A GenSan Beginning, A National Recognition
GENERAL SANTOS CITY - For General Santos City, Bing Lao’s posthumous National Artist honor carries a meaningful local connection. Archival information shared by Prima Guipo Hower identifies Lao as a former student of Notre Dame of Lagao, where he reportedly graduated as class valedictorian in 1966, while his family was associated with Diya Rice Mill. These details place an important chapter of his early life in GenSan before his career reached the wider Philippine film community. In September 2026, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. included Lao among 10 newly proclaimed National Artists through Proclamation No. 1414, recognizing his contribution to Film and Broadcast Arts.
A Storyteller Who Changed How Stories Were Found
Lao’s reputation grew through screenwriting, directing, creative consulting, teaching, and mentoring, with works including Takaw Tukso, Itanong Mo sa Buwan, Pila Balde, Tuhog, La Vida Rosa, Kubrador, Serbis, and Kinatay. The University of the Philippines describes his “Found Story” approach as a method built around fieldwork, observation, and immersion, encouraging filmmakers to discover stories through close engagement with real communities. His influence also extended beyond individual films, as institutions and fellow filmmakers have remembered him for helping develop generations of Filipino screenwriters and directors.
GenSan and Cinema Meet Again
Lao’s connection with General Santos also appeared later in his career through Gensan Punch, the 2021 film inspired by the city’s boxing culture. He was part of the film’s editing team alongside Ysabelle Denoga and Peter Arian Vito, a credit documented in Philippine film-awards coverage. His National Artist recognition therefore adds another chapter to a GenSan-linked creative journey—from his reported school years in Lagao to work connected with a film carrying the city’s name, and finally to one of the Philippines’ highest official honors for artistic achievement. For General Santos residents, his story offers a distinctive reminder that a local beginning can become part of the country’s larger cultural history.
