DID YOU KNOW: The first balagtasan took place at Instituto de Mujeres in Manila

The first balagtasan took place at Instituto de Mujeres in Manila in 1924. Balagtasan, named after the nation’s foremost poet Francisco Balagtas, is a debate in verse, a poetical joust done almost spontaneously between protagonists who debate over the pros and cons of an issue. Jose Corazon de Jesus and Florentino Collantes were the participants in the first balagtasan. —Marielle Medina