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• Francisco "Balagtas" Baltazar


  Famous Filipino poet and author
• Prinsipe ng Manunulang Tagalog


  Considered the "William Shakespeare" of the Philippines
• Wrote "Florante at Laura"


  1838
• Balagtas


  • Nickname: Kikong Balagtas/Kiko
  • Born: April 2, 1788
  • Parents: Juana dela Cruz and Juan Baltazar
  • Born in Barrio Panginay, Bigaa (Bulacan)
  • Youngest of his 3 siblings, Felipe, Concha, and Nicholasa
• Balagtas' education

  1. Attended a parochial school

  2. Was a houseboy for his tita

  3. In 1812, he graduated with degrees in Crown Law, Spanish, Latin, Physics, Christian Doctrine, Humanities, and Philosophy

  4. Was taught by Dr. Mariano Pilapil and Jose de la Cruz on how to improve his poem writing
• Maria Asuncion Rivera

  Balagtas' muse for his poems, referred to as "Selya" and "MAR" in Florante at Laura
• Balagtas was imprisoned by Mariano Capule, a rich and influential man who was also in love with Maria
• While imprisoned, Balagtas heard that Maria and Mariano got married despite Maria saying that she'd wait for him to be released from prison
• It was then that Balagtas wrote Florante at Laura
• Florante at Laura was originally written in Tagalog, but during the Spanish period, Balagtas translated it into Spanish and published it in 1838
• For 16 years, Balagtas became a translator
• Francisco "Balagtas" Baltazar


  Famous Filipino poet and author
• Prinsipe ng Manunulang Tagalog


  Considered the "William Shakespeare" of the Philippines
• Francisco "Balagtas" Baltazar


  Famous Filipino poet and author
• Wrote "Florante at Laura"


  1838
• Balagtas


  • Nickname: Kikong Balagtas/Kiko
  • Born: April 2, 1788
  • Parents: Juana dela Cruz and Juan Baltazar
  • Born in Barrio Panginay, Bigaa (Bulacan)
  • Youngest of his 3 siblings, Felipe, Concha, and Nicholasa
• Prinsipe ng Manunulang Tagalog


  Considered the "William Shakespeare" of the Philippines
• Balagtas' education


  1. Attended a parochial school

  2. Was a houseboy for his tita

  3. In 1812, he graduated with degrees in Crown Law, Spanish, Latin, Physics, Christian Doctrine, Humanities, and Philosophy

  4. Was taught by Dr. Mariano Pilapil and Jose de la Cruz on how to improve his poem writing
• Wrote "Florante at Laura"


  1838
• Maria Asuncion Rivera


  Balagtas' muse for his poems, referred to as "Selya" and "MAR" in Florante at Laura
• Balagtas


  • Nickname: Kikong Balagtas/Kiko
  • Born: April 2, 1788
  • Parents: Juana dela Cruz and Juan Baltazar
  • Born in Barrio Panginay, Bigaa (Bulacan)
  • Youngest of his 3 siblings, Felipe, Concha, and Nicholasa
• Balagtas' education


  1. Attended a parochial school

  2. Was a houseboy for his tita

  3. In 1812, he graduated with degrees in Crown Law, Spanish, Latin, Physics, Christian Doctrine, Humanities, and Philosophy

  4. Was taught by Dr. Mariano Pilapil and Jose de la Cruz on how to improve his poem writing
• Balagtas was imprisoned by Mariano Capule, a rich and influential man who was also in love with Maria
• While imprisoned, Balagtas heard that Maria and Mariano got married despite Maria saying that she'd wait for him to be released from prison
• Maria Asuncion Rivera


  Balagtas' muse for his poems, referred to as "Selya" and "MAR" in Florante at Laura
• It was then that Balagtas wrote Florante at Laura
• Balagtas was imprisoned by Mariano Capule, a rich and influential man who was also in love with Maria
• Florante at Laura was originally written in Tagalog, but during the Spanish period, Balagtas translated it into Spanish and published it in 1838
• While imprisoned, Balagtas heard that Maria and Mariano got married despite Maria saying that she'd wait for him to be released from prison
• For 16 years, Balagtas became a translator
• It was then that Balagtas wrote Florante at Laura
• Balagtas' second love


  • He met Juana Tiambeng in Orion, Bataan, and got married on July 22, 1842. They had 11 kids
• Florante at Laura was originally written in Tagalog, but during the Spanish period, Balagtas translated it into Spanish and published it in 1838
• Governor-General Narciso Claveria declared that every Filipino should have Spanish last names, this is when Balagtas became Francisco Baltazar


  1849
• For 16 years, Balagtas became a translator
• In 1856, Balagtas was imprisoned AGAIN because he cut off his housemate's hair (in reality the Spanish had something to do with it)
• Balagtas' second marriage


  • Met his second love, Juana Tiambeng, in Orion, Bataan
  • Got married on July 22, 1842
  • They had 11 kids
• Balagtas died at the age of 74


  February 20, 1862
• Balagtas' last wish was for none of his 11 children to follow in his footsteps and become a poet/writer, as he didn't want them to experience the same hardships that he had faced solely because they were writers
• Governor-General Narciso Claveria declared that every Filipino should have Spanish last names, this is when Balagtas became Francisco Baltazar


  1849