Lope K. Santos (born Lope Santos y Canseco, September 25, 1879 – May 1, 1963) was a Filipino Tagalog-language writer and former

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

of the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. He is best known for his 1906

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

novel, '' Banaag at Sikat'' and for his contributions to the development of Filipino

grammar In linguistics, grammar is the set of rules for how a natural language is structured, as demonstrated by its speakers or writers. Grammar rules may concern the use of clauses, phrases, and words. The term may also refer to the study of such rul ...

and

Tagalog orthography Tagalog ( ,According to the ''OED'' anMerriam-Webster Online Dictionary ; ''Baybayin'': ) is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by the ethnic Tagalog people, who make up a quarter of the population of the Philippines, and as ...

Biography

Lope K. Santos was born in

Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...

, Province of Manila (now a part of

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...

) as ''Lope Santos y Canseco'' to Ladislao Santos, a native of Pasig, and Victorina Canseco, a native of San Mateo, on September 25, 1879. He was raised in Pandacan. His father was imprisoned during

Philippine Revolution The Philippine Revolution ( or ; or ) was a war of independence waged by the revolutionary organization Katipunan against the Spanish Empire from 1896 to 1898. It was the culmination of the 333-year History of the Philippines (1565–1898), ...

because Spanish authorities found copies of

José Rizal José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is popularly considered a na ...

's '' Noli Me Tángere'' and '' Ang Kalayaan'' in his possession. Santos was sent to ''Escuela Normal Superior de Maestros'' (Higher Normal School for Teachers) for education and later finished schooling at ''Colegio Filipino''. During the Philippine Revolution of 1896, Santos joined the revolutionaries. As his mother was dying, she requested Lope to marry Simeona Salazar. The two wed on February 10, 1900, and they had three children: Lakambini, Luwalhati and Makaaraw. He pursued law at the ''Academia de la Jurisprudencia'' then at ''Escuela de Derecho de Manila'' (now Manila Law College Foundation) where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912. In late 1900, Santos started writing his own newspaper, ''Ang Kaliwanagan'' (The Illumination). This was also the time when

socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

became emergent in world ideology. When José Ma. Dominador Goméz was charged by the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

with sedition and illegal association against the government then sentenced in 1903, Goméz's labor group, '' Unión Obrera Democrática Filipina'' (Philippine Democratic Labor Union) was absorbed by Santos. The group was renamed as '' Unión del Trabajo de Filipinas'', but later dissolved in 1907. In 1903, Santos started serialising portions of his first novel, '' Banaag at Sikat'' (From Early Dawn to Full Light) in his weekly labor magazine, ''Muling Pagsilang'' (The Rebirth), completing it in 1906. When published in book form, ''Banaag at Sikat'' was considered the first socialist-oriented book in the Philippines for expounding the principles of socialism, and seeking labor reforms from the government. The book later helped inspire the 1932 assembly of the Socialist Party of the Philippines and the 1946 meeting of the

Hukbalahap The Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (), better known by the acronym Hukbalahap, was a Filipino communist guerrilla movement formed by the farmers of Central Luzon. They were originally formed to fight the Japanese, but extended their fight int ...

. Santos also became an expert in ''dupluhan'', a poetic debate style from the period. ''Dupluhan'' can be compared to ''balagtasan'', another poetic debate technique which became popular half a century before Santos' time. He also founded ''Sampaguita'', a weekly lifestyle magazine. Governor Lope Santos Portrait

In the early 1910s, he started a campaign to promote a '"national language for the Philippines", holding symposia and lectures and heading numerous departments for national language in leading Philippine universities. In 1910, he was elected governor of the province of Rizal under the

Nacionalista Party The Nacionalista Party (Filipino language, Filipino and Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish: ''Partido Nacionalista''; , NP) is a political party in the Philippines which is the oldest existing party in the country and in Southeast Asi ...

. In 1918, he was appointed governor of the newly resurveyed Nueva Vizcaya until 1920. Consequently, he was appointed to the

5th Philippine Legislature The 5th Philippine Legislature was the meeting of the legislature of the Philippines under the sovereign control of the United States from 1919 to 1922. Sessions Leadership Senate * President: Manuel L. Quezon ( 5th District, Naciona ...

from the twelfth senatorial district, representing provinces with non-Christian majorities. He was the primary author of Philippine Legislature Act No. 2946, which declared November 30 of each year to be Bonifacio Day, a

public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, federal holiday, statutory holiday, bank holiday or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Types Civic holiday A ''civic holiday'', also k ...

in memory of revolutionary leader

Andrés Bonifacio Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (, ; November 30, 1863May 10, 1897) was a Filipino people, Filipino revolutionary leader. He is often called "The Father of the Philippines, Philippine Philippine Revolution, Revolution", and considered a nationa ...

. He resigned from Senate in 1921. In 1940, Santos published the first

of the "national language", ''Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa'' (Grammar of the National Language), commissioned by the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa (SWF). The next year, he was appointed Director of the SWF by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Manuel L. Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (, , , ; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino people, Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who was president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1 ...

, and stayed until 1946. When the

Commonwealth of the Philippines The Commonwealth of the Philippines (; ) was an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territory and Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States that existed from 1935 to 1946. It was established following the ...

became a founding member of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

in 1945, he was selected to translate the then-enforced 1935 Constitution for

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

. He was also made to assist translating the inaugural addresses of presidents Jose P. Laurel and Manuel A. Roxas. In the early 1960s, he underwent surgeries on his liver due to complications. Santos died on May 1, 1963.

Works

The works of Santos include the following: * '' Banaag at Sikat'' (From Early Dawn to Full Light), 1903–06, first literary novel in Tagalog that incorporates socialist ideas and the works of the united associations of laborers.Quindoza-Santiago, Lilia (Dr.) Philippine Culture during the American Period''), Publications about Culture and Arts, About Culture and Arts, ncca.gov.ph, 2002
/ref> * ''Ag̃ "Pag̃gig̃gera" (Tulag̃ Handog sa Kababaiga'g̃ Tagalog)'' (The "Paḡgiḡgera" (A Poem for Tagalog Women)), 1912, paḡgiḡgera is a form of early 20th century gambling. * ''Kundanḡan...!: Nobelang Tagalog Katha'' (Deference...!: A Tagalog Novel), 1927, Santos' second literary novel. * ''Tinḡíng Pahapáw sa Kasaysayan ñg Pámitikang Tagalog'' (Few Points in the History of Tagalog Literature), 1938 * ''Puso't Diwa'' (Heart and Spirit), three volume book collection of chosen poems of Santos during American period. * ''Sino Ka? Ako'y Si... 60 Sagot na mga Tulá'' (Who Are You? I am... 60 Answering Poems), 1946, collection of philosophical poems. * ''Mga Hamak na Dakilà: 60 Tulâ'' (Mean Magnificent: 60 poems), 1950, humorous collection of

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

-period poems. * ''"Makábagong" Balarilà?: Mga Puná at Payo sa "Sariling Wikà"'' ("Modern" Grammar?: Views and Advices for "National Language"), 1951, written in cooperation with Surian ng Wikang Pambansa director Cirilo H. Panganiban."Makábagong" Balarilà?: Mga Puná at Payo sa "Sariling Wikà"
/ref>

References

Lope K. Santos (1879–1963)

* Herbert, Patricia.
South-East Asia: languages and literatures : a select guide
', 1989 * Panganiban, Jose Villa.
Panitikan ng Pilipinas
', 1982 * San Juan, Epifanio.
Introduction to modern Pilipino literature
', 1974 * Saulo, Alfredo.
Communism in the Philippines: an introduction
', 1990 * Ano ang babae? tula/ Lope K. Santos

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Santos, Lope K. 1879 births 1963 deaths 20th-century Filipino poets Filipino novelists 20th-century Filipino lawyers Governors of Rizal (province) Governors of Nueva Vizcaya Filipino socialists Nacionalista Party politicians Senators of the 5th Philippine Legislature People from Pasig Writers from Metro Manila Politicians from Metro Manila Burials at the Manila South Cemetery Filipino male poets 20th-century Filipino male writers Tagalog-language writers Members of the Philippine Independent Church Labor in the Philippines Members of the Senate of the Philippines from the 12th district

Biography

Works

See also

References

External links