Dr. Jose Rizal, Bonifacio and more reimagined as present-day heroes

"If Rizal were alive today, what would he be doing?" Also, what kind of duties might they assume in today's battle against the COVID-19 pandemic?

This is the annually-revived question that inspired a digital marketing agency to create a special illustration series that reimagines prominent historical figures like Dr. José Rizal, Andrés Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo and more as present day heroes.

Hashtag Interactive hopes to "showcase the heroic efforts of COVID-19 frontliners at par with the magnanimous acts exemplified by Rizal, Bonifacio, Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat, Juan Luna, Melchora Aquino, and Gabriela Silang."

As seen in this gallery, the covers feature elements native to classic Filipino comics,? paying tribute to great Filipino comic artists.

Rizal is depicted as a PPE-wearing medical frontliner, while Tandang Sora is seen extending food donations to frontliners. Andres Bonifacio is a delivery driver, while Apolonario Mabini and Sultan Kudarat are educators making a pivot to distance learning.

According to Terrie Gutierrez, senior content strategist of Hashtag Interactive, "Hashtag Interactive is a Singaporean company with a Filipino creative team and we wanted to honor that part of our company culture."

"It also seemed like a good opportunity for us to celebrate the work of Filipino frontliners, our everyday heroes, by equating their sacrifices with that of Philippine heroes," she added.

In a press statement, the agency said it explored the usual question — "If Rizal were alive today, what would he be doing?" —  and expanded it in a way that would honor the heroes who helped shape the nation and the heroes who are braving the frontlines today. 

"With the re-imagined personas of prominent historical figures, the illustrations are to highlight character parallelisms between past and present heroes," it explained.

Hashtag Interactive is a boutique digital marketing agency with offices in Singapore and Manila that offers digital solutions for real world marketing solutions.

For more details about their illustration series, visit their Facebook page here. — Margaret Claire Layug/LA, GMA News