Rajah Lakandola

( 1575)
One of the most renowned Filipinos of the past. When Legazpi arrived in Manila in 1571, he was the
Chief of Tondo. He converted to Christianity and assumed the name Carlos, after Spain's king. With
Goiti, he established a blood covenant. Against the Chinese pirate Limahong, he fought alongside the
Spaniards. In 1575, he died.

Lapu-Lapu
(16th century)
The first effective Filipino armed resistance against Spanish aggression was headed by the Chief of
Mactan. On April 27, 1521, he battled and killed Magellan in a combat in Mactan.

Francisco Baltazar
(1788-1862)
He is known as Balagtas and is regarded as the prince of Tagalog poets. On April 2, 1788, he was born
in Panginay, Bigaa, Bulacan. Florante at Laura, a masterwork of indigenous versification that upheld
moral and social ideals, became the cornerstone of Philippine literature. On February 20, 1862, he
died in Orion, Bataan.

Marcelo H. Del Pilar

(1850-1896)
Political analyst for the Spanish colony of the Philippines. On August 30, 1850, he was born in Kupang,
Bulacan, Bulacan. He created the nationalist newspaper Diariong Tagalog in 1882. He became the
editor of La Solidaridad in December 1889, and the propaganda movement's driving force. On July 4,
1896, he passed away.

Juan Luna
(1857-1899)
A painter's brilliance and a patriot of the highest caliber. SPOLARIUM, a world-famous painting that
won a gold medal at the 1884 Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes in Madrid, was created by him. It is
also regarded as the best artwork ever created. On October 23, 1857, he was born in Badoc, Ilocos
Norte. Along with Rizal, Lopez-Jaena, Ponce, and others, he was a key figure in the Reform
Movement. On December 7, 1899, he died in Hong Kong.