NOT all heroes of Philippine history are Filipinos. Some come from a distant shore, drawn by the appreciation of the country’s past.
Such was the case of the American archivist and retired pilot, John Tewell, who collected captured memories of the Philippines during the 19th to 21st century. Tewell had collected curated images of the Philippines in its old life, which he shared freely through his flickr account, an online photo and video sharing platform.
Tewell’s passing on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, was met with mourning from historical and cultural organizations which recognize his contributions in preserving the country’s history. He was 81 years old.
“Tewell will forever be remembered by a grateful Filipino nation, whenever his photographs are seen in our history museums and beyond,” said the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) in their post.
Meanwhile, Renacimiento Manila, a cultural group dedicated to heritage advocacy, described Tewell as a ‘friend of the Filipino people’.
“Renacimiento Manila joins the nation in mourning the loss of a man, whose greatest gift to the Filipino national was access to their own history through thousands of photos,” they said in their tribute post on Facebook.
“From personal photos to those he arranged with different institutions to be made accessible via his Flickr account, John Tewell gave Filipinos a glimpse of the past making it accessible to the digital age,” they added.
A month ago, it was also Renacimiento Manila who asked the public for help due to Tewell’s fragile condition. Tewell, whose wife Dorothy is a Filipina, was moved to a temporary location with no internet connection and with barely any money.
Renacimiento had asked the public for help to transfer Tewell to a home-for-the-aged facility, since Dorothy, aged 72, is also suffering from heart complications and could not take proper care of him in her condition.
Tewell’s work was more than a passion— it was a mission.
“It is my belief that I don’t really own the pictures. They belong to the people of the Philippines, their heritage,” he once said.
This rings true as his carefully curated images continue to appear in museum exhibits, documentaries, and historical studies.
Though he is not widely known in the Philippines, his efforts ensured that the country’s history would not be forgotten. In preserving the past, John Tewell gave Filipinos something priceless: a window to their own story.
