Francisco "Balagtas" Baltazar: A Life in Poetry and Adversity
Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz, commonly known as Francisco Balagtas, Kiko also as Francisco Baltazar. He was born on April 2, 1788 in Barrio Panginay, Bigaa, Bulacan. His parents were Juana dela Cruz and Juan Baltazar and his siblings were Felipe, Concha and Nicolasa. He stayed most of his life in different towns and cities. This included Tondo whose house stood on the sea side of the road now known as Bilbao. While he was in Tondo he felt the pulse of first love when he met Magdalena Ana Ramos. This led him to become a poet. At the age of 11, he left Manila, to find work and study. He first entered the school, Parokyal in Bigaa where he was taught about religion. Donya Trinidad became Francisco Balagtas' assistant so that he could continue his college at the Colegio de San Jose in Manila. Then, he studied at Colegio de San Juan de Letran and Father Mariano Pilapil became his teacher . Balagtas learned to write poetry from José de la Cruz (Huseng Sisiw), one of the most famous po...