by: Jerome Paunan
MANILA, (PIA) — The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) commemorated the 237th birth anniversary of Francisco Balagtas, also known as Francisco Baltazar on Monday by emphasizing key lessons from his masterpiece “Florante at Laura,” a work that national hero Jose Rizal described as “a Tagalog literary creation that reached the pinnacle of fame and nobility.
“Ang Florante at Laura ay kwento ng dalawang magkaibang idelohiya na nagsama sa isang ‘gubat’ na tinutukoy natin na Pilipinas, at sa bandang huli, sila ay nagkasama at nagkasama ang kanilang idelohiya para sa isang adhikain,” said KWF Full-time Commissioner Benjamin Mendillo Jr. (Florante at Laura is a story of two different ideologies that came together in a ‘jungle’ that we refer to as the Philippines, and in the end, they came together and their ideologies united for a common cause.)
“Idelohiya ng Kristiyano at idelohiya ng Muslim Sa bandang huli po ay nagkaisa,” he added. (Christian ideology and Muslim ideology eventually united)
The celebration, themed “Mga Aral ni Balagtas Tungo sa Pambansang Pagkakaisa at Kaunlaran (Lessons from Balagtas Toward National Unity and Progress),” reflected the renowned poet’s excellence and greatness in inpiring readers to do good for the nation, according to KWF officials.
Balagtas’s greatness as a poet was recognized not for the quantity of his writings, but for his ‘Florante at Laura,’ whose poetic richness sufficiently proves his extraordinary ability that became the admiration of the world.
Representatives from various government offices and organizations laid wreaths at Balagtas’s monument in Pandacan, Manila. The commission also distributed publications of Balagtas’s works to guests. Including the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Manila City Government, and officials representing barangays in Pandacan.
According to historical accounts shared during the event, Rizal carried “Florante at Laura” during his studies abroad, and the plot of his novel “Noli Me Tangere” was partially derived from Balagtas’s work.
The annual commemoration is mandated by Presidential Proclamation No. 964, series of 1997, designating the KWF to lead Balagtas Day celebrations every April 2.
Presidential Proclamation No. 968, series of 2015, also tasks the KWF, the National Book Development Board, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts with coordinating activities related to Literature Month with the theme “Sikad Panitikan: Kultura at Panitikan para sa Kaunlaran.”
The event highlighted the continuing influence of Balagtas’s literary heroism and remarkable abilities that have garnered worldwide recognition for over two centuries. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
Photos by JLN/PIA-NCR
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