A literary pilgrimage for Balagtas on his 226th birth anniversary

 

Lovers of Filipino literature from all over the country got together on April 2 to go on a literary pilgrimage celebrating the 226th birth anniversary of Francisco Baltazar, arguably the Philippines' greatest poet.

Baltazar, under his nom de plume "Balagtas," helped spark the patriotic spirit among Filipinos—including national hero Jose Rizal—through his poems, and should therefore be commemorated for his contributions to the country, said National Artist Virgilio Almario.

Almario, who chairs the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, argued that Balagtas' works, specifically "Florante and Laura," inspired many of Rizal's writings, which in turn inspired revolutionaries to take up arms against the Spanish in 1896.

"Ang libertarian spirit, sabihin nating naging matindi noong propaganda period, kay Rizal, at saka sumiklab sa himagsikan noong 1896. Pero kung tutuusin mo, bago mangyari iyon, ang unang nagtanim ng libertarian spirit ay si Balagtas," he explained.

"Kaya kahit si Rizal, tinuturing niyang ninuno niya si Balagtas. Kaya noong pumunta siya sa Europe, ang tanging dala niya ay ang Florante at Laura," he added, noting that Rizal cited "Florante at Laura" six times in his novel "Noli Me Tangere."

Almario also observed that Andres Bonifacio's poetry may have been patterned after Balagtas' work.

"Si Andres Bonifacio, sa mga tula niya, napakaraming lines galing sa 'Florante at Laura.' Ibig sabihin, kumuha siya ng inspirasyon kay Balagtas," he added.

Three places in Baltazar's life

For the first time, the celebration of Balagtas' birth anniversary was commemorated in three cities: in Bulacan, where he was born; in Pandacan, where he is believed to have written most of "Florante and Laura"; and in Bataan, where he met the love of his life, and where he died.

"Ngayon, tatlong lugar ang aming pupuntahan dahil sa palagay namin, ito ang tatlong importanteng lugar sa buhay niya," Almario said.

The pilgrimage began early at Liwasang Balagtas in Pandacan in Manila, where members of the KWF and other organizations, including the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, offered flowers to the great poet's monument.

A short program was also set up, where volunteers showed off their elocution skills.
 

After the performance, the group of around 100 people packed up and headed to another Balagtas monument, this time in Balagtas town in Bulacan.

Upon arrival, the group was greeted by a fiesta-like celebration, complete with sagalas and their konsortes, at the monument, where flowers were offered yet again.

During the program in Bulacan, the KWF awarded the Dangal ni Balagtas, a lifetime achievement award, to Teo Antonio.

"Sa kaniyang kapuluan ng talinghaga, na ang makata ang bumibiro sa tadhana upang ipamalas sa sopistikadong paraan ang baligho sa larangan ng malinis, matatag, mabago, at matuwid," the citation for Antonio read.

The KWF said the Dangal ni Balagtas award is given to writers and artists "na nakalikha ng mga akdang nag-iiwan ng bakas o humahawi ng landas sa larangan ng pagsusulat."

After the awarding, a group of young students performed a Balagtasan articulately and with grace.
 

After the program and lunch, the group—along with some new participants from Bulacan—headed to Orion, Bataan, where Balagtas' remains are said to be buried.

Flowers were offered to Balagtas' monument at the Jose Rizal Institute.

During the program, the highlight was the awarding of the winners of the 51st Talaang Ginto: Makata ng Taon, a poetry contest sponsored by the government.

"Tatalakayin ng tulang ipapasa ang isang malaki at makabagong problema at kung paano kikilos ang isang makabagong bayani upang lutasin ito," KWF's Jomar Cañega said before announcing the winners.

Ezzard Ramos Gilbang—a teacher, a painter, a sculptor, a writer, and a poet—won first place for his "Sundayan: Sa Dilim Isinulat ang Liwanag ng Kanilang Pangalan" piece. His mother-in-law, Lennyvelle Rona, received the award for him.

Mark Angeles, a GMA News Online contributor, won second place for his poem "Digital Bayani."

Angeles has won several awards, including KWF's Mananaysay ng Taon in 2013 and the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature for the same year. He was also the Philippines' lone representative at the 2013 International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.

Garnering third place was "Isa Munang Patalastas," written by John Enrico Torralba, a professor at De La Salle University and Miriam College. Torralba also won at the Talaang Ginto in 2010, 2011, and 2013, and at the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in 2002, 2011, and 2012.

National holiday

Almario noted that the grand celebration this year is to support KWF's campaign to make Araw ni Balagtas a national event.

"Gusto kong ma-develop na by 2016, ay i-celebrate ang Araw ni Balagtas nationally," he said. "Ang higit nating pangarap ay gawing isang national holiday ang Araw ni Balagtas."

He added that the commission is already planning next year's celebration, which would be much more grand and would target the younger generation.

"Magkakaroon ng konsyerto at iba't iba pa," Almario said. — BM/YA, GMA News