Lola Basyang, an iconic figure in Philippine literature, is the pen name of Severino Reyes, who was born on February 11, 1861, in Sta. Cruz, Manila. Reyes, a Philosophy graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, created the character inspired by his neighbor, Gervacia Guzman de Zamora. Known for her storytelling, Lola Basyang became the central figure in "Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang," a series of short stories first published in 1925 in Liwayway magazine, where Reyes was an editor. These stori