Avid Liongoren on presenting Filipino values with NCCA through local animated series ‘Heneral Tuna’
While country has seen its stories depicted and animated on the screen in the past years with works such as “Urduja” and “RPG Metanoia” and recent ones like “Hayop Ka!” and “Trese,” its animation industry is still carving its way to become a strong pillar of Filipino entertainment and culture. That is why, the crash landing of Heneral Tuna, a blue alien cat, to Planet Earth and our streaming pleasure brings more than just laughs, but a stepping stone for keeping the industry visible to Filipino audiences while sharing the nation’s values and tradition.
“The Philippine animation scene is at its early stages,” film director Avid Liongoren told Manila Bulletin Lifestyle during the launch of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) series “Heneral Tuna” in October. “If we want to go deeper, matagal nang malalim ang animation industry ng Pilipinas, but it is only for outsourced works. So yung mga projects na ganito, its special kasi it’s Filipino animators making animations for the Philippines (If we want to go deeper, Philippine animation has been rich for so long, but it is only for outsourced works. So a project like this is really special because it’s Filipino animators making animations for the Philippines).”
Although outsourced works are good sources of income for local animators, Avid also stressed the importance of local recognition of our own animation talents and creatives for them to fully thrive. According to him, ever since the ’70s, Filipinos have been doing animations for foreign companies and for foreign characters. But in the hundred years of Philippine cinema, “we’ve had less than 10 animated feature films, and less than three when it comes to animated series.”
The NCCA commissioned Heneral Tuna for its Filipino Values Program with Rocketsheep Studio, led by Avid, in producing the series. Each episode of “Heneral Tuna” incorporates a Filipino value deemed as important to Filipinos’ lives today into the storyline. These values, along with 13 others, were determined via two-year research conducted by the NCCA across the country. Researchers interviewed participants from different backgrounds for the study, conducting focus group discussions and surveys to define these values.
In releasing the series through digital platforms and interacting with netizens young and young-at-heart, the NCCA hopes to inculcate treasured Filipino values in a modern and engaging way. “Heneral Tuna” also hopes to uphold, instill, and promote Filipino values to a new generation of Filipinos who will play a vital role in building a better future for the country.
“We don’t want to have a story for a typical values formation video,” series writer Carlo Vergara said. “ kahit papaano na may surprises, may mga katatawanan, mayroong mga twists. Mga stuff na we don’t normally see sa mga values kwento natin. At least it gives a new, fresh face to the kinds of stories we want to tell (We want it to somehow have surprises, humor, and twists. Stuff that we don’t normally see in our values stories. At least it gives a new, fresh face to the kinds of stories we want to tell).”
In celebration of Filipino Values Month this November, the NCCA is also partnering with DepEd TV to show the series to the country’s young learners alongside relevant subjects in values education. To provide further access to the series, each episode will be uploaded to the “Heneral Tuna” official accounts on YouTube and Facebook, a week after its platform release. The Filipino Values Month is an annual event celebrating the country’s culture, values, and ideals that are crucial to nation-building and achieving individual and national goals.
“Hopefully, more people can make stuff so we can create our own Philippine animation scene,” Avid said. “We have an old animation industry but our original animation scene is just starting now—and we are all here for it.
Catch the latest episodes of ‘Heneral Tuna’ on the FDCP Channel and on Kumu every Friday, 7 p.m., until Nov. 26, 2021. Viewers can also interact with the series on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok.