Philippines 2000
Having booked with a Filipino travel agent six months before the flight, I checked with Singapore Airlines (there were no PAL planes flying to Australia) to verify the flight. Our names were not on the list! And it was three weeks before our scheduled flight! To make the story short, one group made it to Singapore together but had to fly in two separate planes to Manila. The wife, and a fuming, not too happy daughter, and I followed the next day in a Qantas flight to Hongkong.
After flying for seven hours and from ten kilometres high, we could clearly see Mindanao, then some Visayan islands, then Luzon . Gradually the Philippines, which was our destination, disappeared from our sight as we proceeded to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, for the first time I saw many expatriates from Canada, United States, the Middle East and Europe on their way to the Philippines for the Christmas season. Three hours afterwards, a wild, bone-shaking touchdown by the packed Cathay Pacific Airways at NAIA made us realize we finally made it to the Philippines. We would learn later that as we were entering Luzon (I think it was off Lingayén, Pangasinán to be exact), a local plane would plunge to its fiery end in Cagayán with no survivors. But we finally made it to Manila from Melbourne via Hong Kong on December 8 (with a secret vow that no future travel arrangements would be entrusted to that (Filipino) travel agent in Melbourne).
Five days later, on December 13, we were in Baguio City by 4 PM. The two units in Europa Condominium, courtesy of relations on maternal side, offered plenty of space for our entourage of twelve. A daughter, Michelle, was quick in finding a good restaurant where our hunger was assuaged and thirst quenched. The meal was good, so was the price, but during this time, economizing was still far from our thoughts, particularly with the good exchange rate of the Australian dollar. On the following day, there was sumptuous dinner at my son, John's future in-laws' place in Aurora Hill. John had left a good job in Melbourne and has been living in Baguio since July.
A search on Baguio Phone Directory showed a few Vergara entries. I surmised that a number of them belonged to the family members of Congressman Bernardo Vergara. A morning stroll on Wednesday, Dec. 15, brought me and my wife to one of his houses. Not expecting to be given an audience at that early hour, we were informed by the security guard that the congressman was not around but his son was, but still asleep. Not having the courage to suggest waking him up for an interview, I instead asked for the whereabouts of Bernardo's father.
Two and a half hours later, Mr. and Mrs. Federico and Benita Mangaoang Vergara were entertaining me in their residence at Tubao, La Unión. The first thing that struck me was the simplicity and hospitality of the congressman's parents. They were also very willing to share the story of their Vergara folks. Federico's grandfather Bernabe had migrated from San Estebán, Ilocos Sur to Tubao, La Union. Federico retired from teaching in 1975 after a service of 37 years. He has five brothers. Seven sons and four daughters resulted from the long lasting marriage of Federico and Benita. Having obtained information on the Tubao Clan and not wanting to exceed their hospitality, I made sure that our conversation finished long before lunch hour.
Strolling to the town proper, I could not resist the strong urge to enter the well-maintained, baroque church in the plaza. A few minutes later I was along the Marcos Highway thinking whether I should proceed to Agoo and Damortis, La Unión. I have heard of beautiful beach resorts in La Unión where perhaps our entourage of twelve could divert on our way back from Baguio to Bulacán. I could also have a look at the place in Damortis where the Umingan Vergara clan was about to have the 55th annual reunion. Having waited for some time in vain for the bus that would take me to the beach resort towns, I thought of going back to Baguio. A decision came to mind that whichever bus to Baguio or Agoo came first, I would board on it. A Baguio-bound bus unfortunately appeared a few minutes later.
On Friday, December 17, I visited the town of México, notably unscathed by the devastation by Mt. Pinatubo. The dutiful employees at the town's rural bank were understandably reluctant to divulge any information on the Vergara bank owner and family members, but suggested visiting the local church. The town church notice board revealed a number of generous Vergara donors. I was directed to big house where notable unmarried Vergara sisters lived but unfortunately one had a little accident and was in a hospital in Angeles City. The big house was vacant except for the caretaker who obligingly told of the various Vergara folks living in the area. A visit to a couple of houses resulted in the update Sán Antonio, México clan through interviews with Mrs. Victoria Lakandula Vergara of Lote, Mexico, and her daughter-in-law, Thelma Carreón Vergara.
Quietly saying goodbye to the town of Mexico which I am becoming convinced was the original settlement of the first Vergaras in Pampanga, I boarded a jeepney to San Fernando. A good meal in a roadside restaurant on San Fernando re-invigorated me for the j ourney to the neighbouring city of Angeles. The trip to the hospital took three jeepney transfers, quite unusual as the city was not very far. It was apparently a city ordinance that no direct journey between San Fernando and Angeles could be made in a public transport. Buses are obviously banned in the city. Having made inquiries on the whereabouts of the lady I was to visit in the Our Mother of Perpetual Help Hospital, I was directed to a private room.
Avelina Vergara, born in 1909, was still memory-sharp. Although obviously in pain, but together with a niece-in-law gave information on her clan. She then suggested that I should see her older sister who turned out to be the mother of the owner of the hospital. Josefa Lacsamana Vergara-Rivera was born in February 4, 1900 and was eagerly looking forward to her centenary celebration early in the next millenium. Like her younger sister, she clearly remembers the names of her ancestors and relations in the Anao, Mexico clan. Her daughter, Dr. Amelia Vergara Rivera-Guiao, was of great help, too. I could have stayed longer because of their hospitality, but I had to call in at Apalit on the way home.
Apalit looked eaxactly the same after a year. But was sad to find out that Crisanto's (the retired Sacristán Mayór) brother, Patricio, of the sitio Sto. Niño, had passed away in August. They and their relations had been very co-operative during my first visit in February. I was, unfortunately, unable to see Monico in the town proper, but her first cousin, Rosenda and her husband, Ignacio Torres, were very hospitable. I wish I could spend more time with them. It was already past six PM, the church bell having rung for the customary ‘Oración’ or Angelus prayer - something that is not heard in the adopted country. Meanwhile in Pulilan, Ceferino, more popularly known as Pinóy, my brother, has been busy answering phone calls from Manila, Cebú and Laguna.
Before going to the land of my birth and while in Melbourne I had excitedly announced that I would traverse the entire Philippines to meet 'long lost relations'. So much for my big mouth! But honestly, the thought of going to and through Metromanila dissuaded me from travelling southward. Another factor was the normal budget blow out more particularly so on this festive Christmas period of the year.
Two daughters had enough (they ran out of finances) and revealed they were flying back the day after Christmas. I punished them by letting them travel by public transport in a crowded bus without air condition from Pulilan to Cubao. There was, however, no alternative as everyone was rushing back to the city. The rest of the trip to the NAIA airport was in an air conditioned taxi. On my way back, it was by bus to Pasay Rotonda, by the hot, overcrowded LRT to 2nd Avenue, Caloocan City, air-conditioned Baliwag Transit to the province, and jeepney to Pulilan. I was very close to giving up my soul! And this is what countless Filipinos are subjected to when they travel.
On December 28, we had the opportunity of meeting Pol Luna Ilag, the scientist in Germany, and his parents who are both professors in UP Los Baños. Pol's maternal grandmother was a Vergara. They were on their way back to Los Baños from San Esteban, Ilocos Súr. I wished they could have stayed longer. Prof. Leodegario Medialdia Ilag never seemed to run out of funny and interesting stories. Pol left the results of his research on San Esteban Vergara folks. Perhaps we are very close in 'unifying' the Ilocandia Vergaras.
Together with us in the family trip is a future Aussie son-in-law who was dutifully informed of what to expect on his first trip to the Philippines. He brought an inflatable sleeping bag and plenty of Aerosol spray against Philippine mosquitoes and flies. He was stoically uncomplaining during disasters such as earthquake, electrical brownout, toilet blockage, etc. It was disclosed later that when the power blackout, he was in Pulilan Jolly Bee comfort room and being kidnapped was the first thing that had come to his mind. He obviously enjoyed the noisy New Year celebration as the video recorder showed him jumping up and down (with other folks, of course) along the Pulilan Highway as the New Millenium came. Two days later, my daughter and he were being escorted by me (again!) on their way to the airport back to Australia.
Practically everyday, for the remaining two weeks, I was busy going through the historical, but slowly deteriorating, church records in Pulilan. I tried to find out whether my grandfather's grandfather, Alejandro, had been the one who had left Apalit for Pulilan. Just concentrating on the baptismal records dated 1824 to 1840's, I found many records both on paternal and maternal relations. It's quite amazing that many showed the surname Bergara instead of the 'normal' Vergara. My greatest attention was directed at my great great grandfather, Alejandro.
One thing baffling is the existence of records pertaining to a certain Bernardo Vergara. Bernardo was married to Ana de Guzmán while Alejandro had Catalina de Gumán as his spouse. I believed that Bernardo and Alejandro were the same person married to Ana or Catalina. During that time, it was the godparents' responsibility to give information on the child to be baptized. Perhaps my great great grandfather's nickname was 'Andong' and this could be either Bernardo or Alejandro. Ana and Catalina could, of course, have been easily interchanged. Or would dutiful godparents not be worried giving the correct name of the child's father if they were not very sure about it? Would the ecclesiastical clerk simply omit the father's name as in the case of a certain Juana Bergara with three children each of whose baptismal record revealed 'padre no conocido'. Could she have been promiscuous at least three times? With the great opprobrium or shame heaped on an unmarried woman during that time, how could she possibly have done it more than once? All could have been clarified if I could find Alejandro's or Bernardo's birth record. Unfortunately baptismal records before 1824 could not be found. The records were all in Spanish and the beatiful handwriting was slowly fading. I hope that before these records are gone permanently, they can be saved by the recently organized San Isidro Museum whose members are mostly young people of Pulilan.
Although Alejandro's baptismal record could not be found, his death record from the book D4 1883-1893 showed the following entries: "El siete de Diciembre del ano mil ochocientos ochenta y nueve fue sepultado en el cementerio de esta Parroquia el cadaver de Alejandro Vergara indio viudo de Catalina de Guzman de este pueblo del Brgy no 8 de Don Cesario Balagtas fallecio el mismo dia dela enfermedad de Calentura a la edad de setenta y cuatro anos, no puedo recibir sacramento alguno por no haber avizado a tiempo, fue su entierro rezado y por verdad lo firmo."
Since the date of his burial was December 7, 1889 and his age was indicated as 74 years, Alejandro Vergara was definitely born in the year 1815. Records of contemporary Vergaras showed that his father must have produced other children. Comparisons with entries from the Apalit Vergara folks convinced me that it was Alejandro's father who had bravely left the town of Apalit to start a new generation in Pulilan.
This enabled me to connect 'my' clan with that of the Apalit folks whose Sto. Niño and Pulong Vergara branches have also been 're-united'. The Gapán folks have also been connected to the updated Apalit clan.