Filipinwho?

photo from: amazon.com

“The past is the present, isn’t it? It’s the future, too. We all tried to lie out of that but life won’t let us.” — Eugene O’Neill

    Are you a Filipino? How do you say so? We would question ourselves if we are indeed a Filipino. What makes a person a Filipino? Does it have any qualifications to be called one?  Like us, our ancestors also questioned themselves of what they are. This identity crisis was prevalent by the time they were colonized. We don't have any sense of character as we don't recognize ourselves. Every cultural trait we have was questioned if it's indeed a Filipino trait. There's a movie that utilized our continuous asking of ourselves. In 'Ganito kami noon, Paano kayo ngayon' film directed by Eddie Romero, starring the prominent actors of today, exhibited different answers of the characters on what is a Filipino. The movie was set up before the American Colonization. It greatly tackled about a weighty issue of the past about 'who is a Filipino?'.  The movie contains comedic and informative scenes about the situations of the Filipinos in the Spanish scene. 

captured from Ganito kami non, paano kayo ngayon?

   The movie starts up with the grieving Kulas because of his dead mother. He was with his horse when he met Padre Gil, which would change his life and let him experience a better life. Padre Gil asked him a favor of bringing his child to Manila. Kulas went to Sta Rosa to get Bindoy, Padre Gil's child and traveled his way to Manila with the Chinese men. Before that, he met Mang Atong. Mang Atong's job is to perform with his other affiliates. While they were in the river, Mang Atong said: "Palagi nating sinasabi na ang Filipino, isang diwa, isang damdamin at isang gawa. Pero ang gawa ay kabalastugan. Anong klaseng Pilipino ito?". He accepted himself as a Filipino, but he goes against stupidity. It is because someone has yet to carry some water for their travel. He compared the actions during his time with the Katipunan. Whenever they need to go somewhere, they go there immediately, but now with his affiliates, they always complain, and there's a need to stop whenever they pass a river. The lack of focus and sense of priority of the Filipinos is evident. We always go in our convenient way yet slowly accomplishing our tasks. Kulas lost them when they were captured by the Spanish guards, which lead him to meet the Chinese men that would help him go to Manila.  

captured from Ganito kami non, paano kayo ngayon? 

   During their travel time with the Chinese men, Lim asked Kulas on why they would go to Manila since Manila is momentarily in chaos, and only composed of Chinese, Spanish, and others except for Filipino. He said he needed to bring Bindoy in Manila and asked how about the Filipinos. Kulas claimed himself as a Filipino as he remembered what Mang Atong told him that Filipinos are those who were born and raised in the Philippines. But Lim jokingly said that if Filipinos were born and raised in the Philippines, does that suggest that he's a Filipino when he's Chinese? Being born in the country seems to be the main focus to be called Filipino.We always perceived that if you're born and raised in the Philippines, you are indeed a Filipino. Well, it can be as long as you are a Filipino by blood, and there's a law that supports it today, in which you can be a Filipino even if you're not born in the Philippines. Lim also added that nationality can divide them but they're all the same.

captured from Ganito kami non, paano kayo ngayon? 

   Kulas was able to live a luxurious life after returning Bindoy to his father. During the party,  he had a conversation with Don Tibor about Filipinos in which he stated that things changed in the past years, but still, the Spanish believed that they're Filipinos. As Don Tibor said, Filipinos are those who can serve and accept responsibilities like him. Filipinos are a worthy and valuable person, those who have the means to have a proper education, an Ilustrado.  In addition, Bindoy and Kulas' conversation was also a memorable scene. Bindoy doesn't want to go to school because he aspires to have a job while young. Kulas stopped him and made him realize that being able to go to school can lead him to a good life. Some Filipinos in the Spanish era were looked down upon as they are uneducated and were stigmatized as Indios. These scenes expose the importance of education in everyone's life. Not all kids like him can afford proper education. You must be lucky enough to afford a proper one. Education is very important because your acquired knowledge can improve your status in life. 

   Kulas, in the end, prioritize his love for his country more than his love for Diding. He told the orphans to call themselves Filipinos because they truly are. It is also noticeable, how on every query of Kulas about the Filipinos, he received various responses each time. All of them have their assumptions on what a Filipino is. Each response exhibited diverse reactions and variety and a range of their manners. We are all Filipinos, and we represent our country in our flawed and varied ways. As Filipinos, we have different approaches to how we can define ourselves.  But being born in the country isn't enough to be called a Filipino. You must love the country readily through your utmost honest actions. 

   Honestly, to be a Filipino nowadays is so mainstream. Some use the topic of being a Filipino to translate it into a trend only to showcase false patriotism and pride. Now, let me ask you this, are you really a Filipino? And how do you say so?

REFERENCES:

Ganito kami noon...Paano kayo ngayon? (1976). Retrieved October 31, 2019, from https://pinoymoviess.su/watch/ganito-kami-noon8230-paano-kayo-ngayon-full-45233.html