When Bonifacio wrote his poem - "Pagibig sa Tinubuang Bayan" (Love of Native Land)

Abstract

IN THE CAREFUL study of Tagalog literature, you will find a s one of its most beautiful gems, the poem entitled "Pagibig sa Tinabuang Bayan " (Love of Native Land"), written originally in Tagalog by the glorious Father of Philippine Democracy, the Great plebeian, Andres Bonifacio.

With, this soul-stirring poem Bonifacio demonstrate that he was not only a great patriot, civic leader, and fiery Katipunero, but also a self-made scholar, poet and writer in spite of the fact that he had not the opportunity to go through college. His schooling was very meager, because from early childhood, as early as the age of fourteen years, be was forced to work hard to support his widowed mother, Catalina Castro Bonifacio and his brothers. This he did by manufacturing bamboo canes and paper fans and selling them in the Escolta and other streets of Manila.

But Andres Bonifacio's character was such that , through perseverance, he was able to study by himself by reading books and magazines borrowed from some friends. At times he was under the tutorship of an aunt of a Tondo teacher.