A long-lost gem of Philippine cinema has been rediscovered in Belgium.
Filipino filmmaker and historian Nick Deocampo confirmed that a copy of “Diwata ng Karagatan,” a 1936 film produced by Jose Nepomuceno, the Father of Philippine Cinema, was found at the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique.
“A national film treasure has just been found! A copy of ‘Diwata ng Karagatan,’ long-rumored to be existing but not found, has finally been located at the Belgian film archive,” Deocampo announced on Facebook.
The discovery was made possible through Deocampo’s personal efforts, with the help of Louise Baterna, daughter of a pioneering Ilonggo filmmaker.
Together, they confirmed the film’s existence in Brussels and viewed the surviving 35mm print, assisted by film restoration expert Bruno Mestdagh.
The film, deposited in 2016 by the now-defunct CineLabor, has not yet been digitized.
Deocampo noted that “Diwata ng Karagatan” now dethrones “Zamboanga” (1937), starring Fernando Poe Sr., as the oldest surviving pre-World War II Filipino film—both rediscovered by him abroad.
Originally produced by Parlatone Hispano-Filipino, Nepomuceno’s pioneering studio, the film was directed by Carlos Vander Tolosa, a major figure who also helped launch Sampaguita and LVN Pictures.
However, the film’s history is marred by early film piracy. A French distributor re-edited the work, erased Filipino credits, and falsely claimed it as a French production. Though the Tagalog dialogue was retained, Filipino names and closing credits were blacked out.
“Louise Baterna and I found it heartbreaking to find only a long black leader at the end of the film where names of Filipinos once appeared in the closing credits,” Deocampo shared. “This was evidently a clear case of filmic and cultural erasure.”
Despite this, Deocampo called the discovery a “major breakthrough” for Philippine cinema—comparable to an archaeological find.
“Who would be crazy enough to jump on a plane using personal funds to go to Belgium without fully knowing if a copy of the film was there? But the gamble paid off,” he said.
Deocampo hopes the rediscovery sparks efforts to restore and preserve the nation’s early cinematic heritage.
