author
Pascual de Leon
1893–1958
A Filipino newspaper writer and poet remembered for lyrical Tagalog verse, he published work filled with longing, tenderness, and strong feeling. His poems have stayed alive through public-domain editions and audio recordings, making his voice easy to rediscover today.
1 Audiobook
Buntong Hininga Mga Tulang Tagalog
by Pascual de Leon
About the author
Born in 1893 and remembered by the pen name Pasleo, Pascual de Leon was a Filipino newspaper writer and poet. Sources consistently identify him as a poet writing in Tagalog, and his work is closely associated with early 20th-century print culture in the Philippines.
His best-known book is Buntong Hininga: Mga Tulang Tagalog, first published in 1915. The surviving edition describes him as a writer for the newspaper Ang Mithi (El Ideal) and a member of Aklatang Bayan, which places him within the lively world of Tagalog literary publishing of his time.
De Leon's poetry is noted for its emotional directness, especially in poems about love, yearning, sorrow, and admiration. Individual poems such as Kundiman, Kundiman ng Puso, Ang Reyna Elena, and Pag-ibig ng Ina show the range of his subjects, while modern public-domain and audiobook releases have helped keep his work available for new readers and listeners.