author
Isabelo de los Reyes y Florentino
1864–1938
A restless, wide-ranging mind in Philippine history, he wrote about folklore and society while also stepping into politics, labor organizing, and church reform. His life connects literature, journalism, and activism in a way that still feels strikingly modern.
2 Audiobooks
El Folk-lore Filipino (Tomo I)
by Isabelo de los Reyes y Florentino
Ang Singsing nang Dalagang Marmol
by Isabelo de los Reyes y Florentino
About the author
Born in Vigan in 1864, Isabelo de los Reyes y Florentino was a Filipino writer, journalist, folklorist, and public figure whose work ranged far beyond the page. He was the son of the poet Leona Florentino, and he became known for collecting and publishing material on local traditions, beliefs, and customs, helping preserve parts of Philippine folk culture in print.
His career was deeply tied to public life. He wrote as a sharp critic of colonial abuses, became involved in nationalist politics, and later emerged as an important labor organizer. He is also remembered as a key figure in the early history of the Philippine Independent Church, showing how his influence reached religion as well as literature and politics.
For readers today, what stands out is how many worlds he moved through at once: letters, newspapers, reform movements, and scholarship. His life offers a vivid picture of an author who used writing not just to describe society, but to challenge and reshape it.