by Lope K. Santos
Banaag at Sikat (From Early Dawn to Full Light) has been dubbed the ‘bible of the Filipino working class.’ Being among the earliest novels written by Lope K. Santos, it’s considered by Filipino critic Teodoro Agoncillo as one of the most important books in Philippine literature in 1949. That’s because according to Agoncillo, it paved the way for the development of a system on how Tagalog novels were written. The novel narrates the story between Delfin and Felipe who have contrasting views. Delfin is a socialist whereas Felipe, despite being the son of a rich landowner, leans towards anarchism. Throughout the narrative, themes of love, livelihood, and societal status are embedded.
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