Esteemed film scholar Joel David commissioned a poll of best Pinoy films until 1989 when he was still teaching at UP Diliman. His class sent out invitations to leading filmmakers and critics and got back 28 responses. We have recomputed the tally using the point system we used for the 2013 poll. For ranked films, we assigned 10 points for number 1, 9 points for number 2, and so on. For unranked films, we assigned 5 points for each film. Listed below are the top 50 (with our brief thoughts) and the individual ballots.
50 GREATEST PINOY FILMS UNTIL 1989
1 Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (Lino Brocka, 1975) 112 points
2 Ganito Kami Noon… Paano Kayo Ngayon? (Eddie Romero, 1976) 85 pts
3 Anak Dalita (Lamberto Avellana, 1956) 71 pts
4 Manila By Night (Ishmael Bernal, 1980) 67 pts
5 Kisapmata (Mike de Leon, 1981) 62 pts
6 Insiang (Lino Brocka, 1976) 58 pts
7 Biyaya ng Lupa (Manuel Silos, 1959) 57 pts
8 Himala (Ishmael Bernal, 1982) 50 pts
9 Nunal sa Tubig (Ishmael Bernal, 1976) 46 pts
10 Oro Plata Mata (Peque Gallaga, 1982) 43 pts
11 Jaguar (Lino Brocka, 1979) 40 pts
12 Moral (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1982) 38 pts
13 Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang (Lino Brocka, 1974) 36 pts
14 Itim (Mike de Leon, 1976) 34 pts
15 Noli Me Tangere (Gerardo de Leon, 1961) 30 pts
16 Salome (Laurice Guillen, 1981) 29 pts
17 Hinugot sa Langit (Ishmael Bernal, 1985) 28 pts
18 El Filibusterismo (Gerardo de Leon, 1962) 26 pts
19-20 Badjao (Lamberto Avellana, 1957) 25 pts
19-20 Burlesk Queen (Celso Ad. Castillo, 1977) 25 pts
21-22 Daigdig ng mga Api (Gerardo de Leon, 1965) 24 pts
21-22 Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo (Gerardo de Leon, 1952) 24 pts
23 Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigdig (Gerardo de Len, 1958) 23 pts
24 Minsa’y Isang Gamugamo (Lupita Concio-Kashiwahara, 1976) 21 pts
25-27 Batch ’81 (Mike de Leon, 1982) 20 pts
25-27 Sakada (Behn Cervantes, 1976) 20 pts
25-27 Sisa (Gerardo de Leon, 1951) 20 pts
28-29 Miguelito: Ang Batang Rebelde (Lino Brocka, 1985) 18 pts
28-29 The Moises Padilla Story (Gerardo de Leon, 1961) 18 pts
30 Sister Stella L. (Mike de Leon, 1984) 17 pts
31-32 Genghis Khan (Manuel Conde, 1950) 16 pts
31-32 Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (Mario O’Hara, 2003) 16 pts
33-34 Bona (Lino Brocka, 1980) 14 pts
33-34 Sanda Wong (Gerardo de Leon, 1955) 14 pts
35-36 Brutal (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1980) 13 pts
35-36 Virgin Forest (Peque Gallaga, 1985) 13 pts
37 Kundiman ng Lahi (Lamberto Avellana, 1959) 12 pts
38-39 Kakabakaba Ka Ba? (Mike de Leon, 1980) 11 pts
38-39 Scorpio Nights (Peque Gallaga, 1985) 11 pts
40-42 Boatman (Tikoy Aguiluz, 1984) 10 pts
40-42 Ligaw na Bulaklak (Ishmael Bernal, 1976) 10 pts
40-42 Relasyon (Ishmael Bernal, 1982) 10 pts
43-44 Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (Lino Brocka, 1985) 9 pts
43-44 Ifugao (Gerardo de Leon, 1954) 9 pts
45-47 48 Oras (Gerardo de Leon, 1950) 8 pts
45-47 Broken Marriage (Ishmael Bernal, 1983) 8 pts
45-47 Ikaw Ay Akin (Ishmael Bernal, 1978) 8 pts
48-49 Geron Busabos: Ang Batang Quiapo (Cesar Gallardo, 1964) 7 pts
48-49 Malvarosa (Gregorio Fernandez, 1958) 7 pts
50-51 High School Circa ’65 (Maryo J. Delos Reyes, 1979) 6 pts
50-51 Higit sa Lahat (Gregorio Fernandez, 1955) 6 pts
QUICK THOUGHTS
Twenty-two films in the 1989 list have been replaced in the 2013 poll, with Brocka’s Jaguar (1989) showing the most notable drop (from number 10 in 1989) to getting only one vote out of 81 in the 2013 poll. Other films notably absent in the 2013 poll are Noli Me Tangere (1961, previously at number 15), Salome (1981, previously at number 16), and Fernandez’s Daigdig ng mga Api (1965) and Gerardo de Leon’s Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo (1952), both formerly number 21.
The comparison of the two lists underscores the importance of film preservation. Daigdig ng mga Api, for instance, has no known extant print, and will unfortunately never be mentioned in future film polls. Eleven of the 22 films that bowed out of the top 50 were made before 1965, and one could argue that a good number of the 2013 voters may not have seen some of these films from the First Golden Age.
If there were previously highly regarded films that failed to make the cut in the new poll, there are six films that have been existing when the 1989 poll was conducted but failed to garner even one vote that have aged well and found new admirers in the recent poll. These are:
Mababangong Bangungot (1977) at number 12,
Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak (1978) at 31,
Bagets (1984) at 36,
Oliver (1983) at 38,
Ang Tatay Kong Nanay (1978) at 40, and
Salawahan (1979) at 45.
We’ll leave you, dear readers, to tell us the possible reasons why these films are being appreciated by film experts now than when they came out.
INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS
Mario Bautista
- Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag
- Nunal sa Tubig
- Ikaw ay Akin
- Minsa’y Isang Gamugamo
- Insiang
- Manila By Night
- Bayan Ko (Kapit sa Patalim)
- Sister Stella L.
- Bukas… May Pangarap
- Brutal and Moral
Mel Chionglo
- Jaguar
- Batch ‘81
- Bona
- Kisapmata
- Himala
- Salome
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag
- Oro Plata Mata
- Burlesk Queen
- Sister Stella L.
Ishmael Bernal
- Sisa
- Anak Dalita
- Kundiman ng Lahi
- Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo
- Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang
- Boatman
- Burlesk Queen
- Moral
- Kisapmata
- Genghis Khan
Isagani Cruz
- Itim
- Jaguar
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Himala
- Manila By Night
- Genghis Khan
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
- The Moises Padilla Story
- Badjao
- Portrait of the Artist as Filipino
Nick Cruz
- Biyaya ng Lupa
- Sakada
- Sister Stella L.
- Insiang
- Miguelito: Ang Batang Rebelde
- Hinugot sa Langit
- Batch ‘81
- Himala
- Broken Marriage
- Ganito Kami Noon
Petronilo Bn. Daroy
- Genghis Khan
- Nunal sa Tubig
- Manila By Night
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Anak Dalita
- Oro Plata Mata
- Orapronobis
- Insiang
- Hubad na Bayani
- Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo
Joel David
- Manila By Night
- Moral
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Malvarosa
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
- Sa Atin ang Daigdig
- Miguelito: Ang Batang Rebelde
- Kakabakaba Ka Ba?
- Virgin Forest
- Himala
- Orapronobis
Vic Delotavo
- Daigdig ng mga Api
- Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigidig
- El Flibusterismo
- Noli Me Tangere
- Ifugao
- Sanda Wong
- Dyesebel
- Medalyong Perlas
- Bicol Express
- Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Oro Plata Mata
- Insiang
- Pahiram ng Isang Umaga
Marilou Diaz-Abaya
- Manila By Night
- The Moises Padilla Story
- Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang
- Kisapmata
- Moral
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Badjao
Justino Dormiendo
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag
- Nunal sa Tubig
- Salome
- Kisapmata
- Oro Plata Mata
- El Filibusterismo
- Daigdig ng mga Api
- Biyaya ng Lupa
- Insiang
- Badjao
Butch Francisco
- Oro Plata Mata
- Kisapmata
- Manila By Night
- Hinugot sa Langit
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Anak Dalita
- Batch ‘81
- Biyaya ng Lupa
- Relasyon
Christian Ma. Guerrero
- Burlesk Queen
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Biyaya ng Lupa
- Anak Dalita
- Oro Plata Mata
- Himala
- Insiang
- Itim
- Aguila
- Virgin Forest
- Misteryo sa Tuwa
Laurice Guillen
- Sisa
- The Moises Padilla Story
- Insiang
- Oro Plata Mata
- Salome
- Biyaya ng Lupa
- Kisapmata
- Ifugao
- Anak Dalita
- Burlesk Queen
Mario Hernando
- Anak Dalita
- Biyaya ng Lupa
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
- Manila By Night
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Sister Stella L.
- Batch ‘81
- Kisapmata
- Nunal sa Tubig
- Bayan Ko (Kapit sa Patalim)
Jose F. Lacaba
- Daigdig ng mga Api
- Anak Dalita
- Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo
- Nunal sa Tubig
- Himala
- Insiang
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Salome
- Brutal
- Bona
Marra PL. Lanot
Bona
Brutal
Himala
Hinugot sa Langit
Inay
Jaguar
Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising
Sakada
Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos
Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang
Nick Lizaso
- Noli Me Tangere
- Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos
- Himala
- Itim
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Badjao
- Anak Dalita
- Oro Plata Mata
- Kisapmata
- Nunal sa Tubig
Bienvenido Lumbera
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
- Nunal sa Tubig
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Kisapmata
- Noli Me Tangere
- Isumpa Mo, Giliw
- Kundiman ng Lahi
- Biyaya ng Lupa
- Kadenang Putik
- Bayan Ko (Kapit sa Patalim)
Antonio Mortel
- Minsa’y Isang Gamugamo
- Badjao
- Anak Dalita
- Noli Me Tangere
- Kisapmata
- Itim
- Himala
- Oro Plata Mata
- Ito ang Pilipino
- Isang Araw Walang Diyos
Tezza O. Parel
- Himala
- Moral
- Jaguar
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
- Itim
- High School Circa ‘6five
- Kakabakaba Ka Ba?
- Kisapmata
- Broken Marriage
Raul Regalado
Boatman
Burlesk Queen
Kakabakaba Ka Ba?
Ganito Kami Noon
Manila By Night
Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
Moral
Private Show
Scorpio Nights
Virgin Forest
Eddie Romero
- Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang
- Kisapmata
- Manila By Night
- Moral
- Scorpio Nights
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
- Hinugot sa Langit
- Salome
- Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos
- Paradise Inn
Armida Siguion-Reyna
- Insiang
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
- Miguelito: Ang Batang Rebelde
- Hinugot sa Langit
- Virgin Forest
- Brutal
- Relasyon
- Bayan Ko (Kapit sa Patalim)
- High School Circa ‘6five
- Working Girls
Agustin Sotto
- Ligaw na Bulaklak
- Sanda Wong
- 48 Oras
- Geron Busabos: Ang Batang Quiapo
- Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigdig
- Juan Tamad Goes to Congress
- Luksang Tagumpay
- P1,000 Kagandahan
- Apat na Taga
- Jack and Jill
- ROTC
- Sino’ng Maysala?
- Cofradia
- Dyesebel
- Badjao
- Giliw Ko
- Ibong Adarna
Nicanor G. Tiongson
- El Flibusterismo
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
- Insiang
- Jaguar
- Broken Marriage
- Anak Dalita
- Himala
- Moral
- Oro Plata Mata
- Sisa
Nestor U. Torre
El Filibusterismo
Ganito Kami Noon
Itim
Manila By Night
Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
Raquel N. Villavicencio
- Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko
- Biyaya ng Lupa
- Badjao
- Sakada
- Ganito Kami Noon
- Minsa’y Isang Gamugamo
- Jaguar
- Itim
- Insiang
Romeo Vitug
- Biyaya ng Lupa
- Anak Dalita
- Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigdig
- Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo
- Insiang
- Relasyon
- Salome
- Burlesk Queen
- Paradise Inn
- Karnal
