THOMASIAN AUTHORS compiled critical essays from various scholars to come up with a book celebrating Philippine cinema icon and politician Vilma Santos-Recto.
Vilma Santos, Icon: Essays on Cinema, Culture, and Society, featured works on the actress’ 60-year career that recognized her legacy in Philippine cinema and studied her performances in different television shows and films.
Edited by UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (CCWLS) co-director Prof. Augusto Aguila and resident fellow Asst. Prof. Joselito Zulueta, the book highlights Santos’ journey from a child actress to an artist taking on more mature roles as well as her transformation to a broadcasting icon through her long-running variety show “Vilma” and her emergence as the Philippines’ “box office star.”
“The coverage of the book would be all facets of Vilma Santos. She was a child actress and a teenage actress, [and she] evolved into adult roles [as a] broadcast superstar. And then, of course, box office star, both [in] cinema and in film,” Zulueta told The Flame.
According to him, the focus of cinema studies rarely explores the actors themselves since it often leans toward the filmmaker, writer’s intent and the historical context behind the story’s creation.
“So most of the time in cinema studies and cultural studies, the actors and performing artists are overlooked. Maybe because in cinema studies, the most prominent is the auteur. Auteur studies,” Zulueta said.
“There [is a] lack of studies on Vilma Santos as a cultural icon, an actress, performing actress and a filmmaker, a popular culture artifact,” he added.
Santos-Recto is known for her performances in ‘80s and ‘90s Filipino films, most notably Sister Stella L (1984), Bata bata paano ka ginawa? (1998), Relasyon (
Santos-Recto’s performances, Aguila said, are not only authentically her own but also represent the everyday struggles and triumphs of Filipinos.
“And she [Vilma Santos] has made a lot of movies and films that have a huge impact on culture, cinema, and our society. She has portrayed characters who are strong. And I mean she has portrayed a wide variety of characters, and her films have won numerous awards,” Aguila said.
“When you talk about longevity and its impact on popular culture, Vilma has always been in our consciousness. She never disappears within us,” he added.
Published by the UST Publishing House, Vilma Santos, Icon: Essays on Cinema, Culture, and Society was launched at the Philippine Book Festival 2025, which ran from March 13 to 16 at SM Megamall’s Megatrade Hall. F – Jaila Marjaan Abdul
