Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?

[!] Note: Hi A Blockmates! Here are some compiled summaries, analyses, and reviews of the film found online. Tried to
filter para yung more substantial takeaways sana yung nandito. The central theme though na nasa reviews seems to be
revolving around “Who is a Filipino?” or establishing the “Filipino identity.”
Director: Eddie Romero
Release Date: December 25, 1976
**It bagged a number of awards at the 1977 Gawad Urian and the 1977 FAMAS including Best Picture and Best Film
honors. It also won the 1976 Festival Prize for Best Film at the 1976 Metro Manila Film Festival.
 Synopsis
The film follows a naive peasant through his leap of faith to become a member of an imagined community.

It is set at the turn of the 20 th century and explores the adventures and calamities of a simple, provincial
young man named ‘Kulas’/Nicolas Ocampo (Christopher de Leon) with the struggle for Philippine
independence as a backdrop to his story. Kulas is unwittingly sent to look for the bastard son of a Spanish
friar. Deciding to try his luck in the city, Kulas arrives in Manila at the time of the Philippine Revolution
against Spain. ‘Diding’/Matilde Diaz Patron (Gloria Diaz) attracts Kulas and he falls in love. Kulas befriends a
Chinese merchant and together they cheer the arriving Americans during the Philippine-American War. As
Kulas matures, he yearns to find the meaning of being Filipino by seeking and determining his true
nationality.

 Summary
{otherpapers.com/Music-and-Movies/Literature-Movie-Analysis-Ganito-Kami-Noon-Paano/12927.html}
After the unfortunate death of Kulas's mother, after the disastrous fire that consumed completely the
makeshift house they called home, Kulas finally decided to leave their barrio to search for a new beginning - a
new life by travelling to see the country. With him is his horse he fondly called - Kidlat. Along with Kidlat,
together they witnessed an event that completely changed his life. To their surprise, they saw wicked bandits
running after a Spanish friar named Padre Gil. Kulas, touched by the request of the friar to save and bring him
back to his friary, innocently brought him back to town. Seeing the innocence and purity in Kulas's heart
Padre Gil shared his deepest secret to Kulas, a son he borne while being a priest.

Owing his life to Kulas, the priest had one more request - look for the lost son who was believed to live in the
nearby town and bring him to Manila. The quest was never easy going through an unfamiliar terrain and
meeting hostile people. But then again, fate was good to Kulas that after he had smoothly took Bindoy, Padre
Gil’s son, from his home, he met a beautiful woman - Diding who immediately caught his heart and changed
his life. Diding was an actress whose personal desire is to be known and acknowledged by the whole world as
a beautiful and good actress.

For the first couple of days Kulas and Bindoy travelled with the Zarzuela actors, who included Diding. Diding's
father Fortunato who happened to have done a misdemeanor prior to their travel, led this said group. Being
cold in the eyes of the guardia civil the group was caught then eventually released. They continued to travel
without the group, as requested by Diding, and along the way they met a Chinese merchant – Lim, whom they
asked to accompany them to Manila. On their way to Manila, Kulas and Lim got the chance to take a glimpse of
each others stories.

Upon reaching Manila, Lim brought them to his house. Still not knowing anything in Manila, Kulas asked Lim
to help him find the place where he would be bringing in the young boy - Bindoy to Padre Gil. Reaching the
residence of Padre Gil, Kulas told the guards that Bindoy is the son of Padre Gil. Immediately Kulas was
imprisoned and was brought to the prison cell along with all the rebels. The following day, Kulas was bailed-
out by a man named Don Tibor. Don Tibor started asking Kulas his relationship with Padre Gil but he did not
say a thing. Eventually Don Tibor admitted that he is the able lawyer of Padre Gil and he was tasked by Padre
Gil to bring him out of the prison.

Before Padre Gil went back to Spain, he left a lifetime fortune to Kulas that made him an instant successor of a
big amount of money and a vast property. Padre Gil requested Kulas to take care of Bindoy and give him the
love and care he had never done and can never give to Bindoy.
Noble person as he is, Kulas sent Bindoy to school. Apparently Bindoy doesn't want to study and just wanted
to be with Kulas and work. Kulas did not allow this to happen and told Bindoy that he has to study so that he
will not grow up like Kulas who knows practically nothing.

Kulas was exposed to social gatherings of the rich and famous. In one of those gatherings, Don Tibor asked
Kulas what he thinks of a real Filipino. Without hesitation, Kulas said that a Filipino is one who is well bread,
educated and trustworthy. Don Tibor disagreed and told him that except for Filipinos like him, everybody is
an Indio.

Even with the wealth that Kulas has, he still lacks something that can really make him happy, something that
can give him sense of pride and achievement, somebody whom he can share his life with, somebody like -
Diding. Seeing Kulas, Diding was so impressed with all the changes and the possessions he has and was happy
for him. He took this opportunity and offered marriage to Diding. Unfortunately, Diding declined his offer and
told him that she has other plans and she still has a lot of things she needs to do. She told him that should she
accept the assistance that he is offering, she would pay it back with the appropriate interest.

Good hearted as he is, he simply continued spending good moments with her. One day he noticed that Diding
and Don Tibor is acting strangely that led to his dismay and out of anger he hit Don Tibor because of his
conclusion that there was something between them.

One day, Kulas was interrogated and questioned by the Spaniards regarding the rebels, not believing Kulas,
the soldiers sent him to prison cell along with Kidlat, the rebel. One thing led to another and the two was able
to escape the prison, and the two proceeded to the house of Lim where they both were treated and taken
cared of until the Americans came and freed the Filipinos against the Spaniards. Fighting for what they
believed in, Lim was killed.

During the war, Don Tibor helped Kulas. In one of their conversations, Don Tibor admitted to Kulas that he is
married to a woman in Iloilo. This discussion was heard by Diding and led her to ask Kulas for marriage.

As the war continued, Don Tibor met an accident and left him paralyzed. The wife of Don Tibor told Kulas that
she would bring him back to Ilo-ilo. On the other hand, Diding was not at all happy with the turn of events and
admitted that she has spent her life with Don Tibor since the start even during the time when she was
married to Kulas. This woke Kulas to his proper senses and left Diding.

He made sure that the son of Padre Gil - Bindoy finished his studies and he went back to his province. During
his trip, they saw kids playing and with the better and honed man that he is, he told them who the truth of
who Filipinos are.

Analysis of Time:
The movie shows the time of Spanish colonization nearing its' end. There was a faithful portrayal of the
situation Filipinos were in - the gwardya sibil, the unexpected exchange of gunshots, the relentless fear in
Filipinos where ever they are to stay and the evident abusive superiority of the Spanish race over Filipinos.
Since it was the end of the Spanish colonization, it was the time that small feuds came forth, though it wasn't
really that evident in the story because the focus was on the story the main character, Kulas. If one was keen
enough one would see that there were no children in the streets and women were always inside the house.
Though the latter was considered to be normal in their time. This again serves as a proof that the feuds
among the barangays

 Review #1 (by Jessica Zafra)

{interaksyon.com/article/117053/jessica-zafra--define-filipino-ganito-kami-noon-paano-kayo-ngayon}
Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon (This Is How We Were, How Are You Now) is a film that constantly
asks, "What is a Filipino?", but is so vibrant and droll that it never feels like the essay section of a  dreaded
social studies exam. It does not have the grinding sense of seriousness and self-importance that makes the
typical historical film a chore to watch. The average historical film tries to guilt us into  liking it, as if it were
our patriotic duty to suffer through the hero's tribulations and stifle the urge to shout, "Patayin ninyo na  'yan
para makauwi na kami!" (Kill him now so we can go home!)

Writer-director Eddie Romero makes his case with such a light touch, keeps us so amused, that before we
know it, we have pondered the question.

Made in 1976 and now showing at Power Plant Cinema in a digital restoration by the ABS-CBN Archives and
Central Digital Lab, Ganito Kami Noon reminds us of the time when the Metro Manila Film Festival actually
tried to combine artistic ambition with box-office appeal. In its skilful fusion of comedy, drama, and operetta,
its casual, almost throwaway social commentary, and its depiction of life as theater (complete with a traveling
troupe), it also reminds us of the influence of Fellini on Filipino cinema in the 70s. Romero, who cut his teeth
on American B-movies, was particularly interested in Philippine history - he made the epic Aguila, in which
history transpires through the eyes of Fernando Poe, Jr., and Kamakalawa, set in the mythical pre-colonial
past.

In 1898, during the brief period between the declaration of Philippine independence and the Philippine-
American War, a naïve young man named Kulas arrives in Manila and comes into possession of a fortune.
The capital is in chaos - it is still held by the Spanish, but the Katipunan is making its presence felt and there is
a general feeling that the Spanish are finished. A sure sign of the end of the colonial era is that the affluent,
educated locals have taken to calling themselves "Filipino", a term that had been reserved for Spanish citizens
born in these islands. (The locals were called "indios".)

From the first shot of a funeral in a churchyard overgrown with weeds, the film pulls us into the late 19th
century. What great faces - the extras all look like regular people, not actors performing for the camera or
getting ready for their selfies. The production design by Peque Gallaga and Laida Lim is wonderfully evocative
- you can smell the burnt wax in the churches and feel the rough, scratchy fabrics the people wore. (I have had
it with costumes that look like they still have their price tags from SM). To these elements Romero adds music
by Lutgardo Labad - a vocal chorus commenting on the action.

Kulas is played by the young Christopher De Leon before fame and awards got to him. He's such an appealing
protagonist that even if Kulas is a dolt and we sometimes feel like kicking him in the head, we root for him.
Kulas strikes me as an Asian cousin of Pip from Great Expectations - a callow youth who makes his way in the
world with the unexpected help of benefactors such as Padre Gil (E.A. Rocha), a Spanish friar who
manipulates him into taking his son Bindoy (Dranreb) to Manila, Lim (Tsing Tong Tsai), a Chinese trader who
gives him passage to Manila, and Tibor (Eddie Garcia), the lawyer who teaches him the social graces and
introduces him to society. "Isa siyang pari," (He's a priest) Kulas tells little Bindoy when they set out to  meet
the boy's father. "Malaking karangalan iyon." (It's a great honor.)

As in Great Expectations, there's a beautiful, ambitious young woman, Diding (Gloria Diaz at her most
spectacular), who toys with our hero's affections, and a scary, violent convict Baltao (Johnny Vicar)
whom Kulas befriends. Then there's the quintessential Dickensian character, the shady impresario who gets
himself into all sorts of scrapes and somehow worms out of them. In this case it's Atong, the manager of the
traveling theater group, played by the great Leopoldo Salcedo.
Salcedo is a joy to watch: you know you can't trust anything Atong says, but it's almost worth it to be fooled
by him.

Throughout Kulas’s adventures, the film muses on issues of identity and race. Am I a Filipino? Kulas asks his
mentor, Tibor. Not yet, Tibor replies, but you could be one someday. To the elitist Tibor, the label "Filipino"
must be earned through education and achievement.

Later Kulas, his heart crushed yet again by the deceitful yet honest Diding (She did say she valued fame more
than love), is in a brothel with Atong. Another client takes umbrage at overhearing anti-Spanish
statements, identifies himself as Spanish, and draws his gun. There's a new kind of Spaniard, someone says,
one that is blacker than coal.

Kulas, who starts out being neither Spanish nor Filipino, meanders his way through life, carried along by
circumstance, withouth the capacity for self-determination. One day he is an indio arrested by the Spanish,
the next day an indio fighting the Americans, the next day accused of being a Spanish spy. Who is he? It's a
question he must grapple with whether he cares to or not, much as we continue to struggle with the question
of who we are.

Vivid and exuberant, Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon summons up the big, teeming world beyond the
screen and urges us to embrace it. Happiness isn't everything, its hero learns, and most shockingly for a
Filipino movie, there is more to life than romantic love. Such as being part of a nation.

 Review #2
{philstar.com/entertainment/2013/11/18/1257870/three-great-movies-cinema-one-originals-2013-
festival}
Eddie Romero’s epic 1976 classic film Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon stands the test of time. It uses
the different cinematic elements creatively and effectively. The actors give life to flesh-and-blood characters.
The theme or themes are universal. And most of all, the movie tosses around ideas that the viewers can think
about.

In Ganito Kami Noon, Romero who is both the director and co-scriptwriter (with Roy Iglesias) goes back to a
colorful time in our history — the last days of Spanish colonial rule and the early conquest by the Americans
— and asks the age-old question of who and what we are as a nation, what our national identity is.
The central character confronts this question every step of the way and each time, he gets an elusive answer.
We may not be bothered by the issue of national identity now, except when problems of regionalism and
post-colonial values and the issues of running the government and ordinary folk’s weaknesses come up. Then
as now, the matter is a puzzlement.

The movie focuses on a pure-hearted country bumpkin Kulas a.k.a. Nicolas Ocampo, played with disarming
simplicity and sincerity by a very young Christopher de Leon, who is naturally naïve but sensible and
pragmatic. Throughout the film, Kulas comes upon people and situations that make him wonder about his
being a Filipino. In the course of the movie, his encounters with several other characters are worthy of a
serious novel, much like Voltaire’s Candide, and Romero makes his picaresque tale effective, dramatic and
often funny.

Kulas meets a wily, sexually active womanizer but benevolent Spanish friar Padre Corcuera (E.A. Rocha) who
becomes his padrino and eventually passes on to him great wealth. A review of Philippine history: Why are
there a few Filipino families blessed with so much power and wealth, and real-estate properties visible “as far
as the eye can see? Patronage, as suggested in the movie, but also maybe crime? “Behind every great fortune
is a great crime.”

The Spaniard asks Kulas to bring to Manila his illegitimate son called Bindoy (Dranreb), and in his travels,
Kulas meets, loses, then meets again the woman of his dreams Diding (Gloria Diaz lovely then as now).
Now, Diding isn’t your typical blushing maiden of yore — certainly not Maria Clara, for she is “showbiz na
showbiz,” lusting after stardom. This is what makes the dramatis personae interesting. The characters are
real and full of surprises. Diding is referred to by Kulas’ ward Bindoy as “kiri,” or “makiri” (flirtatious on a
simple level and a loose woman on a real level, in those days anyway). Today’s generation would add: She’s
“user-friendly.”

Another character, Kulas’ ilustrado lawyer Don Tibor (Eddie Garcia) may be likened to today’s politician —
rich and flexible, and though loyal to Kulas, eyes Diding with desire. There is a Chinoy family represented by a
merchant (Tsing Tong Tsai) who is hardworking, low-key and reliable. There is a rebel (Johnny Vicar) who is
high-strung, intransigent and emotional — human frailties that are a liability during the Revolution.
These characters form a rich tapestry of Philippine life. One may point out anachronisms in period details but
in spite of them, the movie is generally able to capture the mood and nostalgic atmosphere of an era long
gone.

It throbs with life largely due to the music score by Lutgardo Labad whose original and adapted work is
realized from scant instrumental resources. Maybe Wikipedia erroneously refers to the movie as a “Filipino
romantic musical drama” because the Wiki contributor saw just bits of the movie — in particular its early
third which saw the enamored Kulas imagining himself singing a duet with the unpolished talent that’s
Diding.

Hemisphere, the company that produced the movie, was not a major studio, thus it could qualify as an indie
film. The relatively low budget is a give-away, as may be gleaned from the production design. One thing clear
is that in spite of its limited production budget and location requirements, Romero’s grand period piece and
costume drama on the adventures and misadventures of Everyman (Every Filipino) is effective now as then.

 Review #3
{sinepatrol.blogspot.com/2013/07/ganito-kami-noon-paano-kayo-ngayon.html}
Kulas is a slow-witted young man. People take advantage of his naivety. He lost his house, wealth, and
ladylove. But, one thing they cannot take away from him is his Filipino identity.

Who/what is a Filipino? The film’s greatness lies in its exploration of the Filipino question.

Kulas gets confounded with the different definitions of ‘Filipino.’ It originally referred to a person of pure
Spanish descent born in the country. However, the term evolved. A travelling Chinese merchant born in the
country is also called a Filipino. Being born in the country seems to be the main criteria.

Kind-hearted and gullible Kulas searches out for a boy named Bindoy and reunites the kid with his grateful
father, a friar named Padre Gil Corcuera. The latter endows Kulas with a house and a huge sum of money. He
gets transformed from a lowly indio into a rich senyorito. He asks a Visayan lawyer named Tibor if he can
rightly be called Filipino. Tibor says that in order to be called a Filipino, one must be a worthy and valuable
person.

The young man finds a worthy cause to live for. He is disgusted at so-called Filipinos collaborating with the
enemies, the Spaniards and the Americans. Just like Jose Rizal, who was heartbroken, he abandons his love for
Diding and shifts his love to his country.
                                     
Kulas, in the end, realizes that a Filipino is someone who loves or will love the then newly created Filipino
nation. It is not enough to be born in the country in order to be called a Filipino. One should also love his
country through actions. Kulas approaches a group of orphans and reminds them to call themselves Filipinos.
He then hikes off to join the insurrectos.

 Review #4
{sentimentalfreak.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/ganito-kami-noon-paano-kayo-ngayon/}
The story is about a simple but kind-hearted farmer named Kulas who was orphaned early in the beginning of
the film by the death of his mother, his only known relative. Because of an errand for a priest, Kulas is swept
on the tumultuous history of Philippine revolution as well as the struggle of the society to define itself after
being freed from its colonial master.

The Gist: At first glance, the film seemed to be a simple love story between a simple young man and his
beautiful yet ambitious love interest, but the movie subtly picks up important lessons along the way. What
struck me in particular is how Kulas, at the beginning, has no idea of what a Filipino is, nor he doesn’t know
any reason why he’s called as one. You see, in the old days, natives are called by the regions they live, or the
islands they are from, and since the Philippines is an archipelago, a fragmented kind of nation surfaces, with
each minority defining themselves through their narrowed viewpoint and not calling themselves Filipinos as
a whole.

The Filipinos then have no sense of nationality, as a result of a long colonization of Spain. The film perfectly
depicts that the Spaniards are not the only ones who abused the Filipinos, but fellow Filipinos as well, which
makes it a lot sadder. Kulas had seen it all, the violence of the history, the cruelty and unequal treatment, as if
his heartbreaks over Diding isn’t enough already. In the beginning, he was called  Tagalog, and he used to call
himself that way until the middle where he slowly grasped the problem with his society.

I guess what’s heartwarming with the story is in the end, Kulas was able to define and call himself as a
Filipino. This is born out of a painful choice, but one he decided for himself and stood by until the end. The
viewers will reach the same conclusion as Kulas did at the end of the film: Being Filipinos doesn’t only mean
the physical ties we have with the land, or with tradition, or even with our family.

It means recognizing ourselves as the protector of this land, and protector of our fellow men. It is being able
to fight a grander cause, fight for what is good for our country, and preserve the dignity and freedom our
ancestors have fought for.

 Review #5
{scribd.com/document/265051567/Ganito-kami-ngayon}
A type of familial literature that highlights the cultural and societal aspect of the Filipino experience
during the colonization period and positively portrays the unfinished journey of the Filipinos toward liberty,
utilizing the satirical aspect of ignorance and bliss in expressing a serious political message; that is the
essence of the film entitled “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?”.

Eddie Romero, the director of the said movie, was an award-winning Filipino filmmaker,
screenwriter, film director, producer and National Artist for Cinema and Broadcast Arts. He devoted his life to
the commerce of cinema, and was also known for films that tackled Philippine history, politics, and culture.
His movie “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon” is a film that utilized a humorous atmosphere to
stunningly depict the blatant yet ignored state of the Philippines during the Spanish and American
colonization era. The film courageously represented the harsh realities of the Filipinos during the different
times of colonization by foreign invaders.

The story circumvented with the idea of identifying the real definition of being a Filipino/Pilipino,
and the main character “Kulas/Nicolas Ocampo” (Chrsitopher de Leon), became the gateway to answer this
cultural query. It all started when Kulas was unwittingly sent to find a friar’s son at the height of the
Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Colonizers. During this plight, he met several significant characters
that influenced his intuition and way of life as the story progressed. H came across Filipino insurgents,
Spanish vicars, Spanish soldiers, Chinese merchants, theatre folks, particularly Diding (Gloria Diaz) whom he
fell in love with eventually, and Filipino elitists that consider themselves the “True Filipinos”. The story
progressed until Kulas experienced both the “indio” and “señ orito” life that subsequently led him to doubt his
actions, his feelings and emotions in order for him to realize what being a true Filipino really is. He then
decided to join the “insurrectos” in the mountains.

The film enlivens the element for the birth of the identity of the Filipinos; “struggle”. Kulas’ fortunes
and misfortunes encompass social issues that were experienced during the Spanish regime. The said movie
highlighted the long-lived hardships of the Filipinos to achieve independence from the Spaniards. The
character of Kulas represented an invisible spectator of the conflicts between the Spanish and the Filipino
revolutionaries. He seemed to portray a passive side to the changes that were happening within his society.
As a matter of fact, after being imbued with wealth and considerable knowledge about his society, with the
help of the foreign elites, he still did nothing. He knew the perspective of both sides yet he still was indifferent
and apathetic. This was because Kulas walked between the line of the pleasures of wealth and the reality of
nationalism. In the end, he realized that he needed to overcome these mundane temptations and that love for
his own country should have been his primary principle. These series of events created elements of doubt,
hope, and love that furthermore enhanced the plot as the story progressed.

“Ganito kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon” delved between the complexity of racial and cultural
identity which in turn produced a type of film that easily portrayed social realism. This factor can be defined
by critically analyzing how Kulas dealt with all the misadventures that he experienced during the whole
movie. His fluidity to the ways of the historical Filipino society is what makes him both amiable and
frustrating. He answers and tackles issues and problems with simplicity and naivety, even if the world is cruel
to him. Despite of all of this, hope and curiosity never left him. This is one the reasons why this film
meticulously tackles what the real Filipino is and should be yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

a.) Sino/Ano ang Pilipino batay sa pelikula?

To the passive viewe’s eye, the film would seem to be ‘just another socio-economic film about a very
terrible history of a 3 rd world country’. But the more active viewer would see that this is not the case. For one,
it addresses the struggle of the Filipino people to define and brand themselves as Filipinos. The films’
complexity and dynamicity paved the way for the identification of several representations of this identity.
Eddie Romero portrayed this apolitical issue (in terms of the Spanish Rule) by imbuing each character in the
film with a unique “Filipino persona”.

Kulas, a passive-active main character in the film portrayed a naïve and a simple “Filipino”. He
showed a persona of youth and simplicity wherein everything was new and every change in ideology
provided an abrupt shift in his life. The transitions that he had experienced and the misfortunes that he in the
latter resolved were all primarily tackled with bright optimism. However, after witnessing a lot of consequent
tragedies and deaths involving the people that put him in his seat of wealth and glory (Spaniards and fellow
“Filipinos”), he realized that ignorance would not save his country or his loved ones. This is the part wherein
he becomes an active persona in the film. Maturity and revolutionary becomes a more highlighted idea in his
mind.

However, what struck me the most is how Kulas, at the beginning, has no idea of what a Filipino is,
nor he doesn’t know any reason why he is referred as one. This is because in the old days, the natives are
primarily distinguished and identified by the regions where they lived, or the islands they were from, and
since the Philippines is an archipelago, a fragmented national identity was exercised amongst the citizens.
This in turn let each minority define themselves through a very narrowed perspective and not calling
themselves Filipinos as a race, and as a part of the same nation.

Diding, the lover of Kulas, on the other hand, exhibited a type of an adaptive persona, wherein she
has this “go with the flow” attitude, a trait dissimilar to what Kulas showed in the film. She was somewhat a
static character that somehow accepts change without further resistance or defiance. Her character portrayed
the after - effect of the long colonization of Spain to the Filipino identity; “alienation”. If her character is
critically analyzed, her actions and her words somehow depict a part of the Filipino identity during the stay of
the Spaniards in the country. Her unwillingness to resist proved how Filipinos then have no sense of
nationality or were malignantly influenced by the colonizers. Her constant battle of loving Kulas and
“unloving” him, expressed how Filipinos before were all in doubt when it comes to pursuing independence
and expressing resistance. It showed how the formation of the revolution was a long-term process within the
Filipino society, may it be due to the colonial mentality or just plain fear and intimidation from those who
were sitting on the seat of power.

This constant apathy led Kulas to break his ties with her, for he realized how lethargic and indifferent
her acts were towards on loving him and loving her own country. Diding showed a dark side of the Filipino
identity, which was lethargy towards nationalism and being slaves of change and constant influence.

The next character is Bindoy, the child that was returned by Kulas to his Friar Father, was one of the
main personas that blatantly exemplified the identity of the Filipinos; resistance to change and loving one’s
own affiliated origin. Some instances were shown in the movie wherein the stated traits were shown; a.)
During the part wherein Bindoy was sent to school, he did mischievous actions in order to escape from the
grasp of the ones controlling him (teachers). This showed how some Filipino revolutionaries before were
clandestinely living side-by-side with the enemy with a concealed truth of pursuing independence through
means of violence and intransigence. Another example for a Filipino trait that was exhibited by Bindoy; b.)
When Kulas saw him again after returning Bindoy to his real father, Bindoy hurriedly hugged Kulas and not
his real father. This trait shows how Filipinos were loyal to the thing they are/were familiar with, and were
constantly struggling in resisting change. (Real father = Change | | Kulas = Familiar)
 Meanwhile, another character surfaced which was named Don Tibor. He was a rich
Filipino/Hiligaynon lawyer from Ilo-ilo that was affiliated with Friar Gil Corcuera, the real father of Bindoy.
He was requested by the friar to help and guide Kulas with all his problems and necessities. Tibor displayed a
different bearing of the Filipino identity, which is being capable of handling responsibilities and always ready
for service. However, he also showed a more prominent counter-argument for this trait, this was his stratified
perspective on the social caste system during the Spanish colonization period and also his deceitful
tendencies when it comes to his selfish desires. The film, with the help of Tibor’s character perfectly depicts
that the Spaniards were not the only ones who abused Filipinos, but fellow Filipinos as well. It also portrayed
a part of the Filipino identity before, wherein desire was somewhat a priority partnered with service and
responsibility.

Last, but certainly not the least is Leonor, a maid that settles inside the house of Kulas. Her character
might be very passive and invisible in the film, however this concealment effectively displays a general trait
that majority of the Filipinos during the Spanish colonization period exhibit, “passivity and spectator-like
indifference”. Her character explicitly portrayed how Filipinos before were too indifferent about the state of
their society, and the spectator-like identity of the public when it comes to abuse and corruption of the
government.

Her character is very essential to the film and to the society for it showed a side of the Filipino
identity that inexplicably highlighted the silent gestures of the Filipinos when it comes to talking about their
pursuit of independence. Subsequently, this trait became a bearer of misfortunes for Leonor, which was
secretly attracted to the main character. Kulas left the house without even knowing that she loved him and
Leonor also died inside the house after the Americans claimed it. This supports how her innocence and
silence could’ve led to her dismay.

So what is a Filipino? Who are the Filipinos? The film answers these questions quite intricately, and
we can thank Eddie Romero for that. In terms of what the characters said verbally Filipinos are defined by a.)
Familial origin b.) Character/Beliefs c.) Cause/Virtues d.)Nationalism. All of these verbal definitions were
given directly by each of the characters unique perspective, however, these are not the only elements that
were given by the film, for it all lies within the different traits of the characters which were mentioned before.
Although, what factor matters the most is what you’re fighting for, whom you’re fighting for, and what you are
ready to sacrifice for your identity and for your nation, that is what it means to be Filipino.

b.) Paano nabuo ang konseptong "Pilipino"?

The concept of being a Filipino emerged due to ignorance and confusion. Before, people were unsure
and doubtful of who they were and what they should call themselves. It may be because of the mentality that
the Spaniards forcefully implemented to the Filipinos paired by its abusive government. Even today, a lot of
people are still ignorant on what it really means to be a Filipino. The film showed the reality that if you asked
Filipinos then, they would all have varied answers, and most of them, even are contradictory with each other.
This uncertainness and doubt led the Filipinos to shape a common national identity. Then, with the dawn of
colonialism, nationalism was born, which then led to the eventual recognition of a Filipino identity.
This identity was important for us to remember why we were fighting in the first place.

c.) Paano nakatulong ang mga kaganapan noong ikalabinsiyam na siglo sa pagbuo ng "Pilipino"?
The revolution signaled an era to the pursuit of national identification and expanding cultural
recognition. Even though the revolutions, reformations, and etc. had quite a number of flaws and errors in
both it’s leadership and implementaion, it does not deny the fact that these plights of resistance and defiance
started for the sole cause of being identified as an independent and existent self-governing nation. This means
that we wanted to create a name for ourselves, or more directly, we wanted to know ourselves. The different
events that were experienced during the 19 th century helped establish our united dream of having an identity
as a sovereign nation, and as an independent country, not a colony.
These actions done by the forefathers of the Filipino race established an identity that will be
recognized not only by the colonizers but by all nations. The revolution itself exemplified the Filipino identity
— sacrifice for the betterment, always the betterment, of one’s country and fellow countrymen.
d.) Nagkaroon ba ng pagbabago sa kahulugan at praktika ng konseptong ito mula sa pananakop ng mga
Espanyol hanggang sa pagpasok ng mga Amerikano?
The arrival of the Americans not only threatened the budding identity of the Filipinos but also slowly
overpowered it. The Filipinos were too caught up with “victory” from the Spaniards that it was too late to
realize the real cause on why the Americans suddenly sprouted out of nowhere— to make us willingly
surrender to them and to colonize us without us knowing. By the time we realized the game they were trying
to play at, they’ve already won. The “Big Brother Effect” of the Americans was already in action. They’ve
already entered our homes, our minds and our hearts with their acts of “kindness” and “support”. These
actions eventually led to the deterioration of the Filipino identity that was just recently recognized. The
people before were too caught up about the past that their future was already being slowly influenced by a
new culture, a Westernized one, and just like that, all the efforts of the revolution, and everyone before them
were thrown aside.

e.) Paano maaaring sagutin sa kasalukuyan ang titulo ng pelikula?

To answer the title “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?” is not only to recapitulate everything
that happened and compare it with the reality today but to also compare the things that the Filipinos will also
plan to happen in the future, for the film doesn’t highlight the revolution itself but rather, it brings to light
how life changed continuously as we were under Spanish colonization.
Before, the Filipinos became so used to oppression and abuse that this overwhelming and common
experience in the society became a social norm. Travel and transport were regulated. They couldn’t travel
without being held back at profusely distributed checkpoints. Social caste systems were like templates of
finding your own identity. They were treated by wealth and status, and justice was only for those who could
pay for it. However, there were quite a few people that still lived with goodness and positivity, most people
were heavily influenced by the harsh conditions of the society, eventually becoming abusive, selfish,
manipulative and opportunistic like Diding, and her con of a father.
Nowadays, even though the Filipinos already exercise autonomy and democracy, imprints of
colonization still linger intrinsically within us, may it be by culture or by actions. This is where
Neocolonialism kicks in, the use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence
other countries, especially former dependencies.
Corruption is still evident, but now fellow Filipinos duly appointed and elected by the masses, rather
by foreign invaders, cause it. Social stratification is also still evident in the Filipino community. People are still
treated and identified by wealth and status. Also, manipulative, selfish and abusive people are still existent in
the outskirts of the socio-economic and political society of the Filipino. People who always want to be above
everybody else and always ready to give in to his or her mundane desires.
However, amidst all of these negativities it’s not entirely bad though, there is an upside to this
generation. Now, more and more intellectuals and functionally literates are living in the Philippines. Although
some of them mostly use their gifts for their own benefit, there are still some who embody the ideals of our
forefathers. They are the ones who are constantly trying to remind us that we are Filipinos and that we must
never forget.
Eddie Romero really showed and displayed the reality of the historical experiences that the Filipinos
experience before. The film “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon”, subtly utilizes a satirical way of tackling
serious political concepts that remind its audience the true meaning of being a Filipino. The film is one of the
rare 1970s movies that tackled socially-conscious dramas against the backdrop of history and the Filipino’s
search for identity without falling into cliches.
I suppose what’s really heartwarming with the story is in the end, when Kulas was now able to define
and call himself as a Filipino. This emerged out of a painful choice, but one he decided and stood by until the
end.
Lastly, the film made its audience realize that being a Filipino does not only mean the physical ties we
have with the land, or with our culture, or even with our families, it also means the responsibility that we
intrisically accept and implement as the protectors of this land, and the protectors of our fellow men, being
able to fight a grander cause, fight and live for the betterment of our country, and to preserve the identity and
the dignity that our ancestors have fought for, and that is to be a Filipino.