“Sa Loob ng Bayan” to feature Balagtas in its maiden series

“Sa Loob ng Bayan” (Inside the Nation), the collaborative project of Project Saysay, The Outstanding Students of the Philippines Region 3 Alumni Community of Heroes, and Project Captured, will have Francisco Balagtas Baltazar as the first featured Central Luzon Hero in its 20-part series which will start on 2 April 2015.

The project is in consonance with the countdown to the TOSP Regional Week of Central Luzon which is slated on 23-27 April 2015 in Bataan.

Balagtas, a native of Bigaa (now Balagtas), Bulacan, is said to be the earliest Filipino to identify “bayan” (literally a town) as equivalent of a kingdom or a nation-state based on his famous masterpiece, Florante at Laura. Balagtas made mentioned the kingdom of Albania as bayan, whom the character Florante, the protagonist, describes “sa loob at labas ng bayan kong sawi, kaliluha’y siyang nangyayaring hari” (within and outside my deplorable land, deception is reigning).

Generations after Balagtas believed that the imaginary kingdom of Albania actually represents the Philippines. Florante says Albania is a “bayang ualang loob” (apathetic nation) after the Turkish invasion and remains “bayang bulag” (blinded nation) and “bayang nasindac” (terrified nation) unless someone from them will start struggling for “katimawaan” (freedom).

“Sa Loob ng Bayan” will feature 20 great Filipinos from Central Luzon who have inspired and have mattered to the nation. It will run until 23 April 2015.