Final Frame: Leo Katigbak on ABS-CBN Film Restoration’s closure

“Ako si Leo Katigbak… nakiki-Sagip Pelikula.”

With those poignant words, Leo Katigbak — the quiet visionary behind ABS-CBN’s beloved film restoration initiative — marked the end of an era. After 14 passionate years, the ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project, home to the acclaimed "Sagip Pelikula" movement, officially ended its operations on 31 March 2025.

For more than a decade, Katigbak and his dedicated team worked tirelessly to breathe new life into Philippine cinematic treasures — rescuing, restoring, and reintroducing more than 240 classic Filipino films, many of which had been fading into obscurity. From a 1939 black-and-white gem to contemporary masterpieces, their mission was simple yet monumental: preserve the past to inspire the future.

Yet on a somber April day, as the last few restored titles were turned over and the final reels were sampled, the curtain quietly fell.

A dream deferred

“This was a casualty,” Katigbak shared in his heartfelt social media post, referring to the political and financial blows that rocked ABS-CBN following its franchise denial in 2020 — a decision that shuttered broadcast operations and sent ripple effects through the company’s many departments.

“We barreled through as much as we could with what meager resources were available… and until our very last day, we gave it our all.”

The Film Restoration Project began with hope, helmed by Katigbak under the bold leadership of then-ABS-CBN chairman Gabby Lopez and president Charo Santos-Concio. It was Santos who first planted the seed: to safeguard the network’s filmed assets and, eventually, those of Philippine cinema as a whole. Their trust allowed the project to flourish, and soon "Sagip Pelikula" grew beyond corporate boundaries, reaching schools, theaters, festivals, and a loyal community of cinephiles.

“Carlo Katigbak gave us five more years when things could have ended in 2020,” Leo noted, referring to ABS-CBN’s current president. “And during that time, we accomplished so many more restorations worth celebrating.”

Restoring more than film

But this was never just about remastering old movies. For the team, every frame was a piece of heritage, every crack a story. “We were colleagues, friends, and family… through better and many worst moments,” Katigbak wrote, as he honored dozens of names — those who stayed through the journey, and those who saw it to the finish line.

Among those he thanked were the unsung collaborators: Central Digital Lab’s Manet Dayrit and her team, international partners like Gale and Ritrovata, and advocates like Piolo Pascual, who lent star power since day one. National Artist for Film Ricky Lee — a close friend and frequent supporter — was also a spiritual pillar. Their collective voice helped "Sagip Pelikula" become more than a campaign — it became a movement.

Notably, the initiative ended as poetically as it began — bookended by two Nora Aunor masterpieces, "Himala" and "Tatlong Ina, Isang Anak." A tribute to the power of the Filipino film actress and, fittingly, a nod to the National Artist for Film whose voice, presence, and artistry embodied the spirit of "Sagip Pelikula."

The legacy lives on

Though the Film Restoration Project has formally ended, Katigbak assures that the mission continues. Beginning May 2025, the advocacy will be sustained — in part — by Star Cinema and Cinemo, with select functions redistributed across departments within ABS-CBN.

“There will be no more Katigbak-led 'Sagip Pelikula,'” one follower noted online, “but its heartbeat will continue through the films that survived because they cared.”

In the end, the final message wasn’t one of mourning — but of gratitude. To everyone who watched, supported, and believed in the cause, Katigbak offered a simple, sincere maraming salamat.

The torch may have been snuffed, as he likened it to the final Tribal Council of "Survivor," but the flame — the passion for Filipino cinema — still burns in every film they saved.

“Preserving the past to inspire the future is a never-ending quest,” Katigbak wrote. In many ways, it still is.