E L

P R E S I D E N T

E
Presented by:

Diosan, Jex C.
Pintucan, Richard L.
Presented to:

Sir Domer Macanang

CAST AND CHARACTERS

Jeorge "ER" Ejercito Estregan as General Emilio Famy Aguinaldo

Nora Aunor as Maria Agoncillo

Christopher de Leon as General Antonio Luna

Cesar Montano as Andrs Bonifacio

Cristine Reyes as Hilaria Aguinaldo y Del Rosario

Ronnie Lazaro as Gen. Candido Tirona

Bayani Agbayani as Gen. Baldomero Aguinaldo

Gerard Ejercito as Gen. Crispulo Aguinaldo

Allan Paule as Gen. Toms Mascardo

Emilio Garcia as Gen. Po del Pilar

Wendell Ramos as Gen. Mariano Noriel

John Arcilla as Mariano Tras

Mike Lloren as Vicente Riego De Dios

Ian de Leon as Artemio Ricarte

Felix Roco as Gregorio Del Pilar

Alicia Meyer as Inang Bayan (Motherland)

Alvin Anson as Felipe Agoncillo

Sunshine Cruz as Gregoria de Jess

Joko Diaz as Procopio Bonifacio

Gary Estrada as Jose Tagle

Sid Lucero as Gaudioso

Troy Montero as Frederick Funston

Ronnie Quizon as Apolinario Mabini

Joonee Gamboa as Ambassador Felipe Buencamino

Yul Servo as Pedro A. Paterno

Lou Veloso as Julian Felipe

Ian Veneracion as Gen. Ernesto Aguirre

Dennis Padilla as Tal Placido

Roi Vinzon as Lazaro Segovia

Archie Adamos as Luis Aguado

Soliman Cruz as Maximo Inocencio

Jericho Ejercito as Young Emilio Aguinaldo

Roldan Aquino as Maria Agoncillo's Father

Gloria Sevilla as Maria Agoncillo's Mother

Jhulia Ejercito as Lorenza Agoncillo

Maita Ejercito as Marcella Agoncillo

Lariel Castro as Cecillo

John Regala as Padre Agustin

SETTING
Azcarraga St., Tondo, Manila (where Aguinaldo was inducted into the Katipunan)
San Francisco de Malabon, Cavite (Tejeros Convention)
Santa Cruz de Malabon, Cavite (oathtaking place of the new elected officers)
Pasong Santol, Dasmarinas, Cavite (where Crispulo Aguinaldo died)
Naic, Cavite (trial of the Bonifacio brothers)
Mt. Maragondon, Cavite (where the Bonifacio brothers was executed)
Bulacan (Pact of Biak-na-Bato)
Hong Kong
THEME
The main theme of the moving pictures El Presidente is focused on the life of
Emilio Aguinaldo and all about the establishment of the first Philippine Republic.
THE MOVIE
INTRODUCTION:

The title of the movie El Presidente is a Spanish word meaning The President
and credited to Emilio Aguinaldo, the storys protagonists which the Philippine formally
recognizes as the first ever President in a formal Republic.
The movie is one of the official entries for the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival
and was released in theaters nationwide on December 25, 2012. The film was produced
by Scenema Concept International, CMB Films and Viva Films, together in cooperation
with the San Miguel Group of Companies, Petron, and Boy Scouts of the Philippines, Las
Casas Filipinas de Azucar and the Film Development Council of the Philippines. It
premiered on December 18, 2012, at the SM Mall of Asia's SMX Convention Center.
PROBLEM:
The story is told in flashbacks as Emilio Aguinaldo thanks the US government for
giving him the opportunity to attend the full restoration of Philippine independence on
July 4, 1946.
The film begins with his capture by Philippine and US forces under Frederick
Funston's command in 1901, then flashes back to 1886, when an old woman gives
Aguinaldo and his childhood friend Candido Tirona cryptic prophecies. Ten years later,
Aguinaldo is inducted into the Katipunan and later assumes leadership of its Cavite
chapter while becoming mayor of Cavite El Viejo. When the trouble breaks out in Manila
in late August 1896, Aguinaldo tries to assure the Spanish provincial government of noninterference and covertly marshals his forces despite a lack of weapons. Learning that the
Spanish mostly put their forces in Manila, Aguinaldo finally mobilizes his troops and take
the command of the Katipunan forces in Cavite.
CLIMAX:
As the rebels gain ground in Cavite and several provinces, its Magdalo and
Magdiwang factions convene to elect a provisional government. Andrs Bonifacio
oversees the Tejeros Convention, which elects Aguinaldo as president, Mariano Tras as
vice-president, and himself as interior minister. He storms out of the convention when
Daniel Tirona objects to his election. Aguinaldo's brother Crispulo informs him of his
accession and convinces him to leave his troops just as he was seeking to defend against
the Spaniards at Pasong Santol. The rebels are defeated and Crispulo is killed.

Meanwhile, an embittered Bonifacio establishes his own revolutionary government and is

later arrested. Aguinaldo is concerned about Bonifacio's actions and wanted him exiled,
but the War Council advises his execution.
Several months later, Aguinaldo leaves Cavite with most of his forces intact and
makes it to Biac-na-Bato in Bulacan, where he signs the Pact of Biak-na-Bato and heads
for Hong Kong. There he meets with US officials who approach him with offers of
support and recognition of a new Philippine Republic amidst the SpanishAmerican War.
RESOLUTION:
Aguinaldo returns to the Philippines and formally declares independence from
Spain. As the Malolos Congress convenes, Felipe Agoncillo tries to represent the new
nation at the Treaty of Paris negotiations, but gets stonewalled at every turn even as US
forces gradually arrive in the Philippines. The PhilippineAmerican War breaks out in
February 1899 and Antonio Luna is appointed commander of all the Filipino forces. He is
assassinated three months later and the Filipino troops are gradually routed by the
Americans. As a result, Aguinaldo's forces travel all over northern Luzon to escape the
Americans. General Gregorio del Pilar volunteers to hold them off at Tirad Pass and buy
Aguinaldo time. His loyal courier is later captured by the Americans while getting some
medicine for his son. Now aware of Aguinaldo's hideout, Funston plans his capture.
CONCLUSION:
Having been made to accept the American occupation over the Philippines,
Aguinaldo lives a quiet life, which is marred by Hilaria's passing in 1921. He meets and
marries Felipe Agoncillo's niece Maria in 1930. Over the next few decades, the couple
witness Philippine history unfold once more as he is defeated in the 1935 presidential
elections, Japanese occupation and the restoration of full independence.
In 1962, an elderly Aguinaldo and his wife comfort each other over President
Diosdado Macapagal's decree to restore the actual date of the Philippine declaration of
independence.
MORAL LESSONS:
To be free is NOT to fight, but its something worth fighting for.

If we want to achieve something, we must fight for it, reach for it no matter what
obstacles and trials we face, our sacrifices just to get our goal is already fulfilling.
Let us not be outweighed by our desire to power rather we must serve, for to serve
is to lead.