MANILA, Philippines — Manilans remember this Thursday the 135th birth anniversary of a man who wielded his pen as mightily as the sword during the Philippine revolution 114 years ago.

Honorio MC Lopez is remembered not only for his singular nationalist feats which made him the hero of Manila, but for his varied accomplishments in various fields.

Masses will be celebrated in honor of Lopez at Sto. Nino de Tondo church, St. Joseph Gagalangin church and at Immaculate Concepcion Tayuman church. This will be followed by wreath laying ceremonies at his monument in Moriones, Tondo. A declamation contest among high school students of all public schools in Tondo (1st and 2nd Districts, Manila) will also be held.

Lopez had the distinction of being one of the very few Filipinos who had fought at last three foreign invaders. The first of those battles was against the Spaniards in 1896, the second, against the Americans in 1899 and the last, against the Japanese in 1941.

Lopez was a nationalist, propagandist, journalist, actor, politician, writer, publisher, seer and pacifist.

He was an official interpreter of the Philippine government at the age of 20. When the revolution broke out, he sought General Artemio Ricarte’s group and was designated as the general’s aide-de-camp. He later became the youngest colonel in the Philippine Revolution under Gen. Mariano Trias.

The young Honorio became known as the “hero of Manila’’ after capturing Tondo from the Spanish army in 1898. When the Americans came, he continued his fight against the new invaders.