author
Isabelo de los Reyes y Florentino
1864–1938
A fearless Filipino writer and reformer, he turned journalism, folklore, and politics into tools for social change. His life linked literature with labor activism, religious reform, and the fight against colonial power.
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, he became one of the most wide-ranging public figures in Philippine history: a writer, journalist, folklorist, politician, and labor leader. He is often remembered by the nickname "Don Belong," and his work reached far beyond literature into public life and national reform.
He wrote about local traditions and popular culture at a time when such subjects were rarely treated with serious attention, helping preserve Filipino folklore and regional knowledge. He also became deeply involved in political and social movements, and is noted for helping found the first labor federation in the Philippines as well as for his role in the early history of the Philippine Independent Church.
His long career reflected a restless, independent mind. Rather than staying in a single field, he moved between letters, activism, and public service, leaving a legacy that connects scholarship with social action.