Juan Crisóstomo Soto

DON JUAN CRISOSTOMO "CRISSOT" CABALLA SOTO Father of Capampangan Literature

• CRISSOT, Pampanga's famous literary genius who sparked the golden period in drama was conferred the prestigious Parangal Sentenyal sa Sining at Kultura by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), in cooperation with the Philippine Centennial Commission in February 1999. This CCP award gave recognition to 100 Outstanding Filipinos who helped build the Filipino nation through arts and culture during the last 100 years (1900-2000).
  

CRISSOT was born on January 27, 1867 in Sta. Ines, Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga, Philippines. He was the second of three children of Santiago Soto, an alguacil mayor, and to **Maxima Caballa, a seamstress. He was baptized by Fr. Silvino Isaac, with Don Patricio Soliman as his godfather. It must have been from his maternal grandfather, Sixto Caballa, a popular versifier, and an expert in caragatan from whom Crissot inherited his poetic ability.

Crissot's early schooling was under itinerant teachers who visited their pupils' home on certain days to give them lessons in reading and writing with the caton and the cathechism as main texts. Two of such teachers under whom Crissot studied were Cirilo Hernandez, and Agapito Layug.

As early as this period, Crissot's literary leanings had already been observed by his father who decided to send him to San Fernando, Pampanga for further schooling under Vicente Quirino. Crissot was then 14 years old.

Novels and plays in Spanish and Tagalog drew more attention from him than did the subjects taught formally from tutor Quirino. Worse still, when a troupe of Spanish artists visited San Fernando, Crissot totally neglected his lessons to devote his evenings to attend to dramatic performances. Reading novels and plays, and going to the theatre too often prevented Crissot's passing his subjects with excellent grades. On the other hand, they developed his inherent fondness for the dramatic art.

During his stay in San Fernando, Crissot would astonish his friends with his ability to recite complete short plays extemporaneously all by himself; he alone taking parts of several characters, the products of his own keen mind and fertile imagination. It is also said that he was capable of composing Capampangan lyrics to new songs in other languages by simply listening to their strains.

After completing the segunda ensenanza, the equivalent of secondary education in Quirino's school, Crissot enrolled at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran where he took up subjects in Philosophy, Latin, and Theology. There again, he showed less interest in his studies than in reading literary works. More books fell into his hands, and more theatres were available for the furtherance of his interest in the art of make-believe. No wonder, the urge to write became more compelling to him. Yielding to this urge at the sacrifice of his studies, he wrote his own version of Romeo and Juliet, entitling it Ing Pamaquiasaua Ning Mete (The Wedding of the Dead). This play was staged in Villa de Bacolor much later, with Crissot playing the role of the leading man, and *Macaria Sagui as the leading lady.

Without finishing his studies, Crissot returned to Villa de Bacolor in 1884 to devote his time to writing, and to working as a clerk in a government office. He translated several plays, among which were **Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's magnum opus, Faust (the greatest work of German literature); **Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch Los Amantes de Teruel; and La Mascota, a Spanish play from a French original. Finishing these, he wrote Ing Paninap Nang Don Roque, his first original zarzuela.

Crissot became official Encargado del Orden Publico. Still later, he was made Alcaide Primero of the provincial jail. While Crissot was holding the latter position, a mutiny broke out. Fortunately for him, he was out on official duty in Guagua at that time. His assistant, Atanacio Bengco, was killed by the mutineers. Before the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution, Crissot, together with Dr. Jacobo Fajardo, formerly Director of Health, Manila, joined the Voluntarios Mobilizados, a battalion under Col. Eugenio Blanco in Macabebe. The mission of the group was to gather arms and recruit men with whom they were to meet the Spanish forces. At the outbreak of the Philippine-American hostilities in 1899, Crissot joined the forces of General Mascardo. He was in several battles, chief among which was fought in the hills of Porac, Pampanga. In that fierce encounter, Crissot was wounded on the right shoulder. After the bloody skirmish, it was found out that he was among the eight survivors. For his display of valor, his commanding officer promoted him to the rank of Captain.

At the time, the search for General Emilio Aguinaldo, who was in Barrio Tela Pilun, Porac was at its height. Knowing that Crissot was in the enemy's rank, the Americans decided to get hold of him. First, they captured his father whom they promised to release once his son was found. Upon learning this, the war-weary son showed up, thus causing the release of his ailing father.

Crissot was imprisoned in the convent in Guagua, Pampanga. There, he was asked to reveal the whereabouts of General Aguinaldo. Firmly, he declared he did not know where the General was. Grilled further, he said, "I have told you the truth, and if you must kill me for not telling, I shall be glad to die." Crissot was sentenced to face the firing squad. A few mornings later, Crissot and a few other prisoners were loaded on an army truck bound for Lubao, Pampanga. Sensing that this would be the day of his execution, he asked permission from the lieutenant to talk to the commander of the Guagua garrison. Crissot told the lieutenant he had an American officer and three American enlisted men in the custody of his soldiers in the hills. Should he be executed, the four Americans might be killed in vengeance. The garrison Commander, an American ranking officer, demanded they surrender the four hostages. Crissot contacted his men and ordered them to turn over their captives at the garrison headquarters. For this, he was freed.

Not long after his release, Crissot became one of the reporters of La Independencia, the most influential newspaper of the Revolution. This was just the beginning of Crissot's journalistic career.
In 1907, he edited Ing Balen (El Pueblo), and later Ing Emangabiran (El Imparcial). Ten years later, he helped found Ing Alipatpat (The Firefly), a Capampangan weekly.

Crissot's main works are 48 plays; the novel Lidia; a few stories; sketches; and a good number of poems. Of his plays, five are translations; and the rest known to be original. His most outstanding plays aside from his obra maestra, Alang Dios! (There is no God!) are Delia; Balen at Sinta (Country and Love); Sigalut (Trouble); Metung a Perla Qng Burac (A Pearl in the Mud); Ing Paniu nang Sitang (The Scarf of Sitang); Perla, Zafiro at Rubi (Pearl, Sapphire, and Ruby); Ing Sultana (The Sultana); and Ing Violetang Lili (The Lost Violet). During his lifetime, Crissot was the recipient of many honors. After his death, Crissot became the object of the high regard of all Capampangan-speaking Filipinos. A Soto monument sponsored by his former colleagues in the Aguman '33 of Villa de Bacolor was built in his memory.

Another honor, more lasting than a monument in stone is that which, by common consent, the Capampangans have tendered the memory of Crissot. This is the name CRISSOTAN which is given to poetic jousts so popular among versifiers in Pampanga. The Capampangans, by choosing the name, showed unmistakably that they regard Crissot in the same measure as the Tagalogs do Balagtas, and the Ilocanos, Bukaneg.

Crissot married twice. By his first wife, Julia *Almeida, he had **five children of who only two grew to adulthood - Remedios and *Cesar. *Maria Luz Generosa to whom Crissot dedicated Alang Dios! was one of the three children who died in infancy. After the death of Almeida, Crissot married Rosario Zablan Palma with whom he had two sons, Oscar and Jaime. He also had a son with Macaria Sagui named Serafin.

Crissot died of a heart ailment in the house of his sister, the late Rosario Soto Aguas in Isabel, Sampaloc, Manila on the morning of July 12, 1918. His remains were later transferred to Villa de Bacolor, and are now sepulchered in the monument, the bust of which was made by the renowned sculptor, **Eulogio Garcia Velarde.

Source: Juan Crisostomo Soto and the Pampangan Drama by Juan Aguas
Additional information was provided by Joy Soto-Walton
Errors were corrected by Joy Soto-Walton
Published in the January 23-29, 2000 issue of The Voice

Source: Sapni Nang Crissot Literary and Cultural Foundation, Inc., https://www.facebook.com/lsapni