However a civil war ensues in the Philippines, after a terrorist organization kidnapped Benjie's grandfather and had several high ranking officials in the country surrender. The Philippine government started a conscription program and Benjie had to enlist himself in lieu of his father to save his grandfather and country.
Praybeyt Benjamin contains examples of the following tropes:
- Black Sheep: Benjie's father who pursued a career in being a scientist, breaking the family tradition of serving in the military.
- Butch Lesbian: Lucresia, her family agreed her to be conscripted so that she may become "a true woman" since the military will be full of handsome guys.
- Camp Gay: Benjie. He acts like a text book bakla, a Philippine LGBT term for an effeminate gay man.
- Civil War: The Philippine government vs. Bandidos International
- Conscription: The Philippine government started conscripting men and some women to the armed forces after Bandidos International started a civil war.
- Chekhov's Gun: Benjamin Santos VII's inventions which were later use by Benjie and the gang when they broke in the terrorist's camp.
- A fan that can kill hundreds in one shot.
- A literal Chekov's Gun in a form of a fart gun.
- Crossdresser: Several instances...
- Benjie often does this before entering the military.
- In the climax after Benjie got kicked out from the military, Benjie and his former platoon-mates (save for Lucresia) breaks in the terrorist's camp by cross dressing to pose as women. Lucresia being the only woman in the group, just dresses up more feminine
- Crossover: Erickson and his horse Petra from Petrang Kabayo meets Benjie in the end of the film.
- Dad's Off Fighting in the War: Subverted, Benjie volunteered himself to serve in the military instead of his ailing father.
- Flying Under the Gaydar: Benjie tries to present himself as a straight masculine man when he was training in the military.
- Forced Out of the Closet: Recruits from the other platoon tries to out Benjie since they are jealous that he was named the best rookie in the camp.They got him drunk and took a video of him dancing in a stereotypical gay manner and was kicked out from the military.
- Gaydar: Lucresia, when she first met Benjie who was posing as a straight man immediately recognizes Benjie as gay. Lucresia later notices Benjie's sweating over Brandon and catches Benjie wearing a bra while they were sleeping in the barracks.
- Have You Tried Not Being a Monster?: Benjie was told to be a real man by random folks in his neighborhood after an episode where his grandfather punched him for being gay on his 75th birthday.
- Identical Grandson: Benjie's ancestors during the start of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, Philippine Revolution, and World War II looked exactly liked him. Averted for his immediate grandfather, Benjamin Santos VI and Benjamin Santos VII who are only shown as a senior citizen and a middle aged man respectively.
- Important Haircut: Benjie cuts his feminine hair to pass as a straight man in the military.
- Inexplicably Identical Individuals: Benjie and Brandon's fiance at the end of the movie.
- Legacy of the Chosen: Self-imposed by the Santos clan, everyone with "Benjamin Santos" in his name is expected to serve in the military.
- Pink Is for Sissies: People around Benjie assumes he's gay because he acts feminine and crossdresses. This is Truth in Television though because in the Philippines, effeminate gay men are visible in society. Benjie is indeed gay and some scenes has shown that he is attracted to other men.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Benjie's platoon is composed of people who either experienced some prejudice in society or has deep flaws that would usually make them unfit for the military; a lesbian, a medium or psyschic, a naive man, a coward, a big-eater, and a gay man posing as a straight macho man.
- Terrorists Without a Cause: Bandidos International, though they were inspired from Islamic militants in the Philippines their motives were never made clear beyond controlling the whole territory of the Philippines.
- Your Tradition Is Not Mine: Benjie's father who became a scientist going against the Santos family's tradition of someone named Benjamin serving in the military. Benjie himself too initially.
