Blind since birth, he is the acknowledged author of the Ilocano epic Biag ni Lam-ang (Life of Lam-ang).
He is considered the "Father of Ilocano literature." A street inside the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) complex in Pasay City, Philippines is named in his honor.
His surname is lent to the Bukanegan, the Ilocano equivalent of the Balagtasan.