By Mar T. Supnad
Malacañang issued Proclamation No. 458 declaring Monday, April 2, 2018 as a special non-working holiday in the province of Bataan to commemorate the birth anniversary of Francisco Balagtas.
Considered as the Prince of Tagalog poets, Balagtas lived and died in Orion town, where a barangay is named in his honor.
Meanwhile, Ateneo De Manila University professor Christian Jil Benitez will be conferred with the Makata ng Taon accolade by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) in a ceremony in Orion on April 2.
In a statement, KWF said Benitez will receive a trophy and P30,000 cash from KWF for his poem ‘Sapagkat Pag-ibig ang Tuod sa Pinakamahabang Bugtong sa Kasaysayan.’
His works were also recipients of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature, Maningning Miclat Poetry Awards, and Loyola School Awards for the Arts.