Masterpiece ‘Bata, Bata… Paano Ka Ginawa?’ Digitally Restored and Re-mastered for the New Generation

ABS-CBN’s latest project is to preserve film masterpieces by restoration for the intention of showing these classical Philippine movies for the newer generation. Film restoration is the process of preserving decaying film stock preventing it to cease from its existence and creating copies for viewers’ convenience.

The preservation of movies can be identical to classical literature in prints from the olden times and now reprinting them by modern publishing house. These films are re-mastered to be shown for this generation’s film standard and expectation, not only saving it but to match it with the present time’s movie quality. It is inevitable to save these movies that already contributed to Philippine cinema. These classical movies significantly mirror the nation’s culture—“Bata, Bata… Paano Ka Ginawa?” which covers themes on marriage, cohabitation, parenting, relationships and an interesting insight about liberty or freedom and gender; matters that stand the test of time.

The young adult culture will have a thorough understanding of why there are “Vilmanians”. Five of Vilma Santos’s movies were already restored by ABS-CBN and would be shown also as a tribute to her impeccable skills in acting. Vilma Santos proudly introduced this award winning novel turned movie at the Vx3, Vilma Santos tribute and screening as she characterized her role saying “si Leah Bustamante po at si Vilma Santos ay iisa” (Vilma and Leah are the same).

“Bata, Bata… Paano Ka Ginawa?” is a perfect throwback movie on lines like “wala akong ginagawang masama! Akala mo lang wala, pero meron, meron, meron!” (I didn’t do anything wrong! You just thought you didn’t, but you did, you did, you did!) with a loud slap on the face. Yet as we have seen it in our younger years, we would now view this movie on a different context—a deeper interpretation. Looking back on a consistent meaningful dialogue coming out from great actors such as Vilma Santos herself, Cherry Pie Picache, Albert Martinez, Ariel Rivera, Raymond Bagatsing and even with once who were very young actors like Carlo Aquino and Serena Dalrymple, viewers can observe huge difference from today’s film trend, “hugot” lines or catchy phrases.

This movie is about a mother named Leah Bustamante who balances her duty as a mother, a partner/wife, a person—a woman, though she faces obstacles on how she raises her two children with different fathers. It is a good representation of society’s look on men who control women in every decision as Leah described it where our name is always taken from a man (father) for our last name. She embodies empowered women who work with firm principles and values in life. It is a movie to re-watch and see how Leah raises her children giving them freedom to choose their own path in life.