President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared April 2, 2012 which falls on a Monday as a special non-working day in the province of Bulacan in commemoration of the 224th
birth anniversary of prominent
poet and orator Francisco "Balagtas" Baltazar.
In Proclamation No. 355 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on March 27, the Chief Executive issued the declaration to give the people of Bulacan the full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with
appropriate ceremonies.
Known by his pen name Balagtas, Baltazar has been described as the “Prince of Tagalog Poets."
Baltazar was born in Panginay, Bigaa (now Balagtas), Bulacan on April 2, 1788. He was the youngest of the four children of Juan Baltazar, a blacksmith, and Juana de la Cruz.
He worked as a helper in Tondo to support his studies where he met Jose de la Cruz, a prominent poet whose penchant for fighting cocks as payment for his
literary works earned him the sobriquet “Huseng Sisiw.â€
The popular Filipino debate form Balagtasan was named after Balagtas. He was recognized by the Pahayagang Kastilyano (Spanish publication) and became the
front cover for two weeks.
Baltazar is widely considered as the Tagalog equivalent of William Shakespeare for his impact on Filipino literature. The
famous epic, Florante at Laura, is regarded as his defining work. He died on February 20, 1862.
source: Philippine News Agency
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Topic: Baltazar: Tagalog Equivalent of William Shakespeare (Read 1923 times)