When discussions turn to credibility in entertainment journalism, Jo-Ann Q. Maglipon is often the first name that comes to mind. Many readers, including myself, grew up on her exposés and exclusive interviews in YES! Magazine, following her work as she documented the industry with clarity and authority. This time, she steps beyond reportage and gives us something that can be considered her legacy. Two weeks ago, Maglipon officially released a book that reflects both her perspective and a lifetime of watching Philippine cinema unfold.
Photos courtesy of National Book Development Board and Summit Media
Titled SINE. PELIKULA. FILM: The 100+ Greatest Films of Philippine Cinema (P1,799, Summit Books, 300 pages), the volume brings together decades of filmmaking into a single, carefully curated collection.
The book features 127 entries, each with a synopsis and review, covering films released from 1937 to 2020. These works, many of which remain accessible to audiences today, were selected by Maglipon in collaboration with film scholar Joel David, resulting in a collection that spans eras, genres, and sensibilities.
Included are widely recognized classics such as Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag and Manila By Night, alongside independent standouts like Mababangong Bangungot and Tu Pug Imatuy. Commercial hits like Ang Panday and Heneral Luna are part of the list, as are lesser-discussed titles like El Filibusterismo and Malvarosa. Popular romantic dramas including That Thing Called Tadhana and One More Chance also appear, as well as comedies from different periods, from Jack and Jill to Zombadings: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington.
Interwoven into the book are profiles of National Artists who helped shape Philippine cinema, among them Manuel Conde, Eddie Romero, Mike de Leon, and Fernando Poe Jr., providing additional context to the films and their makers.
The book was launched on March 15 at the Philippine Book Festival in SM Megamall, where Maglipon was joined by screenwriter and National Artist Ricky Lee, whose films account for 16 entries in the book, for a conversation on the creative and business sides of filmmaking.
Behind the Making of SINE. FILM. PELIKULA
Creating a film canon, Maglipon admitted, was a bold project.
“We committed to a Greatest Films’ List, not fully understanding that ‘greatest’ was not what we were going for. Certainly not, if listing the greatest meant comparing and ranking, pitting and judging, voting and awarding. We had no taste for going in that direction.”
Rather than constructing a hierarchy, Maglipon and David set out to assemble a list of films they believed were “wondrous, esteemed, and outstanding.” To build that list, Maglipon, who led YES! Magazine for nearly two decades, formed a screening committee composed of her former editorial team. Over several months, they watched films, debated their merits, and voted on which titles to include, with David serving as a guiding presence throughout the process.
“A List is, of course, never middling stuff,” wrote Maglipon. “It takes study. It means learning. It needs expertise.”
She describes David as a “patient guru and generous collaborator,” emphasizing the depth of discussion that shaped the final selection. The process also reinforced a belief central to the book — that cinema is, at its core, deeply personal.
“It is taste. It is exposure. It is age. It is moral grounding. It is class background. It is education. It is time and place. It is country. It is culture. It is emotional makeup. It is IQ. It is bias.”
In that sense, SINE. PELIKULA. FILM is not definitive, it is invitational. It is a canon shaped by a group of writers for readers who share the same love for film.
“With more than a bit of reverence, we present our List,” Maglipon said, “hoping to get all of you inquiring into our choices and searching them out. As for those among you already more driven, nothing’s to stop you from going loose and curious, plunging in, and making your own exciting cinema list.”
The book is currently available for P1,799 on Shopee and Lazada, with select bookstore releases expected soon.
