Marcelo H. Del Pilar y Gatmaitan
Writer & Propagandist, Philippine Revolution
August 30, 1850 – July 4, 1896
Marcelo H. del Pilar (using Plaridel as pen-name) was born in the barrio Cupang, Bulacan to Julian H. del Pilar and Blasa Gatmaitan. He studied at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and then finished law in 1880 at the University of Sto. Tomas.

Emilio Jacinto y Dizon
Brains of the Katipunan
December 15, 1875 – April 16, 1899

Emilio Jacinto was born in Trozo, Manila to Mariano Jacinto and Josefa Dizon, completer his “Bachiller en Artes” at Colegio de San Juan de Letran and later pursued law studies at UST which he did not finished. At 19 yrs. Old, he joined the Katipunan, - the underground movement that fought against the Spanish – rule and he wrote the movement’s important documents including its famous Kartilla (primer) in tagalog that earned for him the sobriquet “Brains of the Katipunana”. The Kartilla embodied the teachings of the movement like the first teaching which says, “Life which is not consecrated to a lofty and just purpose is like a tree which casts no shadow – a poisonous weed”.

Aplinario Mabini Y Maranan
Brains of the Phillippine Revolution
July 23, 1864 – May 13, 1903

Mabini was born in the barrio of Talaga, Tanauan, Batangas to Inocencio Mabini and Deionisia Maranan. In 1881, having won a competition for free scholarship, he went to manila to study at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. He also took up law in the University of Santo Tomas and was admitted to the bar in 1984.

In 1896, he contracted paralysis after a long illness. When the revolution broke out, he wrote documents to instill the ideals of the Revolution among the people. They include El Verdadero Decalogo, Programa Constitucional de La Republica Filipina, and Ordinanzas de La Revolucion. In his writings, he stressed the need for a moral, internal revolution within the hearts and minds of the peolple to ensure the emergence of a new social order.

Francisco Baltazar Balagtas y Dela Cruz
King of Tagalog Poets
April 2, 1788 – February 20 1862

Balagtas was born in Barrio Panginay, Balagtas, (formerly Bigaa), Bulacan to Juan Balagtas and Juliana dela Cruz and obtained his early education in his hometown. Later on he went to Manila where through the benevolence of a wealthy benefactor, he studied at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. He stayed in Tondo and Pandacan where he earned a living by writing “awits”, “corridos” & “moro-moros” and he fell in love with Ma. Asuncion Rivera whom he losed to a rival when he was wickedness of man.

In 1840, Balagtas, upon his release went to Balanga, Bataan and worked as an assistant to a justice of the peace and later in the office of Victor Figueroa, the court clerk. In Orion, he met Juana Tiambeng whom he married.

Balagtas wrote many other literary works, such as La India Elegante y El Negrito Amante, Almansor at Rosalinda, Clara Balmori, Mahomet at Constanza, Orosman at Zafua, Auredata at Astrone, Bayaseto at Dorlisea, Abdol at Miserena, Nuno Gordoneo, and Rodolfo at Rosamunda but it was his Florante at Laura, the greatest Tagalog epic, that will forever be a literary masterpiece to all Filipinos. It is said that he left volumes of finished and unfinished manuscripts but they were burned during the Orion fire in 1892.