy they built, will live on through Star Cinema and Cinemo starting May 2025. The mission to preserve the stories of our past will continue, but in a different form, and without the original team that began it all.

To those who watched, believed, and dreamt alongside them: thank you. The love for Philippine cinema lives on.

SOURCE