Luceros and Kintanars: Stories of Love and Kindness

After the death of my very dear friend Ted Gumila Villarimo, former Tourism Commissioner of Argao, the people I could count on the most, aside from my Lucero relatives, were the Kintanars, particularly the family of Tito Jun and Tita Lee Kintanar and two of their children, Karla Kintanar Fernandez (married to basketball legend Mon Fernandez) and columnist Han Kintanar. Growing up I always thought that the Luceros and the Kintanars were perpetual rivals; true, in many electoral contests we had our fair share of rivalry with this popular family, but after Ted's death I could only think of them as nothing but the dearest and nicest of people.

It shouldn't have surprised me that I have many cousins whose surname or middle name is Kintanar. There are many Lucero Kintanar and Kintanar Lucero families in Argao and Cebu City. Three to five intermarriages are common, especially in a small town where there are less than a thousand families. However, a careful look at the Lucero and the Kintanar family trees reveals an anomaly: that of more than 15 intermarriages between the two families.

As stated earlier, there has always been a rivalry between the two families. Although both families have documented family trees as early as the 1700s, it was only in the late 1880s when the first marriage between the two families occured. This was between Don Antonio Quintanar and Dona Casimira Lucero. A few years later Casimira's first cousin, Dona Fernanda Lucero, married Antonio's nephew, Don Rufo Quintanar. From then on the family continued to marry into each other's family from time to time:

• Don Leon Kintanar married Julia Villar after she lost her first husband, Leandro Lucero.
• Leandro's son, Carlos Lucero, married Candida Kintanar, daughter of Don Leon by his first wife Basilia Villacorte.
• Claro Cagigas married Marcelina Lucero.
• Agustin Kintanar married Pureza Lucero.
• Lourdes Kintanar married Pio Mariano Lucero.
• Guillermo Kintanar Campaner married Teopista Lucero.
• Jesus Lucero Kintanar married Rose Lucero.
• Nestoria Geverola (a Kintanar) married Valerio Saniel (a Lucero).
• Montana Cagigas (a Kintanar) married Bienvenido Saniel, Jr. (a Lucero)
• Simeon Lucero Kintanar married Socorro Villafuerte (a Lucero).
• Vicenta Amatong (a Kintanar) married Jesus Galeos (a Lucero).
• Wilfredo Fuentes (a Kintanar) married Cristina Lucero.
• Ethelbert Kintanar married Milagros Lucero.
• Paterno Kintanar, Jr. married Judy Matarlo (a Lucero).

The latest Lucero Kintanar marriage was between Clark Cagigas and Johnna Kuh Quintana. This is also the most unique of all the Lucero-Kintanar marriages. Clark's grandfather was Claro Kintanar Cagigas, who was married to a Lucero (not Clark's grandmother, though). Johnna's grandfather is Simeon Kintanar, himself a half Lucero. Johnna's grandmother, Socorro Villafuerte, is a Lucero from two lines of descent. This makes their family a product of two Kintanar lines and three Lucero lines.

Although there are clear signs of political marriages in the earlier unions, when learning the stories of these marriages one can glimpse very amazing acts of love and kindness. For instance, when Leandro Lucero died suddenly at a young age, leaving a wife and three children, his very good friend and fellow cabeza de barangay, Don Leon Kintanar, himself a widower, married Leandro's widow Julia. He took care of her young children and raised them as his own. In another case, Teopista Lucero, who was the daughter of a priest, carried this "sinful" stigma with her. Guillermo K. Campaner stepped into the role of prince charming and married her despite her priestly roots.

I take comfort in the fact that though these two prominent families in Argao may sometimes be at odds in politics, in the end the generations of friendship and love have remained. I am proud to say that I, too, share in the intricate and colorful interconnectedness of the Lucero and Kintanar families.

Lucero-Kintanar intermarriages

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Related posts:

1. Luceros: Lines and Legacy
2. The Kintanars: Kith and Kin

Philip Amarillo: A Masterchef Genealogy

Philip Dave Amarillo is 13 years old. He comes from a first class municipality in the south of Cebu, from a family that has lived in that town for generations. In his own words, he comes from a humble family and said that "they could only eat if they had a good day selling at the market." His mother sells near a bakeshop in the town proper and he helps out with the chores at home, which includes cooking. By placing 2nd in the recently concluded first season of Junior Masterchef Pinoy Edition he joins a long list of Argawanons who gave pride to the town of Argao. He is also the first in the family to contribute pride and glory to the town.

The AMARILLO family of Argao has been in town since before its founding. Records from the church, municipal registrar, and the Philippine National Archives indicate they were a purely indio family, indicating that they are truly native to Argao. It is one of the families with very few members. From current vital and voters' records the family can said to roughly number 0.69% of the total population, scattered in around 20 of the barangays of the town of Argao, and with a bulk of these living in the barangays of Jomgao, Panadtaran, Canbanua, and Usmad. Because almost a third of these members live in Jomgao it can be concluded that the Amarillos began in Jomgao in the Spanish period.

The whole Amarillo family of Argao can be traced to Juan Miguel (Amarillo) who lived sometime in the early 18th century. Typical of an indio family, the Amarillo males were all described as labradores, or farmers, while the women were tejedoras, or weavers. Records also indicate a tendency to have small families, with a maximum of 3 children for most couples. Most of them also lived only to their 40s or 50s, an indication of short life-span at that time.

Philip Amarillo is the direct 9th generation descendant of Juan Miguel Amarillo and his wife, Maria Nicolasa. One peculiarity in Philip's line is that most of his female ancestors are from the Pantinople family, which is understandable though as the Pantinoples are also from Jomgao and one of the most populous families in town.

Philip is the son of Fausto Amarillo, Jr. and Elizabeth Albert. He has two other siblings, Devanie Jade and Ellyza Jean. Although there are no other well-known Amarillos, Philip is related to the current mayor, Edsel A. Galeos, who is his 6th cousin twice removed.

Placing second in the contest has truly placed the Amarillo family in the limelight. Congratulations, Philip! You've done great for your town!