Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral largely centers on Gregorio Del Pilar during the Philippine-American War.

Being a historical biopic leaves a lot of room for liberties to be taken on the characterization of the
titular boy general. In the film, it seems that Del Pilar is an amalgamation of several accounts to make
for a more nuanced and complex character. He repeatedly refers to himself as “Aguila” from his feats
in Bulacan and Kakarong de Sili, of which put him in President Emilio Aguinaldo’s good graces. The
audience is also told throughout the film that he is merely a “dog” of Aguinaldo but the audience was
not given a full exploration of Del Pilar and Aguinaldo’s relationship prior to the events of the film to
contextualize Del Pilar's ideals and motivations.

The film as a whole is rooted in historical facts but a slight alteration to history that was made in the film
was Del Pilar’s death. There are multiple accounts on the battle of Tirad Pass, specifically on Del Pilar's
death. Based on the account of Telesforo Carrasco, a soldier in the Philippine army, Del Pilar died
from a gunshot wound to the neck after ordering a ceasefire in an attempt to scout for Americans.
The film on the other hand, paints Del Pilar’s death slightly different: Climbing higher ground, Del
Pilar, along with two other members of his troop, search for Americans, but not after a quick pause
for contemplation. Del Pilar then returns back to his troop and abruptly gets shot along his jaw shortly
thereafter. A stark contrast to the glorified portrayal of Del Pilar in textbooks.

As prefaced in the film, its factual history is slightly embellished to fit a narrative theme. This includes
the character of Joven Hernando, a photographer, who was entirely fictional and rather serves as a
narrator or symbolic representation of some sort to add to the film's commentary. Another character
of note is Remedios Nable José, who was the last love interest of Del Pilar. The film establishes a
connection between Del Pilar’s love for Remedios and his love for his country and when he died near
the end of the film, he died cementing his ideals. He knew exactly who and what he was fighting for.
As evidenced by the last entry on his diary: "I am doing everything for my beloved country. There is
no greater sacrifice."

Carrasco, T. (2019, March 22). 2 de Diciembre, 1899. Retrieved from

https://philippinediaryproject.com/1899/12/02/2-de-diciembre-1899/.
Chua, X. (2017, May 9). Ang huling pag-ibig ni Gregorio del Pilar. Retrieved November 24, 2019, from
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/content/610067/ang-huling-pag-ibig-ni-gregorio-del-
pilar/story/.

Dumindin, A. (2006). Philippine-American War, 1899-1902. Retrieved from

https://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/ilocosandcagayan1899.htm?fbclid=IwAR1mUZuecbvmu8l
pCq3hracMHyW-m3ut-ZDqblWVx9xGAIqby8a2hb7miGk.

Joaquin, N. (2018). A Question of Heroes. Mandaluyong City, Philippines: Published and exclusively
distributed by Anvil Publishing.