Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRES S
First Regular Session
HOUSEBILLNo.     5030
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Introduced by:  REP. SALVADOR A. PLEYTO, SR.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Jose  Cecilio  Corazon  de  Jesus y Pangilinan,  also  known by  his pen name JJuse#g
Bafw/e,was  a  Filipino  poet  who  used  Tagalog  poetry  to  express  the  Filipinos'  desire  for
independence during the American occupation of the Philippines, a period that lasted from
1901 to 1946.  He is best known for being the lyricist of the Filipino song "Bayan Ko".
De Jesus was born on November 22,  1896 in Santa Cruz, Manila.   His father, Vicente
de Jesus, was the first health bureau director of the American occupation government. His
mother Susana Pangilinan was a native of Pampanga.   He was christened Jose Cecilio de
Jesus but he  later dropped  Cecz./z.o  and replaced  it with the  Spanish name  Corcrao# (heart)
because he said it best described his character. He grew up in his father's hometown in Santa
Maria, Bulacan.
Although he studied law at the Escuela de Derecho, he was an artist at heart, so he also
studied humanities, Italian opera, and piano at the University of the Philippines. He did not
take the bar exam, and did not pursue law as a profession. Instead he became a writer for a
newspaper.
In  1920,  he  began to write  for the  column Buhay Maynila  (Malla Life)  in  r4/I.ha,
where he was able to produce about 4,000 poems, using the pseudonym Huseng Batute. But
he  was  only  17  when he  wrote  his  first poem Pangi!¢#g!t/I./cI  (Sorrow).  His patriotism and
social consciousness emerged in his literary works.
On March 28,  1924, de Jesus and other leading Tagalog writers met a women's school
in Tondo, Manila, under the auspices of Filipino educator Rosa Sevilla, to discuss how to
celebrate the birth anniversary of Tagalog Poet Francisco Balagtas on April 2.  They decided
to hold a duplo, or a dramatic debate in verse that was in its waning days in the 1920s.  They
changed the format of the duplo and renamed it bar/crgrascz# in honor of Balagtas.
The balagtasan was an instant hit, later became a common feature in Manila's biggest
and  most expensive theatres  until the  1950s.  De Jesus  was pitted against another Filipino
poet,  Florentino  Collantes,  to  a  showdown  at the  Olympic  Stadium  where  De  Jesus  was


acclaimed winner of the showdown and was dubbed "Hari ng Balagtasan".  He held the title
until his death in 1932,
This bill seeks to commemorate and celebrate the life of Jose Corazon de Jesus, who,
truly is, our pride and inspiration in Santa Maria, Bulacan.   Hence,  its  immediate  passage  is
earnestly sought.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRES S
First Regular Session
HOUSEBILLNo.     5030
Introduced by:  REP. SALVADOR A. PLEYTO, SR.
AN ACT DECLARING HVERY 22nd DAY 0F NOVEMBER AS IIUSENG BATUTE
DAY, A SPECIAL NON-WORKING HOLIDAY IN THE MUNICIPALITY 0F
SANTA MARIA, PROVINCE OF BULACAN IN HONOR 0F TIIE LIFE AND
LITERATURE 0F JOSE CORAZON DE JESUS
Be it eyfct.ed by the Senate and the House Of Represeritatives Of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
SECTION  I.   November 22  of every year is hereby declared a special non-working
holiday  in  the  Municipality  of Santa  Maria,  Bulacan  to  celebrate  and  honor the  life  and
literature of Jose Corazon "Huseng Batute" De Jesus.
SEC. 2 The Municipal Government of Santa Maria, Bulacan shall plan and implement
appropriate ceremonies for the annual observance of the Huseng Batute day.
SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette of in newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,