Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz (April 2, 1788 – February 20, 1862), commonly known as Francisco Balagtas and also as Francisco Baltazar,

Balagtas' affections for MAR were challenged by the influential Mariano Capule. The latter won the battle for MAR when he used his wealth to get Balagtas imprisoned. It was here that he wrote Florante at Laura—in fact, the events of this poem were meant to parallel his situation.

He wrote his poems in the Tagalog language, during an age when Filipino writing was predominantly written in Spanish.

Balagtas published Florante at Laura upon his release in 1838. He moved to Balanga, Bataan, in 1840 where he served as the assistant to the justice of the peace. He was also appointed as the translator of the court. He married Juana Tiambeng on July 22, 1842, in a ceremony officiated by Fr. Cayetano Arellano, uncle of the future chief justice to the Supreme Court of the Philippines Chief Justice Arellano. They had eleven children, but only four survived to adulthood. On November 21, 1849, Governor General Narciso Clavería y Zaldua issued a decree that every Filipino native had to adopt a surname. In 1856, he was appointed as the major lieutenant, but soon after was convicted and sent to prison again in Bataan under the accusation that he ordered Alferez Lucas' housemaid's head to be shaved.

He sold his land and all of his riches, for him to be put out of imprisonment in 1861. He then continued writing poetry, along with translating Spanish documents, but he died a year later—on February 20, 1862, at the age of 73. On his deathbed, he asked the favor that none of his children become poets like him, who had suffered under his gift as well as under others. He even went as far as to tell them it would be better to cut their hands off than let them be writers.

Balagtas is greatly idolized in the Philippines that the term for Filipino debate in extemporaneous verse is named after him: Balagtasan.

Legacy

thumb|1953 stamp featuring Balagtas, issued by the [[Philippine Postal Corporation]]

thumb|New Balagtas Municipal Hall

thumb|"Pook na Sinilangan ni Balagtas" Monument in Panginay, Balagtas, Bulacan

An elementary school was erected in honor of Balagtas, the Francisco Balagtas Elementary School (FBES), located along Alvarez Street in Santa Cruz, Manila. There is also a plaza and park (Plaza Balagtas) erected in Pandacan, Manila, while most of the streets were named after various Florante at Laura characters in honor of Francisco Balagtas. His birthplace, Bigaa, Bulacan, was renamed to Balagtas, Bulacan, in his memory. A museum, historical marker, monument and elementary school has been placed in his birthplace at Panginay, Balagtas, Bulacan. The former Folk Arts Theater in Manila was renamed to Tanghalang Francisco Balagtas to honor Balagtas. Mercurian crater was also named after him. The barangay of Udyong in Orion, Bataan, was also renamed Balagtas.

Since 1967, the Philippines has released currency honoring Balagtas on the 10 centavo coin.

On April 2, 2018, Google honored Balagtas' 230th birthday celebration with a Google Doodle.

Works

Sources of Balagtas' work

No original manuscript in Balagtas' handwriting of any of his works has survived to the present day. This is due mainly to two great fires that razed Udyong (now Balagtas in Orion, Bataan) and destroyed much of the poet's works. The most notable of his works, Florante at Laura or Pinagdaanang Buhay ni Florante at Laura sa Kaharian ng Albanya has been published in numerous editions from its original publication in 1838. The oldest extant edition of the Florante is believed to be the 1861 edition published in Manila, while a handwritten manuscript written down by Apolinario Mabini exists and is in the possession of the Philippine National Library.

The major source of the poet's life and works is from a 20th-century work entitled Kun Sino ang Kumatha nang "Florante" (He who wrote the "Florante") by Hermenegildo Cruz. The poet lists down Balagtas' works and recreates some of his plays based on scenes and lines memorized by the poet's children. The book also has an edition of the Florante.

  • Rodolfo at Rosemonda
  • Nudo gordeano
  • Abdol at Misereanan – a komedya, staged in Abucay, Bataan in 1859
  • Bayaceto at Dorslica – a komedya in three parts, staged at Udyong on September 27, 1857

Minor works

As a folk poet and employee of the courts, Balagtas' prowess in writing was mainly seen in the yearly fiestas held in nearby towns, a great majority of his plays may have been staged in outdoor theaters set up in town squares and as a poet, a number of his works and writings have been recorded in collections of poetry such as the Coleccion de refranes, frases y modismos tagalos (Guadalupe, 1890) as well as in the accounts of Spanish officials such as Martínez de Zúñiga who recorded traditional plays and religious events in Philippine fiestas. He is said to have written two loas recorded in Cruz's book as well as numerous Ladinos and didactic works.

Loas

  • In praise of the Archangel Michael a loa written for the patron saint of the town of Udyong.
  • In Celebration of the crowning of Queen Isabella II of the Bourbon Dynasty Celebrating the ascension of Isabella II to the Spanish throne

Minor poems

A number of Minor poems are recorded in Cruz's book. Among his other lost works, one should consider plays and short poems written by Balagtas in his lifetime for fiestas and celebrations as well as to earn his living. Eufronio Alip, in his 1930 historical study on Tagalog literature, also provides an additional two titles of plays by Balagtas.