What does it mean to be a Filipino?
Our country’s history is tainted with both glories and horrors. We have been colonized by three nations, all of whom tried to enslave us in our own homeland. Our people have suffered, our liberty taken, and our identity lost. The Philippines as we know it is chaotic. We are a nation divided by political beliefs, ideologies, and seas. Despite our differences, however, we all share a common ground: We are not Filipinos; at least more than a century ago.
Eddie Romero’s Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? depicts the Philippines at the nearing end of the Spanish colonization. It follows the story of Kulas, a young man whose innocence was often taken advantage of. Uneducated and living far from the capital, he had a quiet life as a farmer. It was not until he met Padre Gil Corcuera that he would witness and be enlightened to the state of the Indios and the fate that awaits those that are not considered Filipinos.
Kulas was the looking glass of Filipinos living in the 19th century. In him, we saw how our ancestors were unfairly treated. His shabby clothes and innocent perspective of things showed us how the eyes of the elite saw Indios: poor and dumb. As we follow his story, we are introduced to how society was back then. Apart from the revolution that we always read in history books, the movie also tapped to other unspoken parts of history: the form of entertainment that flourished back then, the Chinese traders, and the love and betrayal stories which we saw a glimpse of in the works of Dr. Jose Rizal.
The film was able to portray the society in which our ancestors had lived. It brought us back in history and made us understand how the revolution was as inevitable as change. The system was cruel and oppressive where the poor were treated as vermin while the rich were venerated. Had I been born in the era, I too would have thought of joining the revolution and seek to dismantle the system that plagued generations of Filipinos.
History is there to remind us how it was back then so that we may not repeat its mistakes and help us weave a better future. The film itself asked us an essential question from the very beginning: Paano kayo ngayon? More than a century ago, most of us wouldn’t be considered Filipinos. Now, we live in a country where Filipinos of every color, gender, and belief exist. So, what has changed?
Not much, I daresay. Our society still grapples with inequality and freedom from oppression, the very things our ancestors sacrificed their lives for. Most of us are still like Kulas, poor and uneducated. We too are often taken advantage of. It’s disheartening that years have come and gone and our problems remain the same.
Who are Filipinos? We have taken for granted what it means to be a Filipino. More than being born in the Philippines, being a Filipino means that we live by the example of Rizal. We should have the heart to serve both our country and its people. That despite our differences in opinions and beyond the seas that separate us, we must look at what we have in common: history, the blood that runs in our veins, and the independence that our ancestors gave their life for.
Unless we could come together as a nation, I can’t help but question, paano tayo bukas?
