Tagumpay ng Mahirap: Macapagal film bio

In the 1965 presidential elections, the Diosdado Macapagal filmbio Tagumpay ng Mahirap was released to boost his reelection for President. Fred Montilla portrayed President Macapagal and Cynthia Ugalde played the First Lady, the former Evangelina Macaraeg.

Based on the book Macapagal The Incorruptible, the filmbio had three parts: The Boy, The Man, The President. The focal point of the story is The President.

The filmbio traced the struggles of Diosdado Macapagal, the son of a labandera and a farmer from Lubao, Pampanga. From an impoverished childhood, Macapagal became a zarzuela actor, brilliant student (bar topnotcher from the University of Santo Tomas), diplomat, congressman, Vice President, President. His legacy is the passage of the historic land reform law.

Three future National Artists directed Tagumpay ng Mahirap: Lamberto Avellana, Eddie Romero and Gerardo de Leon.

Macapagal lost his bid for reelection to Ferdinand Marcos. But decades later, his daughter served as President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. — RKC