Casting decision

In February 2018, prior to its airing, Bagani was criticized online for casting actors of Caucasian descent in a show supposedly inspired by pre-colonial Philippine mythology. The main cast includes: Enrique Gil, who is of Spanish and German descent; Liza Soberano, whose mother is American; and Matteo Guidicelli who is half Italian. Netizens criticized the entertainment industry for setting fair skin as the standard of beauty. They also criticized the use of makeup to make the actors look like they have brown skin.^[33][43]

Liza Soberano responded to the critics through a tweet where she defended her Filipino identity: "My father is full Filipino. I was raised by two Filipinos since the age of 4."^[43][44] The show's headwriter, Mark Angos, explained through Twitter that Bagani is set in Sansinukob, a fictional alternate world with elements from Filipino mythology. He clarified that Bagani is not "precolonial" or "historical". He also explained that the actors who portray the "desert people" had to wear brown makeup because the script states that dirt and sand sticks to their skin. He also added that "colorism is real" but using it as "a bullet to demonize Filipinos of mixed heritage" is "disgusting".^[33] Other netizens also defended the show.^[43][45]

Portrayal of the "Bagani"

The series has also been criticized by historical societies and indigenous groups for what they view as a "misuse" of the term "Bagani" and misrepresentation of Philippine tribes. Ronald Adamat of the Commission on Higher Education took umbrage and sought clarification from ABS-CBN over its depiction of indigenous people, stating he was "deeply bothered about the portrayal of ‘Bagani’ in a teleserye as being a ‘bayani with magical powers.’"^[46][47]

On March 5, 2018, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) released a statement on the use of "Bagani" in the series^[48] stating that the "Bagani" are real, not fictional, or a "mythological group of warriors" that the Bagani television series "would like to portray" noting that the term originally refers to the peacekeeping force of the Manobo and other indigenous groups of Mindanao. It insisted that the use of the concept of Bagani in the television series "distorts, misleads and confuses" the meaning of the indigenous term. ABS-CBN released a statement that it does not intend to malign any indigenous group and that Bagani seeks "to feature warriors, protectors, and heroes who espouse Filipino values and beliefs" and pointed out that the series was never purport itself as a historical account of Philippine history or culture.^[49]

A disclaimer was since incorporated in the program, stating:^[49]

Ang kuwentong inyong mapapanood ay kathang-isip lamang at kumuha ng inspirasyon mula sa iba’t ibang alamat at mitolohiyang Pilipino. Ito’y hindi tumutukoy o kumakatawan sa kahit anong Indigenous People sa Pilipinas. ("The story you're about to watch is a work of fiction and is inspired by Philippine mythology and folk legends. It does not refer to or does not represent any Indigenous People in the Philippines.")

The aforementioned disclaimer was later revised in subsequent episodes starting March 14, stating:

Ang mga Bagani ay totoong mandirigma na mula sa kultura ng Indigenous Peoples. Ang kuwentong inyong mapapanood ay kathang-isip lamang at hindi tumutukoy o kumakatawan sa kahit anong Indigenous People sa Pilipinas, bagamat kumuha ng inspirasyon sa mga kulturang ito. ("The Bagani are real warriors from the culture of Indigenous Peoples. The story you're about to watch is a work of fiction and does not refer to or does not represent any Indigenous People in the Philippines, although it is inspired by these cultures.")

ABS-CBN released a press release statement on March 13, 2018, that it has made a consensus with representatives from the Commission on Higher Education, House of Representatives, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples that the indigenous term of "Bagani" was used by network in good faith that it shall remain the title of the series. It also express its willingness to become a "partner" to these groups to promote awareness on indigenous Filipino culture.^[50][51] The writers and directors of Bagani later added in a press conference on March 15 that they found the need to "explore" the concept of the "Bagani" from the indigenous people's point of view and remarked how the television series encouraged "intelligent discussions about culture, identity, etc." in comparison to other teleseryes.^[36]

GMA-7 headwriter Suzette Doctolero also criticized the show particularly on the portrayal of Babaylans.^[52]