FIRST PARAGRAPH
Ganito kami noon, paano kayo ngayon? is a 1976 Philippine historical
drama movie that takes place around the time of the beginning of
American colonialism and the end of Spanish colonization in the
Philippines.Release date: December 25, 1976 (Philippines)
Director: Eddie Romero
Producers: Eddie Romero, Dennis Juban
Cinematography: Justo Paulino
Awards: FAMAS Award for Best Supporting Actor
Editor: Ben Barcelon
Gloria Diaz and Christopher de Leon play the key characters in this
Eddie Romero-directed film, which Romero and Roy C. Iglesias also
wrote. The movie was chosen to represent the Philippines in the Best
Foreign Language Film category of the 49th Academy Awards, however
it was not recognized as a nominee. I viewed this historical movie on
January 10, 2023, at Saint Joseph College of Sindangan Incorporated. I
was a staunch believer that today is a gift and that yesterday is history
and future is a mystery. It is called present for this reason. Because of
how strong and engaging popular movies are, it's frequently simpler to
believe their accounts of history than the far more nuanced genuine
stories.
SECOND PARAGRAPH
Young Indio named Nicolas "Kulas" Ocampo (Christopher de Leon)
experienced the death of his own mother. He was compelled to leave
the countryside in quest of a temporary haven. A priest named Padre
Gil Corcuera (E.A. Rocha), who is evading thieves, was one of the
people he encountered. Kulas received a sizable sum as payment for
transporting the youngster to Manila. Atong, who later became
impoverished, stole from Kulas, a wealthy guy.Diding, who was
adopted at the age of 15, was revealed to Kulas by Atong to be his
daughter. When Diding decided she wanted to be a part of a zarzuela,
Kulas and Don Tibor helped her. Lim calmed Kidlat down after he
threatened to murder him after hearing the conversation between the
Chinese merchants and him, and they came up with a plan to flee. Due
to the presence of Magdalo forces on the opposite side of the bridge
from where the guards were posted, they were halted by the Guardia
Civil. After escaping from the school after a bomb destroyed it, Kulas
once more encountered Bindoy.When Diding was at the theater,
Bindoy informed Kulas of her whereabouts. After returning home,
Kulas was confronted by Concordia with the claim that he was a
Spanish spy. Kulas was expelled from his own home as a result of this.
Leonor was discovered having been raped and then died. Don Tibor
was crippled when he crashed down the stairs.
THIRD PARAGRAPH
The film entitled "Ganito kami noon, paano kayo ngayon" displayed an
immersive look of the Philippines during the Spanish colonization.
It portrayed how rich culture was in Manila and how influenced the
city looked, while the far-flung areas of the country was shown to be
otherwise. The film was set to show sometime around the dry season
of 1898. The economic environment of the country was shown to be
driven by the Spanish. The movie depicted the central form of
government imposed that focuses on land ownership and taxes.
On the other hand, it was shown that the center for trade and business
was in Manila, where most of the Spanish resides. The Spanish regime
did not do well for the Philippine government. The church, on the
other hand, were seen with high regards and deemed power. The
cedula, an identification card given to Filipinos for economic and
political purposes, was shown to be used in some scenes in the movie.
This goes to show that Spain was still in power. The social difference
among the elites and natives were greatly highlighted as the story
progressed. It showed how inferior the Filipinos felt and were seen
given the cultural diversity. A sense of hierarchy was imposed and
nurtured to retain the dominance of the Spaniards. The film included
how brainwashed society was for deeming foreign culture to be the
identity of the Filipinos. The Philippines was portrayed to be on the
brink of cultural crisis given the transition from Spanish era to
American regime. The country was also shown to be inferior to the
colonizers in terms of arms and riches; however, not in ideals. The film
featured a religion-centered country and government.
Given that the political system was mostly influenced by the church, it
is evident that religion – specifically Christianity was widely spread and
used for administration.
FOURTH PARAGRAPH
On September 18, 1986, Cory Aquino gave a speech to the US congress that was full of enthusiasm
and hope. As depicted in the movie, the Malolos Declaration and Cory Aquino's address both
represented a hopeful beginning of the nation's regeneration and an acknowledgement of its terrible
years. The picaresque coming-of-age drama KAMI NOON PAANO KAYO NGAYON is set in the late 19th
century Philippines, a time when Filipino nationalists and revolutionaries were fighting for
independence, Spanish colonizers were trying to hold on to their rule of more than 300 years, and
suddenly, American soldiers showed up to impose a new colonial rule..In movies from that era shot in
the Philippines, the events are always depicted clearly. However, with the rise of the indigenous
middle classes and the accompanying revolution, the notion of a Filipino nation evolved, where
everyone born there—regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or level of education—was
entitled of being Filipino with all of the rights of citizenship. Spanish, American, and Filipino characters
are all portrayed in a humorously tongue-in-cheek manner as they bumble through the obligations
that history has forced upon them, no matter how onerous.It never forgets that its characters are all
too real and fervently want to take advantage of the limited time they have left. Eddie Romero (born
in 1924) started out as a magazine writer. In 1958, he began directing English-language B movies for
Roger Corman and other producers, which was a pivotal step in his professional trajectory.
Quentin Tarantino is a vocal admirer of Romero's B flicks. Romero made a remarkable return to
Tagalog film with the 1976 production Ganito kami noon paano kayo.
FIFTH PARAGRAPH
The movie's theme, "Ganito kami noon, paano kayo ngayon," relates to contemporary Filipinos since
it exploits the Spanish and American regime's representation as a pillar to inspire patriotism. It subtly
exhorts the populace to struggle for the well of the nation as well as the Filipino identity in order to
forge a better future for the Philippines. Due to the colonization of the Philippines, Kulas Ocampo
experienced a faster-paced and foreign environment than what he was used to, which left him feeling
overwhelmed and a little bewildered.The inferiority complex ingrained in Filipinos became more
blatant in his conduct when combined with the fact that he was not given the chance to receive a
quality education. With the assistance of Don Tibor and a few others, he was able to adjust, but the
issue of what a Filipino is in reality remained unsolved in his mind.
The hierarchy imposed on the Filipinos had a significant impact on Kulas' decisions. The initial
moments of the film demonstrated how Spaniards and priests are held in more esteem and have
more influence. As a result, the majority of his decisions were influenced by these individuals. This
pattern persisted for the most of his stay and travel to Manila; nevertheless, in the end, he realized he
was not content or contented with the life that had been given to him. These acts and behaviors
imply that the imposition of culture and inferiority deeply affected people's thoughts.
The movie showed how susceptible the Philippines was to foreign invasion. It demonstrated how
quickly other cultures might impact the nation and how this may lead to questions about what it
meant to be a Filipino. The Filipino people continued to fight for their freedom and identity despite
the negative effects of past colonization. The movie did a fantastic job of capturing the people's
unflinching will to fight for their independence. It demonstrates how the Filipino people battled as a
unit despite their varied traditions and linguistic heritage.
