Did you know: Hermenegildo Cruz

Labor leader and writer Hermenegildo Cruz was born on Dec. 31, 1880, in Binondo, Manila. A founding member of Union Obrera Democratica, he also became a member of the Philippine Assembly and director of the Bureau of Labor in 1924. One of his famous works includes “Kung Sino ang Kumatha ng Florante” (On Who Authored Florante), which is noted as the first attempt to explain Balagtas by dealing with the poet’s biography and the historical context of the poem.—Marielle Medina, Inquirer Research