[4] At the end of the film, Mike is sent to prison for killing a man after a traffic accident, while Tony's interactions with Malen convince him that he is addicted to alcohol, prompting him to return to his parish and continue serving as a priest.

[7] The script was written by Jerry Gracio, influenced by the poem The Hound of Heaven, and won first prize at the scriptwriting competition hosted by the Film Development Council of the Philippines in 2000.

[9] Guillen eventually found Angelica Panganiban to play Malen, and after five years without production, work on the film began for Unitel Pictures International,[9] whose CEO stated that "the majority of Filipinos, the so-called masses, are not the targets of this movie.

Guillen noted the stress of recording in Quiapo, due to the large number of extras, the already crowded nature of the area and the small size of the time periods during which they were allowed to film in the church itself.

[11] The film was previewed to good reviews,[6] and after an initial release in the Philippines on November 17, 2004,[12] opened in cinemas in Manhattan, San Diego and Honolulu on March 11, 2005, as Magdalena, The Unholy Saint.

[3] It was given good reviews by both Filipino and American magazines and newspapers; Variety magazine's reviewer noted that "Performances are solid, and former child actress Panganiban is impressive as a young woman who finds herself with a vocation she never asked for.... Guillen's helming is slick and confident, and the HD-sourced photography and other technical credits are of good quality",[2] and the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that "Gorgeously crafted, 'Santa Santita's' strength lies in its illuminating take on man's neverending search for meaning, and in the thoughtful, truthful characterization of its leads".

[5] Other reviewers were more cautionary; the New York Times wrote that "the aim of the filmmaker seems unclear, with Magdalena at first celebrated for her humanness and then exalted for her sudden saintliness" and describing the story as "wearyingly eventful".

[13] This rating gave Santa Santita a 100 percent rebate on amusement taxes, and is only awarded to films that the Board feels can "revitalize the moribund industry".