Ballet Manila unveils its adaptation of the literary classic Florante at Laura on October 12, 13 and 19 at Aliw Theater, with the choreography of Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance, the music of National Artist Ryan Cayabyab and the artistic direction of Lisa Macuja Elizalde.

To usher in this world premiere, balletmanilaarchives.com is running a series of articles about the Francisco Balagtas masterpiece to give context to the story and its characters and to underscore its continuing relevance today, almost two centuries after it was first published. The series is written by Michael M. Coroza, PhD, who served as consultant to the production. He is a full professor and former chair of the Department of Filipino, School of Humanities, Ateneo De Manila University, and is also chairman of the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL). 

 By Michael M. Coroza
(Second of a series)

Francisco Balagtas Day is celebrated on April 2 every year. On that day, the man who would be recognized as the “Prince of Tagalog Poets” for his Florante at Laura was born in 1788 in Panginay, Bigaa (now Balagtas), Bulacan. During the ravages of American colonialism in the Philippines in the first half of the twentieth century, he was hailed as a hero and role model by intellectuals and artists who believed in the enlightening power of language and poetry.

Thus, the “Apat na Himagsik ni Balagtas” (The Four Revolts of Balagtas) is a significant aspect of studying Florante at Laura. This lesson has been included in many textbooks to deepen the appreciation of students of Balagtas and his masterpiece’s historical and social significance. However, it is often forgotten who first conceived of and introduced these revolts and when. Interestingly, when a diligent student is asked about the story or the literary merits of Florante at Laura, the “Apat na Himagsik” is often the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, a coherent explanation of why and how the text depicts such revolts is rarely given.

What precisely are the said “Four Revolts of Balagtas”? These are:

• Himagsik laban sa malupit na pamahalaan (Revolt against an oppressive government)

• Himagsik laban sa hidwang pananampalataya (Revolt against an anomalous faith)

• Himagsik laban sa mga maling kaugalian (Revolt against an erroneous custom)

• Himagsik laban sa mababang uri ng panitikan (Revolt against an inferior literature)

Almost none of the popular textbooks today that teach the “Apat na Himagsik” mention that it was Lope K. Santos — poet, novelist,  and acclaimed Author of the Gramnar of the Philippine National Language — who thought of and explained these revolts. In his Ang Apat na Himagsik ni Francisco Balagtas: Mga Kuro-kurong Nagpapatunay ng Pagkabayaning Pambansa ni Francisco Baltazar Hango sa Walang Kamatayang Awit Niyang ‘Florante at Laura’ (The Four Revolts of Francisco Balagtas: Reflections that Prove the National Heroism of Baltazar Based on his Immortal Song ‘Florante at Laura’) (1955), Santos underscored that Balagtas should be recognized and hailed as a national hero. This work by Santos was born out of an incident when language organizations were once preparing for a grand celebration of Balagtas Day. The planned festival required substantial funds, leading the organizers to seek assistance from various government agencies. However, an objection from the head of one government agency, as narrated by Santos, posed a challenge to the celebration’s significance:

Paano po makikisama at maggugugol ang Pamahalaan sa mga pagdiriwang na inyong binabalak, una-una, ay hindi naman isang Bayani ng Bansa si Francisco Baltazar, na gaya baga nina Rizal, Bonifacio, at iba pa; ikalawa, si Balagtas ay opo’t magaling ngang makata, ngunit siya’y manunula sa wikang Tagalog, na wika ng isang bahagi lamang ng Sangkapuluan, at sa ngayo’y hindi pa man wikang pambansang Pilipino, kundi hamak na batayan pa lamang nito. Dinaramdam ko nga pong ang Kagawarang ito ay hindi makapagpaunlak sa inyong kahilingan.

(How will the Government participate and spend money on the celebration you are planning? First of all, Francisco Baltazar is not a National Hero like Rizal, Bonifacio, and others; secondly, Balagtas is indeed a good poet, but he is a poet in the Tagalog language, which is the language of only a part of the archipelago, and is not even the national language of the Philippines, but is still only a humble basis of it. I feel that this Department cannot accommodate your request.) 

Santos’ reason was apparent. He insisted that Balagtas was a hero by saying that the poet carried out revolts in his Florante at Laura. It was necessary to use the word “himagsik” (revolt) to associate Balagtas with the “Himagsikang Filipino” (Philippine Revolution). He also had to do this to emphasize the role of the language (Tagalog, which is the basis of the national language) in pursuing nationalistic goals. This work by Santos is an example of what the poet-critic and National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario calls "makapangyarihang pagbása" (hegemonic reading). Responding to significant social and historical situations, his “Apat na Himagsik ni Balagtas” has, since its conception, become the basis of understanding Balagtas’ great work. For this reason, the misfortunes that Florante and Laura endured in the story are always associated with the wrongdoings of the Spanish Government, as though the sole purpose of Balagtas’ poem is to condemn that dark period of our national history.

For the literary critic Isagani Cruz, however, Florante at Laura is not only about the ills of Spanish colonization in the Philippines. In a celebrated critical essay, he describes Balagtas as “punching and kicking without hitting.” For him, the song-poem always protests against human sufferings brought about by greed, which lead to injustice that aggravates human misery and degradation. He further opines that Balagtas’ masterpiece is not read the way it should be. The poem discusses problems of political corruption and moral disintegration, which, he underscores, should not be limited to the Spanish era. It happens all the time, from the American regime to the period of Martial Law and, one can add from recent history, during Duterte’s reign of rampant extrajudicial killings in connection with the former president’s deplorable war on drugs. 

One may surmise that a lot cannot be seen if the textbooks and teachers of Florante at Laura only focus on the “Apat na Himagsik.” For example, it will be difficult for the student, or even the teacher, to explain why Florante was appointed general of the army that would liberate Crotona at the tender age of seventeen and with no military experience. Which of the four revolts will explain this? Revolt against oppressive Government? Anomalous faith? Erroneous custom? Inferior literature?

Indeed, there is much to see in Florante at Laura alongside the “Apat na Himagsik” that Lope K. Santos advanced to further the cause of recognizing Balagtas as a national hero. In our own time, where the impetus for nation-building is more relevant than ever, we need a more “rebellious” reading of Balagtas’ work so that the current generation of Filipinos, in general, can truly see its value and significance as a literary canon that may enlighten them about their current and future plight in a nation where, as Balagtas describes, “betrayal reigns within and without.”