Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral

Reaction Paper
I. Introduction;
Goyo is a sequel movie to “Heneral Luna” , both have a revolutionary theme but different in
portrayal – Heneral Luna was more on fury, while Goyo has some romance and comedy. Goyo
is another leap to wake up the Filipino’s Nationalistic passion. The setting takes place
immediately after the events of Heneral Luna, when the Filipinos are fighting the American
forces of taking hold on the country. The characters go around the love interest of Goyo –
Remedios and Felicidad. Apolinario Mabini played an important role as an adviser but got
frustrated because Aguinaldo had not heeded his advice. Well, it made me think that a probable
sequel to this movie is Apolinario Mabini, because he was given quite an exposure and
importance in the movie.

The movie started with a background on General Luna and Emilio Aguinaldo. It sets an
introduction to the story of Gregorio del Pilar, which is what the movie is all about. The first
half of the movie showed Goyo portrayed by Paulo Avelino being a womanizer, his fight on his
inner demons bought about by his traumatic experiences during his previous war battles. This is
the part when I was asking where is this movie going to, because Gregorio is being portrayed
negatively being a flirtatious charismatic general and a self-doubting, reckless leader. It showed
two extreme personalities of Del Pilar. Well, ,maybe I was just expecting that I all I would see
are his heroic deeds, but I guess Director Tarog just wants to make it realistic and more
interesting if he would show also Goyo’s weakness. The once misleading beginning to me
towards the end made me understand, that the plot of the movie was done to make a dramatic
ending. The scenes were slowly building up to the end, and the singing of the “Bato sa
Buhangin”, was unexpected but it was beautiful. To us young people, we might not really
appreciate those kind of songs, but when timely sung then it is a masterpiece that can be
appreciated.

Throughout the movie, Apolinario Mabini was in the background but with a vital role
who observes and advices Del Pilar and Aguinaldo, especially after the death of General Luna.
He is not agreeable to the separation of the soldiers according to whose loyalty they have
-Aguinaldo or Luna. Aguinaldo seeks Del Pilar’s service to eliminate those that our pro-Luna,
and that is something that Filipinos haven’t changed through time. Apolinario have shared his
thought that if only Aguinaldo not only seek its people loyalty but instead the patriotism of the
Filipinos. Similar to what our politicians have today, they seek the allegiance of their loyal
supporters, not minding if they have the best interest of the country in their mind or only vested
interest to enrich themselves and hold on to power. It is so frustrating that through generations
Filipinos minds and hearts have not change, and such didn’t uplift the life of the people. We are
bounded by leaders who only think of their staying in power. Apolinario also insisted that
Aguinaldo to make a self-sacrifice because only in his death will the Filipino be united. Not far
from what Ninoy Aquino many decades after did. He sacrifices his life to wake up the Filipinos
to fight for their freedom. As Ninoy said, the Filipinos are worth dying for.

The cinematography of the movie in the battle scenes are impressive because of how they
were able to put a number of soldiers, which I can say the movie is expensive. Just with the
costumes and their props I could imagine the extent of the budget of the movie plus the different
locations that they could have shoot the movie. The cast was good, they act well, and are
believable. The main actor Paulo Avelino had a good portrayal given the role of a womanizer, a
respected general, but with some sentimental episodes of traumas.

The movie though have some lapses, they used the metric system when American
soldiers were talking about the distance they are to cover. During that time the Americans are
still using the English system. Well, I guess they missed that part. The battle of Tirad Pass, was
done tastefully to my opinion. They were able to deliver to the audience the scene, except when
Gregorio del Pilar died, as if there is some dramatic effect or background on that.

II. Summary:

Kasunod ng pagpatay kay Heneral Antonio Luna, ang tungkulin na dakipin ang mga
sundalong tapat kay Luna sa Philippine Army ay nahulog kay Heneral Gregorio "Goyo" del
Pilar, isang batang heneral at paborito ni Pangulong Emilio Aguinaldo. Sa loob ng limang
buwang pahinga mula sa labanan, si del Pilar at ang kanyang yunit, kasama ang kanyang
nakakatandang kapatid na si Julian at ang kanyang matalik na kaibigan na si Vicente Enriquez,
ay nadakip si Angel Bernal, ang nakababatang kapatid ng dating aides-de-camp ni Luna na sina
Manuel at José. Di-nagtagal ay nahanap nila si Manuel na nagtago sa tahanan ng negosyante na
si Don Mariano Nable José at pahirapang pinilit na sumali sa mga tauhan ng militar ni del Pilar.
Nang tumanggi si Manuel, pinapatay nila ito. Samantala, si Joven Hernando, na nagtatrabaho
ngayon para sa kanyang tiyuhin, ay itinalaga upang maging litratista ni del Pilar.
Habang nagpapahinga ang mga sundalo ng Pilipinas at ang mga puwersa ng Amerika ay
naghahanda para sa pangalawang pag-atake, si Heneral José Alejandrino, isang kaalyado ni Luna
na naligtas mula sa paglilitis, ay nakipagpulong kay Apolinario Mabini, na nagbitiw mula sa
pagiging kasapi ng gabinete ni Aguinaldo pagkatapos ng pagkamatay ni Luna. Hihiling ni
Mabini kay Alejandrino na malaman ang totoong sanhi ng pagkamatay ni Luna. Samantala, si
Aguinaldo naman ay pinuntahan si del Pilar sa Bulacan at itinaaas ang ranggo nito sa pagiging
Major-General ng Pangasinan, habang si del Pilar ay nagsisimulang ligawan si Remedios, ang
mailap na anak na si Don Mariano. Sa panahong ito, nakilala ni Aguinaldo si Mabini at inalok sa
kanya ang pwesto ng Chief Justice, na tinanggap naman ni Mabini ng may pagdadalawang-isip.
Naglakbay si Alejandrino sa Maynila upang makipag-usap kay General Elwell Otis at
General Arthur MacArthur Jr., na tumanggi sa kanyang panukala. Di-nagtagal, ang paglusob ng
mga Amerikano ay nagpatuloy at ang panig ng Pilipino ay nabigla at hindi nakapaghanda sa
labanan. Inutusan ni Aguinaldo ang pwersa ni Heneral del Pilar sa Pozorrubio upang
makipagkita kay Heneral Manuel Tinio at mag-ayos ng isang puwersa ng mga sundalo para
makipaglaban. Gayunpaman, ang pagkatalo ni Tinio sa mga Amerikano ay nagbunsod upang
mapilitan sila Aguinaldo na umatras pa sa hilaga. Ang marubdob na pagmartsa ni Aguinaldo at
kanyang pamilya sa pamamagitan ng kanluraning bulubunduking lupain ng Cordilleras, araw-
araw na pag-atake ng Amerikano at patuloy na pag-igting sa pagitan ng mga sundalo na dating
mga kaalyado ni Luna, ay nagpahina sa kanilang pwersa laban sa mga puwersang Amerikano na
umaatake sa kanilang likuran na kinalaunan ay nadakip ang ina ni Aguinaldo at anak.
Nang dumating ang grupo sa Pasong Tirad, dito nakaisisp si Heneral Goyo ng isang
pagkaantala na diskarte upang mabigyan ng oras si Aguinaldo upang makatakas. Kasama ang
dating Luna Sharpshooter Lieutenant García, sila ay naghukay ng mga pinatibay na mga
trintseras sa ruta ng bundok. Nang sumunod na araw, mabilis na nakuha ng mga Amerikano ang
isang bayan sa paanan ng bundok ngunit sa una ay hindi nagawang makaraan ng mga ito paakyat
ng bundok dahil sa pwersa ng mga Pilipinong sundalo. Ngunit sa tulong ng kanilang gabay na
Tingguian igorot, ang 500 o higit pang mga Amerikano, karamihan sa 33rd Volunteer Infantry
Regiment sa ilalim ni Major Peyton C. Marso, ay nakahanp ng lihim na landas na patungo sa
tuktok ng bundok, sa likuran ng mga trintreras, at buwagin ang pwersa ng mga Pilipino na
mabilis na nagapi ng mga Amerikano. Si Del Pilar, na kinasihan ng isang pangitain na
naiimpluwensyahan ng kanyang PTSD (post-traumatic syndrome disorder), ay nagpasya na
tapusin ang laban, ngunit nabaril at napatay ng isang Amerikanong sniper. Dahil dito, tuluyang
nabuwag ang kanyang hukbo at mabilis na sumuko ang mga natitirang sundalo, habang tumakas
si Aguinaldo. Tumakas din sina Joven at Kiko, anak ni Garcia, ngunit nahulog si Joven sa bangin
matapos ang isang engkwentro sa isang sundalong Amerikano. Ang mga Amerikano ay
hinubaran si del Pilar ng kanyang uniporme, kinuha ang mga gamit nito at inilibing sa Pasong
Tirad.
Si Aguinaldo naman ay nadakip ng mga Amerikano sa Palanan, Isabela noong Marso 23,
1901, na siyang nagpatapos sa giyera. Bilang isang bilanggo ng digmaan sa Palasyo ng
Malacañang, binisita siya ng kanyang dating aide-de-camp na si Manuel Quezon. Sumuko si
Quezon sa mga Amerikano sa mga utos ng mas nakatataas sa kanya na si Heneral Tomás
Mascardo, at binisita si Aguinaldo upang mapatunayan ang kanyang pagkadakip at konsulta
kung si Mascardo ay dapat sumuko. Sinabi ni Aguinaldo kay Quezon na ang pasya para kay
Mascardo na sumuko ay nasa kay Mascardo mismo.
Si Mabini naman ay nadakip ng mga Amerikano at ipinatapon sa Guam kung saan niya
isinulat ang kanyang sariling salaysay ng naganap na giyera na pinamagatang La Revolución
Filipina (The Philippine Revolution). Ang kanyang mga akda ay tumuturo sa kabiguan ni
Aguinaldo bilang isang hindi epektibong pinuno ng Pilipinas. Sa huli ay natanggap ni Remedios
ang isang liham mula kay del Pilar.

III. Critical Evaluation:

“Tandaan mo kung sino ka.”
This film, Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral, directed by Jerrold Tarog is another game-changer
for our local films; not just because of its historical theme but also due to its quality. Through
little by little steps, it leads more Filipino movies to more improvements that can be done; those
that can be in the same level with that of the international ones.
The acting skills of the actors and actresses were carried out in a powerful way. It is
obvious how much effort did they made for being attached to the character they portrayed. The
statements they throw to each scene made the film itself more realistic because of their effective
delivery of their dialogues and their expressions being very “Filipino”. The cinematography is
very artistic and vivid as well. The structure of the plot, most especially, made it to have a
different point of view of the Philippine-American war; which can also affect how we look into
other parts or events in our country’s history.
History itself is never my thing, but this movie made it more interesting for me, as a
student and as a Filipino. Movies of this kind would help the younger and future generations to
look at history in a different way, in a different perspective. They will not be boxed in the idea of
hero worship which is mostly what the textbooks are implying. It is noticeable how their
acceptable and favorable actions have been narrated since elementary but only a little or there is
no even focus for the faults they did. In which was given focus on here, that can give us lessons
to learn from of and not repeat it on the succeeding years of our life being a Filipino.
It is very insightful in such a way that it focuses on the self-reflection of flaws and
mistakes done by the protagonist of the story, Gregorio del Pilar or Goyo; unlike other motion
pictures that emphasizes only the positive stuff done by hero/es and not his/her/their errors
before. Goyo’s introspection helped him shift his mindset; and this resulted to him being able to
fulfill his responsibilities and duties despite his young age and lack of experiences in life.
All in all, I can say that to be able to satisfy and accomplish your roles and obligations,
you should learn to examine yourself. Appreciate yourself for your achievements and analyze
yourself on your shortcomings and downfalls; what you could have done and how you should
have executed it. So that in time, you will not be blinded by that imperfection of yours.

IV. Reference List

V. My Reaction