MANILA, Philippines - Gone are the days when the late National Artist for Film and awarded movie director Lino Brocka would easily gather his colleagues and fellow militants to the streets to protest a regime’s repressive acts on free expression.

Equally progressive filmmaker Joel Lamangan would rally behind a cause in show business like anti-censorship demonstration, but this we don’t frequently see anymore.

How much more the younger set of filmmakers who are affected by strict state policies on artistic freedom?

When the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) recently granted an X rating on “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Tayo Bukas?,” people expect the men and women behind the film to take a militant stand on the issue.

“Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Tayo Bukas?” is a 20-minute documentary film on the real state of the nation. It was directed by internationally renowned artist Jeffrey Jeturian as part of ANC’s pet project, “Ambisyon2010.”

“I can express my political views in other ways but militancy,” admitted Jeturian when asked about any planned mass action to assert basic rights to freedom of the press.

For Jeturian, the Brocka street parliamentarian style isn’t his cup of tea.

“Lino Brocka is a tough act to follow,” he quipped.

“Anyway, I expected the X rating from MTRCB because the people there are working for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. So, what do you expect?” he commented.

“I have already said my piece on the present administration’s inconsistencies with social and economic realities through my film and I think that’s enough. I am speaking in behalf of the people. Enough of this administration,” said Jeturian, one of ABS-CBN’s directors of “Maalaala Mo Kaya.”

He chose economy as topic to enhance his filmic vision in the ANC project because, according to Jeturian, economy encompasses a lot of areas in the realm of society.

“I was inspired to do the docu because of perceived contradictions between reality and government reports on economic development. Why do they have to claim there’s an increase in economic growth when there are still beggars and poverty everywhere in the country?” he said.

Jeturian’s camera follows a newspaper from the time it is delivered to a homeowner to when it is used to wipe feces from the foot of a cart-pushing vendor. Jeturian uses a newspaper printed with the same controversial advertisement that came out in early January trumpeting the administration’s economic successes.

It was written by stage actor and playwright Rody Vera.

“I stand by what I feel and think about the whole thing,” he said firmly.

The other documentary that the MTRCB initially saw deemed unfit for exhibition was 2009 Palm d’Or Best Director Brillante Mendoza’s "Ayos Ka." On Monday, however, the MTRCB changed its X-rating to R.

Mendoza’s film is a music video whose hopeful soundtrack is a stark contrast against images of poverty, prostitution, drugs and murder.

“Ambisyon” will premiere at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on April 6. -Boy Villasanta, abs-cbnNEWS.com. With a report from Ginger Conejero, ABS-CBN News