The document summarizes three Filipino films and analyzes them using communication theories: 1. A Kabisera - About fishermen who find illegal drugs. Analyzed using Elaboration Likelihood Theory, Interpersonal Deception Theory, and Social Penetration Theory. 2. Woman of the Ruins - About a woman who washes ashore with amnesia. Analyzed using Uncertainty Reduction Theory, Expectancy Violation Theory, and Social Penetration Theory. 3. Shift - About a call center agent who falls for her gay coworker. Analyzed using Uncertainty Reduction Theory, Social Penetration Theory, and Expectancy Violation Theory. 4. Ganito Kami

1. Polytechnic University of the Philippines
College of Communication
Department of Communication Research
Sta. Mesa Manila
Cinema One Originals:
Term Paper
Joyce Ann P. Gonzales
BACR 2-1
Ma’am Kriztine R. Viray

2. 1. A. Kabisera
The story was about a fisherman named Andres who happened to see two floating boxes in the sea that contain illegal drugs. At first, he hid it but then his wife Dindin decided to sell it when they learned that it costs millions. The Elaboration Likelihood Theory was presented and the peripheral route of scarcity was used when they did they decision when Andres’ wife said that if they sell the meths, they will earn millions of money and it is their opportunity to have a better future for their family so they have to grab it. The peripheral route of liking because Dindin is Andres’ wife and she only wants what better for their family. Additionally, Andres seek advice and help of his friend Jose to distribute the drugs. Jose promised that he can distribute the drugs all over the town. He said that he knows how the business is done so there is a presence of peripheral route of consistency. The Elaboration Likelihood Theory states that there are two routes to persuasion. First is the central route which uses message elaboration and can produce a major positive attitude change. The second one is the peripheral route that uses six different message irrelevant cues to illicit a quick response with a minor shift in attitude. As the movie goes by, there are a lot of misunderstanding between Jose and Andres. Jealousy about money and power comes out as they continue their illegal business. I found Interpersonal Deception Theory when Andres’ son AJ had an accident. Jose told Andres that he will help him by taking care of hospital expenses when the truth is, he was the one who caused that accident. Andres knew the truth when their friend Pablo revealed that the accident was Jose’s plan. Interpersonal Deception Theory states that communication senders attempt to manipulate messages so as to be untruthful, which may cause them apprehension concerning their false communication being detected. At the ending of the story, when Andres, Jose and Pablo faced each other, the Social Penetration Theory was present. The Social Penetration Theory states that as relationships develop, communication moves from relatively shallow, nonintimate levels to deeper, more personal ones. It is compared to the layers of onion. As people get to know each other, the layers "shed away" to reveal the core of the person. Even though Andres and Jose had been friends for a long time, Andres still didn’t know the whole personality of his childhood friend. He did not know that Jose betrayed him many times.

3. B. Woman of the Ruins
There was a woman that washed ashore in an island that was ruined by war and storm. The island was said to be cursed. Then there was a man named Pasyon who immediately claims that the woman was her wife Maria, whom seven years dead. Sabel, a maiden that had affection for Pasyon, assist and help Maria to remember her past and became a friend of Maria. Sabel started asking Maria questions that might help her recover her lost memory. The Uncertainty Reduction Theory was applied when they start getting to know each other. This theory said that in order to reduce the uncertainty between strangers, they seek information from each other. Uncertainty is reduced as levels of self-disclosure, nonverbal warmth, and similarity increase. The Expectancy Violation Theory was also present in the movie when Maria didn’t remember anything from her past. Since Pasyon claimed that she was his wife, Pasyon expected that she will do her obligations as his wife such marital obligation but Maria hesitated and refused to do such thing. Because of that, Pasyon maltreated her. The Expectancy Violation Theory said that communication can be used to violate the expectation of another which will be perceived as either positively or negatively depending on the liking between the two people. Socially, we have expectations about how other people should and will behave. Our reaction to the different behaviors of others from expectancy depends on what we have to lose or gain. Lastly, I had seen the Social Penetration Theory there in the movie. Pasyon and Maria, though they didn’t have a good start of their relationship, they became couple. The social penetration theory states that as relationships develop, communication moves from relatively shallow, non-intimate levels to deeper, more personal ones. Though it didn’t shown in the movie how Maria and Pasyon developed their relationship but they have been in good terms as the time goes by. I think the moment that Maria had forgiven Pasyon from all the pain he caused to her they start again. Maria gave birth to a baby boy and raised him. From that, they had established their relationship well.

4. C. Shift
This movie was about a free-spirited call center agent named Estela. Other people often mistaken her as lesbian because of her hairstyles and the way she dressed. In the company where she work, she has a homosexual co-worker/team mate named Trevor. Because they were on the same team and both of them barely known each other, they decided to go on a breakfast. There, they had a chitchat about their lives like what they did in their college life and even their past relationship. Also, she cleared that she was not belong to third sex. Their conversation portrays the Uncertainty Reduction Theory. The theory states that uncertainty is reduced when two strangers seek information with each other or by disclosing themselves. Then the two of them found out that there was an anomaly made by other team so the two of them try to investigate how that happened. Because of this, they became closer and comfortable with each other. As time passes by, Estela realized that she has fallen in love with Trevor. Because they were so close, she had a difficulty in admitting her true feelings with Trevor. In this scene, the Social Penetration Theory was applied. Although they were too close there is a force that holds back Estela from telling her true feelings. When Trevor and his boyfriend broke up, Estela was happy and had high hopes that maybe they can be together though she knew that Trevor is homo- sexual. As they both bond with each other, she thought that they have the same feelings with each other. One day, Estela found out that Trevor has new boyfriend and this incident really break her heart. In that scene, the Expectancy Violation Theory is present. Estela’s expectation that Trevor feels the same way as she did was violated. Since then, Estela tried to avoid Trevor. She didn’t answer his calls and ignores his messages. She even hang-out with her other friend. Finally, Estela realized that they should talk. When they had a time, Trevor said that he missed her and did not want to lose Estela. Estela finally admitted that she loves him. The movie ends with Estela’s job interview.

5. 2. Ganito kami noon, Paano kayo ngayon?
The movie Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon is 1976 romantic drama film directed by Mr. Eddie Romero. The setting was during the Spanish colonization until the American colonization. The movie shows the lifestyle of Filipino back then. The movie is telling the audience how Filipinos did not know their own identity. It is about the journey of Nicholas “Kulas” Ocampo, a guy from the province who decided to find his luck in Manila after his house burned down. In his journey, he met Padre Gil Corcuera, a Spanish priest and he asked Kulas to find his son Bindoy and bring the boy back to him. As they travel back to Padre Gil, they met a group of performers and Kulas got infatuated with a woman performer named Diding. But they got split up when the Spanish soldiers appeared. As he continue his journey he had meet several people. Before, Filipinos thought that the true Filipinos are those Spanish people living in the Philippines. Once, Nicholas Ocampo met a Chinese merchant named Lim. He asked him what is Filipino. Kulas said that the true Filipinos are those who born in the Philippines but Lim jokingly said that he is also a Filipino because he was born in the country. Kulas was confused on the real definition of Filipino. As the movie goes, Nicholas got rewarded by Padre Gil. The priest gave him a mansion with servants, a large amount of money and a lawyer to supervised him. Then he asked attorney Tibor if he can be called as Filipino but the lawyer said he must be worthy to be called Filipino. The movie goes until the American invades the country. The story portrays the struggles of the Filipinos in establishing their own cultural identity. The Filipinos became foreign in their own country. The theory in the movie is the Attribution Theory. This theory tries to explain what are the reasons to explain why the people behave the way they do. Because of the foreign colonizers, Filipino did not have established their own identity. They had lived in the shadows of the colonizers. Before, people thought that a true Filipino is the one who willingly fight for his country and those people who are educated. But in the end of the movie when Kulas said “Tandaan niyo, Filipino rin kayo” this line serves as a wake-up call to the viewers that we are the true Filipino. Not just being born in the country but if we have a heart and love for our country, then we have the right to be called Filipino.