DID YOU KNOW: April 2 is Balagtas Day
On April 2, 1788, Tagalog poet and author Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar was born.
Among his greatest works were “Florante at Laura” and “Orosman at Zafira.”
Balagtasan, a Filipino form of debate in which rhyming verses are created spontaneously with topics ranging from Philippine politics to culture, was named after him.
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The first Balagtasan took place in Manila in April 1924 with Jose Corazon de Jesus and Florentino Collantes as the participants.
By virtue of Proclamation No. 1249 signed in 1974, April 2 of every year is observed as Balagtas Day. —Marielle Medina, Inquirer Research
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