Francisco Baltazar was born on April 2, 1778, in Bigaa, Bulacan. He was one of the few "ladino" (native Filipinos who became learned in the Spanish language) who became famous in local society during the Spanish period.
The era when Baltazar lived was already dominated by European ideals and practices. Repressive colonial policies, like press censorship, inhibited the growth of native creativity and conditioned most local intellectuals to conform to colonial models. Thus, the moro, corido, and pasyon dominated Philippine literary works. Baltazar also wrote such literary types, e.g. Almanzor y Rosalina (1841), Bayaceto y Dorlisca (1857), Abdal y Miserena (1859), Orozman y Zafira (1860), and Clara Belmori (1875).
Unlike his contemporaries, however, Baltazar broke free from his restrictive mold. His Florante at Laura became the first Filipino literary piece. It blazed a new trail for native writers. His insertion of what many people were saying, e.g., "Sa loob at labas ng kaharian kong sawi, kaliluhan ang naghahari" (Evil reigns throughout my unfortunate land) exposed the oppressive conditions prevailing in the country and made his people aware of the social cancer that afflicted them. He also included native adages, e.g., "Ang laki sa layaw karaniwa’y hubad" (Spare the rod, spoil the child). Thus, his work became a tool against evil and a means to educate his people. Through Florante at Laura, he laid the foundations of new literary tradition in the Philippines, one that was not subservient to colonial models, that expressed the people’s own feelings and sentiments. (Tempo)
The era when Baltazar lived was already dominated by European ideals and practices. Repressive colonial policies, like press censorship, inhibited the growth of native creativity and conditioned most local intellectuals to conform to colonial models. Thus, the moro, corido, and pasyon dominated Philippine literary works. Baltazar also wrote such literary types, e.g. Almanzor y Rosalina (1841), Bayaceto y Dorlisca (1857), Abdal y Miserena (1859), Orozman y Zafira (1860), and Clara Belmori (1875).
Unlike his contemporaries, however, Baltazar broke free from his restrictive mold. His Florante at Laura became the first Filipino literary piece. It blazed a new trail for native writers. His insertion of what many people were saying, e.g., "Sa loob at labas ng kaharian kong sawi, kaliluhan ang naghahari" (Evil reigns throughout my unfortunate land) exposed the oppressive conditions prevailing in the country and made his people aware of the social cancer that afflicted them. He also included native adages, e.g., "Ang laki sa layaw karaniwa’y hubad" (Spare the rod, spoil the child). Thus, his work became a tool against evil and a means to educate his people. Through Florante at Laura, he laid the foundations of new literary tradition in the Philippines, one that was not subservient to colonial models, that expressed the people’s own feelings and sentiments. (Tempo)
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