Some heroes never truly disappear from history. But as generations pass, their stories can fade behind the more familiar names of those who helped shape a nation.
Emilio Jacinto, the young revolutionary known as the Brains of the Katipunan, may be one such figure. Though his ideas helped shape the Philippine struggle for independence, his name is not always given the same prominence as those of Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio.
A new Filipino biopic hopes to change that.
Titled Liwanag at Dilim, the film seeks to bring Jacinto’s life and ideals back into the national conversation, reminding audiences that the fight for freedom was not waged through courage and sacrifice alone, but also through knowledge, conviction, and an unwavering commitment to the nation.
Written and directed by Antonino Rommel Ramilo, the film has been submitted to the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) for consideration as one of its eight official entries this December.
Singer-actor Gerald Santos takes on the demanding role of Jacinto in a project that carries both historical and personal significance. For Santos, the film is an opportunity to introduce a new generation to a revolutionary whose contributions deserve greater recognition.
Jacinto was more than a young man who took up arms against Spanish colonial rule. He was also a writer and intellectual who believed that education, moral principles, and a sense of duty were essential to building a free nation. He authored the Kartilya ng Katipunan, which laid out the revolutionary movement’s principles, as well as essays that explored questions of morality, society, and human freedom.
The film takes its title from Jacinto’s essay Liwanag at Dilim, a work whose themes of light and darkness continue to resonate beyond the period in which it was written.
For Santos, portraying Jacinto meant looking beyond the familiar image of a revolutionary hero and understanding the convictions that drove him.
Jacinto, he said, was deeply nationalistic and willing to share his knowledge and talents despite the obstacles he faced. His determination to serve the country, even under difficult circumstances, is one of the qualities Santos hopes audiences will recognize in the film.
The actor worked with historian and professor Michael Charleston “Xiao” Briones Chua, who served as the film’s historical consultant. Jacinto’s relatives also shared information with Santos and the production team, while Ramilo maintained close communication with Chua throughout the filmmaking process.
According to Santos, the project had been in the making for a decade. Ramilo’s interest in developing a full-length film about Jacinto began in 2016, when Santos worked on a project for the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
The production eventually began filming on June 13 and wrapped up six weeks later, with scenes shot in Calatagan, Taal, and Tanauan in Batangas, as well as Calamba in Laguna.
The film features an ensemble cast, with Alden Richards portraying Dr. Jose Rizal and Sid Lucero playing Andres Bonifacio. Alexa Miro appears as Tinay, Jacinto’s wife, while Aljur Abrenica portrays General Miguel Malvar. The cast also includes Mercedes Cabral as Sisa, Isay Alvarez as Doña Victorina, Robert Seña as Don Tiburcio, and Angel Aquino as Kalayaan, a composite character inspired by Jacinto’s writings.
Santos also recorded the film’s original theme song, Taghoy ng Puso.
Despite the demanding nature of the production, Santos described the experience as fulfilling, particularly given the emotional and physical challenges involved in bringing the historical figure to life.
For Ramilo, the film also addresses a gap in Philippine cinema. While numerous productions have explored the lives of Rizal, Bonifacio, Juan Luna, Manuel Quezon, and Emilio Aguinaldo, he believes Jacinto’s story has yet to receive the same treatment in a full-length feature film.
He recalled how Jacinto was once ranked among the country’s most prominent heroes in history lessons, alongside Rizal, Bonifacio, and Apolinario Mabini. Over time, however, Jacinto seemed to recede from public consciousness.
Ramilo hopes the film will help restore the revolutionary’s place in the national imagination, particularly among younger Filipinos.
A Historical Story With Contemporary Relevance
For producer and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, Liwanag at Dilim is about more than rediscovering a forgotten hero. It is also an opportunity to examine the persistent problems that have shaped Philippine society across generations.
Topacio joined the production team after watching the completed film and becoming impressed by its historical grounding and central message.
He sees uncomfortable parallels between the divisions that plagued revolutionary groups during the struggle for independence and the factionalism that continues to weaken the country today. Cynicism, self-interest, collaboration with foreign powers, and the failure to sustain meaningful reforms are among the issues he believes remain relevant.
These recurring problems, he argues, make Jacinto’s story particularly timely. Although the film takes certain creative liberties with historical events, Topacio believes its message remains clear: many of the challenges that confronted Filipinos during the revolutionary period have yet to be fully overcome.
His support for the project also reflects a broader concern about the direction of Philippine cinema.
Topacio, who studied English literature with a minor in history at San Sebastian College, has long been interested in films that go beyond conventional storytelling. He expressed disappointment with what he considers the repetitive formulas of many contemporary film productions, arguing that the industry needs more ambitious and innovative works.
He cited the films of Mike de Leon and Ishmael Bernal as examples of the kind of filmmaking that continues to leave a lasting impression. He also praised Raymond Red’s Manila’s Finest and Lav Diaz’s historical epic Magellan, which he watched earlier this year.
For Topacio, film festivals should showcase the best of Filipino cinema, offering audiences stories that challenge expectations and encourage deeper reflection.
He believes Liwanag at Dilim represents that kind of undertaking, one driven not solely by commercial considerations but by a genuine desire to tell a story worth preserving.
As he puts it, the entertainment industry cannot be driven by money alone.
Bringing a Hero Back Into Focus
Jacinto and his wife, Tinay, had no surviving children, as their baby died in infancy. Yet his legacy endures through his writings, his role in the Katipunan, and the principles he left behind.
His story offers a reminder that nation-building depends not only on celebrated leaders and battlefield victories, but also on the ideas and convictions that sustain a people’s pursuit of freedom.
With Liwanag at Dilim, its creators hope to bring those ideas to audiences who may know Jacinto’s name without fully understanding his contributions.
Whether the film secures a place in this year’s MMFF remains to be seen. Its submission, however, has already placed Jacinto’s story back in the conversation about Philippine history and cinema.
And perhaps that is the point.
A nation cannot fully understand its past if it remembers only a handful of its heroes. Sometimes, rediscovering the people history has pushed into the background is necessary to understand not only who Filipinos once were, but also the challenges they continue to face today. //
