This year, our brave visionaries, academics, and creative storytellers are joining forces to protect our history in its truest, most engaging form—more so, the heroes who built it from the ground up.
Photo: Gerald Santos/Instagram
On July 20, 2026, historian and educator Xiao Chua took to social media to share updates on Liwanag at Dilim: Heneral Emilio Jacinto, a biopic by Antonino Rommel Ramilo about the revolutionary “Brains of the Katipunan.” The film in progress, which Chua is also joining, features Gerald Santos in the titular role alongside a star-studded cast.
Filipinos in media have been on a phenomenal roll so far with the period dramas and historical films that’ve recently made headlines. Just last year, Jerold Tarog’s Quezon was the talk of the town. And now, the remarkable conclusion to TBA Studios’ Bayaniverse is gunning for global acclaim at the 2027 Academy Awards. Jun Robles Lana’s Sisa and Katski Flores’s upcoming Edgar Jopson biopic, EDJOP, have also made critical efforts to hold a mirror up to the long-standing injustices that’ve plagued the nation for centuries.
With Liwanag at Dilim underway, Philippine cinema continues to amplify our calls for positive social change through the artistic platforms at our disposal. Here’s how the film strives to do the same through the heroes and homegrown talents it champions:
An Outstanding Ensemble at Its Helm
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Most Filipinos know Jacinto best for his critical outlook on the revolution, which he diligently put into words and strategies that aided the masses’ fight for equality. In the great pursuit of independence, he wrote under the pen name Dimasilaw—a prominent voice for the people’s dignity under Spanish colonial rule.
Santos is set to portray Jacinto and honor his historical impact on the big screen with the help of:
- Alden Richards, who’ll reprise his role as Jose Rizal from the 2014 series Ilustrado, and
- Sid Lucero, who’ll play Andres Bonifacio a second time after Katipunan in 2013.
Aljur Abrenica, Mercedes Cabral, Angel Aquino, and Aicelle Santos are also lending their acting chops to this passion project, which is vying for a spot at this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).
An Awe-inspiring Theme Song
Liwanag at Dilim has all the makings of a powerful eye-opener that Ramilo and Chua aren’t afraid to share with the world. The latter wrote, “[The movie’s] script beautifully tells what little we know about Jacinto. It interprets and imagines what we don’t know artistically. The script captures what he stood for and how he loved. It’s most of all entertaining.”
What better way to get that point across than with a theme song by the film’s lead star himself? In “Taghoy ng Puso,” Santos embodies the fire that Jacinto lit in Filipinos’ hearts throughout his life in the revolution. The track echoes the sentiments and plight of every Filipino who wants nothing more than for justice to prevail in the long run.
How Chua Has Upheld Jacinto’s Legacy
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Ramilo’s Liwanag at Dilim is gearing up to be one of Chua’s most fulfilling undertakings to date. But this isn’t the only time he has honed his craft to uphold Jacinto’s mark on Philippine history.
As an advocate and academic, writing has also become a fruitful platform for Chua to help his insights reach today’s generation. Last month, he started chronicling Jacinto’s humble beginnings in what would soon be the latest installment to his book series, Bayani Biographies. The lack of data about Jacinto’s early life has prompted Chua to portray it in an inspiring light that every young learner can get behind.
Chua’s recent column in The Manila Times has also highlighted Jacinto’s impact and how it shaped our understanding of independence today.
ALSO READ: “Quezon” Review: A Conclusion Worth Waiting a Decade For
What are your thoughts on Liwanag at Dilim: Heneral Emilio Jacinto so far? Do you think it’ll land a spot at the MMFF this year? Sound off and let us know in the comments below!
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