francisco Balagtas (born Francisco Baltazar y de la Cruz; April 2, 1788 – February 20, 1862), also

known as Francisco Baltazar, was a prominent Filipino poet, and is widely considered one of the greatest
Filipino literary laureates for his impact on Filipino literature. The famous epic, Florante at Laura, is
regarded as his defining work.

The surname "Baltazar", sometimes misconstrued as a pen name, was a legal surname Balagtas adopted
after the 1849 edict of Governor-General Narciso Claveria y Zaldua, which mandated that the native
population adopt standard Spanish surnames instead of native ones. His mentor was José de la Cruz,
otherwise known as Joseng Sisiw