Aurelio Tolentino

• Born in Guagua, Pampanga in 1867, the youngest of three children of Leonardo Tolentino and Patrona Valenzuela. He was a Filipino playwright and dramatist whose works at the turn of the 20th century depict his desire to see Philippine independence from its colonizers.

• He obtained his Bachiller en Artes at Colegio de Latinidad then enrolled at University of Santo Tomas to study Law.

• He was acquainted with Andres Bonifacio and other Filipino patriots who engaged his help in the printing and distribution of the censored newspaper La Solidaridad and other propaganda literature.

• He wrote two unsigned editorials for the newspaper La Independencia, which was openly critical of the U.S Government.

• He wrote plays and novels not only in Spanish and Tagalog, but also in Kapampangan, as he was a native speaker born in Guagua, Pampanga.

• Aware of the effectivity of the theater as a public forum, Tolentino turned his talent into dramas. He coined the word "dula" for theater and became known as the Father of Tagalog Drama for his famous verse play.

Famous novels by Aurelio Tolentino:

Maring (1908)

Buhok ni Ester (1914)

Famous plays by Aurelio Tolentino:

Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas (1902)

Bagong Cristo (1907)

His most famous work in verse is Dakilang Asal (Noble Behavior), a series of poems in which he described the proper behavior that young people should observe