Born: Oct. 29, 1866. Died: June 5, 1899.

To commemorate General Antonio Luna's 142nd birth anniversary, a memorial program from the Manila Historical and
Heritage Commission was held today at his birthplace at # 843 Urbiztondo St., San Nicolas, Binondo district, Manila.

General Antonio Luna was the youngest of seven siblings of the couple Joaquin Luna and Laureana Novicio, both from wealthy families
of Badoc, Ilocos Norte. His brother was the more popular, internationally acclaimed, award-winning artist Juan Luna who studied in
the Madrid Escuela de Artes de San Fernando.

He was a highly talented pharmacist - obtaining the degree of Licentiate in Pharmacy from the University of Barcelona and Doctor of Pharmacy
from the Universidad Central de Madrid ... in 1894, he went back to the Philippines and worked in the civil service as chemist; a well-accomplished
sportsman; a military disiplinarian/strategist - in Belgium he studied military tactics and strategy under Gen. Leman; and patriotic writer - he
wrote for the propaganda paper "La Solidaridad" and published the revolutionary paper "La Independencia". Like Rizal and other leaders, he
was in favor of reforms rather than independence as the goal to be attained. Because of his participation in the reform movement, he
was charged with illegal association and was deported to Spain in 1897, where he was imprisoned at the Carcel Modelo de Madrid.

Upon his release, Gen. Luna returned to the Philippines in 1898 and surveyed the Manila-Dagupan terrain for possible defense perimeter
against the then colonizing American troops and was instrumental in the effective use of trench warfare. The Americans - who in general
were probably expecting an encounter with primitive savages! - marveled at the innovative use of local materials such as bamboo as
barricades that in effect delayed their advance. By 1899, he was appointed Chief of War Operations with the rank of Brigadier General.

Gen. Luna was a fearless man who insisted on "Kalayaan o Kamatayan!" (read: Freedom or Death!) from Spanish and US colonial abuse/rule.
Unfortunately he had angered companies or battalions commanded by warlords and landlords from other provinces with whom he had previously
enforced much-needed discipline. As a result of this divisiveness he was eventually betrayed by his own countrymen (shades of extreme
'talangka' or crab mentality here?) by a treacherous plot that lured him to Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija province with fatal consequences.

Even Gen. Hughes of the American Army, said, of his death, probably relishing the irony:
“The Filipinos had only 'one' general, and they have killed him.”