The National Historical Commission of the Philippines Juan and Antonio Luna Museum recently put up an online exhibit to honor the life and legacy of Antonio Luna.
The online exhibit was launched to also commemorate Luna’s 121st death anniversary on June 5.
It can be viewed on Juan and Antonio Luna Museum’s Facebook page.
The NHCP Juan and Antonio Luna Museum is putting up an online exhibit on the life and legacy of the Antonio Luna in commemoration of his death anniversary last 5 June. Do follow their Facebook page here!
👉 https://t.co/Bc0QOvEApB pic.twitter.com/M6OVXN39C1
— National Historical Commission of the Philippines (@NHCPOfficial) June 9, 2020
Luna, the youngest of the seven siblings and brother of renowned painter Juan Luna, is a chemist and general who played a huge role in the war of against the United States.
“He served as Director and Assistant Secretary of War and led different battles in Caloocan, Bulacan, and Pampanga. Because of his strict leadership and punishment of wrongdoing, he incurred the wrath of some soldiers. Antonio also opposed members of the Aguinaldo cabinet who favored autonomy under American rule; these men witnessed Antonio’s volatile temper on several occasions,” the NHCP said.
In 1881, Antonio earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at the Ateneo de Manila University but he also studied for two years at the University of Santo Tomas, where he received a prize for his work, “Dos Cuerpos Importantes de Quimica,” before he went to Europe and earned a pharmacist license from the University of Barcelona.
Antonio also finished his doctorate degree in Pharmacy at Universidad Central de Madrid in 1890.
Aside from working on medical studies, Antonio under his pen name “Taga-Ilog” participated in campaign reforms and wrote articles for the historic “La Solidaridad” that criticized the friars and abusive government officials and aspired for changes in the colony.
To also memorialize the lives of Juan and Antonio who were key personalities for the Philippine Independence, the NHCP and the Department of Public Works and Highways in 1977 restored the Luna house in Barangay Garreta in Badoc, Ilocos Norte.
This bahay na tisa ceded to the government in 1954 is now the Museum of Juan and Antonio Luna which houses six galleries showcasing memorabilia and works of the Luna brothers.