Isabelo de los Reyes
| Isabelo de los Reyes Sr. y Florentino | |
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| Honorary Bishop Philippine Independent Church |
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In office 1929–1938 |
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| Senator of the Philippines from the First Senatorial District | |
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In office 1922–1928 Serving with Santiago Fonacier (1922-1925) Elpidio Quirino (1925-1928) |
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| Preceded by | Vicente Singson Encarnacion |
| Succeeded by | Melecio Arranz |
| Member of the Manila City Council | |
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In office 1912–1919 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Isabelo de los Reyes y Florentino July 7, 1864 Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Captaincy General of the Philippines |
| Died | October 10, 1938 (aged 74) Manila, Commonwealth of the Philippines |
| Nationality | Philippine |
| Religion |
Catholic Church (former) Iglesia Filipina Independiente |
Isabelo de los Reyes, Sr. y Florentino, 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 original 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, Reyes 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 written book. He later became a journalist, editor, and publisher in Manila, and was imprisoned in 1897 for revolutionary activities. He was deported to the Kingdom of Spain, where he was jailed for his activities 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, Reyes 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.
Isabelo de los Reyes was born to Elías de los Reyes and Leona Florentino in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. His mother, of mixed Spanish and Filipino descent, is recognised as the first significant female poet of the Philippines for her works in both Spanish and Ilocano.
Due to their troubled marriage, Elías entrusted his six-year-old son Isabelo to the care of Don Mena Crisólogo, a wealthy relative who was also a writer in the vernacular. The boy was enrolled in a grammar school attached to the local seminary run by Augustinians; their harsh discipline made him a lifelong critic of friars. In 1880 at age 16, De los Reyes went to Manila, where he finished the Bachiller en Artes at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. After that, he studied law and palaeography at the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas.
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