Isabelo de Los Reyes

Isabelo De Los Reyes

Isabelo Florentino De Los Reyes, Sr., also known as Don Belong (July 7, 1864 – October 10, 1938), was a prominent Filipino politician, writer and labor activist in the 19th and 20th centuries. He was the founder of the Aglipayan Church, an independent Philippine national church. For his writings and activism with labor unions, he was called the Father of Filipino Socialism.

As a young man, he followed his mother's footsteps by initially turning to writing as a career; he won a prize at the age of 23 for his first book. He became a journalist, editor, and publisher in Manila, and was imprisoned in 1897 for revolutionary activities. He was deported to Spain, where he was jailed until 1898. While living and working in Madrid, he was influenced by the writings of European socialists and Marxists.

Returning to the Philippines in 1901, he founded the first labor union in the country. He also was active in seeking independence from the United States. After serving in the Philippine Senate in the 1920s, he settled into private life and religious writing. He had a total of 27 children with three successive wives; he survived all his wives and 12 of his children.