Echoes of a Generation

J2-WW tfO/io JQonedtyQwmen

and &he <dP<xw
c(Ja/ruiavy- /, 1896 - t^Jwrw 29,1966

/I rom Lu zon, V isayas and Mind anao, wherever the doctor went

/^v i he seemed to find the woman of his heart. T o beg in with,

( \J/this third son of L olo Pablo and Lo la L iling was undisputedly

^-^the most debonair of the bo ys. Hear it fr om hi s daughter M arilyn:

"Papa lov ed women . He w as indeed a big flirt, even in o ur presence. B ut it

was without malice. Ra ther it was an aesthetic appreciation of beauty. Bu t

he did i t so funn y that we just ha d to learn how to laug h with him . Imagine

introducing me as his younger sister." A further account of his rela tionship

with Ma rilyn's mom gives an in sight into the kind of roman tic Pepe was.

a

Nena Tan Whitfield n o ne occasion, trying to make Mama speak to him

again, Papa hired serenaders to sing with him. We, the
children were giggling on the side, when suddenly
Mama started screaming for help. We all ran, and behold there was
Papa hanging between heaven and earth on the window with Mama
desperately holding on to him. He tried to climb up the window ala
Romeo and Juliet. But he refused to come down because he did not
want to let go of Mama's hand. We could see 'victory' written all over
his face." Nevertheless Pepe's legendary charm was not always suc­
cessful. Marilyn was only a little child then when father and daughter
sat together inside a jeepney. From across, an attractive lady caught
Pepe's fancy. He began to sing love songs her way. The lady looked at
him from her seat and said: "Doctor, I w as your former wife."

Women were not only Pepe's weakness. He was also known to
be a "valedictorian" in the cockpit. He never seemed to have absented
himself from there even when he was running a fever. He once took
the family car to a poker game. And early in the morning he was home
waking up his wife to ask for taxi money.

THE P OOR:

As legendary as his fondness for women was his enormous sen­
sitivity for the poor.

Sr. Celina remembers that during the last months of the war,

when food was very scarce in the city of Manila, the family resorted to

pacing, do Pepe 's eldest daughter now a widow lives rationing. Pepe a rrived late and was going up the stairs to take his
in Zamboanga. She manages a travel agency in , of„,lugaw
Lantakan-by-tbe sea Hotel. "war time lunch of a (rice porridge). But a beggar who
bowl

was following him went all the way up to the stairs. Pepe gave the

man his ration and went without lunch for that day. Tia Neni ng would object to Pepe's giving his

share of food, not only to strangers but even to the straggling Japanese soldiers passing by their

encampment in Baguio. Marlyn rec alls how one mid-afternoon she and her Papa were taken by

surprise by a man whom they saw was carrying away their outboard motor. Panic written all over

the man's face, Pepe calmly accompanied him as he returned what he was about to steal in o rder

to pay for his wife who was sick. Needless to say, the doctor had him take his wife to his clinic

where he gave her free medical attention, and some clothes for her children. The would be robber

became so grateful he took it upon himself to watch over their property. When Pepe started his

own clinic, actually a mini hospital named Pablo Tan Mem orial Hospital, h e decreed that half the

beds would be for free indigents. He would have wanted to provide free food too, but he was

prevailed upon due to the practicality of it.

THE D OCTOR:
Jose, the doctor was an outstanding diagnostician. He honed his medical skills in the Impe-

48

Back Row L-R Romy Mendoza, Simpatica Tan Mendoza sons Chito and Carlo. Front Row L-R- Victor Tan with w ife Marian and children, Nicole, Patrick.
Emma Mendoza Flores husband B ong, son, Jason.

rial University of Tokyo. He made an impact everywhere he went. His clinic would be just
anywhere - in a hut, outdoors, and even on the chair of his father's office. H is fame preceded him
especially right after the war. He put up a hospital tent in Concepcion, T arlac, right where his own
mother was recuperating. A 'pregnant lady who was shot and a man badly burned by gasoline
were going to be brought to Manila by the Americans. Dr . Jose warned them that the deaths of
these two people would be their responsibility because he was sure the patients would never
reach Manila alive. He was allowed to op erate on them and successfully saved both lives. Likewise,
he worked on a woman who was blind for most of her adult life. When the bandages were
removed, and she saw her daughter for the first time, she exclaimed: "Day, daku ka na di ay !" (My,
1 did not realize you have gro wn!). Simpatica, another daughter of Pep e, has this ane cdote on the
doctor:

"This happened sometime in 1964. My husband and I were vacationing in Cebu and we
wanted to see the sights in Tal isay. But my ha lf sister , Gracita, suggested we first go see Papa in
his Mabolo clin ic. So we did. T he moment Papa laid eyes on my husband Romy, he decided there
and then to operate on an ugly protrusion a t the center of Romy's forehead. Actuall y it was a
lump of fa tty tissue called lipoma, lnspite of our vigoro us protests, since we were totally taken by
surprise, p apa remained resolved and he practically bullied my husband into giving in to the
operation. Incidentally, this lump had previously been operated upon months before but the
same recurred. On t hat 'gory day', Papa scraped at my h usband's lipoma. Icould still hear the
scraping of th e scalpel against the bone and see my husband squirming on th e operating table.
The operation ove r, the wound trea ted and bandaged, we still proceeded to our origin al plan to go
to Talisay. Our souvenir photos of the occasion show the bandage on Rom y's forehead. Late r, this
operation proved a blessing since the lump never recurred , and had it not been for the insistence
of Papa , my husband would not have submitted to a similar operation."

But Pepe's greatest success as doctor was whenever he had to deal with his own father. "M i
Salvador!" (my sav ior), exclaimed Lolo Pablo when Pepe finally arrived in Man ila early 1944 in
answer to his sisters urgent letters. Three of the then leading doctors of the time recommended
operation. But Lo lo P ablo refused to submit himself other than to his doctor-son. After examining

49

Gracita Tan and Jose Sumabon on [heir Wedding day. his 80-year old father, Pepe dec lared that had he been operated,
Bernadette Tan-lzzo Pablo Tan wou ld have died on the operating table. This was the
third time Dr. Jose saved his fathe r's life.

THE PA TIENT:

It is ironic that the man who was able to diagnose so many
others with such competence was now unable to diagnose him­
self. In the summer of 1966 w ord reached Manila that Pepe was
sick - so ver y sick indeed that he had to be carried on a chair
from the ship, and brought straight to San Juan de Dios hospital,
under the care o f Dr. Jesus Tan, his cousin. Nobody could pin­
point exactly what was wrong with him. That being the case he
insisted on sta ying with his sister Con ching in San Juan because
he said only she c ould prepare the food the way he wanted it.
Upon th e insistence of his brother Carling and the pleadings of
Consuelo, he fin ally agreed to go t o the United States for medi­
cation. Vining and Loly accompanied him there. By June 16 the
diagnostician was j ust as baffled as Pepe was. He t oo could not
pinpoint which organ, the liver, th e bile or the pancreas, w as
bothering him. And in his condition, the doctors said it was folly
to operate. On June 29,1966, at about 10 A.M., Pepe breathed his
last. When Jose, the doctor who loved women and the poor fi­
nally met his Savior , is there any doubt that he was welcomed
with these words? "Whatever you did to the least of my breth­
ren, you did it to me... enter..."

Dennis Paez, SDB
with Marylyn Tan and Aurora Y. Doria

L-R- Marilyn Tan Eicholz, Imelda Paez and Marilyn's sons, Shawn Virginia Coching Tan with daughters. L-R Virginia, Rosalie, Marilyn, Grace, Bernadette.
and Bradley and ex-husba nd.

i.

INO, the fourth son of PABLO TAN
was born i n Ormoc.
'He married Arcadia Parilla in 1922 and fathered ARTURO,
RODOLFO, ANGELINAJOSEFINA, GU1LLERMO, L OURDES and LUIS who died i n i nfancy.
At various times, ORMOC, ZAMBOANGA and SURIGAO
were their places of do micile.
After his death in 1 951, ARCADIA "CAING" br avely brought up
the children as a single parent.
He was a hunk, of a m an with enormous physical strength
and hum an limitations.
Albeit he was a hum ble man.
The gold hi dden in the dross
perceived by hearts and eyes that LOVE.

SI

B.

Arcadia Parilla Tan Josefina Lino's daughter with husband Nicomedes Garcia, and daughter Delia Tan Garcia
Aida.

ARTURO'S FAMILY. Sta nding L-R- M anuel, Cecilia, Gerardo, Teresa (w ith son Paul Jam) Roy (Theresa's husband). Seated L-R
Cristina, Elisa, Teresita Tur ing's wife, Turing Consuelo and Lilia.

Qhe&rrfe }}^en^

fy0Ao (^ffiades Q^/ooc/
1899 - dMi^cA 12, 4946

n his late teens my Father Vicente, the seventh child of Pablo and
Rosalia's "Big 13" stowed away to the "land of milk and honey" on
'a "slow boat to China". At that time ships used to take a month or
more from the Philippines to the United States, thus the "slow boat" descrip­
tion. He stayed there long enough to learn and assimilate some aspects of the
American way of life.

n§7»t was during a visit to Ormoc when
'PAPA first saw a beautiful young "actress"
Felisa Tomada in a schoolplay. He was smit­

ten and just had to meet her. So he asked for parental

permission to court her. Initially Felisa's parents ob­

jected because of her age. She was only fourteen!

But eventually he won them over because he was such

a charming gentleman, with honorable intentions and

impressive credentials.- educated in the United States,

spoke several languages and even taught language in

a University in WISCONSIN. He came from a well known,

highly respected family in ORMOC. H e was the son of

PABLO TAN.

The courtship was typical of those times. When-

Eriinda, a pianist ever VICENTE visited FELISA, there were always"chap-

E^nt asked her ^

ing business. Young though she was Mama now known

as PISAY turned out to be a devoted wife and mother.

Patrick at 15. He excelled academically before being They had three children; the eldest died at a very young
stricken with a mysterious mental disability. His sister age Then came Patrick and myself, Patrick and my-
remembers him as a loving and protective elder brother.
self USed tO accompany Papa and Mama during their
Cebu trips.

THEN THE S ECOND WOR LD WAR BROKE OUT! That started our exodus from ORMOC to MANILA

to BAGUIO with the other members of the TANS including LOLO PABL O. After the war Papa d ied

unexpectedly of pneumonia. On his death bed he advised Mama to this effect, "You did not enjoy

life; you married very early. When I am gone marry an American who will take good care of you

and the children, take you the United States and fulfill my plans for you."

Several years later Mama did marry an American, a wonderful decorated military man

who was with the American forces which liber­
ated the Philippines. But she said "YES" to him
only after asking Patrick and my consent because
she said we came first and wanted us to be
happy. ROBERT HILTON, whom we called DAD
was a loving husband and step-father. He
adopted Patrick and myself so we could all come
to the United States. Through him, Papa's dreams
for us were fulfilled.

While in the Philippines Patrick excelled aca­
demically in Ateneo and La Salle. But God's ways
are mysterious. At the age of nineteen he suf­
fered a mental disability and stayed home until
both DAD BOB HILTON a nd MAMA passed away. Tia Pisay, Patrick (seated) with Hilton adopted son Michael.
He is now in a caring home where we visit
and call him regularly.

After graduation from Mt. Mary Col­
lege in Wisconsin, 1 go t married to BOB
OSTEEN in North Carolina. I am a singer-
pianist and performed several years in ma­
jor hotels (Marriott, Hyatt etc.) and clubs
in Miami. My husband BOB is the editor of
THE VOICE, one of the largest weekly news­
papers in the US Southeast and I am proud
to say that he won awards from the Catho­
lic Press A ssociation.

We are blessed with four children who
graduated with honors. SCOTT and RON are
both working with the Saxon Business Sys­
tems. My girls Sherri and Laura are both
artists and teachers. They had major exhib­ Erlinda Tan, Tia Pisay, Bob Hilton, Patrick Tan. Bob fulfilled Vicente's dream for his family.
its in galleries and museums. Laura is married to
Joseph Nic astre. Their infant Benjamin makes me a grandmother!

Through this FAMILY BOO K, I am reconnecting with my roots in the Philippines. That excites
me and fulfills some deep longing. Who knows perhaps someday the connection will be more
tangible in face to face encounters.

Erlinda Tan Osteen

A NIECE REMEMBERS TIO TENGTENG

HIS LOVE FOR MUSIC

One day, my sister IMELDA w as practicing her piano lesson. She was playing "THE SWAN"

ss

Bob and Erlinda Osteen. As a journalist Bob won awards The Osteen Family. L-R- Bob, Erlinda, Ron, Laura, Sherri, Scott and Ben (Laura's son),
from the Catholic Press Asso ciation.

when TIO TENGTENG happ ened to pass by. He sat beside her and said: "This is a beautiful piece
specially when played with expression. He then sat down and played the selection. With his
fingers on the piano keys music sounds became a soulful melody And if today 1 can readily
identify that particular piece, its because once upon a time as a child I was enthralled by Tio
TENGTENG's exp ressive interpretation of the "THE SWAN".

A CALM REASSURANCE

During the SECOND WORLD WAR, a fter our harrowing trek to the hills of LONGLONG fro m
BAGUIO C ITY, our nights were sleepless and terrifying due to the eerie sound of the life-threaten­
ing shelling of the American forces to root out the Japanese. One night this ominous shelling was
just too much for MAMA and me. Mama shaking went out of the hut with me in tow. It was very
cold and pitch dark outside. We were on top of the hill while TIO T ENGTENG an d his family were
somewhere down the valley. Mama in her panic wanted to roll down to where they were. In that
darkness tio TENGTENG's ca lm voice floated up to us like a soothing balm. Calmly, gently he was
able to convince Mama to stay where she was. He came up to the hill instead and led us into the
hut. My heart was pounding wildly as I rested my head on Mama's lap. Tio Tengteng then began
explaining the mechanics of war in general and shelling in particular emphasizing the superior
technology of the Americans. Before I knew it, I woke up to a new day.

Aurora Yngzon Doria

^<wiAue/o "&e/o" &an
2)la/9H - C~$(peawl and <<$(pancL ddloeady'

la ddoeaeue/
<S&elfucvry, 24, 4900 - 2bec&m/wv 49, 4976

X^Nonsuelo's life was kaleidoscope, colorful and vibrant. Always on the go her-
I*^^self, it seemed that she expected everyone around her to be the same, so
\J much so that she was dubbed by the young nephews as " Tia Sugo" (Aunt
Utos.) She always had something for everyone to do

S7

a.

• ugo" she did, but anyone in need also "madesugo"
| toher, so to speak. More often than not she was the
' ifrst person youngand old thought of whenever there
was an emergency of an y sor t. "Tia Con suelo!" was t he fir st c ry
uttered in difficult moments because pe ople kne w that whe n the
goinggets tough, the "tough" gets going. And sure enough she would
be there hands and heart, ready to serve, and with such generosity.

Should there be someone who had to undergo an operation,

"Tia Consuelo!" She would surely know what to do, and what to say

to boot. Someone had a stiff neck, "T ia C onsuelo!" Th ere she soon

was with a syringe! A cousin would need a certain amount of money

for any old reason, a niece was going to graduate, a relative needed

tuition for her chil dren, even a f ormer h elper with a sa d sto ry-no­

body ev er went awa y disappointed or empty handed fro m Ti a

Consuelo. She herself would go to the bank to withdraw the needed

amount, and never min d if for th e nth time s he w as not paid. Her

strong business acumen enabled her to prosper and to share.

Consuelo and her sister, Carmen. Selo, as her siblings called her, had a heart larger than herself,

so large it embraced so many, even perfect strangers. Walkingthrough

the co rridor of P GH, she c hanced upon a m other holding her baby

who looked mo re dea d tha n alive. The first thing sh e as ked wa s

whether the child was baptized. This done, she practically pulled the

hospital chaplain out of his siesta to have the dying baby baptized.

That done, she brought the mother to a doctor and demanded imme­

diate medical attention for the baby. Sometime in 1956, Nening, her

youngest sister, together with her children, Butch and Cheri, figured

in a vehicular accident. A motorist rammed the back of their car just

when they were entering their driveway. Although the children were

not hurt, Nening sustained a b ad cut on the for ehead, which w as

bleeding profusely. A policeman rushed her to the San Lazaro hospi­

tal. Needless to say, as soon as Selo arrived she took over the whole

situation. She reminded the doctors to give the patient IV. She even

Remy, Consuelo's adopted daughter. asked the attending physician where he could be easily located, al­
ready fore seeing the ne ed fo r him in the night. A s th ere we re n o

private rooms available at that moment, Nening had to be placed in a ward. Until the patient was transferred

to a more comfortable room, Consuelo did not leave her sister's side, content with snatching bits of sleep at

the foot of the patient's bed. Dennis, grandson of her sister Conching, fondly remembers when he was con­

fined in a hospital and Tia Consuelo came to visit. She brought along a "b elen" (Christmas set) to liven up the

eight-year-old patient, and no matter if it was the month ofJune. "I used to see those self same figurines on top

of her altar." A nd now she gave them to me," Dennis recalls. There was a cousin, Rosa, who claimed to have lost

everything and had nowhere to go as her children were all abroad. Well, she eventually had somewhere to go-

S8

Consuelo to t he rescue! Sh e took her in and for a couple of
years, provided for her every day need s, making no demands
nor conditions.

Practical and helpful almost to a fault, Selowas also an

incurable romantic. Her eyes would light up at the very men­

tion of love.And so,among her many duties she took it upon

herself to be the family's unofficial matchmaker. Many a re­

lationships blossomed through her intercession. Incidentally,

while not busy coachingyoung lovers, Selo tended lovebirds! Selo takes a camera break from preparations for a party.
Her ow n true love came in the person of Natalio (Tallong)

Segovia from lloilo, whom she married. They lived in Cogon,

two kilometers from OrmocCity. They had no children oftheir

own. Instead they adopted ababy girl, daughter of her brother

Pepe, and made hertheir own,naming her Remedios (Remy).

Tallong loved this little girl, but, never really healthy, he soon

died while Remy was still very young. Selo then moved into

her parents' house in Ormoc where Remy grew up with her

other cousins. After the war,Consuelo met anEulogio Rafael

in a Manila government office. He was a widower also. They

had something else in common: dancing the tango. Already

in her fifties, Consuelo married him. But they were eventually

separated. Nevertheless, unofficial rumor has it that the soft­ Remy with mentor Fr. Forbes Managhan, S.J.
est spot in her heart was always reserved for priests, having

a long list of them for close friends. And only God knows the number of needy scholastics she helped all the

way to the priesthood.

Consuelo doted on her daughter Remy, and would declare that with her daughter's beauty and brains,
she wanted her to marry a prince.Remy graduated salutatorian in LaConcordia, and studied in St. Theresa's for
college. An avid reader, she became a very good writer too under the tutorship of the Jesuit author Fr. Forbes
Monaghan. No doubt this rubbed on Alma, her only daughter, who eventually became a Palanca awardee for
poetry during her college years. Remy danced divinely and had many suitors. Eventually she became the bride
of Tirso Anonas of Zambales. They had three sons, Jose, Ting (Tirso II), Ricky and Alma, the Palanca awardee.
At the moment Remy and Tirso have six grandchildren, including twin girls.

Those who came to knowSelo much later in herlife will not be able to guess the dynamo that shewas. After
sustaining countless falls, an operation, and slowed down by crippling arthritis, she had become only a glimmer of
her former flamboyant self. It was sad to see such an irrepressible woman imprisoned in a limited body. Perhaps
this explains why she seemed difficult to others at times. Nevertheless, she continued to fuss and to fret over her
beloved grandch ildren. On December 19,1976, Tia Con suelo was finally laid t o her well-deserved rest But eve n
then there were those who doubted whether she would indeed retire. "Tia Sugo" is most likely continuing to do
the many emergency services she was want to do - in providential and mysterious ways!

Father Dennis Paez, SDB
with reminiscenses of Auror a Y. Doria

S9

(J/o^ye n$e<wye] ^wn, &%.

JQawyew and
oA/wi/23, 1902 - Sfa/y27, 1974

60

•a

The Beginning of the Pelaez-Tan Story

robably because boys are rarely r o­ Standing L-R.- Eddie, Oscar, Rene. Seated middle row L-R- Junior, Conching, Jorge,
mantic, the sons o f Jorge and Con- Goito; First Row L-R Letty, Manoling, Benjie, Nita.
ching never seemed to have asked
their parents how their relationship blossomed. No.I Arradaza St., Wa rm Welcome. Happy memories.
What is known is that at that time Concepcion
Pelaez was studying in Colegio de Sta. Isabel, Jorge Tan Junior and his bride Amparo
Manila, as an "interna" (boarder) with her sis­ Romualdez. Their wedding was June 2,1963
ter Rosario. Hence the only way boys could
see th em was when the girls had their week­
end stroll at the Luneta. It was there that Jorge
must have had his first glimpse of the delicate
Conching. But soon enough he was visiting her
in her school, bringing with him chocolates and
candies, to the delight of Conching. By May,
1932, Jorge and Conching were pronounced
man and wife in Medina, Misamis Oriental. They
were very complementary in many ways.
Jorge had a booming voice while Conching
was so ft spoken. Jorge graduated Law from the
Ateneo de Manila with honors, "sobre saliente."
(excellent) But while Conching finished highschool,
at that time considered higher education for
women, she nevertheles s was civic and religious
spirited, founding the Ormoc Puericulture Cen­
ter and the Confradia dela Purisima Concepcion.
While pr acticing law in Ormoc, Jorge was at the
same time a sugar cane farmer and operated two
cinema theaters, beside which Conching run a
snack house. Jorge was a Rotarian and Conching
was a Rotary-Ann. Eve n in m ahjong sessions the
two of them would follow each ot her, Jorge re­
placing Conching to her dismay. Incidentally, Jorge
taught all his daughters-in-law how to play mahjong,
even financing their "pu hunan" (betting money) so
they could play with him. In the family Jorge was
the disciplinarian and Conching was the
"consentidora". Inspite of the nine years differe nce
between the m, the two of them became insepa­
rable as they grew older. From their marriage seven
boys and two girls wer e born.

61

THE STO RY DEV ELOPS...

Every Sunday the family would gather to eat

lunch at the family house in Ormoc City Sunday morn­

ings was also the time of the farm payroll. And on

that day Jorge would be usually short tempered and

particularly to one farm hand, his "capataz". (foreman)

His litany of admonitions would last until lunch time,

Oscar's family, omar, Cynthia, camiiie, oscar. after which, now feeling better, he would sit down to

a congenial meal with the rest of the family. But the "capataz",

was well equipped for this ritual. By the time he was face to face

with Jorge he had already drank "tuba" and was a bit tipsy and

numbed. Besides, "after all the scoldings, Senor Jorge would give

me some money." He unknowingly must have kept Jorge's heart

healthy!

The family had always lived in the house in no. 1, Arradaza

Street, Ormoc City. During the Japanese occupation the family

evacuated to Manila, and the house was made into a garrison and

prison by the occupational forces. During the American liberation

of Ormoc, this house was the only one left standing, although

pocked marked by shrapnel. When Jorge brought back his family

to Ormoc this self same house was remodeled and continued to

be the mother house of their children. Both parents loved to have

Rene with Carmen, from Chile. their children and subsequent grandchildren in the house with

them. Papa Jorge inculcated in their minds the value of sharing. He would divide a piece of cara­

mel candy, no matter how small it was, and would make sure everybody got a share. As a

disciplinarian, Jorge would always have on hand two or three whips of broom sticks (tukog) handy,

and would not hesitate to use them every time the children would misbehave. Part of the disci­

pline was for them to kneel in front of the altar of the Sacred Heart.

The feast of the Immaculate Concepcion, being the feast day of Conching also, was tradi­

tionally celebrated by the family for two days. After the procession of the Blessed mother on

December 8, rela tives and close friends would be invited for dinner and for the consecration of

the family to the Sacred H eart of Jesus. The next day, D ecember 9, Conching would then invite

members of the Cofradia de la Purisima Concepcion, and with well prepared skits, they would

have a grand time. This was a family tradition which Conching organized until she got bedridden

in 1993. The family also made it a point to go to Medina, Misamis Oriental, every year during the

month of May for a r eunion with the Pelaez clan. Specially for the older ones, Jorge's children have

happy memories of their childhood vacations there with their cousins and relatives.

TRIALS

In 1972 Junior and his brothers were accused of the shooting of Kananga's (Leyte) mayor and
his son. They were days of anguish for the family. Junior stayed in a P hilippine Constabulary camp

62

in Tacloban City for several months. His brothers were holed up in KANANGA beca use the situa­

tion was very tense and the influential family of the victims threatened retaliation. The wives and

their children also went into hiding for fear of their lives. Jorge and Conching were spared much

of the immediate tension since they were in Manila preparing for their 40th wedding anniversary.

Vindication came at last when Junior was acquitted in 1981.

The 70's was the decade of trials. While the family was undergoing the crucible of Junior's

case, the Philippines was preparing for the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant. With Imelda Marcos

orchestrating the event, one can well imagine the ostentation that went with the international

event. Imelda herself accompanied the beauties to her hometown in Tacloban. And Jorge w anted

to see the "most beautiful women in the world" and the glamor of the occasion - a welcome

break from the tensions of the courtroom. And Jorge wanted to be elegantly attired for the event.

Manoling was instructed to get Jorge's best "barong Tagalog" and bring it to Tacloban where Jorge

was staying with Conching. Two hearts attacks intervened and in

the early morning of July 27, 1974, Jorge m et his Judge and Savior,

with prayers that he might enjoy not only the transient beauties of

this world but the unfading eternal beauty of God and God's heaven.

JORGE provided well for his children. They carried on with their

lives with the tangible assets a nd intangible qualities bequeathed

to them by their parents.

JORGE JR., is a commerce graduate of the University of the

East. A fter working for the government in elective and appointive

positions, he is now a contractor and sugarcane planter in Ormoc.

GREGORIO (Goito), holds a Commerce degree from the Univer­

sity of the East. He at tends to his business concerns in Ormoc.

OSCAR, a doct or who specialized in OB-GYN has been practic­

ing in the United States for more than twenty five years.

EDUARDO (Eddie), a lawyer and alumnus of the Ateneo de

Manila, after some years stint in Australia is back in Ormoc as a Manoling with his family. Seated L-R: Man oling, Belen
realtor. With Goito he manages the J.S. TAN E STATE. Mendoza; Standing: Miguel, Ma. Margarita, Mercedes, Manuel
Jr.
REYNALDO (Rene) w ho took up animal husbandry in Araneta

University migrated to the United States with his

first wife, whom he divorced. He then married a

Chilean, in 1972. Coronary problems forced him

to retire from his work in the USA. He is b ack in

Ormoc City attending to an equipment rental

business.

LETICIA (Letty) the much awaited girl after

five boys, graduated as nutritionist from St.

Scholastica College. She married an American and

settled in Ormoc where they had a restaurant

business and a sugar plantation. She died in 1978 L-R- Colby (Ren e's grand son), Honey (Eddie's daughter), Gma (Rene's daughter), Rene ,
Eddie, Raphael (Rene's son), Daisy (Edd ie's wife), Cristi, Raphael's wife.
.

at the age of 34. She is reme mbered as a sweet,

63

Fiesta Time in Ormoc! Concepcion (c enter) in white terno.

gentle and caring person. Her husband Dick Taylor and children returned to the United States.
MANUEL (M anoling) like his brothers is a commerce graduate who threw his hat in the

political ring. He was elected vice-mayor of Kanaga, Leyte and is now on his third term. His fa rm
in Kananga is his haven.

CONCEPCION (Nita) w ho resides in Manila with her family is a pianist. She an d her husband
are a ctive born-again Christians.

BENJAMIN (Benjie) re sides in Cebu and manages his property in Ormoc.
After JORGE'S deat h CONCHING PEl^EZ-TAN became the matriarch of the family and ably took
her husband's place. Management of the family's properties, grandchildren of different ages and
continued involvement in the city's civic and cultural affairs filled her days and diminished the
loneliness of widowhood. The house in Arradaza St. continued to be a welcoming haven for her
children and grandchildren. But age caught up with CONCHING. Suffering from serious illnesses she
has been bed-ridden since 1993. Now staying in Junior's residence in Cebu, she is surrounded with
loving care and comfort. Immobile, she can no longer connect with the family she cared f or so
well and loved so much. No longer able to communicate audibly, they nevertheless communicate
in the unspoken language and deeds of Love.

Dennis Paez, SDB
with recollections of Amparo R. Tan

64



TEATRO D EL C QRSQ

(OMPAGNXV ITALIANA S;BjtEMHUOLLUD AA VVOIICE, BEHO LD A MELODY!
dell' ©PEItA I'OMIC'A <• L I tI It A he artiste of the Tan brood was the 10th
hild, Nieves. Nicknamed Beng, she was the
PROSSIMAMENTE apple that was destined to fall to the ground
before ripening. The promise that would quite never
MADAMA make it to its fulfillment, the unfinished melody.
BUTTERFLY

Muslca di G PUCCIM

coo la giapponeee

NIEVES TAN

q m o m i o m a serve a preparare — She w as the voice.
;i migliore acaua da tdvolti She knew what she wanted and got it. She was

studying atthe UP Conservatory of Music for two years

when she received an offer every singer longed for - to study

in Milan, Italy. She left the country and for another two years

she took instructions under famous Italian professors. She

appeared in some twenty operatic engagements in famous

theaters in Casale, Chiavari, Bologne and won unstinted praise

from Italian critics. She was offered a coveted contract to

sing in Bucharest Rumania and could have appeared in Vienna

TEATRO AL IA SCAlA In this theatre Nieves performed in Madame and Budapest. But her parents were asking her to return home
Butterfly. and familv ties were stronger.

ROBERTO AND NIE VES - THE LOV ESONG
It was during a summer break when Beng and Conching visited their older sister Consuelo

in lloilo that Beng met her future husband Roberto Segovia. He w as a budding engineer and a

nephew of Natalio, Consuelo's h usband.
Sparks must have really flown!
He was considered the prize catch of his batch in this part of Visayas, a fa vorite target of the

mothers of Iloilo's eligible daughters. She was tauted as th e nation's operatic find. The personifi­
cation of culture and charm. She ha d an international field at her feet.

There must have been something natural gravitating them together, if one summer vacation
had enough impact to fuel a long distance love letter romance of over th ree years. It wavered on
Roberto's side only when he may have mistakenly presumed that her star had put her out of his
reach. Yes, Beng was in full ascendancy as she stormed the Philippine operatic stage with her

fresh voice.
But Nieves knew what had to be done. And to do it she did, in accordance with the subtleties

demanded by that era - with a perfect front provided by her Visayas performance tour of Cebu -

Bacolod - lloilo.
In the lloilo performance, more than three years after that brief summer together, Roberto

was finally in the presence of Nieves. But in the front row of the jam-packed audience of hun­
dreds, he had come with current flame! According to eyewitness accounts, that evening Nieves
sang as if Roberto was her only audience. Hands that at first clasped that of the flame, fell back
on his lap as he sat transfixed.

Imagine a climax of being the sole recipient of Cho-cho-San'sheartbreaking immortal lovesong!
Their fates were sealed. They were married the next year, in 1934.

66

BROKEN CRESCENDO Teatro PRO-CHIAVARI
Moving to lloilo with her husband, she was the toast of the City. Her
GRANDE STAGIONE LIRICA
company sought by the lords and ladies of society her charm and hu­
manity endearing her to the lowest of commonfolk. She h ad started a RIGOLETT0
school of voice culture and her own brood of six when tragedy struck -
for she loved and was loved so m uch that maybe the angels in heaven Pr»tasonista : K I>0 A K It 0 PAT ICANTI
coveted Beng.
BUTTERFLY
She was an unfinished melody....and the city she adopted and
which in turn had been so taken by her, mourned.

Fifty years after her death, she lives on even in the dimned memo­
ries of a passing generation...a tribute to the eloquence of her singing
and her womanhood.

Ah! what would it have been to see Beng mature fully? To s ee
eloquence transformed into grace?

REFRAIN
The boundless reserve of love and respect and admiration that the Segovia In-laws had for

Beng has not diminished over the years. When her sisters-in-law took on the task of mothering
her orphaned brood, glowing accounts of their experience with Beng kept the children company
Yet th is same glowing accounts have also sharpened the children's deep sense of loss especially
in times of trials, when a mother - with the stature of Nieves, certainly would have made a
difference.

Maria Luisa the oldest was seven when the tragedy struck, probably the only one old
enough to remember and know the difference, she floats on treasured clouds of a child's memo­
ries and wonderful accounts of a m other she knows was truly exceptional as a woman and from
whom she inherited the powerful charm of a beautiful smile. She is married to Pedro Antonio
Chiongson, has four sons and a daughter and five grandchildren at the latest count. Her priorities
constantly shift to the loved ones farthest away, so she will be traveling for some more time. It is

Nieves delighted the audience in a concert At the piano professor Julio Esteban Anguita.

67

a pattern taken up from an
orphaned childhood shut­
tling between loved ones,
wherein she remembers with

fondness the distinction of
sharing Lolo Abong's and

Lola Lilings bedroom at Calle
Santiago during the early

years of the war.
Her mama's namesake,

Wedding bells /or Nieves and Roberto, 1934. seating.- Nanette, Bob Sister Nieves (Bebe) was her
papa's pet and everybody

agrees - the crybaby of her generation. But she has chucked the pushover roles and has let firmer
stuff take hold; even as she maintains the prim and proper persona that everybody teases her about
- but for which she is truly loved. She still has a dreadful fear of crossing streets, but that does not

detract from her being a paradigm of Christian fortitude and Catholic morality.
Engineer Bob (Roberto, Jr.) was in his father's words his heir apparent, especially in tem­

perament - so they did not exactly get on very well with each other. The first of the brood to set
forth into the great blue yonder (Saudi, Sudan, Zaire, Mexico, Canada and the US) h e finds his piece
of heaven with Tessie for whom he has long since hung up his reputation as a ladies' man. Two

sons, a daughter and three grandchildren are his growing downline.
He may have been born the frailest, but fourth sibling Eduardo has one of the fightingest

spirits. One to call a spade - a spade he is known to stand his ground for principle s sake. Occasion­

ally though, he may back down to his wife Noemi and his only offspring, Sherry. He is a marketing
man in the corporate sense-but every now and then he enjoys the simple ways of the palengke.

Check out if he still resembles Lolo Abong.
inside Mercedes (Nanette) is a little girl let loose in the beach of Ortiz in lloilo. One day she

came home so burnt dark that her aunt Nan (who had lovingly stepped into a mother's role) did

not recognize her. Tracing older brother Bob's footsteps she met her man, Hal, in the Saharan
conditions of Sudan. She is a favorite aunt for a good reason. All h er nephews and nieces ascribe to her

their preponderance (it is a need to some) for a stroking
massage before sleep. In the Tan-Segovia circle, every­

body acknowledges this gesture of motherly love and

affection passed on from two generations of loving
women who would have had their own kids but did not

By virtue of this imprinted stroking caresses, we are their
kids forever. And hopefully (Tita Nanette) will go on strok­

ing passing on this silent love for generations to come.

Whoever still has not heard of the ubiquitous St.
Carmen (Mameng) F.l. probably hasn't been born yet.
A bundle of energy, she would have made a perfect

Standing.-Ed and Bob. Sitting.-Sr. Carmen Fl, Na nette, Sr. Nieves Fl, Luisita politician. With her special knack for nosing OUt

68

L_

V* «T> ' •

and straightening things at interpersonal levels, she has become the honor­
ary member of hundreds of families and couples that have been blessed
by her influence. She does get a little too bossy though, so don't let her
push you around too much!

Erwin Segovia Chiongson
Grandchildren and Great grandchildren....
Winston Erwin dabbles in the arts. Conscious of a sickly childhood and
klutz teens, he's taken to body building and built a model physique. You can
still catch him occasionally on TV - not bad for one past 40. Unfortunately though,
he's beginning to realize that all the l.Q. can n ot compensate for po or memory. He
runs WINNER'S gyms and a special events p romo firm.
For H elen Joyce, legendary exploits as a little tomboy have given way to Sister Nieves>Fl-Prim and Pr°Per-

. Teased about and loved for it

stories o f motherhood and wifedom. She also faces the professional challenge of
helping run RAMSEL, husband Syl's pharmaceutical company - a pioneer in San Francisco's AIDS drug
assistance program. She has just been labeled old-fashioned by a pretty but barely teen-aged daugh­
ter Tara. And, if Helen could keep up with activities of future sports-great - and younger son James,
she'll manage t o keep herself trim with ease. But, despite being a l ittle on the heavy side lately, she
remains th e one with lots of flair.

Michael Nolan has a feel for things mechanical (he designs ex ercise equipment). He is also into
feng sui, seriously. Should he use his green thumb more often maybe his barking would be less
choleric. He has now met his match in wife, Dolly. He loves the outdoors, and tries to bring this closer
to home thru installations of fountains, pools, and bonsai arrangements.

The third son, Konrad Benjamin is starting to really bloom - in the PAG-IBIG of fice as a
superstar, as a facilitator in Couples for Christ - finally outgrowing his "most beautiful baby
complex" which was well deserved only until he was five. Together with his Rechel they are
raising a future Miss Philippines, Jade, a nd two occasionally well-behaved tornadoes named Jo­
seph and Justin. His greatest nemesis is the complacency settling around his midsection.

Seven years behind schedule, Paul Frederick made up for his crybaby days with a me dal in
Math, and an aptitude for computers. Taking after his Dad in the looks department - he was also
a mean board one player. Wa tch out world - this kid's going places!

Bob's first - Gilbert Bernard (GB) is his mom's spitting image and that includes a bearing
shy and reserved that seems to be a true-to-form trademark for the computerwhiz kids of this
generation, He and wife Debbie are blessed with 2-year ol d Connor.

Robert Francis is a blackbelter who can throw jokes and witticisms as easily as karate
chops. He i s also an artist, winning awards from early school to community competitions. A big-
bike man, he, as was his Dad and grandfather before him, is his generation's pick as a ladies' man.
Younger sister Tina surprised many with her sophisticated air for one so young. She sprung a
bigger surprise with little Nyle, a son by Troy Maney.

Ed's one and only Sherry - As a youn g maiden, Shing's hospital-ridden days were offset by a
reputation as a accurate clairvoyant. Marriage to Lester and a y oung brood of three have totally
overshadowed the tale nt. Like Shing, the girls are proof of a strong Tan-influence in looks.

Luisita Segovia Chiongson

69

Bob Beng's Children. Sitting L-R- Sr. Carmen, Nanette, Nanette & Hal Weeke r
Nanette & Luisita Sr. Nieves, Luisita, Standing L-R: Ed & Bob.
Sr. Carmen (Meng)
Sr. Nieves (Bebe) Papa" R oberto: T. Segovia, F.I.
T. Segovia, F.I. with his

two nun daug

ardo (Ed) T. S<
'Noemi Villar

Sherry

L-R- Ca rmen, Papa, Luisita Robert T. Segovia, Jr.
Teresita (Tessie) Lopez
ROBERTO A ND N IEVES1
FAMILY

GRAPHIC May 11,1932
THE KEAEM 0F W0MEA
Another Songster
Returns

DIVA MARIA NIEVES TAN ARRIVES AFTER STAY

IN ITALY WHERE SHE STUDIED OPERA AND

MADE HER DEBUT

NINETEEN YEARS AGO, a parents, relatives, and a host of
six-year-old girl, unabashed friends and admirers met her at
by the presence of people, the pier. She graciously consented
partly because of the encouraging to pose for the GRAPHIC and to
glances coming from the family be interviewed when she was ap- A close-up of the
pew in the church of Ormoc, proached by the writer. recently-returned Fi­
Levte, and partly due to an in- A lover of music ever since she
lipino lyric soprano,
Maria Nieves Tan.

herent desire to sing in the choir, was a little girl, Nieves Tan found She has played the
sang her way into the hearts of an outlet for her talents when she role of the heroine
in "Madame Butter­
the people of Ormoc. The same enrolled in the conservatory of fly" more than twen­
girl, grown into an accomplished music several years ago. For two ty times in Italy.
singer, not long ago delighted years, she studied in the conserv-
theater-goers of Italy, considered atory. Before she could finish
the most critical people in Europe, the regular course, the chance
with her voice and acting. The that every singer longs for—to
person we are referring to is Ma- study in Milan, Italy,—was of- theatrical world as a prima don­ her of the offer and told me that
ria Nieves Tan, lyric soprano, who fered her. On May 8, 1929, she na. I was brave.
returned to the Islands last week left the country to follow in the
after an absence of three years footsteps of Jovita Fuentes and "I made my debut in the Teatro "The best tenor in Europe was
and after having successfully ap- Isang Tapales. Rossini in Busto Arzicio," the lyric to play opposite me. When I ar­
peared in leading theaters in Ita- soprano declared during the inter- rived in Casale, it was half an.
ly. In the rostrum of distin- Two years of training under the hour before the beginning of the
guished local divas, which in- tutelage of Aristede Anceschi, P!&C^ *n bome first act. Excited and thrilled by
well-known rprofessor of music in the presence of Europe's best
J^1Ce Norberto Romualdez m tenor, I sang as I had never sung

posed. w',hen TI wfaasced^a,™the aanuddiecnocme-.
I played the heroine of Giacomo before. When the curtain fell
Puccini's Madame Butterfly. down on the last act, the crowd
When I made my next stage ap­ rose to its feet and applauded my
pearance, however, I experienced partner and me."
the usual nervousness, for I was After she had finished narrat­
already aware of the responsibili­ ing this incident, che soprano
ties of a singer. I knew things smiled again as if she had re-
were expected of me. memebered something humorous.
"I played the heroine in Puc­ "Since I have told you my most
cini's Madame Butterfly for more thrilling performance, I might as
than twenty times in Sicily, Ca­ well tell you of my most embar­
tania, Chiavarri, Bari, Bologna, rassing night. This concerns that
Mantova, C a s a 1 e , and other night when I played opposite a te­
places. In Bologna, where thea­ nor who was just making his de­
ter-goers do not hesitate to throw but. While he did not sing badly,
invectives or tomatoes at medio­ his acting was very awkward. Be­
cre actors or even famous singers sides this, he was slight of stature
who unwittingly displease them, and smaller than I am. I had to
I experienced no difficulty with help him during the greater part
the public. I played for five con­ of the act."
secutive nights. The public, on When she was quest! -ne.1 about
several occasions during my ren­ the difficulties cncouutcred by
ditions of Madame Butterfly, Filipina singers in Italy, she re­
shouted 'Brava!'" plied: "The prevailing hard times
When she was asked about her in Europe has caused the closing
most thrilling and exciting per­ of mauy theaters in Italy. Most
Miss Maria Nieves Tan, photographed with her father and mother shortly formance, the d'iva smiled know­ of my friends informed me many
after her arrival. Vrgines from her family to come home shortened the ingly. "My most thrilling perfor­ times that I was lucky for having
prima donna's stay abroad. mance?" she repeated. "It was been able to play every month.

dudes such famous names as Jo- Milan, started her on her thea- at six o'clock in the evening "The selection of the right pro­
rtta Fuentes, Isang Tapales, Galia trical career. While there are a when an impresario approached fessor is also one thing that taxes
Arellano, Monserrat Iglesias, Naty number of conservatories of music me and asked me if I could play the mind of the person who Is
Arellano, Mercedes Osorio, etc., in the music capital of the world, in Madame Butterfly that very bent on following a theatrical
nay now be added another: Ma- Milan, Nieves Tan found it neces- night in Casale. The leading lady career. There are plenty of pro­
ia Nieves Tan. sary to engage the services of was indisposed, and nobody fessors in Milan and not all of
Arriving one hour behind sched- wanted to take her place at a mo­ them are the right professors. If
Prof. Anceschi ID view of the
de, the German steamer Coblenz, rather short time allowed her by ment's notice. There was not even you are not intelligent enough,
fhich brought Nieves Tan back her parents to stay in that city, time for a rehearsal. I accepted you will surely get a poor teach­
0 Manila, docked at Pier 7 at On March 1, 1931, she was ready the proposition impulsively. Even er."
1 a. m., May 2. Nieves Tan's to make her initial bow before the Isaug Tapales laughed when I toid

THE CHIONGSON (LUISITA'S) FAMILY

Erwin "Win' Tony & Luisita

Counterclockwise, Bottom L-R- Win, Inday, Nolan, Paul & Konrad 'Inday" Helen

Konrad & Rechel Rechel, Konrad, Jade, Joseph & Brian Helen wit h Tara &Jj.

Fn the huge ancestral hou se of L olo Pablo several generations lived w here
/there was constant contact between aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces. Depend
ing u pon the ir impact on th e younger generations, who took it up on them­
selves to rename them, the aunts, specially, had p articular labels. There was "Tia Sugo"
(aunt commander), "Tia Saad (aunt promises), " Tia Suko" (a unt scolder!), and there was
"Tia H atag" (aun t the giver). This l ast was ho w he r nep hews a nd nie ces remember

Concepcion.

nlike some other of her siblings who were famous (or
infamous) in or out-side their town for one thing or
another, Conching, as she was called by them, was
not prominent in any outstanding way. People in Ormoc hardly knew
this unassuming, quiet and soft-spoken woman who spent most of
her time in the kitchen. But it was precisely there that she endeared
herself to her family, and generations of them.

EARLY LIFE

Concepcion, the eleventh of the thirteen children of Pablo and

Rosalia Tan, was born on December 7, 1907. She loved all her broth­

conching (left) Nieves (right) ers and sisters and they loved her in return. Many a time she would
gratefully recount how her older sisters took over from their mother

the care of the younger girls. Nena was responsible for her religious training. Titang sewed the

uniforms and dresses they used while studying at the Immaculada in Cebu. Nieves sent her,

Mameng and Nening the welcome extra food. She attributes her correct Spanish to Consuelo's

stern tutorship. All the children were given a fair chance at making the most for themselves. The

girls, in particular, were taught the ways around the house, sewing, playing the piano or the violin,

voice culture, it was in cooking that Conching discovered her gift. The kitchen will from then on

become her sanctuary and from whence she will exercise her greatest love and service.

MARRIED LIFE

Never the really outgoing kind, Conching was not very visible in the town. Soinstead, Consuelo,

the unofficial family match-maker, took it upon herself to introduce her to Agustin Yngson, the

cousin of her first husband. A brilliant dentist from Iioilo, Agustin eventually married Concepcion

and they had two daughters, lmelda and Aurora. But the marriage was short lived, three years.

When Conching went to visit her father, she brought her two daughters and decided never to

return to lloilo again. Though he tried to

retrieve his family, there was nothing

Agustin could really do because Lolo

Pablo would not allow it for as long as

Conching did not want to return. To sup­

port her daughters who were studying in

St Peter's Academy, Conching did what

she liked doing best. She baked cakes and

pastries. These goodies were consigned

in the Ice Drop Parlor of her brother,Jorge.

Those which were not sold for the day

she distributed among the ever growing

and hungry nephews and nieces, thus

510 Lactao st. where hospitality abounded. earning her the name "Tia Hatag". They
fondly remember her for the way she

7-f

sliced the cakes equally for all of them .

THE WAR YEARS

When the Japanese occupational army ar­

rived in Ormoc City, they a sked permission to

use lolo's oven, the only one in town. From their

comings and goings, Conching learned a few sug­

gestions on cooking. Moreover, they ordered sev­

eral cakes from her, and they paid for them too!

In fact in th ose days, the sales she made from Conching between Lolg (le ft) and Imeld a (right) doing what she li ked best - cooking.
baking in no small way provided for them all.

Conching politely declined an invitation fro m her

sister, T itang, to relocate in Cebu where there

were better business opportunities for a single

parent with two kids. Conch ing r easoned that

her parents were already old and tha t she would

not want to be far from them. Th is stubborn fil­

ial determination to care for her parents charac­

terized a nd determined Conching's oth er deci­

sions during t he subsequent difficulties of their

exodus from Ormoc.

From Manila their group went to Baguio.

During the final months of the Japanese occupa­

tion, food became scarce and everyone had to Conching surrou nded by Paez grand children. Melina (Doria) in the arms of "Mita"
resort to rationing. Naning Rocha left some Photo 1972.

canned goods explicitly for the children, Melda and Loly. These Con ching requisitioned, explaining

to her daughters that "if conditions become worst, all of us coul d e at grass, but it is inconceivable

to allow Lo lo and Lola to do so." When t he Americans began the indiscriminate bombing of the

city, the family mov ed to the safety of the cathedral and their place was on t he right side corner

on the sanctuary just behind the communion rails, in the meantime Lolo had to be confined in

Notre Dame hospita l, while Lo la, not as lucid, was under th e direct care of Conc hing. In between

air raids, Imel da and Aurora were tasked by thei r mother to take turns in deliv ering the precious

boiled egg Lolo needed.

In the subsequent evacuation to the hills o f Baguio to avoid the American "carpet bomb­

ing", Conching ministered to the needs of both her parents, and sh e herself led the prayers for the

dying when Lolo breathed his last.

The Japanese asked the refugees to leave because they were in a val ley wit hin th e crossfire

of their opposing armies. Everyb ody had to move to safer places and quickly. But Lola Liling was

too feeble to trek the mountain trails. Con ching unhesitatin gly volunteered herself an d her chil­

dren to stay with Lol a. Together with them was a faithful helper named Rita. They stayed behind

with a small group of equal ly old and feeble women. The Japanese soldiers did come during the

night, foraging for food as they thrust their bayonets here and there. Conching would then hide

the children and instead exposed Lola's wh ite hair for th em to see. She later regretted very

much that she made the girls stay, exposing them to so much danger. Imelda was twelve and

?s

Aurora was eleven at that time, nearly left in a

hurry. Theirs was the luxury of changing gar­

ments every day, and in war time too! And with

so much food left behind, Conching was once

again busy with her cooking. Loly remembers

they were eating pancit, a luxury from their diet

of camote.
From the mountains of Baguio where the

women were left, Conching, her daughters and

some other people crossed enemy lines and were

Front Conching (left) with Sister Nening.Behind. Melina, Imelda, Loly. Miguel. finally able to convince some American soldiers
to take Lola, whom they carried on an impro­

vised stretcher on two wooden poles. Theystayed

in a school house turned refugee center. One

day Melda and Loly noticed a truck. Its driver

turned out to be the selfsame driver who brought

Vicente and Carling Tan and their families to

Agoo, La Union. With a letter of recommenda­

tion from a p riest Conching, together with Lola,

her two daughters and Rita hired the truck and

went to Agoo where they stayed in the convent

of the parish priest. The priest asked the semi­

narians that were staying there to vacate the

place for them. After several days of waiting,

Aurora (Loly) Doria w ith first born, Melina a MASSCOM graduate, and Miguel also Imelda heard familiar voices in the sala. It was
specializing in Communication. Carling and Pepe inquiring about an old woman,

two young girls and two women! The choice to stay in the convent was providential because her

brothers would not have found them if they stayed elsewhere. By the time they were "liberated",

Conching was running a very high fever due to infection. The brothers brought them to Concepcion,

Tarlac, and that very same night, in the ancestral house of the Aquinos, Pepe operated on her by

candle light. Three more operations followed to the confusion of Pepe who found the infection

particularly vicious. Penicillin, the new wonder drug, was yet unknown in the Philippines. No

doubt using his usual eloquence and power of persuasion, Carling obtained from an American

encampment somewhere the much needed medicine, complete with ice for preserving the anti­

biotic. This was something next to impossible in those days. He also brought indeed was the

penicillin for it arrested the infection. Indeed her brothers and sisters moved heaven and earth in

order to give her a second life. While always wishing none of her grandchildren would ever expe­

rience war, Conching would always recount these stories with gratitude and a passion, always

pointing out how clearly God's providence followed them all the way.

POST WAR

Carling hired her as the cashier in a G1 nightspot he operated in Dakota. After several more
transfers, they settled in Herran where Consuelo built a house. By then Lola was already very

76

sickly and after several bouts with fever she passed away in t he hospital on November 29,1949.
Lola Lili ng was eighty-four years old, and in th e last four years she was bedridden under the care
of her faithful daughter.

521 LACTAO "MITA CONCHING" S TREET

In 1952 Conching sold her town share of inheritance in Ormoc to buy a house in Lactao
Street, San Juan, Rizal. Many rela tives tried to discourage her from living too far from the rest of
them. But Conching's decision was a most providential choice. Lactao became a haven for friends
and provincial relatives. For t he next twenty-two years the house was never without a summer
guest. The annual visitor was Titang who came to Manila to take advantage of th e one in a year
visitation privilege allowed for he r to see her daughter Nitang, a Pink sister in Baguio. Lactao has
seen the five s ons of her brother Jorge through college, namely Junior, Goito, Oscar, Eddie and
Rene. When these five Tan brothers graduated, Marilou Mejia and her husband Eddy and two
children stayed there for some years. Angelina Tan stayed for five years, so with Nanette Segovia.
Naning Rocha, who lived nearby in Gilmore, was an almost daily visitor, tugging along her three
sons. Naty Pelegrin and her brood of ten were also constant visitors. T hat house was also a
recuperating station. Jose Anonas, the grandson of Cons uelo, stayed there while recovering from
kidney p roblems. Lactao too was Pepe's choice because there he knew Conching could carefully
supervise his diet. Although far from being the wealthiest among the brothers and sisters, it was
she who unhesitatingly provided th e finances for her brother's hospitalization in th e U.S. But n ot
only the sick and relatives were attracted to Lactao. There was a train of suitors and juvenile
friends of her daughters who filled t he house with their singing, chatting and dancing. Inciden­
tally, on their first day of occupancy, th eir very first visitor was someone who, in a few short years,
would e ventually be the husband of Imelda!

Conching served anyone and no doubt it was "Tia Hatag's" sincere and simple hospitality
that made that house a must trip for every one in th e family. And even after they transferred to
Paranaque, Conching's hous e continued to be the Tan fa mily's unofficial wa tering hole.
And so came her grandchildren-. Maribel, Jojo, Den nis, Philip, Nadine (who died at nine months),
and Patrick from Imelda, and later on from Loly, Melin and Miguel. Conching was never happier
than when her grandchildren were with her. She lavished upon them all her love. She would
proudly int roduce "mis nietos" to all th e visitors like the y were her jewels. For the grandchildren
it w as paradise on earth to be in Lactao. There was a sp ecial pasalubong that would send them
shrieking and scampering every time she would arrive from the "mercado", be it boiled corn,
puto, or some unlucky duckling! While she would be busy doing her "masa" for her legendary
empanadas, the rest of t he brood would be free making their own version of mud cakes and
pastries. But she won their hearts not only by way of their appetites. Conching was an innovative
educator. She would talk about little Red Riding Ho od get ting lost in Quiapo, and Cinderella wan­
dering into Manila Boulevard. Here is a personal account by Dennis:

"Fish w as my favorite food, and Mita k new that. One day she brought me a live dalag. Iput
it on a basin with water and placed it behind the refrigerator, supposedly to keep it warm. But the
next day it was floating stiffly on its back. Ipresum ed it died by el ectrocution, and not by th e
trauma it received from fr equent handling by me. Nevertheless, I broke into uncontrollable sobs.
But Mi ta just let me be and allowed me to grieve. And wh en my m ourning had run its course, or

better still, when 1 was hungry from crying, she invited me so very gently to eat the favorite dish

she had prepared. There on the plate was my pet fish, fried to a del icious crisp, with sweet and

sour sauce on the side, and all for me. Needless t o say, be tween sniffs, I consumed the whole

thing, while Mita promised to buy me another pet fish that would never die. The very next day

was my first introduction to the wonder of plastic fish!"

To attract them into praying the rosary or going to Sunday mass she would resort to "tricks"

because she would never force anybody. The first to sit beside her would have the honor of

lighting the candles for the rosary. Those who would go to mass would have the privilege of

dropping twenty-five centavos (a fortune to kids then!) into the collection bag. Incidentally, Philip

was always suspected of pocketing the donation because invariably he

would be discovered sucking into candy or playing with some cards. But

it must have been really frustrating to her that with all the gourmet food

available and while other relatives and friends would come from near

and far to savor them, he r very own grandchildren would still request to

buy champoy and dikiam, which she ca lled" ni Goret." Conching,

nevertheless, believed in not sparing the rod. "Mahal pero pinapalo"

was what one of her grandchildren remarked after receiving a well-

deserved wh ack from a broomstick. Long a fter the "tricks" no longer

enticed and after her grandchildren had outgrown playing with duck­

lings, and her pots and pans, Mita, as they lovingly called her, was firmly

Sister act 1, when they were in t heir teens. Imelda and forever embedded in their hearts. Her grandc hildren, now adults,
(R), Aurora (I). would make short visits to Lactao, already sold a long time ago, as on a

pilgrimage to the happiest years of their lives w ith Mita.

THE FINAL YEARS:

At eighty-six Conching was still strong, healthy, with a hearty and contagious appetite.
When refused "forbidden" foods she woul d demand, and a tug-of-war would ensue, and almost
always the others will have to give in. Her "ju st tasting' would be an extra teaspoonful of bagoong,
a piece of this and that of last night's party lechon-leftovers, and most specially, extra six or more
pieces of Lapid's chicharon, her favorite. Everytime any other member of the family would chance
upon something delectable, Mita would always come to their minds because it was a joy to
watch her relish wha tever pasalubong was brought to her. She had an insatiable curiosity spe­
cially for delicacies similar to the ones she used to bake. She liked to compare, to comment and
to learn something new. Pleasing her in this way was a great reward itself.

Conching was one person who grew o ld with grace, both in the spiritual and psychological
sense. Althoug h unable to cook and entertain as she used to, the years only made her more
lovable. More on the pleasingly chubby side with rosy cheeks and clear complexion, with lovely
shiny white hair cut short just below the ears, she was the envy of many relatives who came to
visit her, and even strangers who would stop awhile to comment on how pretty she was. Arthritis
on the knees and arms was the only thing that slowed her movement, but her memory — terrific!
Except for "hain na ang akong antiojos...porta moneda, " she re mained very lucid and alert. She
never seemed to have complained a bout the noise of this modern world, lament about the times,
or compare generations. Instead, with the bits and pieces of news she heard or were reported to her,

78

she ke pt herself abreast with the social and political situation. It surprised everybody when during
after dinner conversations she would join the laughing or volunteer her two bits. But there were a few
things she wanted to keep in mind every m inute of her waking hours. One of them would be the
phrase: "Ma ry of Christians, Pray for us," and "the crucifix medal of St Benedict for a happy death."
Her every word was punctuated with "gracias a Di os." She woul d always ask her grand son-priest to
talk to her of heavenly realities. And one time when he tried to change topic, she rai sed her voice,
scolded him saying: "Collate!" and then resumed her spiritual sharing in her usual calm voice.

THE GOODBYE:

Although her children and grandchildren surrounded her with much affection, Loly, her

daughter was truly heroic in the way she stayed with her mother and ministered to her every

need, and sometimes in difficult circumstances and with great sacrifices for her children too. By

this time most of the older grandchildren were already abroad. Here f ollowing is a n account by

Melin, the granddaughter who was to Conching what she was to her parents, of the last few days

of her Mita: "It started on a Thursday night, Mita caught a cold that would not go away. She stayed

in bed until Saturday afternoon. I took her out into the yard for her to see the sun and I thought

she would feel better after that. But that night she was even too weak to stand up. She mumbled

a prayer in Spanish and told me: "I will always be with you." I did not understand then what she

meant. I was glad that Monday of September because she felt better

and even ca me down for breakfast. After a h earty meal and a change of

duster, I put her to bed...for the last time. My Mita died very quietly that

morning with mom sleeping beside her. When I came home my mom

and neighbor were desperately trying to revive her. A d octor came only

to confirm what I already knew."

"Tita Melda was called from her house, my brother cut classes,

Kuya Dennis came and we said the rosary with her for t he last time. A

long distance to the states informed Mita's other grandchildren. Everything

then happened so fast I chose t he clothes Mita was to wear. A schedule

was arranged, flowers were bough t, and relatives were info rmed. The next

day, Kuya Dennis and I prepared the other necessary details. Mita's wake

was not too long. She wanted it that way. On the 12th o f September her Sister act 2, maturer years,
funeral mass an d burial was officiated by Kuya De nnis. Mita was bom on

December 7, the day before the feast o f the Immaculate Conception, and she passed away the day

after the Blessed Mother's birthday, September 9, 199 6. She w ould have been 89 years old then. In

1997 w hile sorting out some o f her personal belongings, I came across an old prayer b ooklet. And

within it were baby pictures, already b rown and t orn in many parts, of my cousins, my brother and

me. We we re truly so close to her heart."

Her gran dchildren formulated the following words that were written on her tomb markers a

fitting summary of the kind of person she was:

"Thank you for all our loving memories. Feliz sueno, Mita."

THE TWO FIRST LADIES-HER DAUGHTERS IMELDA AND AURORA:

The following are excerpts of the speech delivered by Imelda herself when she was asked to
share her life before a meeting of the Martha's Vineyard. Nothing could be more reflective of her:

79

"In 19 86, after 30 years o f turbulen t marriage, 1 decided to walk away fr om it in o rder to
make a lif e of my o wn. My f ive children, aware of the dif ficulties we were a ll un dergoing, und er­
stood our de cision, resp ected it , and gave us a sta nding ovation. "At lon g last! they sighed. As a
constant reminder never to turn bac k the clock of time , going back to the husb and who gave me
more worries than happ iness, I always signed by name: 1MELDA Y. P AEZ. "W hy" P aez? It could h ave
been R odriguez (former B F for several yea rs), R amos, or Pe ron! In fa irness naman, Ic an say 1 had
some wonderful moments with him. People say I deserve a medal for raising a family singlehandedly.
But m y children say it is they who deserve a medal fo r putti ng up wi th me and my hu sband all
these years. O ur helpers would mar vel at how my children, un like other sib lings, hardly i f ev er
quarreled with each other. My son P hilip offered an explanation for the rest o f them: "We were so
busy watching the two o f yo u fight, we d id not hav e time to fight ourselves!"

Almost right after the brea k up of her m arriage, Imelda involved he rself into several associa­
tions, p rayer gro ups and ministries. She ventured into singing but her doctor co nvinced her that
her real place in music was in "l ipsing". Upon the pr odding of her friends, Imelda also entered into
politics. A nd so curre ntly she is the "sergeant at arms" of their Homeowners' Ass ociation. T o­
gether with an swering her telephone, which nev er seems to stop rin ging, pro viding and s oliciting
for little people who need emergency money for hospital b ills, funerals, etc. and the cha llenges of
her business, Imelda is a dyna mo constantly on the go. This is what she says about th is:

"1 do fe el goo d, liv ing lif e to its ful lest, shar ing m y uns olicited adv ises, providing laug hter
through my e xperiences, and fe eling that 1 belonged, am need ed and am loved. O f co urse there
are problems, but they are muted by the wonderful blessings I am endowed with dai ly, as a
constant reminder that 1 am loved b y H im. I am not an advocate of a bro ken marriage. But in case
it happens, continue living and make l ife as active and co lorful as ever...like min e-yabang!"

Aurora, "Loly", is the second daughter of C onching. The two sisters are poles apart in some
respects. She was the more cute betw een the two sist ers, and even am ong the other grandchil­
dren, as Imelda herself admits. Between the two of them, Loly was the more athletic type, leading
her bow ling team to the championship du ring a competition among banks. W hile im elda trau­
matized her children with her cooking, L oly, more of the homeb ody like her mom, carries on
Conching's leg acies in the kitchen. She finis hed Home Economics in P WU, and was em ployed i n
the Central Ba nk of the Ph ilippines. Never a girl scout herself, Loly is nevertheless a li ving example
of outs tanding preparedness. Name it, and she has it in her bag: watching a concert, she would b e
carrying a thermom eter and band aid; during mass, she would be hand y with ne edle and thread
for a lo ose button; a sudden bro wn out, she would be the on e playing with a fla sh light; suddenly
stranded out of now here, you could be sure to survive because she had all the fo od an d dr ink
necessary, with desert to boot! Loly is also the uno fficial "hist orian" of the clan . A good n umber
of the materials written in this book comes from her memor ies of dates, names and eve nts.
Melin, her eldest daughter graduated college from the Assumption, and re ceived an a ward for her
thesis. Mi guel, the youngest o f Conching's clan , is the only one finally gifte d with a w onderful
singing voice and has won some aw ards with his s inging group and by him self.

Father Den nis Pae z, SDB
Aurora Yng son Do ria
Melina Doria

80

m

&%e &%cwec/ dftpew JQife iSSu/Zeal

<S%yuem6e& 15, 1931 - (Bclc-A&r 30, 1.997

melda, daughter of Con cepcion (Conching) was one of the prime
movers of the PABLO TAN CLAN GRAND REUNION and the publi­
cation of this Fam ily B ook. On th e afternoon of October 18, 19 97
she attended a meeting about the Reunion. In the car, on the way home from
the meeting, she suffered a stroke.

K

t J 1 D re s s e d for a Chinese donee number. Aifter the stroke, the operation and five days later, Imelda
opened her eyes and immediately nurses and her children
_ Belle and Dennis surrounded her cubicle in the ICU. They
were able to make communication by pressing of the hand. When
Dennis asked if she recognized him and Belle (who just arrived from
the States), she pressed. When asked if she thought Belle was pretty,
she did not! When asked whether she wanted make up and lipstick
she pressed twice! The nurses cheered and spirits ran high. But it
was not to be. Her la st gesture was an attempt to make the sign of
the cross du ring the praying of the rosary. Imelda expired at quarter
to five in the morning of October 30,1997, surrounded by her children
Belle, Dennis and Patrick. Jojo was at that time enplaning for Manila
from New York, while Philip could not leave as yet. Days before, the

ICU w as daily flooded with visitors who most often left in tears,
saddened to see such an indefatigable woman, always
bubbling with joy and life, now immobile under a curtain of
tubes. The wake saw even more crowds who, during the
homily, expressed their fond memories of her (All were
unanimous in saying the same things: "Imelda is my closest
friend because she made me feel so important"), "Imelda is
cn mnrh fiin tn he with", and "I will surely miss Imelda."

HER CHALLENGES:

This was not always so for Imelda. As a child she was

noticeably darker in complexion than her other peers. A

cousin would tail her and sing-, "n egrita of the mountains,

come down to eat camote!" Even her aunts and uncles would

jokingly tell her mom to wrap her in blankets and send her

Mdhood in Ormoc, with sister, Loly and cousm. Remy. back to her father. Imelda took after her father, Agustin
^ ^ ^ separated when she was tWQ and

Loly was one year old. Nevertheless, Imelda found a champion in Lola Liling, her maternal
grandmother. Together with Loly, Imelda studied some years in elementary at La Concordia d uring
the war because their mother did not want them to miss classes. After the war. She studied high
school in St. Pauls, Herran, and finished Pharmacy in the University of Sto. Thomas. But long before
that their house in Lactao already had a constant line of suitors because by then the supposed
"ugly duckling" had blossomed into a truly beautiful and charming lady. A few of them continued
to visit their house even after she got married. A frustrated suitor even named his first daughter
"Imelda" in fond remembrance. But one of the more persistent ones was Gregorio Paez, the only
son of a landed lady from Nueva Ecija. Imel da accepted him, in her own words, "only as a spare
tire" when she broke off with her boy friend. But she ended up with this "spare tire", and so
began a relationship that ought to be serialized in drama comics or the Sampaguita pictures. The
following are excerpt from the speech she herself delivered in a seminar for Martha's Vineyard in
1997. Nothing could be more reflective of her:

"In 1986, after 30 years of turbulent marriage, 1 decided to walk away from it in order to make
a life of my own. My five children, aware of the difficulties we were all undergoing, understood our
decision, respected it, and gave us a standing ovation. "At long last! They sighed. As a constant
reminder to me never to turn back the clock of time, going back to the husband who gave me

82

more worries than happiness, Ia lways signed my name: IMELDA Y . P AEZ. "Wh y Paez?" It co uld
have been Ro driguez (former BF of several years) or Ramos, or Pe ron?" In fairness naman, I can say

I had some wonderful moment wi th him. H e had a sense of humo r. But sayang lang because the
wonderful moments a re outnumbered by the not so wo nderful. People say 1 deserve a medal fo r
putting up with my husband and me all these years. Our helpers would marvel at how my children,
unlike other siblings, hardly if ever, quarreled with each other. My son Philip offered the explanation
for the rest of them: "We were so busy w atching the two of you fighting, we did not ha ve the time

to fight ou rselves.' "

HER L EGACY:

Almost right after the separation, Ime lda involved herse lf into seve ral associatio ns, prayer
groups and ministries and with them she blossomed. She was a member of the following: Martha's
Vineyard, Ca tholic Women's C lub (C WC) of For bes, Ca tholic Wom en's Lea gue (Su nvalley Ch apter),
Rhapsody Club of Manila, and the Moraserf Club of her St. Paul classmates, the '49ers. With
membership in all these groups there was alway s a party somewhere. An d for th ese parties
Imelda's choices in cloth es were pro verbial and lege ndary:

"When I got ord ained ( 1 leave to you r imag ination w hat she wore) we had a son-priest-and-
mother talk. 1 told her she sh ould now beha ve like the mother of a prie st, just like the mother of
Don Bosco him self. She loo ked a t me and smiled as if to ask what that would mean. To beg in
with, I told her, Do n Bosco's mother had only two clothes, the one on her back and the one

reserved for her bur ial. Mom opened her eyes w ide and said: 'Naku, Dennis bakit hi ndi mo sina bi
sa akin kaaga d yanl' Bu t she soon bounced bac k and declared her ph ilosophy in li fe: 'It is better
to be over dre ssed than under dressed."

In be tween parties were excursions to the movie house. An exas perated account from one o f
her sons-. "When mom s prained an ankle during one of her many w alks (she cannot wear shoes

without heel s), I was only too gl ad because that meant she would fin ally be under house arrest
and rested. B ut I underestimated the power of her de termination. She watched, all alone, not one
but two mo vies, usin g crutches and with a foot i n a cast."

She ventured into sin ging but her doctor convinced her that her real place in music was
'lipsing'. (U pon the prodding's of her frien ds, she also
entered into politics, eventually becoming what she calls
the "sergeant of arms" for the Home Owners
Association. Imelda's political career found expre ssion
not in the fro nt pages but i n the society pages. She had
pictures with such disparate personalities like Nur
Misuari and Mike Velarde, Erap and Miriam Def ensor,
the Libyan and American ambassadors. Nevertheless,
she herself never read the papers. Instead her frien ds
enjoyed sending her the magazine or newspaper
clippings in which she was featured because they knew
how she appreciat ed it.

HER L OVES: Imelda dating with future husband, Greg Pa ez

Beyond the ha ir, the flair for clothes, and the love for the glare, there is a side in Imelda known

to many and is no less imp ressive: her sensit ivity for the needs of people. Ma ng Pin ong was a

carpenter who was an old family friend. When he d ied f rom an accident, the neighbors thought of

providing a coffin of plywood. Im elda would not hear of it. She expressed that this was the

last tribute to a person and so it

ought to be good. She had a

regular coffin bought, and
provided the mourning family

with enough coffee, biscuits and

jam for the entire wake. Her

"labandera" expired while giving

birth. That same day Imelda
went the rounds of her friends

and collected funds for the family

of seven the labandera left

behind. Although she has this

Imelda's jewels Sitting.- Lucas, Beatrice, Jojo, Philip, F T. Dennis, SD B. Standing.- Gretchen, (P hilip's wife) dread about hospitals and
carrying Danie l, Alice, (jojo's wife) imelda. Maribel, Marites (Patrick's wife). Inset Patrick. funerals, she never missed

visiting a friend or a past acquaintance, even if it meant just standing outside the 1CU.

Christmas time would find her busy shopping and wrapping items for people who did her
services: the maids of her friends because they provided her with hospitality, the drivers of
so and so because they were courteous; tellers in t he banks because they warned her of

bouncing checks-, the cooks in the seminary because they answered her phone calls t o her
son. The procession of past helpers and drivers, a virtual alumni association, would always
have something prepared for them on Christmas time. A few days before her stroke she

confided to a classmate her commitment to organize three recollections just before her

birthday. Although she did not make it, the recollections pushed through as she planned.
She would get all fired up shopping candies, T-shirts and other "divisoria" toys for distribution

on Christmas. Her abili ty to persuade made her a favorite fund raiser for t ickets. She made
a sale to two congresswomen in b etween house sessions. She had special affection for her

first cousins who were religious sisters. When they would come and spend vacations with

her she was so proud to tell her friends her house had become a convent.

HER CR OWN J EWELS:

After t he burial of their mom, while going through her things, her children came upon
one of those retreat handouts, now yellowed with time. It revealed a sides of h er that were
unexpected and it confirmed those which were. Under the heading "Your greatest
achievement" she drew five people with discernible individuality and under it she wrote:
"my five c hildren". Under "the saddest experience" she drew a smiling girl and labeled it
with: "the death of my baby girl - 8 months." Her greatest wish was that she would continue
to have the joy of providing for them. And this she did with self-sacrificing generosity. A

recollection from Philip:
"When 1 was ten years old 1 went up to mommy and remarked that 1 could n ot cross my

legs because there were holes on the soles of my shoes. That same night she took me to
the store to buy a new pair. On th e walk home she turned to me and said-. 'Hijo 1 just want
you to know that 1 had to borrow fifty pesos from your Tita Nani ng for you to have this new

84

m

pair. I want you to know that I will do anything to make you happy." The Imelda's grandchildren: Daniel and Lucas .
following day I came up to her again and told her I wish I hdaa motorcycle.
She looked at me tenderly and said: 'Hijo I want you to know that I'll do
anything to make you happy, but don't push it!'"

Many a nights she would come home late, tired and struggling
to get upstairs, but dragging behind her goodies for everyone. Content
with sales and bargains for her own needs, she would go about
shopping, worrying about how she could send this or that to this or
that son or daughter. Her children idolized her. Long after everyone
had grown, moved on and led separate lives, she continued to be
the center of unity. Whenever she would come visiting, there would
be arguments about who gets to keep her longest. As in the old
days, everyone would be vying to be near her while watching TV or
making "kwento".

Belle is into interior design in Manhattan; she considers herself
the second reason for the successes of her brothers. Jojo lives in
upstate New York and is the "father figure". Dennis is the son-priest
for whom Imelda appointed herself his booking agent and manager.
After all, she believes she deserved a priest for a son because she
got 90 in religion. Philip is the Hijo, the accepted favorite because
he says the sweetest things to her. And Patrick, is of ABS CBN fa me.
These are Imelda's real crown jewels.

HER BEQUEST:

Due to the challenges of her business, the incessant invitations

to be the life of the party, the many charitable projects she involved Beatrice, Patrick's daughter Imelda's only grand
herself into, and together with answering her telephone, which never daughter.

seemed to stop ringing, Imelda was a dynamo constantly on the go. This is what she says

about this:

"I do feel good, living life to the fullest, sharing my two cents worth of advises, providing

laughter through my experiences, and feeling that I belonged, am needed and am loved. Of

course there are problems, but they are muted by the wonderful blessings I am endowed

with daily, as a constant reminder that He loves me. Iam not an advocate of broken marriages.

But in case it happens continue living, and make life as active and colorful as ever...like

mine-yabang ko!"

Imelda was given her set of cards in life. They were not ideal. Although she was a

picture of irrepressible fun, and love, seemingly carefree, she had her share of trials in this

world. But Imelda played her cards to the best of her ability - and she won!

Father Dennis Paez, SDB

8S

_

(3%e (^fenl/e C&iardd

i^June 27', 7909

/ *\armen "(Mameng)" now in her late eighties is still the unassuming
/quiet person she always has bee n. But when she t alks with you she

exudes her own brand of charm. People enjoy conversing with her. But
when there is a need to be discreet she can keep her silence. This trait has
been misunderstood as "indifference" but this ability to control her speech has
also served to her advantage; it has made her a survivor.

VflHa

( J— n her younger days CARMEN lived in a
world of music, immersed in playing the

piano either alone or in four hands

selections with TIO TENGTENG. U nderstandably, even

now she is happiest at the piano and even though

arthritis has diminished the dexterity of her figures, she

can still play the masterpieces of Rachmaninoff, Bach,

Chopin (her favorite) and other great masters. With this

gift she has brought unexpected joy to her two sisters.

A few months before Conching died, MAMENG pl ayed

all of CONCHING'S f avorite pieces. NENING w ho heard

about this impromptu concert asked a performance Mamengand Rafael (Cocoy) during one of their trips abroad.
for herself to which MAMENG obliged the next day.

During NENING'S birthday last November 8, 1997, MAMENG unexpectedly arrived and gave her

sister the best gift ever. She played old time favorites and classics. NENING overflowed with joy and

gratitude for this uniquely personal birthday present.

A Marian devotee, she prays daily the fifteen mysteries of the ROSARY and she follows the Bible's

injunction "never to let the sun set on one's anger".

She married RAFAEL MEJIA (now deceased). Her children are TEDDY, MARILU, CELIA, JOSEPHINE,

PABLO, TER ESA. They are all married and her children have made MAMENG a grandmother many

times over! .„ „.
Aurora Yngson Dona

L-R- Abo Pelaez, Celia, Inday, Rafael, Marilu, Carmen, Delia (Teddy's wife).

87

"cS^Yeninu^ &wri
(y(J&eaufiuj
&uMMeM-&eMAeJ JQwc/cf

cSN<yiwm6e>v- 8, -f9H

hey call me "NEN1NG", the tail end of Pablo and Rosalia's eigh-
* / iteen children! 1 w as baptized "M1LAGR0S", perhaps because 1 w as

K~Sborn on November 8, the month of the feast of the MIRACULOUS
MEDAL (MED ALLA MILAGROSA) to which mama had a great devotion.

88

CHILDHOOD

— l o v e da n d p a m p e r e da st h ey o u n g e s tusually Nening
C /are. As a t ot 1 was always holding tightly to mama's
V^^saya"and when 1 was older, Nena (Emiliana) my old­
est sister would take me to spend the day in her house. 1 like d it
there and when Papa came in the afternoon to take me home with
him, 1 pretended to be asleep, my eyes blinking to observe him. I
think Papa noticed my pretension but he let me stay on anyway to
my delight.
1 was still a small child when 1 spent some time in Colegio de La
Immaculada Concepcion in Cebu. Nieves my sister, who was the presi­
dent of the Student Association would come to my bed in the middle
of the night and take me to sleep with her. You see, 1 have always
felt cherished by my brothers and sisters.
My parents sent me to ST. PETE R'S ACADE MY in ORMOC fo r
the first years of my schooling. Every morning at 10:00 a.m. a maid
unfailingly appeared with a glass of milk for me. A bit embarrassing
for a child who wanted to be "big" and independent.

YOUTH

When you have older sisters, you learn things naturally,

sort of by osmosis. 1 lear ned how to sew by helping Titang. But

I had a talent for dressmaking. 1 nev er had formal studies in

dressmaking but I opened a dress shop at 25 years. My cus­

tomers were always satisfied with the "perfect fits". This para­

graph reminds my niece of a quaint dress shop advertisement.

It read-. "Ladies have fits upstairs"! My nieces and nephews say

that 1 am a very shrewd businesswoman. I must have inherited Nening and Andy.
that trait from my father. I showed an inclination for earning

money at age fourteen. I improvised a store downstairs and sold whatever fruits we had in

the farm.

Mama trained her girls to be homemakers. We took weekly turns in supervising t he kitchen,

from the food preparation to the proper table setting. But I preferred the feel of soft textile to

delicious aromas. So when my turn for supervision came around, I rtaded with my sisters. I would

sew a new dress for them if they would take over my kitchen responsibilities. Most of the time

they got a new dress.

MATURITY

Like my sisters, I have my mother's "mestiza" features and we were considered the belles of
the town. My social calendar included parties, dances and when I would be in Manila where

89

Carling was a Congressman, attendance at the

KAH1RUP ball, the social event of the year.

Well, 1 had many suitors, all of them de­

termined to marry me. An accomplished gentle­

man from a prominent Visayan family courted

me for five years. Another was a shy gentle doc­

tor who was head over heels in love with me.

He bought a car, left it at my disposal while in

Manila. After Sunday Mass the car would be

Cheri and husband, Edwin Fernandez. waiting by the church door to take me home,

while he took a "calesa"! (horse drawn carriage).

I would walk home. Somehow my heart did

not throb with theirs. Ah, Papa strictly screened

my suitors. He warned me that if they did not

behave they would leave through the window.

Before the Second World War, we used to

go to Manila every year during Carnival Season.

1 enjo yed the change. It was during one such

vacation when the war broke out and I was
stranded in Manila during the early part of the

war and the Japanese occupation. With Nena's

The Fernandez children: Mark, Rikha, Nicole, Francis family 1 shared the terror of Japanese bombs
raining on the city's military installations. 1 en­

joyed the company of my nieces specially Nany and Naty and this extended stay with them

forged ties that remained strong through the years. But a more lasting bond emerged at that time

1 was introduced to an engineer who later became my husband.
1 traveled a lot Before the war my first trip outside the Philippines was to Hongkong with PAPA,

MAMA, HA PILANG a nd CONSUELO. When Philippine Airlines inaugurated its first flight to Europe I

was among the passengers on that maiden flight with CARLING. 1 was entranced by Spain. Little did

1 dream that 1 would eniov its sounds and sights again with my husband and children.

MARRIAGE

I finally met the man who won my heart during the Japanese Occupation at a dance in a
friend's house. His name: ANDRES HIZON. A civil engineer. Highly intelligent. Somewhat traciturn.
Among several engineers he was the only one chosen for a scholarship to Cornell University,
New York. We got married in 1950, in the United States. For our honeymoon, we crossed the
country by car for one and a half months. And the children were born. BUTCH (Andres Jr.) and
CHERI

Andy seemed taciturn and aloof but his letters revealed a warmth and care that belied his
somewhat forbidding appearance. He wrote me-.

"Arrived safely but on the way 1 kept thinking of you
Sorry to miss your birthday. If you do have a p arty

90

think of me once or twice"

I have your letter of 30 Sept. and it cheered me up.
I bought you a brooch which might replace the one
on your cocktail dress, the one which the maids stole from you.

He loved BUTCH and CHERI. W hile abroad his thoughts were for them and the things that
would make them happy. In 1965, from Hongkong he wrote:

I already saw Barbie, Midge, Skipper, Ken and Scooter
and 1 purchased all Cheri's encargos. I guess 1 love
this girl very much and much as I love my only son
BUTCH w ho ought to take my place someday, I would
like to make this little girl very happy too while
she is still young. Tomorrow if 1 have time, I shall
look for slot cars and other things for BUTCH.

The travel pattern of my single days resumed with more frequency after our marriage.
ANDY, executive officer of the Coast and Geodetic Survey loved to travel. From the time Butch
turned five our family went abroad every year. The grand climax to our wanderings was in 1977,
when ANDY, BUTCH, CHER I a nd MYSELF traveled for three months to sixteen countries and thirty
three cities in Europe, America, Asia and the Holy Land. Israel's Filipino consul, a family friend
provided us with a car. Th e tours around the great cities of the world was a g reat experience, but
truth to tell, how 1 missed rice!

LUCKY IN GAMES

My son BUTCH, jokingly suggested that this mini story of my life be entitled "The Bingo
Queen"! Oh no, I am not a Bingo addict but once in a while for R and R (Rest and Recreation) 1 play
games of chance. My favorite Bingo haunt was the former JUSMAG. Among my winnings at differ­
ent times were a r efrigerator,
three carpets, two imported
TVs and a good amount of
cash! Even slot machines dis­
pensed their bounty. I hit the
jackpot several times. How I
thrilled to the downpour of
clinking silver coins!

GOLDEN YEARS Butch's Family. L-R- Cla ude, Butch, Ihigo, Raquel (De Guzman) Patricia. Patricia has a talent for singing. She was
given the role of EPONINE in the musical "LE S M/SCERABLES"
Mama imbued me with
a devotion to the saints. St.
Anthony of Padua is one of my
favorites, and yes, I have ex­
perienced his marvelous inter­
cession. Not surprisingly, I

91

worked for the reconstruction of the church that bears his name in Sampaloc.
ANDY died in September 1991. But my children, solicitous as can be, take extra good care of

me. BUTCH and CHER1 vie with one another to have me stay in their homes.
When I was younger, I was in the jewelry business but my real jewels are BUTCH and CHERI

and my grandchildren. BUTCH a nd RAQUEL's, PATRICIA, CLAU DE, an d IN1GO, CHERI an d EDWIN'S,

FRANCIS, MARK, NICOLE a nd RIKHA.
My life has not been a b ed of roses. Many times the going was very rough but in retrospect

the blessings far outweighed the trials. Now in my golden years, I look back at my life and can

truly exclaim.
PRAISE THE LORD! GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME!

TREASURED FRAGMENTS
When we were very small and Dad (Andres Hizon) was still the executive officer of the Coast

and Geodetic Survey, a special commission in the Navy, he and Mom (Milagros Tan) frequently
brought us to one of the ships berthed at Engineer Island, partly because 1 suffered from asthma
at that time. The sea breeze must have done me good because my asthma is history.

In 1977, Dad and Mom bundled us all off to Europe and Israel for a 3-month vacation. I remem­
ber Cheri so thrilled at the prospect of watching a bullfight in Madrid. That is, until she saw the gore.

In Israel, upon alighting the plane, 1 was "escorted" to a closed van parked on the tarmac by
a female soldier. She suspected I might be a terrorist with my shoulder length hair, and black

leather jacket. Daddy had to get me out of that one, as usual.
Upon graduation from Assumption College, Cheri was allowed to work overseas in Japan for

two years as an interpreter. Without maids to attend to her, Cheri had to fend for herself. 1remem­
ber her changing so much while she was there. She made a lot more sense to me after that.

I cherish the memory of our Christmases together after Cheri and 1 ha d started our own
families. How Daddy's and Mommy"s eyes would light up upon seeing their grandchildren.

Our family is very closely knit with a very perceptible protectiveness and loyalty toward
each other. Cheri and 1 grew up under the watchful eyes of Daddy, stern provider, and Mommy, ever
solicitious, ever concerned, ever selfless. Even when we were grown, we were never quite able to
stray far from the safe confines of our home before Dad and Mom would find a way to call or

draw us back (not that we ever really wanted to).
We were not perfect. At times, quarrels and disagreement marred our relationship, but we hang

together. Most important, Dad and Mom inculcated in us values which would help us face life later
on-values such as the healthy fear of the Lord, charity, honesty and simplicity.

Daddy is now gone, passed on to our Lord in September, 1991. Mommy, self-reliant as al­
ways, busies herself with leisurely pursuits such as a small jewelry business, bingo socials, or
getting together with Tan family members who are still around.

So n ow, you might say the torch has been passed to Cheri and me. Whatever knowledge,
courage, strength or positive qualities we may manifest at this point in our lives are traceable to
the way we were reared and guided by Dad and Mom. Our life together as a family was filled with
a multitude of enriching experiences, quite impossible to describe here but you could liken it to
the weave of a m ulticolored tapestry-a work of wonder and love, a work of God.

Andres (Butch) Hizon Jr.

p

Sr. M . Ann Fiel, R.G.S

entered May 1946

Sr. Milagros Fiel, S.Sp.S Sr. M. Teresita Fiel, R.G.S.

entered May 1946 entered August 1959

anb

Fr. Dennis Paez, S.D.B. Sr. Carmen Segovia, F.I.

Sr. N ieves Segovia, F.I. 1 9?

Sr. M . Nihita Derecho, S.Sp.S.

_

of <£faMo Warn cmd (ffouilia
Uv

Clarification:

- The Generations

Generation 1 : Antonio Tan came all the way from China in mid-19th century and settled
in Ormoc. Hemarried Nicolasa Jagunos; they had 16 children
Generation 2 :
the eldest was Pablo.
Generations : Pablo Tan and RosaliaSalvatierra. (Lolo andLola had 18 children:
Generation 4 : 13 survived to adulthood.)
Generations : children of Pablo Tan and Rosalia Salvatierra
Generations : children of Generation 3
Generation? : children of Generation 4
children of Generation 5
children of Generation 6

- The Sumbols B date of birth M date of marriage
D date of death
* married to
w/ cohabited with

1. ANTONIO TAN B: D:
*NICOLASA JAGUNOS B: D:
M:
2. PABLO TAN B : January 25,1865
*ROSALIA SALVATIERRA B : December 6,1865 D: March 30,1945
D -. September
3. EMILIANA TAN B : October 11,1888 M: January 25,1886
*AGATON FIEL B : December 7,1889
D: March 3,1963
D: June 16,1958
M: January 26,1916

92f

4. Antonio Fiel B: Novembers, 1916 D:1945
4. Araceli Fiel B: D:
4. Arturo Fiel B: D:
4. Jo selito Fiel B: D:
4. Jo sefina Fiel B: March 2,1923

(Sr. Mary Ann, RGS) B: September 17,1924 D: June 1,1991
4. Natividad Fiel B: Jul y 19,1922 M: Septembers, 1945
M: September 1,1969
*Gil Pelegrin B: May 28,1946
B: (Divorced)
5. Antonio Pelegrin
*Teresita Martinez B: M:
B:
6. Cielito Pelegrin B: March 23,1950 M: March 14,1973
7.Josua Pelegrin
B: April 11,1985 M: September 7,1974
*Sharon Paterson B : January 10,1989
B: September 27,1948
6. Lisa Ann Pelegrin B: September 2,1945
6. Gordon Pelegrin
5. Rosario Pelegrin B: February 20,1975
Jorge Obien B: May 30,1983
B : January 21,1950
6. Jo el Levi Obien B: May 23,1949
6. Jo rdan Allen Obien
5. Gil PelegrinJr. B: June 6,1975
*RosemarieVillanueva B: September 28,1985

6. Angelica Pia Pelegrin
6. Gabriel Francis Pelegrin

9S

5. Asuncion Pelegrin B : April 18,1953 M: October 10,1976
*Antonio Trinidad B: October 10,1951 M: January 23,1977

6. Antonio Trinidad, III B: August 6,1977 M: January6,1979
6. Angelo Trinidad B: December 22,1979 M:
6. Adrian Trinidad B: March 21,1981 D: July, 1959

5. Araceli Pelegrin B: July 10,1954 M: September 17,1983
*Eduardo Nufable B: September 25,1951 M: July 19,1986

6. Paul Thomas Nufable B: October 14,1977
6. Michelle Nufable B: March 30,1984
6. Mark Nufable B: November 9,1989
6. Patrick Nufable B: November 9,1989

5. Teresita Pelegrin B: August 29,1955
* Victor Feliciano B: August 2,1950

6. Lia Lissete Feliciano B : January 24,1980
6. Cara Christel Feliciano B : March 9,1981
6. Christian Conrad Feliciano B: July 23,1984

5. Eugene Pelegrin B: July 29,1957
*Dency Stanley B : May 12,1954

6. Sara Lynn Pelegrin B-. December 20,1986
6. Matthew Pelegrin B : July 25,1989

5. Michael Ferdinand Pelegrin B: September 29,1958

5. Dominic Pelegrin B : April 10,1960
'Teresa Pasafiume B: September 10,1965

6. Daniel Pelegrin B : January 10,1985
6. Rica Mia Pelegrin B-. October 4,1990

5. Natividad Pelegrin B-. December 17,1963
* Kennedy Bernardino B: October 17,1959

6. Amabella Bernardino B: September 23,1993

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