Severino Reyes, pen name ‘Lola Basyang’, commemorated by Google

A Google Doodle celebrates the 161st birthday of Filipino  playwright Severino Reyes. Her writer was born in Manila on February 11, 1861, and in her later years, while writing for the popular Tagalog magazine Liwayway, she became known under the pseudonym "Lola Basyang". became.

For a synopsis of writer's life and how he contributed to Filipino art, visit the Google Doodle website. Widely regarded as the “Father of Filipino Theater,” Reyes has won international recognition not only  for his famous zarzuela, Spanish-influenced  dramatic musical drama productions, but also for his now classic collection of Tagalog stories. famous for He also served as  editor-in-chief of He Liwayway, a popular Tagalog magazine, where he contributed articles under the pseudonym 'Lola Basyang'.

His stories, which seemed like ancient wisdom, became so integral to Filipino society that the name Lola Bashan is still used today to describe a grandmother who loved to tell stories. includes the  historical drama Warang Sugat (intact) about the Philippine Revolution. It was performed by the theater company Gran Compania de Zarzuela, which he founded in 1902.

Lola Basyang in real life

According to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the pseudonym Laura Bashan is based on Gervasia de Guzman. She was a neighbor of Reyes and patriarch of the Zamora clan in Quiapo, Manila. She was also known locally as a doting grandmother with many stories.

In Lola Basyang became  popular among Filipino citizens. In fact, Filipinos still use the term to refer to a grandmother or someone who loves  stories. netizens responded immediately on social media and were surprised to discover that Lola Basyang is more than just a character. Instead, she was a real person, a storyteller brimming with seemingly ancient wisdom.

One netizen tweeted, “Today years old when i found out that Severino Reyes, one of the filipino authors that i like, is the OG Lola Basyang.”

Today years old when i found out that Severino Reyes, one of the filipino authors that i like, is the OG Lola Basyang ? thank you Google!

— dojakatto (@kisharomasanta) February 11, 2022