Getting looped into paid work for a social cause that you strongly believe in is a rare privilege for any creative. Being asked to use our resident Art Director Rudy Riña’s distinct and personal illustration style was the cherry on top!
We get to have our cake and eat it, too 🥳
Enter: WiseOwl—advocates of leveraging communication for social change and equipping and training communities and organizations to become better communicators for the common good.
Habilin, WiseOwl’s animated series, breathes life into the inspiring stories of progressive Filipinos—voices of democracy and justice against Ferdinand Marcos’s dictatorship as well as the Martial Law regime. After a successful first season, we were invited to collaborate on the second season!
We collaborated closely with the client and devised ways to make the animation enjoyable yet digestible and accessible for the younger audiences that Habilin engages with. Rudy Riña was tasked with illustrating and personifying Tonette, a lively and playful soul, an engineer, and an activist during the Marcos regime. Combining the quirky visuals, upbeat score, and heartfelt narration, we were able to render Tonette’s story into one we were genuinely proud of and excited to share.
Tonette’s story resonated with us, especially her finding avenues to help people. Her hopeful and sunny disposition helped us channel our inner creativity, and we did our best to bring her uniqueness to life with our drawing style.
“To be honest, the number of projects I’ve had where I was asked to use my art style can be counted [on] one hand, so I was excited to work on Habilin! It was nice to see people appreciating the way I draw.”
—Rudy
The theme “Little Lights” is exactly what it implies: the sparks of hope within each and every one of us, no matter how small, waiting to be reignited and set ablaze. These are the beacons of hope our Martial Law heroes cradled during one of Philippine history's darkest, most silent moments. We see this in the moments of Tonette's life that has educated her and opened her eyes to a hopeful future.
This theme was alluded to throughout Tonette’s episode, with small sparkles glimmering in the animation. We took extra care in producing this project, knowing it had a significant and relevant message. One detail we were particularly fond of was the use of a butterfly as a metaphor for Tonette's growth and knowledge—how, with greater awareness and understanding, she flourished into her own.
Extraordinary stories of nationalism and resistance from ordinary, everyday people like Tonette came alive, encouraging us to believe that anyone and everyone can be just like her. She bonded with her family, studied in school, and practiced her profession, but she also possessed a deep, shared love and passion for the country.
We wanted to give justice to Tonette’s story and message, as Habilin drove home the importance of information and history: to expose the realities and ugly truth of martial law, serving as a reminder that we should not blindly follow and idolize leadership. It is time to break free from our shells, spread our wings, and share these stories—these flutters of hope—so the Little Lights can continue to shine.
Tonette’s episode would not have been possible without the help of Senior Graphic Designer Luke Concepcion, who served as our animator for Habilin, Creative Director Mia Lagos, who created additional scenes and elements and Brand Strategist Jonah Garcia, who assisted with the storyboarding. We also received guidance from Creative Director Renee Arabia and Senior Art Director Yas Liamco, ensuring that our work was representative of the highest quality.
We approached this project with the goal to challenge ourselves and creating a captivating, engaging experience with more dynamic animations to resonate with an impressionable audience of teens and college students.
Just mere days after the anniversary of the People Power Revolution, we were granted the honor of attending Habilin Season 2’s official launch on February 28, 2025, at the De La Salle University (DLSU) Henry Sy Sr. Hall. We were fortunate enough to view the combined efforts of all the creatives involved. Alternative media for storytelling allows us to reach the younger audience and share the lived experiences of Filipinos during a critical and grueling part of Philippine history. And now, with the rise of systemic censorship and disinformation, it is more vital to do so. We were granted this empowering opportunity—a privilege that, for others, comes once in a lifetime—to inspire current and future generations to ask questions, seek answers, and persistently and relentlessly protect our freedom.
“Anybody can be a hero for their country in their way.”
—Luke
We want the audience to realize that power is within the people truly. Uplifting a country requires collective change and effort, which is why we should exercise our rights to inform, organize, and vote for our future.
Tonette is just one of the many heroes of the Marcos regime. Watch the other stories in the Martial Law Digital Museum.
