 Film technology was introduced into the Philippines from the West, but in the past century Filipino artists and technicians have so effectively indigenized the medium as a form of entertainment, communication, and artistic expression that one can now speak of a living cinema whose visionomy is undeniably and uniquely Filipino. One of the film artists whose contributions to the filibinization of that cinema cannot be gainsaid or underestimated is Manuel Conde, film director, actor, producer, and writer, who made some of the most significant and memorable films of his time. Manuel Conde was born in Camarinas Sur on October 9, 1915. He came to Manila in 1930 to study geology at Adamson University and started apprenticing in Philippine films for free from 1935. Later, he was taken as assistant director to Carlos Bander Tolosa in Gilipco, 1939. After that, he was asked to direct his first film for LBN, Sawingan Timpala, and in the next two years made more films for LBN. He was chosen best director by local publications for his early films, and then in 1941, he co-directed with Vicente Salumbides, the famous Ibong Adarna of LBN. During the war, he joined the underground, but at the same time, directed stage shows at different theaters in Manila with a newfound friend, Bautom Francisco, as his set designer. He and Bautom became very good friends, and after the war, when Manuel Conde established his Manuel Conde Productions in 1947, Bautom helped him out with designing his first one-time-ad movies, the first two, Principe Paris, Chetan Fantas de Lara, Gengis Khan, among others. Then in 1951, as part of his price in a local contest, he went to Hollywood for a visit and exhibited Gengis Khan, Sigfredo, and Chetan Fantas de Lara. The films impressed the viewers in Hollywood, especially James Agee, who decided to edit a version of Gengis Khan, to which he added a vocal narration, and encouraged Manuel Conde to compete with Gengis Khan in 1952, when his film festival, where it got good reviews. From 1952 to 1959, after he came back to the Philippines, he directed more LBN films, among them, the biggest musical hits of LBN, like Pilipino Custom No Touch, Ikaw Kasi, Handang Matodas, Bahalana, and dramas like El Robo, Vengansa, and Casa Grande, and comedies like Señorito and Ibong Adarna. Then from 1959 to 1963, a very important period in his life, he directed and produced most of his important social and political satires. Notably, one tamad goes to Congress, one tamad goes to society, and si one tamad at si one masipag sa politikang walang hanggan. After retiring from films because of commercial, the commercialization of Filipino cinema, especially he did not like the bombath, he ran for Congress, lost, and then later engaged in treasure hunting. He died on August 11, 1985, at the age of 69. He was proclaimed national artist in film in 2009. To understand Manuel Conde's contributions to the national cinema better, perhaps we should focus on some of his representative films. In his long filmic career, Manuel Conde directed about 40 films which may be categorized as romantic and musical comedies, costume epics, melodramas, and political satires. Romantic and musical comedies. Conde's best known romantic comedy is Filipino Costum No Touch, whose conflict is not only between rich and poor, but also between urbanized and rural values, and between the modern American and traditional Hispanic traditions, as embodied in the modern Arturo and the conservative Adeline. Arturo is ill, so the doctor tells him to settle down. And this he must do before Melba, whom Arturo is engaged to, but does not like, returns from the U.S. After dating several girls, Arturo decides to court Adeline through the traditional paninil bihan or service. He has to chop firewood, plow the field, feed the hogs and chickens, and cook for the family. Once, Arturo becomes bold enough to hold Adeline's arm. Adeline slaps him because she believes in following Filipino costumes, like no touch before marriage. Arturo is near despair, so he asks his family to do the pamaman hikan or the formal request for marriage. The pamaman hikan is a grand affair held in a public plaza with the whole barrio in attendance. Arturo's family and Adeline's family exchange verses which in metaphorical language identify the expectations of each side from the proposed union. Before long, however, the two sides are accusing each other of past crimes and are about to clash when Adeline whispers to her father that she has been compromised because Arturo has already touched her hands. Adeline's father now insists on the marriage of Adeline to Arturo. But Arturo's fiancé Melba has arrived from the US and tracks down Arturo. Adeline finds out about the engagement and her whole family drives Arturo away. At the wedding, Arturo feints and his heart stops beating. Melba's mother promises to do whatever will save Arturo from death. With Adeline's help, Arturo comes back to life. He and Adeline are reunited while Melba now directs her attention to Arturo's cousin. Among the costume epics, the most famous that Manuel Condit did of course is Gengis Khan. In order to resolve the question of who owns the pasture lands and water sources, five warring tribes select a champion each to compete for them in several or deals. Temujin emerges victorious. Whether the festivity celebrating his victory, Burchow's warriors attack Temujin's village, massacre the villagers, including Temujin's father and capture Temujin. But one night, as enemies sleep, he escapes through the help of a soldier. Temujin returns home only to find his whole village in flames. Thirsty for events, Temujin's mother expresses her wish that Temujin would become quote-unquote a king without fear or a Gengis Khan. Gengis Khan builds an army of warriors from different tribes and leads his soldiers in the conquest of other tribes including that of Burchow, from whom he now demands a tribute of cattle, horses, sheep, slaves, and monthly taxes. Burchow tries to escape with his daughter Princess Laihai but both are held captive in their own kingdom. At Gengis Khan's camp, Princess Laihai asks for Gengis Khan's forgiveness for having spied on him before but Gengis sentences her to slave labor instead. It is obvious, however, that Gengis has fallen in love with Laihai. Burchow spies then try to sow discord in Gengis Khan's camp but are found out. Meanwhile, Targut usurps Burchow's throne and forces Laihai to marry him. The princess refuses and is about to be executed when Gengis Khan arrives with his army and massacres Targut's men. Burchow asks Gengis Khan to forgive him and offers his daughter to Gengis in marriage. Gengis Khan accepts the princess and Laihai becomes his queen. The melodramas. A melodrama which Konde invested with socioeconomic issues is Mulawe. At the party for the newly arrived Mila Green, daughter of logging concessionaire Don Joaquin, the lumberjacks led by Truwadio and the fisher folk led by Jose come to blows because of rudramarks made by Truwadio about Mila Green. The next day, Truwadio orders his men to ram logs into the fish corals of Jose. Mila Green convinces Jose to join her father's company if only to verify if the culprits are from the company. Jose agrees and asks to be assigned to logging operations in the mountains where Mila Green, now a doctor, will work. One day, Jose discovers Andoy making a kaingin without a government permit. Jose, a former forest ranger, explains to young kaingeros how indiscriminate cutting of trees causes water to erode the mountain sides and flood the rivers, causing damage to men, animals and plants. Who is to blame, says Jose, lack of adequate laws, corrupt politicians, abusive logging concessionaires, kaingeros and coal makers, apathetic citizens and a small number of forest rangers. Meanwhile, without the knowledge of Don Joaquin, Truwadio's group is determined to sabotage company operations so they can take over. The company begins to lose money. So Don Joaquin asks Jose to investigate. Convinced that Jose is spying on them, Truwadio's men try to eliminate Jose and Tacho. But Jose is not intimidated. On the way home after the Moro Fiesta in San Vanga, Jose and Tacho witness a forest fire started by Andoy upon Truwadio's orders. The two friends chase after the culprits but lose them. Andoy flees but he spins down their falling tree. Jose saves him. In gratitude, Andoy reveals the illegal operations of Truwadio. The workers gang up on Truwadio's group but Jose asks them to let the law take its course. Milagrin compares Jose to the mulave, a tree that is useful to all. The political satire is a genre identified with Konde. Of the five Wantamad films that he did, Wantamad goes to Congress proved to be the critical and financial success. Wantamad is campaigning for his reelection as congressman of Distrito Lawang Lawa. He and his supporters are met by an angry crowd who pelt one with stones and rotten tomatoes. One asks himself how he got to be so hated after just one term as congressman. Flashback to four years ago. A delegation of his debtors convinces Wantamad to run for congress so he can become rich from bribes and so have the money to pay his debts to them. Eagerly, one launches his campaign against his rivals. Lacan Hangin, who promises that he is elected, the bald will grow hair and money will fall like rain. And Lacan Tabil, who argues that Filipino customs and music should be supported but plays Elvis Presley songs to attract a crowd. For his part, Wantamad campaigns with the newly famous biennian dancers. One also delivers speeches in cemeteries because those who had been buried a long time actually voted in the last election. Right before the elections, once leaders are worried that one will lose so they pour a lot of money for the campaign. At the day of the election, campaign leaders are stuffing themselves with food, cigarettes and money while the pressings are crawling with goons, voters with flying contraptions or flying voters, and campaign managers buying boats. Tabil and Hangin lose the elections to one. After his victory, one takes his role as public servant literally, offering to fetch water or feed hogs for ordinary citizens. His supporters tell him his place on the barangay throne but there he is swamped with complaints and requests. One man asks him to be godfather of his child so he can spend for the whole party. A host of men asks him for all kinds of jobs. Meanwhile in Congress, one sees congressmen sleeping, playing sungka, listening to a transistor radio and flirting with women while the house is in session. Outside the halls of Congress, he sees congressmen smagol bringing in smagol goods for free as quote-unquote personal effects. The flashback ends there. Now one and Karima are seen still hiding in their house as the crowd outside jeers at one. Suddenly one stands up and walks out of the house to the platform where he delivers a speech saying he's no longer interested in election so he can now speak the truth. He admits he did nothing in Congress and that there were many abuses perpetuated by congressmen but he says the people are party to blame for what congressmen turn into. During election campaigns, the people ask them for bribe money and for contributions to fiestas, baptisms and burials. Naturally once elected the congressmen will try to recover what they spent in the elections by stealing government funds. There will be no real change in government for as long as the people sell their votes. At supper that night, one tells his family he has given up on politics but just then he hears a crowd approaching. The people have now realized their mistake so they want one tamad to run for the Senate. Through more than 40 films that he created from 1940 to 1963 Manuel Conde contributed in no small measure to the indigenization of the cinema in five ways. First, by investing it with the history and culture of its own. Second, by revitalizing folk culture with urgent issues, fresh themes and new techniques. Three, by revaluating Filipino customs, values and traditions according to the needs and realities of the present. Four, by employing at the same time transforming the traditional cinematic genres of his time. And five, by opening the local cinema to the world. First, he invested local cinema with the history and culture of its own. In the decades before and after World War II when Philippine society was being inundated by American popular culture Conde invested local cinema with the distinct cultural history of its own. By translating into the silver screen the age-old stories that lowland Filipinos had transmitted from generation to generation for at least the past 100 years. Such as Chet in Fantas Delara, Ibong Adarna and Principe Teñoso. As these stories had spread through the consciousness of previous generations of Filipinos through folk racontours or printed chapbooks or cobedya performances during town fiestas so they now entered the imagination of younger generations of Filipinos through the visual medium of film. In this way did Conde connect the youth to their past while rendering the dominant Hollywood cinema a strange and distinct from the local cinema. Moreover, through his film adaptations of Philippine romances set in medieval Europe Conde succeeded in appropriating one of the most popular genres of the classical Hollywood cinema the Schwartz Buckling adventure film as typified by Errol Flynn's Captain Blood and the adventures of Robin Hood. Finally, to put local adventure films on a competitive level with Hollywood action movies Conde introduced well-choreographed and well-rehearsed swordplay using realistic swords and daggers as in principle, Paris. Second, revitalizing folk culture but Conde did not only use and adapt folk traditions into the medium of film. More than this, he breathed new life into these traditions by using them in his famous cinematic satires. To elude the censors and possible lawsuits Conde resurrected the mischievous and iconoclastic pusong or trickster character of ancient Philippine folklore and used him as a filmic persona. In the first two Wanthamad films Si Wanthamad and Si Wan Dal Dal Anak ni Wanthamad Conde described the social climbing eras and opportunistic tendencies of post-war urban dwellers. Years after, Wanthamad goes to Congress, exposed vote-buying and other forms of cheating during elections as well as the abuse of power, influence-peddling and smuggling practices by unscrupulous congressmen. On the other hand, Wanthamad goes to society, ridiculed the pretensions, frivolity and extravagance of that highly unproductive sector of the Philippine nation called unquote unquote high society. Finally, Si Wanthamad and Si Wanmasipag sa politikang walang hanggan showed how delegates to the political party conventions shamelessly barter their votes for cash, liquor and first-class accommodations in hotels. How the U.S. prioritizes the giving of AID not to allies, but to neutral countries and former enemies. And how politicians shamelessly fight over lucrative appointment and positions of power. Revaluating tradition. Aside from depicting stories from the country's past, Condes films also portrayed and critically-revaluated contemporary manners and mores in town or country. In Pilipina custom no touch, Condes presented in satirical manner ancient traditions still practiced in the provinces like the Paninil Bihang, which requires a girl's suitor for menial work assigned to him by the girl's family. Although couched in broad humor, Pilipina custom identified this practice as plainly exploitative. Similarly, Condes ridiculed the patriarchal rule observed by patriarchal families of requiring a woman whose hand has been touched by a man to marry that man whether or not she loves him so that her virtue may be redeemed. All in all, Condes believed that the traditions and customs handed down from previous generations should be respected but if they perpetuate an unjust or unreasonable situation or prove to be irrelevant to contemporary society, they should be modified or simply eradicated. Transforming the genres. Never a believer in creating art for its own sake, Condes employed the conventions of traditional cinematic genres in his films. However, he constantly endeavored to upgrade and update these genres according to the needs of the audience and the times. Early on in his career, he invented a new form of romantic comedy called sophisticated comedy which drew humor not from slapstick anymore or the physical deformities of comedians but from witty dialogue in or proceeding from the situation of characters. Such was the type of comedy used in films like Senorito. Similarly, while Condes agreed to direct popular commercial musical comedies for LVN, he injected some instructional value into this song and dance movies by situating their stories and characters against the backdrop and issues of one important Philippine industry. Karong ginto, for example, called attention to the fact that the country's natural resources are passing on to the hands of foreigners because Filipinos do not want to soil their hands with hard work. Caviteño and he as Nangdagat describe the problems confronting Fisher folk and the fishing industry itself. Ikaw kasi bahala na and tingnan natin, tackle the coconut, industry respectively while Molawe dramatize the destructiveness of kaing in making and illegal logging. Opening local cinema to the world with a curious mind and restless spirit that could not be contained by what is Condes went beyond the usual narratives of the traditional genres and ventured into subject matter that would have been deemed too monumental or chaotic sa average producer then. Inspired and supported by a kindred spirit in the person of Botong Francisco Conded dared to recreate on screen the grand narratives of larger-than-life figures from world history and literature like Gengis Khan and Sigredo. Not because Hollywood had done films on them, which it had not, but simply because he was fascinated by the uncommon courage of the Mongolian conqueror and the all-consuming and self-destructive passion of Brunhilda for Sigredo. In doing films on these world figures Conded had in effect forced the Filipino moviegover out of the parochial and predictable concerns of the run-of-the-mill formulaic film and thrust him into a larger world where visions and emotions were loftier and nobler and very far from the pedestrian whims and picayun sentiments that constituted the Filipino moviegover's usual affair. Serendipitously, as these movies open the visas of the Filipino film to other cultures, they also unlock the doors of western cinema to the Filipino film, allowing it entry into one of the most prestigious film festivals of the globe. Later, when these films were bought by foreign distributors, they were exhibited in all parts of the cinematic world of the time, establishing the presence of the Filipino cinema in the eyes of that world. In retrospect, it becomes evident that the contributions of Manuel Condé to the Filipinization of the cinema proceed precisely from his character as a trickster who, like all visionary artists, must dismantle and demolish the here and now in order to build a new order of things that comes closer to the ideal. For his vision of a more equitable society, for the joyful artistry of his films, for his unwavering commitment to country and the filmic art, Manuel Condé deserves the title which is contemporary said attached to his name in the 1950s. Condé, The Magnificent.