Background
Iñigo Regalado y Corcuera was born on June 1, 1855, in Manila, Philippines.
Iñigo Regalado y Corcuera was born on June 1, 1855, in Manila, Philippines.
Iñigo Regalado y Corcuera must have been initiated in the Duplo quite early. As there was practically no outlet for his literary inclination, emotional display found its appropriate medium in that oral vehicle. But his verbal poetical activities were not recorded in printed form and were forgotten. He wrote love songs and lyrics for popular delectation but only a few remained in the memory of the people. His poem "Ang Ganda Mo Neneng" never got into print but was committed to memory by the youth of Sampalok. Later his poems found their way in almanacs or cheap calendars such as those put out by Pascual H. Poblete and Isabelo de los Reyes. But these ephemerals did not last long.
It was also becoming the vogue at this time among the literate class to send invitations for social occasions. Announcements contained verses that were customarily entitled "Sa Sanghaya Mo Po". Regalado loved to scribble lines with touches of humor. Innocent-looking these lines give an insight into the social amenities of the time. But there was no Tagalog periodical to speak of and religious literature was still dominant.
Regalado must have learned the printing trade early. But the earliest notice of his name being mentioned as a printer was in connection with Gregorio Bautista, the two then managing jointly the press of the periodical La Opinion, founded in 1887. In the middle of 1889, the paper and press passed into the hands of Juan Atayde, and this event threw the two out of job. In January 1890 La Lectura Popular, a bilingual bi-weekly came out. A group of Tagalog writers - Gabriel Beato Francisco, Tomas Alup Remigio, Eulogio Julian de Tandiana, and Regalado - managed the Tagalog section. "Ang Cuintas ng Isang Jesuita" is a story in Tagalog translation done by Regalado which appeared in this periodical according to I. Ed. Regalado, son. But this did not last long.
Then Atayde took him in as head printer in his press which started publishing El Eco de Filipinas in September 1890. It was also the Imprenta de D. Juan Atayde y Ca. under the direction of Regalaro that printed La Ilustracion Filipina, the finest magazine of the period in spite of what W. E. Retana said. Regalado did translating work also. One of his latest activities was editing the short-lived Ang Pliegong Tagalog, a bilingual weekly which appeared on May 3, 1896. This became a vehicle for Katipunan ideas according to J. E. Cruz. He used the pennames Igiñi, Odalager, and Gaolerad. Upon the outbreak of the Revolution in August 1896, he went in hiding and got ill almost unable to return home to die by the side of his family.
Iñigo Regalado y Corcuera was married to Saturnina Reyes. The marriage produced a number of children.