Oberio, Tracy Jell R.

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AAPD-2B
Heneral Luna

The movie Heneral Luna presents harsh truths, it never fails to show that corruption was
already present during that time and our countrymen continue to be greedy upon their fellow
Filipinos. It leaves a stinging realization that we Filipinos have not come far as a nation.
Freedom is compromised due to personal interests of few, and the struggle is still continuously
looked down on. The symbols and metaphors, the lines, the cast and the film itself stirred a very
painful yet warm feeling in me. Words are not enough to explain the impact it left me. It is not
just a film that talks about boring history, rather its relevance to the present. Years may have
passed, but Filipinos are still the same. The film's lesson is not to hate Aguinaldo or the
Cavitenos or even to praise Antonio Luna, but it wants to show the mistakes of the past, so that it
won't be repeated again.

The film, in fact, started with the military receiving their new uniforms to be used across military
camps nationwide for the first time. General Luna thought the uniforms were important in
building a common identity. A strong leadership that will compel obedience to the central
command in order to achieve unity was needed. Without a central command, without unity, not
only would the Philippines not stand a chance against the Americans, there would not have been
a Philippine nation to defend and die for in the first place.

We were used to being ruled. We had no concept of a nation, not even the idea of having the
freedom to rule our own land. There was certainly no national pride nor national consciousness
that would drive Filipinos to fight and die for their country. This made the fierce leadership of
Luna needed, forcing Filipinos to claim their freedom. Luna had to pull people out of the learned
helplessness that had enslaved them. He had to show the people the way to be free which
requires sweat, blood, and sacrifice. It demanded greatness.

Heneral Luna was executed in a way that triggered the consciousness of the people (mainly on
what happened before and what is still happening now). It's just sad to realize that we never
really learned our lesson, that we never learned to pick up the torch that our heroes were holding
before, the torch that would have led our country to a bright and prosperous future. The mistakes
we did before are still pervading until now. And one way or another, we brought the country's
state to this.But not too late. No, never too late.

The movie inspires and calls the hibernating patriots within us. A wake up call. And I'd like to
think it succeeded. It made me reflect on the things I did before and will do in the future. The
way that I believe allows me to give back to our country and to the heroes who died for us. But
the challenge for our generation today is not to die for the Philippines but to live for it because it
is in living where we can act and do something to make the country a better place for each
Filipino to live in.

Gen. Luna's and his loyal comrades' death were in vain. Hopefully, not anymore. It's just as
good that this "Bayani Series" is in time for the coming election, to let us rethink and reflect
about what can we really do to each other and for our country. Let us welcome Gen. Luna's hot
temper to ignite the dying members of our patriotism. Let us welcome Gen. Luna's fire consume
the twisted and self-absorbed beliefs we still harbor.

After all, it's never too late to be what we might have been.