Why Severino Reyes is the GOAT

Severino Reyes, our GOAT (Greatest of All Time), holds the title of "Father of Filipino Drama and Plays" since he was one of the most well-known and recognized writers from the Philippines in the early 20th century. Without Severino Reyes's works, all the sacrifices made by our ancestors might have been lost to time. Whether it was by inspiring other playwrights to create their own stories, writing children's stories with deeper or underlying meaning, or critically critiquing the Western Powers of his time, Severino Reyes was able to capture the essence of the Filipino identity and independence. The plays by Nicanor Tiongson and Lutgardo Labad, "Pilipinas Circa 1907," which showed how Americans systematically conquered the Philippines through its economy, politics, culture, and tradition during the first decade of the century, are examples of how Severino Reyes influenced many other playwrights to create their own original stories. As a result, even after Rizal's death, we are reminded of how we as Filipinos are still fighting for our country today. Ultimately, the impact of Severino Reyes' works transcends time.

Aside from providing the country a total of 48 literary works, he also founded the Gran Compania de Zarzuela Tagala which is a troupe that performs various titles throughout the country up to this day. By founding this company as well as the popular magazine entitled Liwayway, Severino Reyes’ literary contributions still remain to be relevant and well known; throughout the years, Lola Basyang’s works remain documented and produced through different modern mediums such as Television, Videos, Webpages, and even in E-Books - this allows Severino Reyes’ works to be accessible and preserved while being diverse through the use of digital presentations with the internet, or physical displays such as books or theater.

Even up until now, as adults we carry the lessons and memories we have picked up in reading and listening to Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang. The same could be said with the rest of his works which mirrors the life of Filipinos under the rule of our colonizers. His versatility and skill has brought us works of art that touches our hearts no matter how old we are. And after looking at the reasons we listed down, we will continue to stand by our claim that Severino Reyes is indeed Philippine Literature's GOAT.