Dalawang Henerasyon, Isang Kasaysayan: Audience Reception of Pepe Diokno’s GomBurZa Among Selected Individuals From The Baby Boomer Generation and Generation Z in Metro Manila

Proponent/s Name/s (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

Elyssa Merella A. Abundo, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow
Andre Dax M. Dacanay, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow
Ana Marie M. Ebersole, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow
Deirdre Hannah R. Tattao, De La Salle University, ManilaFollow

Document Types

Paper Presentation

School Name

De La Salle University, Manila

Track or Strand

Humanities and Social Science (HUMSS)

Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

Peñaranda, Paolo, P.

Start Date

25-6-2025 1:00 PM

End Date

25-6-2025 2:30 PM

Zoom Link/ Room Assignment

https://zoom.us/j/91582616739 / Meeting ID: 915 8261 6739

Abstract/Executive Summary

In the face of injustice and oppression, history remembers those who dared to resist. GomBurZa (2023), directed by Pepe Diokno, follows the story of the three martyred priests—Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora—whose execution in 1872 ignited a national awakening during the Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines (Agbayani III, 2022). This qualitative study explored how the Baby Boomer Generation and Generation Z in Metro Manila received and interpreted the film. It reflected whether their views about Gomburza evolved and revealed converging and diverging opinions within and between the two generations. It also investigated the broader implications of their responses for understanding Philippine history today. To conduct the study, open-ended surveys were employed and completed by ten purposively selected participants, with five from each generation, after viewing the film. Responses were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis interpreted through Stuart Hall’s Encoding/Decoding Theory. Results revealed that while both generations generally accepted the film’s dominant messages on injustice, nationalism, and resistance, Baby Boomers emphasized martyrdom and drew parallels to Martial Law and the EDSA Revolution. Generation Z, however, highlighted intellectual resistance and linked the film to modern-day issues like red-tagging and the War on Drugs. Overall, the study underscored the value of Philippine cinema in bridging generational gaps, enhancing historical awareness, and empowering viewers to critically engage with the past as a lens for understanding the present.

Keywords

audience reception; intergenerational interpretation; GomBurZa; historical film; Philippine cinema

Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)

Media and Philippine Studies (MPS)

Initial Consent for Publication

yes

Statement of Originality

yes