The Becoming of Leni Robredo

            While I was browsing one of Leni Robredo’s Facebook pages for campaign, I noticed these two familiar materials. These were viral photos of Leni waiting for a bus (around December 2014) and where she refused passing the red carpet last SONA of 2015. Upon seeing these materials, it hit me that these are not those who went viral anymore. These are ideologically imposed materials trying to go with our “common sense” in the becoming of another Leni Robredo.

            First, the very essence of candidness was taken out. It opened up to me now that these could all be just parts of the becoming from the start. I may be wrong but it’s still something to think about. I would also clear that I am not an anti-Leni and I might consider giving her my vote. The texts of these photos are my only concern.

Last year, although I hated the media attention it received, I did admire Leni for waiting for a bus… period. But today I’m asking, who took this photo last year?  I don’t think a random citizen did because Leni was not that popular then like Anne Curtis for an ordinary person to take a stalking picture of her in the street and upload it in social media. It was taken by a certain Keisha Del Castillo and upon “stalking” her Facebook, all her public posts are about the campaign and TV guestings of Leni. The next one taken last SONA gained mixed opinions from the people and I would side in the argument that if she was really hiding from the spotlight, she should not have posted this picture. In effect which I believe was hoped for, she gained way better attention than those who passed the red carpet. To me it was brilliant, she became a separate news apart from the usually news items about the SONA red carpet. He had her own “red carpet moment” right there.

My concern now is that despite question of candidness of these two viral posts, these are now used as an advertisement which to me confirms to be simply part of her becoming. Both materials have texts saying “Kongresista ng Camarines Sur. Kampeon ng good governance. Kakampi ng magsasaka. Kaisa ng kababaihan. Kalaban ng political dynasty. Kaaway ng corrupt.” that positions Leni just like any political candidates. These are way too familiar lines, way too familiar imposing of ideologies that a candidate should be this and that. The only thing sure and justified there is that Leni is Camarines Sur’s Congresswoman. Only the familiar image of Leni makes the materials different with labeling “At kapag nag-aabang ng bus sa gabi patungong Bicol, karamay ng bawa’t Pilipino” and “At kapag dumadaan sa likod ng Plenary Hall imbes na sa red carpet tuwing SONA, kasama ng bawa’t Pilipino”. Leni might have some concrete achievements when it comes to governance, agriculture, women, anti-political dynasty and corruption but it is unfair for her to have those viral acts as achievements and unfair for the voters to think that a candidate’s humility is the standard of voting instead of a side personality. The dominant system still reflects that we vote more by heart than mind, how we like a person for his/her personality than what they can do. Who knows, humility can be deceiving. That is why I liked Gen. Antonio Luna’s leadership despite his “despicable” attitude.

Bakit Ako? Underlying Rhetorics of Heneral Luna Memes in the Public Sphere

History indeed repeats itself. That is one of the many reasons we loved the film Heneral Luna where issues and villains seem to be very much alive and kicking until today. But I argue that history repeats itself in different contexts that need understanding more than conclusions. History is a trace to the future but sure it is not the only reason why. Who are the real villains and what are the real issues? This essay then aims to deconstruct the rhetoric of three memes uploaded in Heneral luna memes Facebook group how this General’s mediated history opened today’s discourses in Juan’s nation.

Social media, hence through Heneral Luna memes in Facebook, is what social theorist Jurgen Habermas calls as the public sphere where public opinion is formed especially among the bourgeoisie or the middle class. In realization, Antonio Luna has been commodified in the best way possible through his film’s memes. His story and discourses had undergone rigorous mediation - from the actual events to oral histories to written accounts.  From written accounts to script making then film production. From the film product to viewing consumption came the public feedback. It is from the common feedback that Facebook groups were born where memes are sent by individuals themselves which subject to shared meaning making and feedback from other members in this public sphere… which landed in media criticisms, like this.

Mr. American in the Train Station: Why do we hate to love his language?

    https://www.facebook.com/HenLunaMemes/photos/pb.1661669620714616.-2207520000.1443845360./1661674397380805/?type=3&theater

          What is Heneral Luna saying in this meme? Yes, that we should all hate speaking English in this country. But why am I writing in English? Why are we always writing reaction papers in English? I think it is because we are not Gen. Luna here but we are Mr. American and his is also our language. This meme is just a form of resistance attempt (I don’t even know the tagalog of meme if there is). Why did we find this scene funny? Perhaps one is because we are not actually laughing at Mr. American (us presupposed) but at Heneral Luna and his people because we know English better than them. We watched it not us Filipinos in love with our native language but as English spectators waiting for the Filipino General make a grammatical error. How many people nowadays had their argument invalidated by people just because of the infamous your and you’re error?

            This is not to say that Filipinos of today are hypocrite with the language. Most of us still use Filipino are our mother language. We engage in these discourses in Filipino. It is just that we actually don’t and should not hate English anymore for it has become an asset and part of our gratification more than a colonial influence.

Gregorio the Gregorgeous: Perceptions of Consumable Beauty

https://www.facebook.com/HenLunaMemes/photos/pb.1661669620714616.-2207520000.1443845360./1662038040677774/?type=3&theater
       Personally, what I admired most in the film is the choice of actors. From the very cabinet meeting scene, I knew the movie will be spectacular. The familiar faces of actors that I am not sure of names guaranteed me a film of acting not of personalities. This is justified by the memes of actors captioned Started from bottom, Now I’m here which could either be rhetorically interpreted as small actors given break or about these actors’ versatility. Of course I hope public is on the side of the latter explanation.

But then we saw Paulo Avelino as Gregorio del Pilar and I can’t deny he is really good looking and that I was rooting for him in Starstruck back then. I am also sure he’s got the acting talent and angst to play the young General but his looks are definitely an advantage. However, if we look at Paulo Avelino getting the role of Gen. Del Pilar in the political economy perspective, this meme could be promoting for the survival of the film in the consumer industry. In film and television, real life personalities are usually played by huge celebrities as a way of giving a high tribute to real icons. Of course who would not be flattered to be portrayed by the good looking person? Remember how VP Jejomar Binay wants Alden Richards to portray him?

We may re-ask why then is Avelino in the second sequel and not John Arcilla with Gen. Luna? Why was he in the post-credit scene?  Because ultimately, he is the mainstream option when all else fails. We all know that Heneral Luna film is a risk and it was subject to be one of those substantial pieces that flopped. I watched the film on its first day and the cinema felt just empty. I guess if they were sure that the film will be this successful, they would have considered other actors than Avelino. Reading on the comments and shares of this meme, there are more excited on this personality’s close-up shots than the story of Gen. Del Pilar. But who am I to conclude? Maybe we’ll see more of Del Pilar just like how I can’t remember John Arcilla’s face anymore because to me he is simply Gen. Luna.

Mascardo Feels: Labor Issues in a Capitalist Environment
https://www.facebook.com/HenLunaMemes/photos/pb.1661669620714616.-2207520000.1443845346./1662494840632094/?type=3&theater

      Who did not hate this lousy General Mascardo? It seemed like all his arguments and behavior is all lame but we must admit, a part of Mascardo is within us. Especially for most in the middle class, labor is the way of coping up with life. In a Marxist perspective, the world appreciates the finish product than the amount of labor poured in it. Hence, Mascardo in this meme says that Luna is imposing an end product to him disregard of his labor rights and does not have a power over him because he is not even in the dominant class, they are just both generals.

            On the first, who in the employment world has not experienced being the deprived with skipping work whether directly or indirectly? It is either the boss says so or your work responsibility will be largely affected which at the end of the day will still be your burden. If we are to understand Mascardo, we may differ in him on weighing priorities and call of duty. But I think what is this meme trying to say is that we at some points also set aside work even at the expense of others or the end product. However, can we blame modern Mascardos when he is already beaten up by the capitalist society and wants to attend a party sometimes?

            And then there is the caption, “Edi wow, wag ganon Luna” implying how he consider class in the society. I argue that this meme imposes that in this capitalist thinking society, Filipinos in one way use labor to earn power and to use it over another as a form of resistance to the power to oppress us by the dominant class. If one has seen the movie of Piolo Pascual and Claudine Barretto Milan in 2004, we could notice how the character Lino (Pascual) took offense when he was being instructed by a co-OFW in higher position. Hence, General Luna here could be a villain today by imposing power over the same General in rank. Could we then purely hate the Mascardo of today while loving every bit in Luna?

Conclusion

       Ultimately I'm down to these questions for myself and to the public sphere - where is Antonio in us today? Do we idolized him because he can do something we can not and will never do? How far can we really go? Is Luna a superhero then all other characters are humans?

     We should definitely commend Heneral Luna film for introducing us to Antonio Luna who most of us only know by name. For separating him as a hero of his own rather than Juan Luna’s brother and for giving people things to think about. But I think we should me more proud of ourselves as Filipinos by actively engaging and opening new discourses of nation even as simple as these entertaining memes… although sometimes we are just plain hilarious. Mabuhay ang ensaymada!

https://www.facebook.com/HenLunaMemes/photos/pb.1661669620714616.-2207520000.1443845346./1662482190633359/?type=3&theater

Reference:

Edgar, A. & Sedgwick, P. (2002). Cultural Theory: The Key Thinkers (pp. 182-183). London and New York: Routledge