Argao Families: The Alcazarens

Rep. Juan F. Alcazaren

ALCAZAREN, m.n., Spanish from Arabic, Toponimic., Original Argawanon Name. An almost similar last name as Alcazar, it is taken from a Spanish word Alcazarén, which is a geographical surname referring to a municipality in the province of Valladolid, Spain.  It is derived from the Arabic word al-qasrayn, which means “the two castles”.

The ALCAZAREN family of Argao is one of the original 700 plus last names in Argao adopted during the 1849 Claveria decree, appearing as "Alcazaren" on page 4 of the Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos. The family name was also spelled as Alcasaren in church records in Argao. It also appears to have the same root or a very close relation to the Alcasar family. The family rose into prominence in 1925 when Juan Fuentes Alcazaren, a great-great-grandson of Francisco Nicolas (Alcazaren), was elected into the Philippine legislature. Juan's sister, Agapita Alcazaren, married Vicente Kintanar, the first mayor of Argao after World War II.

As a last name it is one of the families with very few members. Even today it only appears in 9 out of the 45 barangays of Argao.

A full history of the ALCAZAREN family is available. Please contact the genealogist if interested. 

NOTE: When in parenthesis, the person did not have a surname during his/her lifetime.

EARLIEST TRACEABLE ANCESTOR(S):

ALL Alcazarens of Argao may be traced to one couple, FRANCISCO VICENTE (ALCAZAREN) and MARIA MONICA (CAMANYAN). Francisco Vicente (Alcazaren) was born about 1795 and died 1876. was the son of Francisco Nicolas (Alcazaren) and Maria Rustica.

Francisco Vicente (Alcazaren) and Maria Monica (Camanyan) had the following children:

(1) Alejandra Alcazaren, who married Agapito Carreon. Their descendants carry the last name Carreon.

(2) Candido Francisco Alcazaren, who married Maria Gregoria Llevado. Their descendants carry the last names Alcazaren, Llevado, Albarracin, and Remorosa.

(3) Edurado Alcazaren, who married Hilaria Lovitos. Their descendants carry the last name Alcazaren.

(4) Hermenegildo Francisco Alcazaren, who married Maria Rita Sardoma. Their descendants carry the last names Alcazaren and Alberca.

ALCAZAREN Family Name Distribution in Argao (as of 2011)

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Argao Families: The Sanchezes

SANCHEZ, m.n., one of the most common Spanish surnames in the world. Spanish patronymic last name that means "son (or descendant) of Sancho". Spanish form of the Late Latin name Sanctius, which was derived from the word sanctus meaning "saintly, holy". Alternatively, Sancho and Sanctius may have been taken from the Basque name Santxo.

It is one of the original 700 plus last names in Argao adopted during the 1849 Claveria decree. The Sanchez family was also one of the 16 hereditary principalia families of the town during the Spanish period and produced at least 11 cabezas de barangay. It also had one municipal councilor during the American period. A full history of the SANCHEZ family is available. Please contact the genealogist if interested. 

NOTE: When in parenthesis, the person did not have a surname during his/her lifetime.

EARLIEST TRACEABLE ANCESTOR(S):

(1) Anastacio (SANCHEZ), born around the first quarter of the 1700s. He married Javilla Maria and they had one child, Agustin Patricio (Sanchez), who married Maria Sidlacan Algones. They had the following children:

A. Eustaquio Patricio Sanchez m. Maria Tomasa Albandia - descendants carry the last name Sanchez.

B. Agustin Marcos Sanchez m. Maria Valeriana Banaren - descendants carry the last name Sanchez.

C. Maria Ynguila Sanchez m. Juan Ygnacio Algones - descendants carry the last name Algones.

D. Susana Victoriana Sanchez m. Silvestre Pajardo Remonde - descendants carry the last name Remonde.

(2) David Calisto (SANCHEZ), born in the middle of the 1700s. He is most likely a direct connection of #1 considering the similarities in the naming patterns of children. He married Cristina Hermosa and had one son, Agustin Patricio (Sanchez), born sometime in the last quarter of the eighteenth century.

Agustin Patricio (Sanchez) married Colasita Maria and had the following children:

A. Agustin Antonio Sanchez m. Maria Feliciana Algones - descendants carry the last name Sanchez.

B. Miguel Patricio Sanchez m. Maria Susana Albandia - descendants carry the last name Sanchez.

C. Valeriano Sanchez m. Basilia Albarracin - descendants carry the last name Sanchez.

(3) Crisanta Tomasa (SANCHEZ), born late 1790s or early 1800s. She married Miguel Ygnacio (ALGONES) and had the five children. She was most likely from the family of Anastacio Sanchez (see #1) and her husband was also a close relative of Maria Ynguila Sanchez's husband (see #1, letter C). Her descendants carry the last names ALGONES, PANERIO, QUINTANILLA, and DURAN.

SANCHEZ Family Name Distribution in Argao (as of 2011)

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Why the Spaniards Were Better Record-Keepers

Whenever I ask someone to fill out a pedigree or family group sheet they would normally write a woman's name with her married and not maiden family name. In most instances I find this quite annoying as I would not know what the wife's maiden name was and this for me is a big loss of personal identity.

I suppose it isn't the fault of modern-day Filipinos. Although we were under Spain for more than three centuries the education our ancestors received were rudimentary and backward. When the Americans came to colonize the Philippines they used education as their tool of colonization just as the Spaniards used religion. The American way of recording names was always, example, Mr. & Mrs. Smith; this meant records would indicate most often than not that the wife of a Mr. John Smith was a Mrs. John Smith. In census records a household was always listed under the male last name and again we would not know what the last name of the mother was.

That is why I simply adore the Spanish method of record keeping. Before the government stepped in and recorded births, marriages, and deaths, the church kept careful vital records to keep track of the events of their parishioners' life. The beauty about Spanish-era Philippine records is that you'd get a lot of information when tracing your family tree.

Baptismal records, called libros de bautismo, usually mentioned the date of baptism, followed by the date of birth (and in many cases the time of birth, as well), and the name of the child. In most cases the order of birth was also indicated, making sure the older siblings are accounted for. Then the name of the parents, then the godparents. 

A sample baptismal record from 1869.

Matrimonial records, or libros de matrimonio, mentioned the names of the couple, the date of marriage, the parents of the couple, and wedding witnesses.

Sample marriage record from 1911.

Burial records, or libros de entierros, listed the name of the deceased, the date of burial, the spouse of the deceased if married or the parents if single, and the two types of causes of death, either muerte natural or natural death or muerte violenta or a non-natural death.

A sample burial record from 1871.

These records alone were a minefield of information. Then, sometime in 1868, the records expanded. Baptismal records now included the occupation, place of origin, and residence of the parents, the name, occupation, place of origin, and residence of the grandparents (and whether or not they were still living). Death records now specified if the deceased was young or old and when available, the actual cause of death; it also included the names of parents and grandparents even if one was married. This record keeping style was continued, at least for the part of baptismal records, until the 2nd world war in most parishes. For death records, however, the mention of grandparents only lasted until about 1878, then it went back to the former style.

This is the reason why, in my own opinion, it is very easy to trace one's Filipino roots as long as the church records of one's hometown were not destroyed at any point of Philippine history. I myself have been able to trace more than 8 generations of almost all of my ancestral lines save for my roots in Cebu City and in Leyte. The beauty of Spanish records is that the women were always listed under their maiden name, so there was no confusion or lack of information as to the maternal family. If only the Americans continued this type of record keeping, modern research on Filipino genealogy would have been ever easier than it already is.

Argao Families: The Miñozas

General Alejo Nazareno Minosa

MIÑOZA, m.n., Spanish from Galician or Latin, Toponym. Derived from the Spanish word miñosa, which has two possible origins. It could be a variation from the Portuguese minhoca, in turn from the Galician moñoca, which means "earthworm". It may also be of Latin origin from the word minium, which refers to a red dye.

As a family name it only appeared in Argao, Cebu sometime in 1859 when Maximiano Miñosa migrated to Argao. He married an Argawanon, Eusebia Nazareno. Maximiano and Eusebia later went back to Cebu City where their five children were born and raised. His first cousin, maestro Cornelio Miñosa, was assigned to Argao in 1873 as the pueblo's schoolteacher for boys. The Miñosa family was a prominent middle-class family from Talamban, Cebu. A son of Maximiano, Alejo, was an active general  in Cebu in the revolution against Spain while Cornelio and two of his sons were three of the leaders in the revolution in the southern portion of Cebu. 

The original spelling of the name was Miñosa, though most present-day members use a "z" instead of an "s".

EARLIEST TRACEABLE ANCESTOR(S)

(1) Maximiano Miñosa & Eusebia Nazareno - married in 1860, had three daughters and two sons. Descendants carry the last name of Miñosa.

(2) Don Cornelio Miñosa & Saturnina Albores - married in 1873. Saturnina Albores was the niece of Eusebia Nazareno. Cornelio and Saturnina had the following children:

A. Don Antonio Miñosa m. (1) Loreto Lucero & (2) Nemesia Lucero-Villanueva Diez - descendants in Argao and Mindanao carry the last name Miñosa.

B. Gen. Bonifacio Miñosa m. Sabina Kintanar - no issue.

C. Apolinar Miñosa m.  (1) Margarita Cabrera, (2) Francisca Lucero, (3) Gallendo - descendants carry the last name Miñosa.

D. Sotera Miñosa

E. Eudosia Miñosa

(3) Florentino Miñosa & Ysabel Escalante - married in 1902. Florentino later followed his older brother Cornelio to Argao. In the same manner as his brother and first cousin, Florentino also married into the Nazareno-Albores family by marrying Ysabel Escalante, who was also a niece of Eusebia Nazareno and a first cousin of Saturnina. They had two sons.

MIÑOZA Family Name Distribution in Argao (as of 2011)

A full history of the Miñosa family is available. Please contact the genealogist if interested. 

Argao Families: The Almirantes

ALMIRANTE, m.n., Sp., from Ara., Occ., OAN.  The name is derived from the Spanish word almirante, the title of the general officer who commands a fleet, or subdivision of a fleet. The origin of the word is undoubtedly Arabic. In the 12th century the Mediterranean states which had close relations with the Moslem powers on the shores or in the islands of that sea, found the title amir or emir in combination with other words used to describe men in authority; the amir-al-mumenin—prince of the faithful—or al-bahr—commander of the sea. They took the substantive “amir” and the article “al” to form one word, “amiral” or “ammiral” or “almirante”.

The surname Almirante is one of the Argawanon families that has branched from the Ceballos family is one of the 700 plus family names adopted in the town in accordance with the Claveria decree of 1849.. Its earliest lines began with Francisco Geronimo from the late 1700s. All Almirantes from Argao are from his son Miguel Francisco and his wife Basilisa Ceballos. Miguel Francisco's only sibling, Eugenia Francisca, married Martin Leonardo. Their family later adopted the surname Geldore. One member of the family, Antonio A. Almirante, Jr., a great-great-great-great-grandson of Francisco Geronimo, was mayor of Argao from 1972 until 1986 and later served as of Cebu's provincial board members. One of his daughters, Annabelle "Bootsie" Almirante, currently sits as one of Argao's municipal councilors.

NOTE: When in parenthesis, the person did not yet have a surname when he/she lived.

EARLIEST TRACEABLE ANCESTOR(S)

All Almirantes can be traced to Francisco Geronimo (Almirante) & Maria Magdalena - circa late 1790s. They had two children:

(1) Miguel Francisco (Almirante) m. Basilisa Ceballos. They had the following children:

A. Lazaro Miguel Almirante m. Julia Savidor - descendants carry the last name Almirante.

B. Pantaleona Almirante - no issue.

C. Felipe Almirante m. Crisanta Policher  - descendants carry the last name Almirante.

D. Anacleta Almirante  - descendants carry the last name Almirante.

E. Margarita Almirante m. Silverio ORTIZA -  - descendants carry the last name Ortiza. 

(2) Eugenia Francisca (Almirante) m.Martin Leonardo (GELDORE). They had the following issue:

A. Basilio Geldore m. (1) Petrona Umeres & (2) Maxima Oyangoren - descendants carry the last name Almirante.

B. Maria Juana Geldore m. Juan Hilario ALCALA - descendants carry the last name Alcala.

C. Juan Geldore m. Ysabel Cambalon - descendants carry the last name Almirante.

D. Antonio Geldore m. Marcela Cambalon - descendants carry the last name Almirante.

E. Tomas Geldore m. Melquiadesa Saniel - descendants carry the last name Almirante.

ALMIRANTE Family Name Distribution in Argao (as of 2011)

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To trace your own ALMIRANTE family tree, contact the genealogist.

Argao Families: The Mirandas

MIRANDA, f.n., Sp. from Lat., Top., OAN. The surname is a Spanish word derived from the Latoin Mirandus, which means "outlook", "Wondrous", or "lovely".  It may also be a derivation of the Spanish word miralla, which means "watchtower" or "lookout".

The MIRANDA family name of Argao, Cebu is one of the 700 plus family names adopted in the town in accordance with the Claveria decree of 1849. The family today can be traced to 7 lines, with 4 of these in the male line. 

NOTE: When in parenthesis, the person did not yet have a surname when he/she lived.

EARLIEST TRACEABLE ANCESTOR(S)

(1) Marcos Urbano (Miranda) & (1) Petrona Labrador, (2) Anacleta Labrador - circa late 1790s. 

By his first wife Petrona Apolicarpia Labrador they had the following children:

A. Pedro Carpio Miranda - descendants carry the last name Miranda. More than half of Argao's Mirandas come from his line.

B. Maria Mitilda Miranda m. Fermin Francisco CHAVEZ - descendants carry the last name Chavez.

By his second wife Anacleta Labrador they had the following children:

A. Ignacio Miranda - descendantas carry the last name Miranda.

B. Celestina Miranda m. Felipe SANCHEZ - descendants carry the last name Sanchez.

C. Vicenta Miranda m. Marcos BRIONES - descendants carry the last name Briones.

D. Eugenia Miranda m. Filomeno SANIEL - descendants carry the last name Saniel.

E. Candida Miranda m. Enrique SANIEL - descendants carry the last name Saniel.

(2) Apolicarpio Miranda & Graciosa Pastor - around late 1790s. Most likely a brother of #1. Children were:

A. Anastasia Miranda m. Don Pedro ZETA - descendants carry the Zeta/Ceta last name.

B. Esteban Miranda - descendants carry the last name Miranda.

C. Nepomucena Miranda & Alejo PEREZ - descendants carry the last name Perez.

(3) Crisanto de la Cruz Miranda & Apolicarpia Graciosa Gicale - circa late 1790s. Most likely the same as the couple Apolicarpio Miranda and Graciosa Pastor, though there are not enough records to prove this. They had 2 children:

A. Doroteo Miranda - descendants carry the last name Miranda.

B. Micaela Miranda m. Roque Enrique SANCHEZ - descendants carry the last name Sanchez.

(4) Agustin Miranda & Barbara Sarillas - circa early 1800s. Children were:

A. Dorotea Miranda - descendantas carry the last name Miranda.

B. Victoriana Miranda m. Cruz GELERA - descendants carrying the last name Gelera.

C. Juan Miranda - descendantas carry the last name Miranda.

(5) Francisca Miranda & Gregorio ESPINA - about early 1800s. Their descendants carry the last name Espina.

(6) Juana Cecilia Miranda & Tomas Lazaro GONZAGA - about early 1800s. Their descendants carry the family name Gonzaga.

(7) Maria Monica Miranda & Nicolas CAMELO - about early 1800s. Their descendants carry the last name Camelo.

MIRANDA Family Name Distribution in Argao (As of 2011)

To trace your own MIRANDA family tree, contact the genealogist. 

Argao Families: The Zamoras

ZAMORA, Sp., from Ara., Top., OAN. The name Zamora comes from the Gothic “Semura” or from the Arabic “Azemur” and “Semurah”.  It refers to a city in Castile-Leon, Spain.

The ZAMORA family name of Argao, Cebu is one of the 700 plus family names adopted in the town in accordance with the Claveria decree of 1849. The family today can be traced to 10 lines, with 6 of these in the male line. The remaining 4 have left descendants with Zamora blood but not the name. The reason for this rather large number of lines is because the family, at the time of the adoption of surnames in 1849/50, was already very large and records, scarce as they were, are unable to help us connect these lines to one another.

NOTE: When in parenthesis, the person did not yet have a surname when he/she lived.

EARLIEST TRACEABLE ANCESTOR(S)

(1) Francisco Feliciano (Zamora) & Ursula Micaela - both lived in the first quarter of the 18th century. They had two children:

A. Francisco Julian (Zamora) - descendants carry the last name Zamora, Ceballos, Rizon, and Puerto

B. Joanico Francisco (Zamora) - descendants carry the last name Zamora.

(2) Paulina Maria Zamora - mid 1700s. Had only one child, Julian (or Juan) Basilio (Zamora). Julian's only child was Juana Basilia (Zamora) who married Domingo Protacio (Mirasol). Descendants carry the last name Mirasol.

(3) Julian Joanillo (Zamora) & Rafaela Rama - circa late 1790s. Julian was most likely from the line of Francisco Feliciano (see #1) or from Paulina Maria (see #2 ). They had two children:

A. Gaspar Zamora - descendants carry the last name Zamora.

B. Juliana Zamora m. Leon Villacis - descendants carry the last name Villacis.

(4) Sinforosa Zamora & Martin ORILLOSA - circa early 1800s. Descendants carry the last name of Baquiano, Blancaflor, and Temfroso.

(5) Maria Zamora & Domingo MAMITIS - circa early 1800s. Descendants carry the last name Mamitis, Egos, Dayad, and Fameron.

(6) Biringuela Zamora & Vicente ALCOBA - circa early 1800s. Descendants through her only child Valentina Alcoba, who married Crisanto PORTUNATA.

(7) Agata Zamora & Juliano ALCARIA - around 1802. Descendants carry the last names Villaluz and Alcaria.

(8) Hilario Raymundo (Zamora) & Ynes Sosas - circa 1805. They had the following children:

A. Nicasio Zamora - descendants carry the last name Zamora.

B. Mamerta Zamora m. Agustin Campaner - descendants carry the last name Campaner.

C. Leoncia Zamora m. Antonio Campaner - descendants carry the last name Campaner.

D. Leoncio Zamora - descendants carry the last name Zamora.

E. Pablo Zamora - descendants carry the last name Zamora.

F. Juana Zamora m. Januario Paller - descendants carry the last name Paller.

G. Longino Zamora - descendants carry the last name Zamora.

H. Cresencio Zamora - descendants carry the last name Zamora.

I.   Lope Zamora

J. Francisca Zamora m. Rufino PANTALITA - descendants carry the last name Pantalita / Pantalete

(9) Dominga Zamora & Casimiro PADILLO - circa 1809. Descendants carry the last name Padillo.

(10) Felix Zamora &Casimira Relacion - circa 1821. Had the following children:

A. Mamerto Zamora - descendants carry the last name Zamora.

B. Remigio Zamora - descendants carry the last name Zamora.

C. Saturnina Zamora m. Eustaquio Villaluz - descendants carry the last name Villaluz.

D. Florentino Zamora - descendants carry the last name Zamora.

E. Doroteo Zamora - descendants carry the last name Zamora.

F. Justino Zamora

G. Rosa Zamora

H. Justiana Zamora

I.   Yreneo Zamora - descendants carry the last name Zamora.

ZAMORA Family Name Distribution in Argao (as of 2011)

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To trace your own ZAMORA family tree, contact the genealogist. 

Argao Families: The Camantigues

The Camantigue plant and flowers.

CAMANTIGUE. Noun, Indigenous Filipino origin, Toponym, Original Argawanon Surname. Is a species of Impatiens native to southern Asia in India and Myanmar. In the Philippines it is called kamantigue or camantigue. It has the scientific name Impatiens balsamina (Garden Balsam or Rose Balsam).

The CAMANTIGUE family name of Argao, Cebu was one of the 700 plus family names adopted in the town in accordance with the Claveria decree of 1849. It's earliest traceable ancestor was Francisco Agustin (Camantigue) and his wife Maria Rustica, who were both born in the middle of the 1700s. It was their son Juan Marcelo Camantigue who chose the last name for his family. This family name is one of the few names adopted in 1849 that has become extinct today (in the town of Argao, at least). The last time the Camantigue family name appeared in records was in the 1870s. Though there are thousands of people in Argao who are descended from the family, none carry the family name today.

NOTE: When in parenthesis, the person did not yet have a surname when he/she lived.

EARLIEST TRACEABLE ANCESTOR(S)

All Camantigues are traceable to Francisco Agustin (Camantigue) and Maria Rustica. They had two sons:

(1) Nicolas Antonio married to Francisca Ana. Their two children did not carry the Camantigue last name. Their son, Juan Nicolas, carried LUNA, while their daughter, Rosa, carried SARONA.

Through Juan Nicolas (Luna) and his wife Maria Juana (Gonzaga), the descendants are Lunas. Rosa married Mateo Baoy, thus her descendants carry the Baoy last name.

(2) Juan Marcelo Camantigue, who adopted the last name in 1849/50, married Maria Gregoria Gonzaga, the first cousin of Maria Juana, who married Juan Nicolas Luna. Juan Marcelo Camantigue had two daughters, though only one, Basilia Petrona Camantigue, married and had children.

Basilia Petrona Camantigue married Juan Bernardo Birondo. More than 75% of people with Birondo name and/or family name come from this couple. Their children were:

A. Salvador Bernardo Birondo - descendants carry the last name Birondo.

B. Martin Bernardo Birondo - descendants carry the last name Birondo.

C. Gregorio Birondo - descendants carry the last name Birondo.

D. Maria Candelaria Birondo m. Feliz Sanchez - descendants are Durans and Panerios.

E. Lino Bernardo Birondo - descendants carry the last name Lucero.

F. Eustaquio Birondo - - descendants carry the last name Birondo.

G. Tomas Birondo - descendants carry the last name Birondo.

H. Fausta Birondo m. Faustino Labrador - descendants carry the last name Labrador.

I.  Ysidora Birondo m. Gregorio Sanchez - descendants carry the last name Sanchez.

J. Agapito Birondo - descendants carry the last name Birondo.

K. Florentino Birondo - no issue.

L. Vicente Birondo - descendants carry the last name Birondo.

M. Apolinario Birondo - descendants carry the last name Birondo.

To trace your own CAMANTIGUE family tree, contact the genealogist. 

Claveria & the Importance of 1845 in Philippine Genealogy

When I visited the Sinupang Pambansa or the Philippine National Archives in 2007 I saw and purchased a copy of the Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos, a reproduction of Governor-General Narciso Claveria's surname decree in 1849 with an introduction by Domingo Abella, then head of the PNA. In his write-up Abella enumerated the achievements of Claveria, whose short stint as chief executive of the Philippines proved to have several reforms that changed Philippine historiography for good. 

What many people, especially those interested in Philippine Genealogy, don't know is that Claveria did more than just that famous surname decree of 1849. He had another decree, somewhat forgotten in many history books but whose effects still affect us today. In 1844 he made a decree that corrected the Philippine calendar. When the Spaniards first came to the Philippines they based their calendar on Spain's, not knowing that as they went westward and reached the Philippines this calendar fell a day behind the rest of world. So from the 1500s up until Claveria made a fuss about it in 1844 the people in the Philippines were actually living the wrong day every day! So Claveria, after consulting with the church, decreed that December 31, 1844 would not exist and instead December 30, 1844 would be immediately followed by January 1, 1845. So in one decree and erasure of one single day in the last month of the year the Philippines finally caught up with the rest of the world's calendar.

What does this do to genealogists researching Philippine families? Simple. Every record we've gone through before January 1, 1845 was one day behind. So if we'd put down, for example, Cotober 4, 1843 as the birthday of our ancestor then the ACTUAL birthday was October 5, 1843.

Perhaps it's simply a technical detail in Philippine genealogy, but a single day difference makes a lot of difference. Imagine how many people in our records have been given the wrong birthdays, marriages dates, and even death dates? Narciso Claveria, indeed, has proven to have the most impact in terms of Philippine genealogy.

Argao Families: The Aballes

(Don Julio Llorente y Aballe)

ABALLE, , m.n., Spanish, from Latin, Toponym, Original Argawanon Surname. A variant of other Hispanic surnames such as Del Valle, Avalle, and Valle.  Refers to “one coming from a valley”, or “living near a valley”.  The word valle is derived from the Latin Vallis, which means “valley”.

The ABALLE family name of Argao, Cebu is one of the 700 plus family names adopted in the town in accordance with the Claveria decree of 1849. The family today can be traced to 4 separate lines, but it can be safely concluded that all Aballes of Argao, Cebu came from one person, Jose Patricio (Aballe), who was born sometime 1720-30. The other lines just do not have enough records to show how they descend from this patriarch. One descendant of the family was Don Julio Llorente, who became the first governor of the province of Cebu in 1901.

NOTE: When in parenthesis, the person did not yet have a surname when he/she lived.

EARLIEST TRACEABLE ANCESTOR(S)

(1) Jose Patricio (Aballe) & Maria Diocno (surname probably AGUIRRE) - the family's patriarch and matriarch.

Children:

A. Santiago (Aguirre) - descendants carry the last name AGUIRRE

B. Josef Victoriano (Aballe) - more than 75% of Aballes come from his 4 sons, who were Leoncio Victoriano (Aballe), Tiburcio Victoriano (Aballe), Joaquin Victoriano (Aballe), and Donato Aballe.

C. Agapito Patricio (Aballe) - descendants carry the last name Aballe.

(2) Maria Pascuala Aballe & Maximo Castro CAMERO - descendants carry the last name CAMERO;

(3) Valeriano Aballe & Nicolasa Camelo - most likely a grandson of Jose Patricio. Descendants through his only son, Celedonio Aballe, carry the last name Aballe.

(4) Ysidro Mauricio (Aballe) &Maria Laorencia - most likely another son or perhaps a brother of Jose Patricio. Extinct in the male line. His only child, Maria Florentina (Aballe) married Francisco Ambrosio (Perez). Descendants carry the Perez last name.

Note: One of Ysidro Mauricio (Aballe)'s granddaughters, Maria Ines Perez, married Tiburcio Victoriano (Aballe), a grandson of Jose Patricio (Aballe). Their daughter, Martina Aballe y Perez, married the Spaniard Ceferino Llorente and they in turn became the parents of Don Julio Llorente, Cebu's first provincial governor.

ABALLE family distribution in Argao (as of 2011)

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To trace your own ABALLE family tree, contact the genealogist. 

Argao Families: The Abears

The ABEAR family name of Argao, Cebu is one of the 700 plus family names adopted in the town in accordance with the Claveria decree of 1849. The farthest traceable ancestors of the family go back to the mid to late 1700s; however, due to the fact that it was a rather large family there are four distinct lines that can be considered its earliest lines (difficult to connect to each other though still obvious these were related).

NOTE: When in parenthesis, the person did not yet have a surname when he/she lived.

EARLIEST TRACEABLE ANCESTOR(S)

(1) Lucas Cinco & Maria Francisca (c. 1740s) - extinct in the male line, descendants through female line;

Children:

A. Lucas Bautista (Abear) - no descendants

B. Valentina Cinco (Abear) - married Guillermo CAMERINO

(2) Manuel Bernardo (Abear) & Maria Clara (Monte) (c. 1730s) - male line continues today;

Children:

A. Geronimo Maurillo (MONTE) - descendants carry Monte last name

B. Gregorio Marciano (DE LA CERNA) - descendants carry dela Cerna last name

C. Susana Salome Abear - married Guillermo Constantino CALDERON

D. Prospero Abear - descendants carry Abear last name

(3) Josefa Yldeonza (Abear) & Francisco Alverto (Flores) (c. 1760) - no male line, but ALL Floreses of Argao are Abears due to her;

(4) Feliz Abear & Casimira Legaspi (b. 1810) - probably son of Manuel Bernardo, but no record to prove this. Male line continues today.

Children:

A. Adriano Abear - descendants carry Abear last name

B. Martin Abear - descendants carry Abear last name

C. Mateo Abear - descendants carry Abear last name

D. Magdalena Abear - married Don Jose SANIEL

E. Teresa Abear - married Don Ciriaco ABALLE

F. Francisco Abear - descendants carry Abear last name

G. Julian Abear - descendants carry Abear last name

H. Gregoria Abear - married Mamerto ESPINA

I. Jacinta Abear - married Mariano SARDA (eldest son, Mariano, carried the last name Abear)

Abear family distribution in Argao (as of 2011)

(Click to enlarge)

To trace your own ABEAR family tree, contact the genealogist. 

How President Ramos became my Cousin

(Wedding of Tita Lee Lucero and Ambassador Narciso Ramos)

Today, March 18, is former president Ramos's birthday. I have been trying to trace his family tree for a year or so now as I find his genealogy a little closer to home; my mom's first cousin, Alfonsita Galeos Lucero - Lee to the family - married former congressman and ambassador Narciso R. Ramos. Tita Lee's marriage to the widower Narciso was, to the best of my knowledge, a happy union. So my mom's cousin then became the stepmother of FVR, who at that time was the armed forces chief of staff, and to Leticia Ramos-Shahani, who was a senator. They, in turn, became my step-cousins.

I remember my grandparents' house in Cebu being very busy during election season. When FVR became President Aquino's handpicked successor in 1992 my family went all out in its support for our step-cousin.

Fidel Valdez Ramos was born to Narciso Rueca Ramos and Angela Marcos Valdez. On his father's side he was a Pangasinense, on his mother's side he was Ilokano. His paternal grandparents were from Asingan, Pangasinan while his maternal grandparents were from Ilocos Norte. His grandmother, Cripina Marcos, was the sister of Fabian Marcos, grandfather of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Narciso Ramos was Foreign Secretary during President Ferdinand E. Marcos's government and served from 1966 to 1968. Before joining the foreign service, Narciso served five terms as a member of the Philippine Legislature. He was also a Philippine Ambassador to Taipei.

FVR's mother, Angela Valdez Ramos, was active in her participation in the women's movement of her time, joining the Time Investment Group which later became the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in the Philippines. She was also at the heart of helping prisoners of war in Tarlar and was later involved in more women and social causes.

I have already posted FVR's pedigree chart in a previous write up. Hopefully, I would be able to add to this more as time goes by. In the meantime, anyone interested to read more on the life and times of FVR's mom Angela can purchase the book In A Class Of Her Own: The Life And Times Of Angela Valdez Ramos, written by Melandrew T. Velasco.

Davao's Founding Fathers

My family transferred to Davao City right after EDSA. I was about 6 and half years old at that time so my whole life at that point was always Cebu. Growing up in Davao was like growing up in an alien planet; most people I came in contact with spoke Tagalog with a funny accent. Still, I had no choice but to try to enjoy my stay in the city, becoming excited only when summer vacation came as that was the time my mom would ship us back to Cebu for a 2-month vacay.

When I started doing genealogy in 1994 one of the first family trees I saw was the one found in a book on Davao's history. In it I saw the interrelationships of the Alzate, Bustamante, Suazo, and Bangoy clans, four of the original settlers of Davao in 1848 when the Spaniard Don Jose Oyanuren established the pueblo of Nueva Vergara, after his hometown in Spain.

The four original clans of Bangoy, Alzate, Bustamante, and Suazo have branched out through the years to the Cervantes, Lizada, Pichon, Castillo, Rodriquez, Nograles, Villarica, Cabaguio and many more families. I remember many high school classmates in Ateneo whose names appeared in the family trees of these pioneering families - like Kristy Sator and Czarina Mojica.

Don Jose Oyanguren became the first governor of the conquered town. In 1852, the Marquis de Solana replaced Oyanguren as the governor and renamed the place Davao after great clamor from the residents to give back its old name.

At the time I was studying the Davao City pioneering families' family trees I was a junior in Ateneo de Davao High School. My homeroom adviser was Mr. Rene Lizada, whose great (or maybe great-great, I forgot) grandparents were among the earliest settlers in Davao. His family, together with the other clans from the original four settler-families, formed the "Hijos de Davao" and regularly hold grand reunions in December.

I remember one time Mr. Lizada sharing with us in class that his ancestors came to Davao from Luzon like many others. Other families came from the Visayas, such as the Bangoys whose roots are in Bohol. Sir Rene told our class that many families were able to own vast tracts of lands because the native settlers were happy to trade their domain with clothes and trinkets supplied by the settlers.

Then I remember in 1997 an article in PDI came out with Margie Moran callously saying that before she came to Davao, nobody ever knew where it was and it was she who taught the Dabawenyos everything they needed to know, including how to ride an elevator. I remember the indignant letters to the editor in the various local publications after that interview. The old families of Davao were up in arms against these statements, which not only belittled their families' contributions but also simply insulted the Dabawenyos in general. I remember a very well written response by Sir Rene in Sunstar at that time, too bad I no longer have the clipping. Thankfully, the former Ms. Universe also had the breeding to apologize, which she did. As far as I remember, the issue died down after that.

I will try to find that small book on Davao's history so I can post some of the pertinent portions of the tree here. But, in the meantime, this is all I have for Davao's pioneering families.

Happy 75th anniversary, Davao!

Presidential Surnames & their Meaning

AGUINALDO. The surname Aguinaldo is a common Filipino and Mexican family name that is a comparatively recent formation from the personal name Aguinaldo. The term “aguinaldo” is a Spanish reference to a Christmas or sometimes a New Year gift.

In some parts of the South Americas, the word is also associated with a gift and with an own musical sort of Christmas.

AQUINO. Aquino is a Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian surname that is from a personal name bestowed in honor of the great theologian St. Thomas Aquinas, which in the original Italian is Tommaso d’Aquino. As a surname, it is mostly a habitational name, designating the carrier as “one coming from a place called Aquino”.

ARROYO. A Spanish habitational last name from any of numerous places named with arroyo, which is translated as “watercourse”, or “irrigation channel”. The word arroyo is a word of pre-Roman origin. Other definitions for Arroyo include “an intermittent river, river which is full only after rain, chasm, cleft, clough, clove, gap, gorge, gulch”.

EJERCITO. Ejercito is, as a general rule, not a very common Hispanic last name. It is not even fairly common in the Philippines. Ejercito is, in its widest sense, the name given to the institution in charge with the defense and the military attack of the state. Ejercito is Spanish for “army”.

GARCIA. GARCIA is a Spanish and Portuguese patronymic, normally found in medieval records in the Latin form Garsea, and may well be of pre-Roman origin, perhaps akin to the Basque (h)artz, which means “bear”. It may also have been derived from Hortza, Artza, or Hartze. In the Germanic language, Garcia could be translated as “a prince with a wonderful view”. Its variations include Gassía, Gacía, Gacías, Garsés, Gaciot, Gació, Gassías, and Gasía.

LAUREL. Laurel is a topographic name for someone who lived by a laurel tree, derived from the Spanish laurel (in Latin laurus), or a habitational name from Laurel in the Canary Islands. The laurel tree is a Mediterranean evergreen tree (Laurus nobilis) having aromatic, simple leaves and small blackish berries. Also called bay, bay laurel, and sweet bay. A wreath of laurel was conferred as a mark of honor in ancient times upon poets, heroes, and victors in athletic contests.

MACAPAGAL. The Macapagal surname is an indigenous Filipino surname derived from the Kapangpangan word makapagal, which means “tiring”. It may also be a descriptive last name, which may describe the ancestors of the Macapagals as someone who "exhausted the enemy".

MAGSAYSAY. Magsaysay is an indigenous Filipino last name that is taken from the Tagalog word magsaysay, which means to “tell” or “narrate”.

MARCOS. The surname Marcos is a Spanish and Portuguese patronymic, meaning “son of or descendant of Marcos”. Marcus was an old Roman name, of uncertain (possibly non-Italic) etymology; it may have some connection with the name of the war god Mars. It means “borderland” or a “fenced-off land”.

OSMEÑA. The Osmeña surname existed in the city of Cebu as early as the early the late 1700’s, and some have theorized that it is most probably, but not definitely, of Muslim origin, most probably derived from either OSMAN or USMAN, the Turkish, Indian, or Persian form of the Arabic Uthmān. UTHMAN means "baby bustard" in Arabic. A bustard is a bird similar to a crane.

QUEZON. Quezon is of unclear origin, but perhaps may be a variation of the indigenous Chinese Filipino surname Quizon (Quison), which comes from the Chinese names Cui and Son. Thus, the surname here is Cui, which is associated with “men of famous Prime Ministers”.

QUIRINO. The patronymic family name is derived from the Spanish personal name Quirino (in turn from Latin Quirinus). In Roman mythology, the name Quirinus was possibly derived from the Sabine word quiris, meaning "spear". Quirinus was a Sabine and Roman god who was later identified with the war god Mars.

RAMOS. The surname Ramos is a Portuguese and Spanish habitational name from any of the towns called Ramos, situated in Portugal and Spain. It is derived from the Spanish word ramos, the plural of ramo, meaning “branch”, in turn from the Latin ramus. As a surname it is descriptive of someone who lived in a thickly wooded area.

ROXAS. Roxas is a variant of the Spanish surname Rojas, which is a newer variation of Roxas. It is a habitational name from places in Burgos or Lugo (Galicia) named Rojas, derived from the Spanish word rojo, which means “red”.

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Related post:

Surname Spotlight: Presidential Family Names

Where to Start: Your Pedigree Chart

Personally, I believe that a must in the initial steps of doing your family history is doing a pedigree chart. This is a chart or diagram that shows you your direct line of descent, starting with yourself, then going up to your parents, then up to your grandparents, and so on and so forth until you reach a dead end.

I believe that one must always begin with this as it would give you, in one piece of paper, an idea of just how much you know about your family history. As soon as you reach a dead end with the pedigree then you know where next to go. Filling out a pedigree chart is simple and easy. Click here to see a video on how to do a pedigree chart.

Click here to download a free blank pedigree chart.

Below are simplified pedigrees of some of the Philippine Presidents:

1. President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III
2. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
3. President Fidel V. Ramos
4. President Corazon C. Aquino
5. President Ferdinand E. Marcos
6. President Diosdado Macapagal
7. President Ramon Magsaysay
8. President Elpidio Quirino
9. President Jose P. Laurel
10. President Manuel A. Roxas
11. President Sergio Osmena
12. President Manuel Luis Quezon
13. President Emilio Aguinaldo

RP Politics: Still a Family Affair

In a complicated and Byzantine manner, almost all former Philippine leaders, and many of the current, were and are related to one another, in one way or the other, others many times over. Most of all, these political leaders have paved the way for the perpetuation of kinship-based politics. Politics in the Philippines was, is, and has always been, like the interrelated Rajahs and Datus and Sultans of pre-Hispanic Philippines, a birthright.

To start off, one of President Emilio Famy Aguinaldo’s granddaughters, Ameurfina Melencio Herrera, served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court and was the second Filipina elevated to the high court. Two grandsons, Reynaldo Aguinaldo and Federico Aguinaldo Poblete, served as Mayors of Kawit, Cavite while two great-grandsons, Joseph Emilio Abaya and Emilio Aguinaldo IV served, respectively, as Cavite first district congressional representative and Kawit, Cavite councilor. President Aguinaldo's first cousin’s, General Baldomero Aguinaldo, great-grandson was Cesar E.A. Virata, a Prime Minster of the Philippines under President Marcos.

The Virata family, through marriage, is connected with the Acuña family. One Acuña member married into the prominent and rich Roxas family of Capiz, which is a branch of the Roxas famly of Manila. The product of this marriage was former President Manuel A. Roxas, whose son Gerardo “Gerry” Roxas was a former Senator and whose grandson, MAR Roxas II is a Senator of the Republic. Also, due to his dalliance with Juanita McIlvain, former Miss Universe Margarita "Margie" Moran Floirendo just happens to be President Roxas' granddaughter. Margie Moran is also married to Representative Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo. President Manuel Roxas' wife, Trinidad de Leon, was the daughter of former Senator Ceferino de Leon. Senator de Leon's brother, Jose, married Doña Narcisa "Sisang" Buencamino, who became one of the most successful movie magnates of her time when she chartered her family-owned LVN Pictures into a dominant position in post-World War II Philippine cinema. Narcisa's first cousin’s son was Philip Buencamino, who married Zenaida "Nini" Quezon, daughter of President Manuel Luis Quezon.

Further, another scion of the Roxas family was Margarita Roxas, who was the first cousin of President Roxas’s great-great-grandfather and whose marriage to Antonio de Ayala produced Trinidad de Ayala. Trinidad later married Jacobo Zobel and started the legendary Zobel De Ayala family.

Some of the minor branches of the ROXAS family married into the other aristocratic families of Manila: the Aranetas (Senator Gerry Roxas married Judy Araneta y Araneta), Ayalas, Elizaldes, Prietos, and more. One Roxas descendant is Enrique Zobel, head of the Ayala Group of companies; two others are the brothers Jose and Andres Soriano, current heads of San Miguel Corporation which their father started. Through the Roxas family's connection with the Aranetas, former Tourism Secretary and first Filipina Miss International titleholder Gemma Teressa Cruz-Araneta is also related by marriage to Pres. Roxas. Gemma Cruz-Araneta’s husband’s cousin, Jorge Araneta, married the first Miss International, Maria Stella Marquez, who now runs the Binibining Pilipinas Pageant. It must also be remembered that Gemma Cruz's paternal great-grandmother was Doña Maria Rizal, the sister of Philippine national hero, Jose P. Rizal. Furthermore, Gemma Cruz's mother, Carmen, married twice. Her second husband was Angel Nakpil, the nephew of Julio Nakpil, composer of a second version of the Philippine National Anthem, who in turn was the second husband of Gregoria De Jesus, the “Muse of the Katipunan”. Gregoria de Jesus was also the widow of Katipunan founder Andres Bonifacio, who, some historians claim, was murdered upon the orders of Emilio Aguinaldo. Similarly, two of Gemma's first cousins, Paz and Maria Cruz Banaad, married Bienvenido and Roberto Laurel, respectively, relatives of President Jose P. Laurel. President Laurel’s own father, Sotero Laurel, was a member of the Malolos Congress of 1898 and his pedigree claims descent from Gat Masungit, allegedly a son of a Sultan of Brunei in the 1500s. Several of President Laurel's children became famous politicians in their own right. His eldest son, Jose Bayani, Jr., became Speaker of the House of Representatives and a candidate for vice-president in 1957 (Jose Macario Laurel, the eldest son of Jose B. Laurel, was a former Batangas Representative). His younger son, Salvador Roman "Doy" Laurel, was Vice-President from 1986 to 1992. Three other of Laurel's children also became prominent in politics and business. Sotero Cosme was elected to the Senate from 1987 to 1992; Jose Sotero Laurel III became Ambassador to Japan; and Mariano H. Laurel became president of the Philippine Banking Corporation.

Further into the Araneta family, two more of its members married presidential daughters; the first one being Juan Miguel Arroyo (of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental and a great-grandson of Negros Island Revolutionary leader Gen. Aniceto Ledesma Lacson and Rosario Emilia Araneta). He married then Ms. Gloria M. Macapagal, daughter of President Diosdado Macapagal. Of course, GMA was the country's 2nd female Chief Executive. First Gentleman Mike Arroyo’s grandfather, Senator Jose Maria Pidal Arroyo, married a Lacson, thus linking him to Senator Panfilo Lacson. Also, because the Macapagals have always maintained that they are direct descendants of Lakandula, the last King of Tondo, they can also claim to be related, albeit very distantly, from the royal family of Brunei. Thus, not only are GMA and President Laurel related many times over by marriage, they are also blood relatives because of their claimed descent from the royal house of Brunei.

The second Araneta to marry a presidential daughter was Gregorio Maria "Greggy" Araneta, who married Irene Romualdez Marcos, the youngest child of Ferdinand Edralin Marcos and Imelda Romualdez. Another Araneta, Atty. Louise Cacho Araneta, a distant relative of Greggy Araneta, married Irene’s brother, Governor Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. This Araneta-Marcos marriage further stretches these already complicated family connections.

Ferdinand Marcos' grandfather's sister, Crispina Marcos, married Hilario Valdez. Their daughter, Angela Marcos Valdez, married Ambassador Narciso Ramos, who was also a district representative of Pangasinan from 1934 to 1946 and was the father of Fidel V. Ramos, also a President of the Republic, and Leticia Ramos-Shahani, a former Senator. Two nephews of President Ramos, Ranjit R. Shahani and Hernani Braganza, served as Governor of Pangasinan and Mayor of Alaminos City, Pangasinan, respectively. Narciso Ramos, after becoming a widower, married Alfonsita Lucero, whose father's maternal family, the Birondos of Argao, Cebu, married into the Almendras family of Cebu and Davao.

One of Alfonsita's cousins, William Birondo, married Kukit Tecala, whose uncle, Pedro Tecala Sr., married Sofronia Almendras. Two of Sofronia's siblings married into political families. Her brother, Paulo Almendras, married Elisea Durano, the daughter of Demetrio Durano and progenitor of the Durano family that has ruled Danao and Sogod, Cebu for many years. Its most popular member is Ace Durano, the present Tourism Secretary.

A son of Paulo Almendras was Senator Alejandro Almendras, whose marriage to a Bendigo of Davao City connected them to the ruling families of Davao: the Banggoys, Palma Gils, Lizadas, Nograleses, and many others. The current Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives is Davao City congressman Prospero “Boy” Nograles. The current mayor of Davao, Rodrigo Duterte, is also of the Duterte family of Danao, a rival political clan of the Duranos but one allied to them maritally, many times over. Senator Almendras' brother, Josefino, married Rosita Dimataga, the sister of Leonila Dimataga, who in turn was the wife of President Carlos P. Garcia. President Garcia’s father, Policronio, served as a mayor of Talibon, Bohol.

Several other cousins of Narciso Ramos’s second wife Alfonsita, married into other political families or were themselves personalities in the Philippines: one cousin is Hilario G. Davide, Jr., former Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court and now the country’s permanent ambassador to the United Nations; another, Simeon L. Kintanar, served as Cebu’s second district representative to Congress; still another, James Lucero, married Nazarena Soon, whose sister, Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, is currently a member of the House of Representatives; still another cousin, Procopio C. Lucero, Jr. married Gliseria Gullas, the daughter Paulino Gullas and sister of Eduardo and Jose Gullas, all of whom served as members of the House of Representatives; still another cousin was Januaria Taguenca Cabrera, who married Don Victoriano Osmeña, an uncle of President Sergio Osmeña. Among all the Philippine presidential families, the Osmeñas of Cebu have had the most number of members who served in the government to date. Excluding Sergio Sr., the family has had four senators and four members of the House of Representatives. The clan has also produced a governor, a vice governor, a provincial board member, mayors, vice mayor, and several councilors. The Osmeña family remains the premier political dynasty of Cebu, and one of the most enduring dynasties in the country.

President Osmeña's half-sister was Doña Modesto Singson-Gaisano, the matriarch of the affluent Gaisano family of Cebu City. Modesta was a progeny of Don Pedro Gotiaoco, whose other descendants include Atty. Agusto Go, President of the University of Cebu and Honorary South Korean Consul; John Gokongwei, Jr., a great-grandson of Don Pedro Gotiaoco and the owner of Cebu Pacific, Robinson’s Mall, JG Summit, and many more; and the Sy-Gaisano family, who operate chains of shopping malls all over Visayas and Mindanao. A grandson of the brother of Don Pedro is Andrew Gotianun, who owns the FILINVEST Group and the East West Bank.

Imelda Romualdez's marriage to Marcos also brought in many famous personalities. Imelda’s son, Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., has served as Governor of Batac, Ilocos Norte while a daughter, Imee, currently a member of the House of Representatives, married Tommy Manotoc (whose first wife was Aurora Pijuan, the first Filipina to win the Ms. International title), whose mother, Nena Lao Manotoc, was the sister of Chita Lao, wife of Eugenio “Genny” Lopez, Jr., whose family owns ABS-CBN, MERALCO, Sky Cable, and other major corporations in the country. A son of Imee Marcos and Tommy Manotoc is Borgie Manotoc, a model.

Aside from being a capitalist clan, the Lopezes are also into politics: one member, Fernando Lopez, was a former senator and served as Vice-President under President Elpidio Quirino and Ferdinand Marcos; all in all, six members of the Lopez clan have served as Vice-President, Senator, and House Representatives. A great-nephew, Manuel “Beaver” Lopez, Jr., married Jacqueline “Jackie” Estrada, daughter of President Joseph Ejercito “Erap” Estrada, whose own wife, Dr. Loi P. Estrada, and son, Jinggoy, have served as Senators of the Philippines.

Imelda’s own niece, Marean Romualdez, daughter of her brother Leyte Governor Alfredo Romualdez, married Thomas Pompidou, the grandson of former French President Georges Pompidou.

Imelda's first cousin, Senator Danieling Romualdez, married Pacita Gueco of Tarlac. In an ironic twist of fate, Pacita Gueco happened to be the first cousin of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. Of course, the Aquinos themselves are one of the premier political clans of the country and a scion of the Aquino clan was Senator Eva Estrada Kalaw, one of the Philippines' very first female senators. Ninoy Aquino’s own grandfather, Don Servillano Aquino, was a member of the Malolos Congress while his father, Benigno Aquino, Sr., also served as Philippine Senator. A sister of Ninoy, Tessie A. Oreta, also became senator of the Philippines while uncles Agapito and Herminio and nephew Jesli A. Lapus, served as members of the House of Representatives. Ninoy’s own son, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, currently sits as a Philippine Senator and, as already mentioned, is a presidential hopeful for the 2010 elections.

Ninoy's marriage to the heiress Corazon Cojuanco also allied his family to another political dynasty. Corazon Aquino, after her husband's heroic death in 1983, later became the country's first female Chief Executive. Her maternal family, the Sumulongs, have also produced several lawmakers: her grandfather, Juan Marquez Sumulong, was a three-term senator while an unlce, Lorenzo Sumulong, and cousins, Victor Sumulong and Emigdio S. Tanjuanco, Jr., served as members of the House of Representatives. The Cojuangco family, on the other hand, owns one of the oldest-existing haciendas in the country today, and the Cojuangcos control many of the country's business enterprises. They have also done very well in politics: Cory’s own grandfather, Melecio, was a member of the HOR. Her brother Jose “Peping” Jr., cousins Eduardo “Danding” Jr., Mercedes, Carlos, and Marcos, and nephew Gilbert C. Teodoro, have all served as representatives to congress. Gilbert C. Teodoro, as mentioned above, is another 2010 elections presidential hopeful.

Further, two Cojuangcos, sons of Cory's cousins Ramon and Eduardo, respectively, married Rio Diaz (Charlie Cojuangco), sister of former Miss Universe Gloria Diaz and Gretchen Baretto (Tony Boy Cojuangco). Gretchen's sisters are Claudine and Marjorie, themselves married to actors. Cory's niece, equestrienne Mikee Cojuangco, married Dodot Jaworski, son of basketball legend and Sen. Robert Jaworski. Senator Jaworski, on the other hand, married Susan Bautista Revilla, daughter of Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr., whose son Bong Revilla was a former governor and Senator. One of Sen. Ramon Revilla, Sr.'s partners and mother of several children is Genelyn Magsaysay, an illegitimate daughter of Ladelyn Madrigal and Senator Genaro Magsaysay. Senator Magsaysay was the brother of President Ramon Magsaysay.

Clearly, this Byzantine illustration of family connections is proof of the intricacies of Philippine politics. In this short presentation, we have already linked no less than 14 of our 15 Presidents, one Prime Minister, two former Ms. Universe and three Ms. International titleholders, several senators, and many other personalities, political or otherwise. We have even connected our "Philippine Family Tree" to a former French President and the Royal family of Brunei! Imagine what further research into the other family trees could reveal?

Philippine politics, undoubtedly, is still a family affair.

(C) TODD LUCERO SALES, 2012.

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Author’s note: (1) The original title of this article was RP Politics: Family Affair. I have, since then, made a lot of improvements to the original article and now have actual charts to show how these people are related. (2) All the abovementioned facts can be checked. To give the readers an idea of where these information came from, I have collated genealogical data from several internet sites (GMA7’s research during the SONA2007 really helped a lot), from books such as the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism’s “The Rulemakers”, and Alfred C. McCoy’s “An Anarchy of Families”. Many of the information here were collected over many years of research, and, just like an actual tree, this article will continue to expand as more genealogical data will come to light. Of course, corrections or additions to this article will be appreciated! Thanks also to ROLAND OSCAR ARANETA for sharing the Araneta Family website and for the many information I got that helped connect many personalities here. (Todd Lucero Sales).

Author’s request: The writing of this article was a laborious process. While I am not asking for any payment for every reposting of this article, I would like to request all those who wish to cite or repost this article to please, please cite my name as a source. Thanks!