Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz (April 2, 1788 – February 20, 1862), commonly known

as Francisco Balagtas and also as Francisco Baltazar, was a prominent Filipino poet during the
Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He 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 surname is also
sometimes given as "Balagtas Baltazar" when instead he used one or the other but not both at the
same time.
His mentor was José de la Cruz, otherwise known as Joseng Sisiw.