The Search Continues... Still...

Just revisited FamilySearch.org and I was able to get more hints up the line to my Mom's family tree. Happy that more information is coming up!

Update to https://findingrico.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-search-continues.html

Mystery Unfolds

Spoke to my Dad recently, and while interviewing him about his siblings, he revealed something that never crossed my mind: our family name was not originally Banaag. His father, my grandfather Luis Banaag, was born Luis Banog. Apparently sometime after getting married, he decided to change his last name, for reasons we will probably never know.

I thought it was just a misspelled name. :)

Name	Luis Banog
Birth Date	1891
Age	38
Spouse's Name	Felipa Cadano
Spouse's Birth Date	1911
Spouse's Age	18
Event Date	10 Aug 1929
Event Place	San Juan, Batangas, Philippines
Father's Name	Gregorio Banog
Mother's Name	Levirma Magsono
Spouse's Father's Name	Eugenis Cadano
Spouse's Mother's Name	Pedra De Los Agueles

Citation

"Philippines Marriages, 1723-1957," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FN8K-6P2 : 6 December 2014), Luis Banog and Felipa Cadano, 10 Aug 1929; citing San Juan, Batangas, Philippines, reference ; FHL microfilm 1,747,784.

The Search Continues...

Recently I was able to fill in another line deeper into my mom's side of the tree. Hope I can find more.

Stay

on the way to myself I found you,
was it coincidence, or you knew?
that you'd be mine and I'll be yours
held together by some mysterious force
are you real? is it true?
that you meant it when you said "I love you?"
stay here, stay still,
and I'll show that I meant it too.

Published March 2012

Ulan

Ulan, ulan, anjan ka na naman.
Kelan mo ba ako titigilan?
Kulog, kidlat, pilit nanggugulat,
Ulan, ulan, ulan na naman.

findingrico, first published 7/3/2013

Happy 4 Years!

Happy 4th Anniversary to my wife and 6th Anniversary to my girlfriend... Thanks for our 3 wonderful kids, 2 handsome princes and 1 beautiful princess... I love you so much!

My Lovely Little Girl

Ultrasound 2nd Set

They're getting big pretty fast! Now less than 3 months away, can't wait to see them for the first time...

My Soon-to-be-bigger Family

The best birthday, Christmas, and any day present for me!

Reflections

There's nothing more painful to a parent than losing the love of his life: his child.

One Less Better Person

“I am committed to ensuring that the president of a country like ours must not live in a style which is totally different from that of the masses of the people who put him in power.” - Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013)

I don't know him much as a person, only through news clippings and articles from when he was freed from prison and later became president of South Africa. But I hold him in high regards, that his simpleness and honesty made him a lot more of a better person than most people of his stature.

His statement quoted above made me think of how politicians and government officials here in the Philippines act, live, and think of themselves. Being in a position in the government makes these people think that they are better than the average people; they are a class apart. It is all about power and influence. They wave at the people like they're celebrities, smiling with a satisfied, smug look in their faces. Public service is a sham. Their faces front infrastructure projects and development programs like they are the ones funding these activities, and not from the tax payers' sweat and blood.

They live in mansions and high end subdivisions, and ride luxury cars, while their constituents cramp themselves in their shanties and chase jeeps and buses, sometimes having to walk miles on end. Politics is good business, apparently, which also sometimes become the family business. Father, mother, daughter, son, cousin, husband, wife, everyone has to have a slice of the pie.

I am not for socialism; heck, one must reap the fruit of his labor. But extravagance of those who were put in power to serve the multitude is plain wrong. Running the country, the government is a big thing, yes, but it does not warrant you getting special treatment to anything. It is you who actually have to serve as an example to everyone how to be humble, kind, firm, and just.

The position you hold is not your birth right but a privilege given to you by the people you wooed during your campaigns, to whom you promised to serve and take care of once you are elected. I pray to God you keep your word.

With Mandela's passing, we're one less better person.

“A great man is always willing to be little.”  ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Severino Palermo of Guinobatan, Albay

I just had another lucky strike today: finding my maternal grandfather, Severino Orogo Palermo.

 

He was born November 1, 1926 to Francisco Palermo, 35 and Dorotea Orogo, 31, in Mauraro, Guinobatan, Albay.

Dorotea Orogo, 31

Francisco Palermo, 35

Oppression and Deception in the Home Front

Everyone dreams of having their own home: a place where their family can grow and lives can be shared.

But sometimes this is just someone's business. Money-making business.

This is true in our ongoing issues with ProFriends' real estate project, Lancaster New City (aka Lancaster Estates), more specifically in Lancaster Residences. Issues like the legality of the existing HOA being enforced by ProFriends despite the protest of the majority of homeowners in Lancaster Residences, exorbitant HOA dues being collected, lack of transparency on policy making by the developer's village administration (and the lack of balls thereof), substandard construction of housing units and undelivered promises, and so on and so forth.

Most of the homeowners, I believe, are just trying to get by, to get on with their lives. They will just go with the flow and silently look at the atrocities being committed in their own community. Though understandable, it does not help in achieving the change that must happen in order for things to start getting better. Soon, the village administration will again ask the homeowners to nominate their block representatives, a token position being given to homeowners so it would seem that they are being empowered in the HOA. But as it turns out, being a block representative does not have any bearing in policy making: they are just instruments of misrepresentation in order to lull the homeowners into a false security. Block representatives do not have a say in what the developer/HOA implements; they can raise issues and suggests, but the developer/HOA can easily disregard them.

Luckily, a small group of homeowners have already started actions to get things right, to bring the reigns to the rightful hands. Hopefully, in time, the cause will win.

In the mean time, we hope the homeowners themselves make their voices heard. Do not feed the giant's ego by making it feel unopposed. Do not participate in the so-called elections.

Image from an advocate blog: http://lancasterresidences.blogspot.com/2013/10/ang-kapahamakan-ng-eleksyon-sa-ating.html

Deeper Into My Family Tree

Since finding my Dad's birth record, I was more curious to find more about my ancestors. I guess I was lucky to find this marriage record here:

Finding What Fits

It's been months since my 5th year working at JPMorgan Chase, and I'm still at it. When I started here, I wasn't thinking about how long I would be with the firm; I just wanted a new job. Now, 10 teams and 3 functions after, I could never believe how many people I have met and friends I have made. I have learned many lessons along the way, and I could not imagine leaving the company any time soon.

As an additional reinforcement, JPMC gave us who have stayed for 5 years a token of appreciation for the service.

A small plaque and an Esprit watch with JPMorgan Chase engraved at the back for the 5 years of service we rendered. Not bad. Not bad at all.

I wonder what I would get after another 5 years? :-)

Thoughts on Daddy-hood

Being a father is really the ultimate test of patience. A father of a two-and-a-half year old hyper girl, a lot more.  Don't get me wrong, she's an angel.  She's sweet, strong, intelligent, loves to laugh, always fun and jolly.  She likes to get our attention and she talks a lot.  She easily picks up on things an average kid would even have an inkling about.  She's really special, that one.

But when she goes into a tantrum, I have to work hard not to explode.  I know it's wrong, but I get angry. I don't know if I'm angry at her being so unreasonable, but I think I'm more angry at myself for not understanding.  She won't stop until she gets what she wants, that at times I don't even know what she wanted.  She'll just do what she wants.  I tend to shout, I think because I'm frustrated.  But then she gets scared of me, and she will ask for her mom.  It breaks my heart that my daughter gets frightened of me.  I really have to control myself, to stop myself from being a monster.  I don't hit her.  By God, I would die before I hurt my kid.  But emotionally, I may be doing so.  Hopefully she doesn't carry it growing up.  I immediately apologize to her for shouting and asks her forgiveness, that Daddy loves her.  Then I talk to her calmly, why I got mad, ask her what she wants, try to give her what she wants.  It's music to my ears when she says "Love you so much.," and "Miss you."  I crumble when she says, "Daddy, sorry."  I always reply, "It's okay. Sorry din po si Daddy."  Then we'd be okay, like nothing happened.  But she still remembers, because sometimes she says, "Wag na galit Daddy, ha?"  Shame on me.

Found My Dad! (In a way)

Nope, my dad didn't get lost somewhere.

I found his birth registry record from way back 1948, online!


While doing a "shoot in the dark" search online for any links on the Banaag family name, I came across this website that offers images of civil registry records in the Philippines. And it was a good find. Images of the records are grouped per province, town, and year to make it easy to search through the records. It has birth, death and marriage records. You just have to be patient sifting through pages in order to visually find the record you are looking for.

About To Go Off The Grid...

Today, I turn 30. Yes, THIRTY! I don't know what to feel, seems like things are still the way they are... They say 12/12/12 is beautiful, I say 12/13/12 is better. LOL.

I opened my browser today, and Google gave me a great surprise greeting... Thanks Google!

Happy birthday to me indeed! I'm just happy to spend my day with my wife and daughter, everything's ok.

The Lone Ranger (2013)

This upcoming film will showcase Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger and Johnny Depp as Tonto. Frankly, I'm up for this film only because of Johnny Depp. (grin)

notice Johnny Depp is first in the billing. Ha!

This sends me off reading about the original franchise... and humming the distinct theme... well, you know it.



Clayton Moore as the original Lone Ranger [Wikipedia]

Also, it interested me that the Lone Ranger had a creed to live by, which was good reading. It read:

I believe...

• that to have a friend, a man must be one.

• that all men are created equal and that everyone has within himself the power to make this a better world.

• that God put the firewood there, but that every man must gather and light it himself.

• in being prepared physically, mentally, and morally to fight when necessary for that which is right.

• that a man should make the most of what equipment he has.

• that 'this government of the people, by the people, and for the people' shall live always.

• that men should live by the rule of what is best for the greatest number.

• that sooner or later...somewhere...somehow...we must settle with the world and make payment for what we have taken.

• that all things change but truth, and that truth alone, lives on forever.

• in my Creator, my country, my fellow man.

Will be seeing this either in theaters, or, closer to reality, downloaded on my computer sometime after.

Blast from the Past: Coming to the First Filipino Children's Forum

I thought I was lucky to have been selected along with other students in Surigao City to attend the First Filipino Children's Forum held at the Manila Hotel on August 28-30, 1996. I was still a 2nd year high school student at the time. Originally from Cavite, I was happy for a chance of a visit back in Luzon after 2 years in Mindanao. This, though, was my first trip without my family with me, although I (we) had someone (a teacher) looking over us. Also, this was my first airplane ride, so, woohoo.

my first airplane ride. Surigao City - Cebu, Cebu - Manila (8/27/96)

Briefing at Caloocan City Hall (Caloocan was CARAGA's sponsor)

Photo Ops with Caloocan City Mayor Rey Malonzo. (apologies for the water damage)

clockwise from left: me, Charlton Feliza (Surigao City Elem. School), Brian Alexis Pelaez (Surigao City Pilot School), Charlene Asido (Caraga Regional Science High School), and Lady Diana Allen Cagas (Surigao City Pilot School)

at the venue (Manila Hotel)
(with  Dr. Sol Matugas, DECS Regional Director)

dinner near Manila Bay somewhere outside Manila Hotel

at the mess hall aboard Sulpicio Lines, going back to Surigao City. (9/2/96)

I came home with bits of memories and a souvenir book, The Manila Hotel by Beth Day Romulo. Up to this day, sadly, I have not read it completely, only browsed through the pictures a couple of times.