Master cinematographer Romy Vitug, 86

Legendary cinematographer Romeo Vitug, who lensed some of the greatest films in Filipino cinema, died on Thursday, 18 January 2024. He was 86.
Vitug’s daughter Dana confirmed his father’s passing in a Facebook post.

“This morning at 6:11 p.m. Philippine time, my TATAY, Romy V Vitug passed away,” she wrote.

“He was known as the Legendary Cinematographer in The Philippines World of Cinema, but we have known him as our Dearly Beloved Tatay,” she added.

Last month, another daughter, Dolor, had appealed for financial help on Facebook due to Vitug’s hospital confinement. She disclosed that her father had anemia and was suffering from complications of pneumonia.

Vitug was hailed as the master cinematographer of Philippine cinema, receiving, among other honors, the Hall of Fame Award at the 45th Metro Manila Film Festival in 2019, the Gawad Urian Award in 2016, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Cinemanila International Film Festival in 2000.

Vitug also bagged eight Best Cinematography awards for various films at the Film Academy of the Philippines.

ROMY Vitug, 1937-2024.
CELSO Ad Castillo’s ‘Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak’ (1978).
TIKOY Aguiluz’s ‘Rizal sa Dapitan’ (1997).
MARILOU Diaz Abaya’s ‘Sa Puso ng Dagat’ (1998).

His first project as a cinematographer was Hellow, Soldier, the second part of Lino Brocka’s trilogy Tatlo, Dalawa, Isa in 1974.

From there, he would become the go-to cinematographer of the Philippines’ leading filmmakers, lensing now-classic films such as Celso Ad Castillo’s Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak (1978), Mario O’ Hara’s Mga Bilanggong Birhen (1977), Eddie Garcia’s Atsay (1977), Laurice Guillen’s Salome (1981), Emmanuel Borlaza’s Bituing Walang Ningning (1985), Joel Lamangan’s The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), Carlitos Siguion Reyna’s Inagaw Mo ang Lahat sa Akin (1995), Olivia Lamasan’s Sana Maulit Muli (1995), Tikoy Aguiluz’s Rizal sa Dapitan and Marilou Diaz Abaya’s Sa Pusod ng Dagat (1998).

The son of Honesto Vitug, considered the Dean of Philippine Photojournalism, the young Romeo also ventured into photojournalism before shifting to cinematography when he met and began collaborating with Brocka.

Aside from films, he also worked as the cinematographer of a number of TV dramas, among them Tanging Yaman (2010), Magpahanggang Wakas (2016) and The Good Son (2017).