Florentino Collantes
Encyclopedia
Florentino Collantes was a Filipino
poet
who was among the writers who spearheaded a revival of interest in Tagalog
literature in the Philippines
in the 20th century.
to Toribio Collantes of Baliwag, Bulacan and Manuela Tancioco of Pulilan. He completed his primary and secondary schooling in Malolos, Bulacan.
As a teenager, Collantes displayed an avid interest in literature and memorized epic poems in Spanish ('corridos') and Tagalog ('awits'). He is known to have committed to memory long excerpts from versified stories on the passion of Jesus Christ, known as 'pasion
', that are traditionally sung in public during Holy Week in the Philippines. He was also a skilled practitioner of 'duplo
', or a dramatic poetical joust that was a popular form of entertainment in the Philippines until the 1950s. At the age of 15, he already read almost all ('awits'), ('dula') and corido. Due to poverty, he only manages to read books and journals by helping to sell some "awits" and "coridos" during fiestas and he uses the money he earns to borrow some journals from a nearby store.
, Ilocano
and Visayan languages
.
His interest in poetry led him to write for the defunct Tagalog publications Buntot Pagi, Pagkakaisa and Watawat. He would later be an editor of the defunct publications Pakak, Balagtas, Lintik and Ang Bansa.
In 1925, he was asked to join a group of Tagalog writers to organize an event to mark the birth anniversary of the Tagalog poet Francisco Balagtas
on April 2. The group included the writers Rosa Sevilla and Jose Corazon de Jesus
.
The group decided to change the format of the traditional duplo and rename it balagtasan, in honor of Balagtas. The first balagtasan was held in Tayuman, Manila
on April 6, 1925. Several pairs of poets joined the literary joust but Collantes and De Jesus were the most popular. The organizers pitted the two in a rivalry that culminated in a contest for the title of 'Hari ng Balagtasan' (King of the Balagtasan).
. The movie is now acclaimed as a classic in Philippine cinema.
His other works that are now taught in schools all over the Philippines are 'Ang Magsasaka' (The Farmer), 'Pangarap sa Bagong Kasal' (Dream For The Newly-Weds), 'Mahalin Ang Atin' (Love Our Own), 'Ang Tulisan' (The Bandit) and 'Ang Labindalawang Kuba' (The Twelve Hunchbacks).
On July 4, 1950, Collantes was conferred the title 'Makata ng Bayan' (Poet of the People) by President Elpidio Quirino
.
Collantes died on July 15, 1951 at the age of 55. He was survived by his wife Sixta Tancioco and eight children.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who was among the writers who spearheaded a revival of interest in Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
literature in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in the 20th century.
Early years
Collantes was born in the village of Dampol in Pulilan, BulacanBulacan
Bulacan , officially called the Province of Bulacan or simply Bulacan Province, is a first class province of the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region in the island of Luzon, north of Manila , and part of the Metro...
to Toribio Collantes of Baliwag, Bulacan and Manuela Tancioco of Pulilan. He completed his primary and secondary schooling in Malolos, Bulacan.
As a teenager, Collantes displayed an avid interest in literature and memorized epic poems in Spanish ('corridos') and Tagalog ('awits'). He is known to have committed to memory long excerpts from versified stories on the passion of Jesus Christ, known as 'pasion
Pasion
Pasion was an ancient Greek slave from the 4th century BC. He was owned by the bankers Antisthenes and Archestratus, located at Piraeus, the harbor five miles out of Athens. During his slavery, he quickly rose to chief clerk in charge of a money-changing table at the port , and proved so valuable...
', that are traditionally sung in public during Holy Week in the Philippines. He was also a skilled practitioner of 'duplo
Duplo
Duplo is a product range of the construction toy Lego, designed for children aged 1½ to 6 years old. Duplo bricks are twice the length, height and width of traditional Lego bricks , as a result being easier to handle – as well as being far harder to swallow – by younger children...
', or a dramatic poetical joust that was a popular form of entertainment in the Philippines until the 1950s. At the age of 15, he already read almost all ('awits'), ('dula') and corido. Due to poverty, he only manages to read books and journals by helping to sell some "awits" and "coridos" during fiestas and he uses the money he earns to borrow some journals from a nearby store.
Maturity
As an adult, Collantes worked in the government's Bureau of Lands where he was given a number of provincial assignments that gave him the opportunity to learn the KapampanganKapampangan language
The Pampangan language, or Kapampangan , is one of the major languages of the Philippines. It is the language spoken in the province of Pampanga, the southern half of the province of Tarlac and the northern portion of the province of Bataan. Kapampangan is also understood in some barangays of...
, Ilocano
Ilokano language
Ilokano or Ilocano is the third most-spoken language of the Republic of the Philippines....
and Visayan languages
Visayan languages
The Visayan languages of the Philippines, along with Tagalog and Bikol, are part of the Central Philippine languages...
.
His interest in poetry led him to write for the defunct Tagalog publications Buntot Pagi, Pagkakaisa and Watawat. He would later be an editor of the defunct publications Pakak, Balagtas, Lintik and Ang Bansa.
In 1925, he was asked to join a group of Tagalog writers to organize an event to mark the birth anniversary of the Tagalog poet Francisco Balagtas
Francisco Balagtas
Francisco Baltazar y dela Cruz , known much more widely through his nom-de-plume Francisco Balagtas, was a prominent Filipino poet, and is widely considered as the Tagalog equivalent of William Shakespeare for his impact on Filipino literature...
on April 2. The group included the writers Rosa Sevilla and Jose Corazon de Jesus
José Corazón de Jesús
José Corazón de Jesús , also known by his pen name Huseng Batute, was a Filipino poet who used Tagalog poetry to express the Filipinos' desire for independence during the American occupation of the Philippines, a period that lasted from 1901 to 1946...
.
The group decided to change the format of the traditional duplo and rename it balagtasan, in honor of Balagtas. The first balagtasan was held in Tayuman, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
on April 6, 1925. Several pairs of poets joined the literary joust but Collantes and De Jesus were the most popular. The organizers pitted the two in a rivalry that culminated in a contest for the title of 'Hari ng Balagtasan' (King of the Balagtasan).
Poet of the people
Although De Jesus was acclaimed 'Hari ng Balagtasan', Collantes also gained national fame as a poet. His most memorable work is 'Ang Lumang Simbahan', which was so popular that he expanded it into a novel that was later turned into a movie starring Mary WalterMary Walter
Mary Walter was a Filipino actress whose 8 decade-long film acting career saw her transformation from a romantic lead in the silent film era into a wizened fixture in horror movies in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
. The movie is now acclaimed as a classic in Philippine cinema.
His other works that are now taught in schools all over the Philippines are 'Ang Magsasaka' (The Farmer), 'Pangarap sa Bagong Kasal' (Dream For The Newly-Weds), 'Mahalin Ang Atin' (Love Our Own), 'Ang Tulisan' (The Bandit) and 'Ang Labindalawang Kuba' (The Twelve Hunchbacks).
On July 4, 1950, Collantes was conferred the title 'Makata ng Bayan' (Poet of the People) by President Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Rivera Quirino was a Filipino politician, and the sixth President of the Philippines.A lawyer by profession, Quirino entered politics when he became a representative of Ilocos Sur from 1919 to 1925. He was then elected as senator from 1925–1931...
.
Collantes died on July 15, 1951 at the age of 55. He was survived by his wife Sixta Tancioco and eight children.
Works
- Ang Lumang Simbahan
- Ang Tulisan
- Ang Barasoain
- Alitaptap
- Nagumon sa Bisyo