Pedro A. Paterno

From WikiPilipinas: The Hip 'n Free Philippine Encyclopedia

Pedro Alejandro Paterno (February 27, 1858 - March 11, 1911) was a negotiator, historian, composer and author of the "Pact of Biak-na-Bato" first published in 1910.

1 Early life
2 Patriot
3 Reference
4 Citation

[edit] Early life

As the son of Maximo Molo Paterno and Carmen de Vera Ignacio, he belonged to a wealthy family. His first education was under Florentino Flores, and he later enrolled at Ateneo Municipal de Manila where he graduated in 1871. He went to Spain and studied at the University of Salamanca, then transferred to the Central University of Madrid where he took his law doctorate in 1880.

[edit] Patriot

Paterno helped in the negotiations of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato on December 15, 1897 and later wrote a book about it. While in Spain, he joined the Propaganda Movement. He wrote one of the first Filipino novels, entitled Ninay, which was published before Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere. He also wrote Sampaguita y Poesias, a collection of Filipino poems in Spanish that was published in Madrid in 1880. In the 1890s, Paterno became the Prime Minister of the first Philippine Republic, a cabinet member and an assemblyman.

During the American invasion of the Philippines, he was one of the Filipinos who favored the coming of the Americans and advocated the incorporation of both countries.

He died of cholera at the age of 53.