Francisco Balagtas

Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz (April 2, 1788 – February 20, 1862), commonly known as Francisco Balagtas and also as Francisco Baltasar, was a Filipino poet and litterateur of the Tagalog language during the Spanish rule of the Philippines. He is widely considered one of the greatest Filipino literary laureates for his impact on Filipino literature. The famous epic Florante at Laura is regarded as his defining work.

Francisco Balagtas
Francisco Baltasar
Bust of Balagtas in Pandacan, Manila
BornFrancisco Balagtas y de la Cruz
April 2, 1788 (1788-04-08)
Bigaa, Bulacan, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire
DiedFebruary 20, 1862(1862-02-20) (aged 73)
Udyong, Bataan, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire
NicknameKiko
OccupationPoet
LanguageTagalog
CitizenshipSpanish (1812 Spanish Constitution granted Filipino natives Spanish citizenship)
Alma materColegio de San Juan de Letran
Notable worksFlorante at Laura
Spouse
Juana Tiambeng
(m. 1842)
Children11

Balagtas adopted the legal surname Baltasar in fulfillment of the edict issued by Governor-General Narciso Claveria y Zaldua in 1849 that mandated the native population to adopt standard surnames. The name is commonly misspelled as Baltazar and sometimes misinterpreted as his pen name.

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