Did you know: Playwright Severino “Lola Basyang” Reyes

The late playwright and writer Severino Reyes, popular for his “Lola Basyang” stories, was born in Sta. Cruz, Manila, on Feb. 11, 1861. He wrote about 26 zarzuelas and 22 dramas in his career and was known as “the Father of the Tagalog Sarswela.” In “Lola Basiang,” he retold foreign folk tales as well as local legends like “Mariang Makiling.” He died on Sept. 15, 1942. Schatzi Quodala, Inquirer Research