TAYABAS WESTERN ACADEMY

Founded 1928
Recognized by the Government
COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
Candelaria, Quezon

Rizal 101
Name: GUALBERTO, Roma P. Course: BSED ENGLISH III
Prof.: Sir Marlon V. Bunyi Date: September 11,2022

Based on the movie, please answer the following guide questions to assess further your
understanding of the film and how it depicted the nineteenth-century Philippines.

1. Describe the 19th century Philippines as reflected in the film.

During the 19th century, the Philippines was portrayed under the Spanish colony
in the film "Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon." We can observe that the
priests, or basically the church, were influential at that time because they had strong
ties with the Spanish government and they were wealthy. The Filipinos were living in
terror because of the brutality and cruelty of the Spaniards, which is why we can see
that some of the Filipinos in the movie were living in a mountainous region to hide
themselves. The language being used in the Philippines in the 19th century is
primarily Spanish, and the Tagalog words used in the film are deep and profound;
that's why it's hard to understand and comprehend. Back then, they entertained
themselves by going to theaters to see a stage play that featured dramatic performance
through singing and dancing. Trades are made overseas with wooden ships, another
old way of trading. Before, there were no abundant cars, so they used kalesa as
transportation or just rode a horse alone. Convicted individuals were being killed
publicly to impose fear on those who wanted to revolt. Because of being colonized as
well as through trading, Filipinos have adapted to the food, some cultures and
customs of different countries. The way of courting someone is through harana, in
which the man goes to the woman's house and does chores like chopping wood,
fetching water, and singing in front of the maiden's house. This custom is rare now;
most men will just show their love through text and messages. Harana is like courting
the whole family before you get the maiden you want for yourself; it's their way of
seeing how persistent you are towards the girl and what you can do for her when she
says "yes." School is done in churches, and being punished is still allowed back then,
which is entirely different now in the 21st century, where teachers are not allowed to
even pinch their students.

2. Based on your reading, what can you say about the film’s representation of the
nineteenth century?

"Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?" by Eddie Romero describes the state
of Filipino independence from the Spanish Colonial Period to the American Colonial
Period. Although the film dragged at times, it was able to tackle important but
sensitive topics in a very creative, comedic, and symbolic manner that left little room
for boredom; these topics include the mistreatment of Filipinos by Spaniards, the
conflict between the rich and the poor, the ignorance or lack of education of Filipinos
in the provinces during those years, and, most importantly, the varying definition of
the word "Filipino." Meaning to say, the film accurately depicted the situation in the

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 TAYABAS WESTERN ACADEMY
Founded 1928
Recognized by the Government
COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
Candelaria, Quezon

Philippines during the nineteenth century. It clearly showed the journey of finding
“What or who is a Filipino?”. It is a picaresque coming-of-age film set of the 19th
century. Even though it is also a comedy film, it is more remarkable due to the fact
that it doesn’t avoid depicting the bloody upheavals of the 19th century. Moreover, the
film manages to treat all of its characters, Spaniards, Americans, and Filipinos alike,
with tongue-in-cheek humor as they lurch through the roles that history has imposed
on them, onerous or not.

3. What is the main question that the film seeks to answer?

The main question and running theme in the film is the changing definition of
who actually was a “Filipino.” It asks the age-old question of who and what we are as
a nation, what our national identity is. The term was originally reserved for Spaniards
who were born in the Philippines. However, with the rise of the indigenous middle
classes and the subsequent revolution, there arose the imagined notion of a Filipino
nation where everyone born there— irrespective of ethnicity, economic status, or
educational attainment— was worthy of being Filipino with all of the rights of
citizenship. 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, the
issues of running the government and ordinary folk's weaknesses come up. Then, as
now, the matter is a puzzlement. In the movie, the death of Kulas’ mom and his
buddy Actor Gil, a Spanish friar, became a reason for the young man to traverse make
foot more in a country with lost identity.

4. What is your personal understanding of and own reflection on the film.

At first glance, the film appears to be a simple love story about a simple young
man and his beautiful yet ambitious love interest, but the film subtly teaches
important lessons along the way. "Ganito kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon" delves
into the complexities of racial and cultural identity, resulting in a film that easily
portrays social realism. This factor can be defined by critically analyzing how Kulas
dealt with all of the misadventures he encountered throughout the film. His
adaptability to the ways of historical Filipino society is both endearing and
frustrating. Even when the world is cruel to him, he answers and tackles issues and
problems with simplicity and naivety. Despite everything, hope and curiosity never
left him. In fact, despite being endowed with wealth and extensive knowledge of his
society, he did nothing with the assistance of the foreign elite. He was aware of both
sides' points of view, but remained indifferent and apathetic.
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,

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 TAYABAS WESTERN ACADEMY
Founded 1928
Recognized by the Government
COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
Candelaria, Quezon

nationalism was born, which then led to the eventual recognition of a Filipino
identity. Filipinos are defined verbally by familial origin, character/beliefs,
cause/virtues, and nationalism, according to what the characters said. All of these
verbal definitions were provided directly by each of the characters' unique
perspectives; however, these are not the only elements provided by the film, as it all
lies within the previously mentioned traits of the characters. What matters most,
however, is what you're fighting for, who you're fighting for, and what you're willing
to sacrifice for your identity and your nation; that is what it means to be Filipino.
Another intriguing concept was how Kulas' level of happiness decreased as he
began to learn more about the world. Even though he loses his house, horse, and other
belongings at the beginning of the film, you can clearly see his upbeat attitude, but as
he began to read books and learn more about social issues and feuds in the
Philippines, his happiness began to fade. Kulas' pagkamang-mang or ignorance may
have been amusing to us during the film, but laughing at him is no different than
laughing at the province's farmers who had no access to education during the Spanish
and American colonial periods. He may have had some disagreements with others as
a result of his lack of knowledge, but he never gave up. Nothing could ever keep him
from learning more than he already knew. I believe he personifies the Filipino
identity, with his never-ending quest for knowledge, deep respect for each individual,
and willingness to fight for the country. These are the attitudes and values that should
guide our future endeavors because they helped us, Filipinos, break free from our
colonizers and prove our national worth as more than the Indios they labeled us as.

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