Francisco Balagtas

Francisco Balagtas Francisco Baltasar
Bust of Balagtas in Pandacan, Manila
Born	Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz April 2, 1788 (1788-04-08) Bigaa, Bulacan, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire
Died	February 20, 1862(1862-02-20) (aged 73) Udyong, Bataan, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish Empire
Nickname	Kiko
Occupation	Poet
Language	Tagalog
Citizenship	Spanish (1812 Spanish Constitution granted Filipino natives Spanish citizenship)
Alma mater	Colegio de San Juan de Letran
Notable works	Florante at Laura
Spouse	Juana Tiambeng ​ (m. 1842)​
Children	11

Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz (April 2, 1788 – February 20, 1862),^[1] commonly known as Francisco Balagtas and also as Francisco Baltazar, was a Filipino poet and litterateur of the Tagalog language during the Spanish rule 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.

Balagtas adopted the legal surname Baltazar in fulfillment of the edict issued by Governor-General Narciso Claveria y Zaldua in 1849 that mandated the native population to adopt standard surnames. The name is commonly misspelled as Baltazar and sometimes misinterpreted as his pen name.