Florentino Collantes

Florentino Collantes (October 16, 1896 – July 15, 1951) was a Filipino poet who was among the writers who spearheaded a revival of interest in Tagalog literature in the Philippines in the 20th century.

As a teenager, Collantes displayed an avid interest in literature and memorized epic poems in Spanish (corridos) and Tagalog (awits).

He is known to have committed to memory long excerpts from versified stories on the passion of Jesus Christ, known as 'pasion', that are traditionally sung in public during Holy Week in the Philippines.

As an adult, Collantes worked in the government's Bureau of Lands, and that is where he was given a number of provincial assignments that gave him the opportunity to learn the Kapampangan, Ilocano and Visayan languages.

His other works that are now taught in schools all over the Philippines are 'Ang Magsasaka' (The Farmer), 'Pangarap sa Bagong Kasal' (Dream For The Newly-Weds), 'Mahalin Ang Atin' (Love Our Own), 'Ang Tulisan' (The Bandit) and 'Ang Labindalawang Kuba' (The Twelve Hunchbacks).