CCP pushes ‘Huseng Batute’ project

Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) president Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso lauds the Huseng Batute project which was presented by Tanghalang Banyuhay of Valenzuela City in a program held at the Club Filipino in San Juan City.

The project Huseng Batute: Unang Hari ng Balagtasan is a product of year-long research and the resurfacing of inspirational and mostly unearthed facts and fragments in the of life of the great poet that composed Bayan Ko, Anak Dalita, Pakiusap, Pahimakas to name a few.

Huseng Batute is the alias or pen name of the famous and flamboyant writer Jose Corazon de Jesus who hailed from Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Born on November 22, 1896, he died at age 36 on May 26, 1932 but in his short life, he left voluminous treasures of literary masterpieces.

He composed around 4,000 poems and 20 songs all richl and full of awesome and brilliant literary lines for national and academic importance.

Huseng Batute was well loved by his fans that according to national Artist Levi Celerio, events that featured Jose Corazon de Jesus were jampacked with crowds. When Huseng Batute died, his heart was preserved in a jar and kept her own mother for several years and was buried only with her mom years later.

Tanghalang Banyuhay is founded by award-winning theater director Roderick Alo who specialized in historical and current theme. Dir. Alo said that with the cooperation provided by CCP, the revival of Balagtasan and other theater and literary treasures will definitely support the promotion of the great minds of prominent writers like Jose Corazon De Jesus.

The project is scheduled o be held on the 86th death anniversary of Jose Corazon de Jesus at his graveyard at the North Cemetery in Manila which will feature overtures of his 13 songs, presentations of his famous and not yet presented in stage selected poems, tributes, anecdotes and trivia which will soon be published in books. JOE LAD SANTOS