Luis Dato

Luis Guevara Dato (4 July 1906 – 29 January 1985) was a Filipino poet, writer, educator, genealogist and politician from Baao, Camarines Sur. He was one of the first Filipinos to write and publish works in English. Among his poems are "The Spouse", "Day on the Farm" and "Among the Hills". In 1927, his "Mi Ultimo Pensamiento" was the first good English translation, in rhymes, of José Rizal's "Mi último adiós".

Education Dato attended high school from 1923 to 1924; studied liberal arts from 1924 to 1928; and law (1928–1933) at the newly founded University of the Philippines in Manila. Some of his contemporaries were Jose Garcia Villa, Alvaro Martinez, Hose Hernandez, Eugenio Santos and Angela Manalang-Gloria. He continued his law degree at the University of Nueva Caceres in 1951. He also took up his master's Education degree in liberal arts at the University of Saint Anthony from 1971 to 1972.

Works and career

Dato never took up creative writing courses, but began writing before he enrolled in college. His first poems were published in The Philippine Collegian. The book's foreword states: Rodolfo Dato; Philippine Prose and Poetry, Jose Garcia Villa;

In 1975, he wrote the epic The Land of Mai. It is written in a blank verse form numbering nearly 400 pages of typewritten manuscript. It narrates the detailed history of the Philippines up to the Marcos' era.

He became the municipal mayor of Baao, Camarines Sur, from 1941 to 1947

He was a member of the faculty at the Naga College (1953–1954), University of Nueva Caceres (1955–1967) and St. Anthony College (now University of Saint Anthony) (1947–1951; 1967–1978).

The Luis G. Dato memorial marker is located at the Baao Town Plaza. It reads: Luis G. Dato was born in Baao on July 4, 1906 and attained notable distinction in Philippine Literary History with his poems in English.

He wrote for and edited various Bikol newspapers and was actively involved in local cultural groups and wrote monographs and lexical works espousing the Bikol language.

He served his town as mayor twice and pioneered seminal studies on Baao family genealogy, local history, culture and archeological heritage. His influence as literary artist, scholar and teacher remains to this day.

This memorial erected by the Baao LGU led by Mayor Mel I. Gaite in partnership with the Burikbutikan Artists Collective Inc. in honor of a native son may serve as inspiration to future generations.

Dedicated July 4, 2012