Janna Rica P.

Beason
BSIT-ELX 1B
Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon
REFLECTION

It’s easy to say “I am a Filipino”. But when can a person be considered a true
Filipino?The movie “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?” directed by Eddie
Romero, clearly depicts the identity of a Filipino, wherein it gave different definitions in
the word Filipino, one of which is a person born in the Philippines.

The story revolves around a young Filipino named Nicolas Ocampo (Christopher
de Leon), or rather, Kulas, a provincial man with a simple ambition in life — to travel. He
was presented in the movie as naive, arrogant, gullible, child-like, but kind-hearted,
which can be seen as innocence in a wildly different perspective. He is willing to help
anyone in need even if it meant his life and even if some are just taking advantage of
him and welcomes anyone into his home. During his quest was the Filipino revolution
against the Spaniards. The film also highlighted the fight of some Filipinos against the
Americans who replaced the Spaniards. Aside from singing, humor, romance, and war,
the film highlighted the problem of Filipinos discovering and earning their own
independence. It also featured various faces of Filipinos at that time: warriors, travelers,
bandits, artists, masters, slaves, prisoners, poor, and many more.

Kulas really didn’t know anything about being Filipino. During his travels, he met
people who, in turn, helped him discover his identity as a Filipino, such as that of a
woman he loved, the son of a priest, a lawyer, as well as a Chinese. From being a poor
farmer, he gradually became wealthy, where he now had his own house and assistant.
Kulas first experienced a rich and comfortable life that was given by the priest whom he
did favor to by returning its son to him in Manila and that Kulas would be the one to take
care of the young boy. He also went through colonial thinking and got all the things he
wanted to achieve, just like when he was with his love, Diding (Gloria Diaz). He thought
that life was all about happiness and wealth. But, after experiencing all of these, he
realized that you cannot have all the happiness in life. So he sacrificed them, as well as
his beloved. One good thing that Diding did was to tell the truth to Kulas, about her
feelings with Don Tibor. This finally got Kulas into his senses and made the right
decision to leave her. As such, he had to decide for himself, whether he would join the
Philippine revolution or remain a man of no purpose in life.

By the end of the film, he returned to his hometown and joined the revolution.
The revolution also helped in determining Filipino identity which unified the Filipino
people that became an instrument in attaining our own independence. Moreover, in his
hometown, he saw three homeless children after the Americans took over. Kulas told
them that they were also Filipinos because they were still in their original home despite
the loss of many in the event. With all the things Kulas had experienced and the people
he met, he gradually came to know his identity as a Filipino.

Base on me, after the entire journey that Kulas endured, he has learned that
being Filipino is not only reflected in appearance or external qualities, but also in the
heart, and mind of a person. He discovered that the Filipino is a person who still look
back and return to his origin despite its poor conditions. One of the people whom Kulas
met as Filipino in both heart and mind, was a Chinese man he met named Lim. Lim
doesn’t look like a Filipino, but still acted as one and viewed himself as a Filipino, who
was willing to help Filipino people than those who were really born Filipino. Some
Filipinos try to bring others down so that they could be on top. The Filipinos who have a
good life even calls the one below them Indios just to state that they are not equals. It
should be your fellow countrymen that will help you out in times of trouble, but in the
light of the complexity of reality, they are the ones who aspire for you to stumble and fall
just for them to succeed. 

The movie was uncovered with the line that was said by Kulas, “Sino ba ang
Pilipino? Pilipino kaba?” and ended with his realization of Filipino identity. It reflect me
that being a Filipino means being willing to serve and accept responsibility a
responsibility of being a defender of our own land and our fellowmen. After watching the
entire movie, a realization was made in my mind that our attitudes toward something
change based on certain internal and/or external factors and a Filipino who is naive, will
want to know more and do more, not only for him or herself, but also for others. This is
the path of a brave Filipino.