WHERE IT STARTED (1950s - 1990s)
Animation in the Philippines is rooted from local cartoons and comics, and it was during the 1950s - 1960s that early animations were produced in the form of cartoon advertising. Prominent figures during this era include Antonio S. Velasquez, and cartoonist Larry Alcala, both of whom pioneered animated commercials.
The 1960s - 1970s was the period where animation in the Philippines started to branch out from advertisements, to storytelling and political use. One animation of significance during this era was Severino “Nonoy” Marcelo and Jose Zabala-Santos’ “Tadhana,” which was commissioned by former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., based on his book of the same name. Initially conceptualized to serve as the pilot episode for a historical TV series, Tadhana is considered to be the first feature-length cel animation in the Philippines.
The 1980s - 1990s was when Philippine animation started to branch out in storytelling , with a prominent figure being Geraldo A. Garcia. Garcia is known for producing “Ang Panday,” based on the comic of the same name by author Carlo J. Caparas, which is also credited to be the very first local animated TV series. He also directed the 1997 film “Adarna: The Mythical Bird,” adapting the “Ibong Adarna” epic poem; Adarna is also credited as the first full-length animated film in the Philippines.
FROM TRADITIONAL TO DIGITAL (2000s - 2010s)
Majority of Philippine animation in the 2000s were catered towards a younger audience, with fantasy being a common genre during this time. In 2008, two animated feature-length films were released, namely “Urduja” and “Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia,” with the latter being the first digitally animated film in the Philippines.
The 2010s for Philippine animation gradually opened to more diverse animation styles and delved into handling more mature themes. 2010 marked a turning point with the release of “RPG Metanoia,” the first CGI film to be produced in the country.
The following years progressed further, with directors Carl Joseph Papa and Avid Liongoren being recurrent names in the animation scene. Such animations include “Manang Biring,” the first fully rotoscoped film in the country, and “Saving Sally,” a film that blends live-action and animation. In 2018, the first Philippine anime TV Series “Barangay 143” was released, which was co-produced in Singapore and Japan.
PRESENT (2020s)
In 2020, Liongoren directed “Hayop Ka!,” a telenovela-inspired animated film that features anthropomorphic animals. It was released on Netflix, available both in the original Filipino dub and English dub. In 2023, the sci-fi drama film “Iti Mapukpukaw” was released. Directed by Carl Joseph Papa, it is the second rotoscopped film in the Philippines. In 2025, it was announced that the 2020 short film titled “Ella Arcangel” would be getting a feature film, which is set to release in 2026.
