In March 1890, the reformist newspaper La Solidaridad published an essay titled “A Letter of Recommendation.” The piece was written by Antonio Luna, one of the sharpest and most uncompromising voices of the Filipino reform movement in Spain.
At first glance, the essay reads like a simple story. A young Filipino arrives in Madrid carrying a letter of recommendation from his uncle. The letter introduces him to a respected Filipino gentleman who, the young man believes, will guide him as he begins his life abroad.
But as the conversation unfolds, Luna transforms the story into a powerful critique of Filipinos living overseas—especially those who forget why they left their country in the first place.
More than a century later, the message still feels strikingly relevant.
The Dream of a Filipino Arriving Abroad
The story begins with the narrator arriving at the house of a Filipino gentleman in Madrid.
“Kling, kling, kling!” he writes, describing the sound of the doorbell.
The door opens and he finds himself “face to face with a Filipino maid dressed in the usual native fashion.”
He introduces himself and explains that he carries a recommendation letter.
“Please tell him that I am a recent arrival from the Philippines and that I bring a letter of recommendation from Mr. Eustaquio de los Santos.”
The young man feels reassured. His uncle had promised that the gentleman would treat him like family.
“There you will have a family like your own… you will not be lacking in someone to look after you if you should be sick or of money when you need it.”
The narrator imagines a smooth and comfortable life in Europe. With the support of fellow Filipinos, he believes the challenges of living abroad will be easy to overcome.
He even tells himself:
“I became convinced that I would not have desolate days filled with constant problems; that my life in Madrid would be spent peaceful, without a passing cloud to stain the clear blue of my aspirations.”
Antonio Luna captures a familiar feeling here: the optimism of a young Filipino arriving in a foreign country, convinced that success lies ahead.
The Conversation That Changes Everything
When the narrator finally meets the gentleman, however, the conversation quickly becomes uncomfortable.
Instead of encouragement, the older Filipino delivers a harsh assessment of Filipinos living in Europe.
He tells the young man bluntly:
“Most all of them—and even you perhaps—are living under illusions.”
According to him, many Filipinos abroad speak confidently about reforming the Philippines despite having little understanding of the country’s realities.
“When they know nothing about it, they try to reform the Philippines.”
This is one of the central points of Luna’s essay. Distance from home can create the illusion of wisdom. Living abroad can make people believe they understand their country better than those who remain in it.
But Luna suggests that such confidence is often misplaced.
Filipino Youth Losing Their Direction
The gentleman continues by criticizing the behavior of Filipino students in Europe.
At first, he says, he believed that Filipinos abroad would support each other and work together for the country.
“I used to believe that our countrymen… away from the Philippines are working like brothers under one roof.”
But his experience tells a different story.
Instead of discipline and dedication, he has seen something else.
“I have seen them around like lost souls… dedicated to gambling.”
This line is one of the most striking in the essay. Luna suggests that some Filipinos who went abroad to study and serve the country instead became distracted by leisure, vanity, and social life.
For Luna, the problem is not simply personal weakness—it is the loss of purpose.
The Colonial Desire to Imitate Europe
Another subtle theme appears in the narrator’s description of the house.
The room reflects European luxury and prestige.
There are “luxurious rugs… huge mirrors with decorative golden frames… and silver chandeliers.”
The scene suggests the desire of colonial elites to imitate European lifestyles.
For Luna, this imitation is another form of illusion. Instead of building a strong identity rooted in their own country, some Filipinos become preoccupied with appearances and status abroad.
A Message That Still Resonates Today
Although Antonio Luna wrote this essay in 1890, the themes remain familiar.
Today, millions of Filipinos live and work overseas. Many leave the country with dreams of success, hoping that life abroad will open new opportunities.
Like the narrator in Luna’s story, they often imagine a future free from the difficulties of home.
But Luna’s warning still echoes across time.
“Most all of them… are living under illusions.”
Living abroad offers opportunity, but it also brings challenges: loneliness, cultural adjustment, and the temptation to lose one’s sense of purpose.
For overseas Filipinos today—whether students, professionals, or migrant workers—the struggle is often the same: how to build a better life abroad while remaining connected to home.
Antonio Luna’s Enduring Lesson
In the end, “A Letter of Recommendation” is more than a story about a Filipino in Madrid. It is a reflection on responsibility.
Antonio Luna reminds readers that success abroad does not automatically make someone a leader or reformer. True service to one’s country requires knowledge, discipline, and humility.
Otherwise, the dream of progress becomes little more than illusion.
And in that warning, written more than a century ago, Luna speaks not only to the Filipino reformists of the nineteenth century—but also to the millions of Filipinos who continue to live and work far from home today.
