Argao Families: The Birondos

Anacleta Birondo, my great-grandmother

BIRONDO is a family name close to my heart as it is one of the families I descend from. My great-grandmother, Anacleta Birondo de Lucero, was the natural daughter of Manuela Birondo and supposedly a very wealthy China man by the last name of Tan. This Mr. Tan went on to have 4 or 5 more children with my lola Manuela but for some reason they were never allowed to marry. 

Although Birondo is actually an original Argawanon last name it does not appear to be in Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos. I am not certain but it is quite possible that my ancestor most probably misread "Binondo" from the list. Looking at all the last names beginning in Bi-, Be-, Vi-, Ve-, Birondo is nowhere to be found. And since the patriarch of all Birondos in 1849/50, Juan Bernardo Birondo, was pushing his sixtieth year and was already probably unable to see clearly, he must have made a mistake in reading and choosing his last name. Between 1850 until the early 1900s the surname was spelled Birondo, Berondo, Virondo, and Verondo. Birondo later became the standard spelling by the American period though there are some who use Berondo today.

According to my gradfather as told by his mother, historically the earliest Birondos were more engaged in fishing and trading and thus were located near the shoreline. My research has shown that the addresses of almost 80% of the Spanish period to early American period Birondos were in what were designated by the Spaniards as Barangay Numero 1 and Barangay Numero 10, what are now roughly the sitios of Latid and Looc, both of which are part of Barangay Poblacion today. Needless to say, both Latid and Looc are situated near the shores of Argao.

The Birondos were also part of the principalia of Argao and since Juan Bernardo Birondo was a cabeza de barangay from the early 1800s, his brother also a cabeza de barangay as well as a gobernadorcillo, and many of their sons also served as cabezas de barangay, then it can also be safely concluded that they not only belonged to the principalia, but were part of the few who were of the hereditary principalia class.

For more information on the Birondo family of Argao, please contact the genealogist.

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

EARLIEST TRACEABLE ANCESTOR(S):

All people who have Birondo ancestry from Argao can be traced to one couple. This couple, AGUSTIN MALUNES and his wife MARIA VALENTINA, lived sometime in the mid-1700s until about the first quarter of 1800s. As far as records show they had two children, JUAN BASILIO and ANDRES BASILIO. 

(1) Andres Basilio (Birondo) and his wife Maria Basilisa had only one child, Maria Clemencia Birondo. 

A.     Maria Clemencia Birondo married Francisco Selerio UMERES. They had 7 children:

a.      Dionisio Selerio Umeres, married Valeriana Gemenes.

b.      Barbara Umeres, no issue.

c.      Juana Umeres, no issue.

d.      Seleria Umeres, no issue.

e.      Francisco Umeres, married Petrona Albarracin.

f.        Catarina Facunda Umeres, married Julian RUBIA.

g.      Placida Umeres, had one illegitimate son, Gaudencio Umeres.

(2) Juan Basilio Birondo, the older of the two second generation Birondos, married Marcelina Teodora de los Santos and similar to the earliest generations of the family they only had two children, Juan Bernardo Birondo and Leon Bonifacio Birondo.

A.    Juan Bernardo Birondo, born in 1799 and died on April 8, 1854. He married Basilia Petrona Camantigue in 1824 and they had 13 children, 12 of which have descendants today. These were their children:

a.     Salvador Bernardo Birondo, married Lucia de la Cruz Fuentes.

b.     Maria Bernardo Birondo, married Maria Joaquina Sarmento.

c.     Lino Bernardo Birondo, married Cipriana Tanato.

d.     Maria Candelaria Birondo, married Francisco Feliz SANCHEZ.

e.     Gregorio Birondo, married Alipia Carillo.

f.      Eustaquio Birondo, married Mitilde Gonzaga.

g.     Tomas Birondo, married (1) Basilia Chavez and (2) Agripina Monton.

h.     Fausta Birondo, married Faustino LABRADOR

i.      Ysidora Birondo, married Gregorio SANCHEZ.

j.      Agapito Birondo, married Mansueto

k.     Florentino Birondo, no issue

l.      Vicente Birondo, married Ygnacia Sareno.

m.   Apolinario Birondo, married (1) Ysidra Egos and (2) Filomena Lanticse

B.    Leon Bonifacio Birondo, born sometime in the early 1800s and died on September 9, 1878. He married Maria Ysidra Sanchez in 1843 and they had four children:

a.     Eduardo Birondo, married Ygnacia Robedo.

b.     Benedicto Birondo, no issue.

c.     Hermenegilda Birondo, married Placido RELLANOS.

d.     Rufino Birondo, married Feliciana Mier.

 BIRONDO Family Name Distribution (Spanish Period)

BIRONDO Family Name Distribution (As of 2011)

References:

1. Libros Canonicos de Parroquia de San Miguel de Argao, 1868 - 1901.

2. Philippine National Archives, Varias Provincias: Reservados de Argao, 1855 & 1882.

3. Argao Voters' List, 2010

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)

(Click here to enlarge)

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.