Fernando Ma. Guerrero on Stamps

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Fernando María Guerrero (1873-1929) is one of the most outstanding Filipino poet, journalist, politician, lawyer, polyglot and educator during the Philippine's golden era of Spanish literature, a period ranging from 1890 to the outbreak of World War II.

Guerrero wrote during the years 1898 to 1900. As a lawyer-educator he taught natural law, criminology and forensic oratory. He served as chairman of the board of examiners at the law school La Jurisprudencia. He was a Manila councilor, Secretary of the Senate and Secretary of the Philippine Independence Commission. He was also a director of the Academia de Leyes. Apart from Spanish, Guerrero spoke Latin and Greek. He was once an editor of El Renacimiento, La Vanguardia and La Opinion. He was a member of the First Philippine Assembly, the Academia Filipina and also became an appointee to the Municipal Board of Manila.

He was also a correspondent to the association Real Española de Madrid. His book of Spanish poems, Crisalidas, was published in 1914, which was considered as one of the ten best books written about the Philippines by the Enciclopedia Filipinas. His other poems written after the year 1914 appeared in a compilation called Aves y Flores.

Guerrero died on June 12, 1929, coinciding with that year's anniversary of the Philippine Republic. A school in Malate, Manila, Philippines was named after him in his honor.

Date of Issue: May 31, 1974

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