López Jaena was born in the Jaro district in now Iloilo City and spent most of his life there, before sailing to Spain in 1879. While in Jaro, he wrote Fray Botod a short story critical of the current Spanish colonial government. However, his real fame came in Spain when he teamed up with others advocating for reform, including Marcelo H. del Pilar and José Rizal, and became a leader of the so-called ilustrados and of the Propaganda Movement. His newspaper La Solidaridad was particularly influential.
In 1970, Republic Act 6155 declared his birth an official public holiday in Iloilo province and the independent Iloilo City.[1] It is marked every year in Jaro with the Graciano Lopez Jaena Foundation Inc taking a lead role.[2] As part of the celebrations, a wreath is laid every year at the Graciano López Jaena Park, commonly known as Jaro Plaza, where there is also a statue.[3]
