Baler most expensive, biggest in scope among 6 Metrofest entries

Baler, Viva Films’ official entry in the 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival, is an enduring love story set in 1898.

More popularly known as “the siege of Baler,” the encounter happened during the Spanish Occupation between a 57-man Rifle Batallion of the Spanish military and the Filipino forces.

It’s against this backdrop that the love story between Feliza Reyes and Celso Resurrecion happened. Played by Anne Curtis, Feliza Reyes is a young Filipina who falls in love with Celso Resurrecion (played by Jericho Rosales), a half-Spaniard/half-Filipino (Indio) soldier who chooses to serve the enemies more than the Filipino insurgents who are struggling and fighting for their independence and freedom.

Understandably, Feliza Reyes’ father Nanding (played by Phillip Salvador) doesn’t approved of the romance, he being a member of the rebel movement. As in the case of Romeo and Juliet, nothing and nobody could break the lovers apart. Feliza has fallen deeply in love with the man her father despises.

While Baler is a story of conflict, betrayal, suffering, self-preservation, selfishness, obstinacy and self-interest, it is also a story of heroism, courage, love of freedom, patriotism, endurance and chivalry in time of war.

“While we are drawn to the endearing and enduring story of classic love that knows no time, place and race,” said Mark Meiley, the movie’s director, “we are also brought into the historic past to take a peek at what transpired inside the walls of the church of Baler where the last Spanish contingent (who are not aware that the war had actually ended) heroically defended Baler against the Filipino forces for 337 long and grueling days.” 

Scripted by Roy Iglesias, Baler also stars Baron Geisler as Capt. Enrique delas Morenas, Bernard Palanca as Lt. Don Juan Alonzo Zayas, Carlo Aquino as Gabriel, DJ Durano as Pablo (a Filipino/indio soldier), Joel Torre as Teodorico Luna Novicio, Mark Bautista as Pablo (another Filipino/indio soldier), Michael de Mesa as Father Candido, Ryan Eigenmann as Lt. Don Saturnino Martin Cerezo, Leo Martinez as Calixto Villacorte, Nikki Bacolod as Luming, Allen Dizon as Lt. Col. Simon Tecson, and Arvee Quizon and Jao Mapa as the two other Filipino/indio soldiers.