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Mga Samu't-Saring Kuwento ng Matatanda

Ang Manok

Tungkol naman sa kwento ng manok, natutulog kami noon sa bahay ng Tia Titay Guillermo-Montanano (malapit lang sa elementary school), nakaulo kami sa aparador. Madaling araw marahil,  nang madilat ang aking mata at sa ibabaw ng aparador ay may nakita akong isang manok na puti at nakatingin sa amin Kuya Menching. Di namin pinansin at tuloy na lang ang aming tulog. (Rico Eusebio)

Ang Dalawang Hapon

Isa pang kwento mula naman kay Ate Trining Lucido-Ramirez at Maring.

May 2 Hapon na pumunta sa bahay ni Tia Titay. Sa may pinto sa kusina tinawag ng Hapon si Tia Titay ng ilang beses  at lagi namang may sumagot ng "hmm". Kaya't umakyat sila sa bahay sa paniwala na si Tia Titay ang sumasagot. Pero wala namang tao. Kaya't patakbong lumabas 'yong dalawa.

Baka alam din ito ni Kuya Menching. (Rico Eusebio)

World War II Second Mass Evacuation in Nagcarlan and Massacre in December 1944 (Rico Guillermo Eusebio)

The writer in 1960

This happened around  December 1944. The guerrillas came down from the mountains and had an early victory celebration.  They were displaying their new rifles, the garand cal. 30  air dropped  by the Americans in Mt.  Banahaw.  Rumors had it that the air drop was seen or reported to the Japanese in San Pablo City,  not yet city at that time.  It resulted in an order for the Japanese to avoid Nagcarlan when retreating.

Then it happened that a Japanese truck loaded with soldiers was coming from the direction of Liliw.  The guerrillas immediately left the town and set up an ambush position somewhere in Bambang. After a brief stop-over in town,  the Japanese proceeded to San Pablo City. They were ambushed by the guerrillas, almost all were killed, but due to the presence of mind and skill of the Japanese driver, who was able to drive the truck outside of his seat and away from the line of fire, he was able to reach San Pablo.  Anticipating that the Japanese would conduct counter operation against the guerrillas and civilians,  the residents hurriedly evacuated the town. We joined the family of Ma Casiano, a neighbor of Tia Titay Guillermo-Montanano who was then residing near the elementary school. How we came to join Ma Casiano,  I cannot recall.  The family of Ma Casiano,  Ate Cion Guillermo-Serrano, Tio Teroy Serrano and I evacuated in Barrio Bunga near a creek and which is now a picnic resort known as Bunga Falls.

Now the Japanese did return but came from a different direction. From San Pablo, they traversed the villages of Maravilla, Alumbrado, Bunga, Maiit and finally the poblacion in Nagcarlan.  Along the way they held captive all men they met and brought them to the Municipio. When they found out that residents had evacuated, they left after staying just for a few days. Immediately after they left, the people, especially relatives of the men captives of the Japanese, went to the Municipio. There they found freshly-dug ground.  They dug it and found the bodies of all the captives.  That whole day, funerals of the dead massacred by the Japanese were held. Many were buried just bed sheets. 

A story or rumor then spread around that one night, an old man approached an old woman who decided to stay in the market when everybody had evacuated.  The old man who was carrying an itak asked the woman why she was still in town when everybody had left already. The woman replied that she's already old and the Japanese would not mind her. The old man said, "Tanda, wala na kayong aalalahanin,  umalis na po ang mga Hapon." None of this dialogue between the old man and woman had been verified but it spread to the people of Nagcarlan. Then the story spread that when people returned home,  they noticed that the itak of San Bartolome was not in its original position with the blade facing upward but instead it was facing downward.

I was just wandering why today there is no town commemoration or remembrance of that massacre. If my memory serves me right,  there were more or less 40 men killed.

Life at our evacuation was not so bad at all. Ma Casiano really made life easy and quite good.

Kasaysayan ng Angkang Guillermo-Ramirez ng Polo, Bulacan at Molinar-Irlanda-Pleto ng Nagcarlan, Laguna

Clan Reunion at St. Mary's Academy of Nagcarlan, Dec. 30, 2016

Clan Reunion at St. Mary's Academy of Nagcarlan, Dec. 30, 2016

Clan Reunion at St. Mary's Academy of Nagcarlan, Dec. 30, 2016

Ang angkang nagsimulang magtipon sa isang family reunion noong Disyembre 30, 1962 ay nagdiriwang ng kanyang ika-52 anibersaryo ngayong Disyembre 30, 2014. Ang unang family reunion ay naganap sa Welfareville kung saan nakadestino ang batang paring si Fr. Dalmacio Eusebio Jr.

December 30, 1962 Family Reunion, Welfareville

Dolly Eusebio-Arbilo, Lydia Guillermo-Santos ... Nory Montanano-Monterola,
Toniet Bonus-Guillermo, Wenifrida Cortezano-Atienza, Hermila Guillermo Eusebio

Ngunit ang nakatalang kasaysayan ng angkang ito ay halos dalawang daang taon na. Ayon sa nakasulat na kasaysayan ng angkan, ang mag-anak na Guillermo-Ramirez ng Polo (at marahil ng Meycauayan ), Bulacan at mag-anak na Molinar-Irlanda-Pleto ay pinagtagpo ng tadhana, o higit pa, ng Panginoong Diyos, sa bayan sa paanan ng Bundok ng San Cristobal.

Mt. San Cristobal

Nagcarlan Catholic Underground Cemetery, 1845

Nagcarlan Catholic Underground Cemetery, c. 1965
Tes Eusebio, Herman Arbilo, Didi Atienza

Nagcarlan Catholic Underground Cemetery, c. 1965
Didi Atienza, Herman Arbilo, Tes Eusebio

Ang Pamilyang Tubong Nagcarlan: Molinar, Irlanda at Pleto

Mula pa noong panahon ng unang pananakop ng mga Kastila sa bayan ng Nagcarlan ay doon na naninirahan ang mga ninuno ng mag-asawang Luis Molinar Andres ng Barangay San Roque, Sitio ng Manaol at Juana Irlanda Estevan ng Barangay San Joaquin, Sitio ng Calumpang. Isinilang sila marahil noong dekadang 1830’s.

Marriage Record of Luis Molinar and Juana Irlanda, 24 January 1854

Ayon sa Talaan ng Kasal ng Simbahan ng Nagcarlan, sila ay ikinasal noong Enero 24, 1854. Pawang biyudo at biyuda sila nang mag-asawa. Ang unang asawa ni Luis ay si Manuela Silvestre, at ang kay Juana naman ay si Jose de los Reyes. Sina Anacleta (1855) at Feliz (1862) ang naging anak nina Luis at Juana.

Anacleta Irlanda Molinar (Pleto and Guillermo)
Cabesang Akleta ng Manaul

Baptismal Record of Anacleta Irlanda Molinar, 14 July 1855

Baptismal Record of Feliz Irlanda Molinar, 3 May 1862

Ang Mag-anak Mula sa Polo: Ramirez at Guillermo

Ang pinakamatandang ninuno ng mag-anak na mula sa Polo ay ang mag-asawang si Eusebio Guillermo at Justa Ramirez na isinilang noong mga unang dekada ng 1800 (c. 1830’s). Ang kanilang mga anak ay sina Esteban (1862), Petra, Melecio at Bonifacio. Sa mga magkakapatid ay si Esteban lamang ang mayroong dokumento para sa ikaaalam ng kanyang kapanganakan – ang kanyang death certificate na natagpuan sa Simbahan ng Paete, Laguna. Nakasaad dito na siya’y namatay noong 1908 sa edad na 46 kayat siya’y ipinanganak noong 1862; mas matanda sa kanya ng isang taon si Jose Rizal, na isinilang noong 1861.

Fr. Esteban Ramirez Guillermo

Ang anak nina Eusebio at Justa na si Esteban ay pumasok sa  Real Seminario Conciliar de San Carlos (na ngayon ay San Carlos Seminary) upang sundin ang tawag ng Diyos na maging pari. Noong panahong iyon, ang San Carlos ay nasa Intramuros sa Real de Palacio St. (na ngayon ay General Luna Street).

Noong 1872, noong si Esteban ay may 10 taong gulang ay naganap ang Cavite Mutiny. Nag-aklas ang mga Pilipinong sundalo at manggagawa laban sa pamahalaan ng mga Kastila, tanda ng pag-init ng diwang nasyonalismo. Dahil malaki ang tulong ng mga paring Pilipino upang lumaganap ang diwa ng nasyonalismo sa mga mamamayan, gumawa ng paraan ang mga Kastila upang mahuli at masakdalan ng parusang kamatayan ang tatlong mga paring Pilipino: sina Padre Mariano Gómez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora. Isinulat ni José Rizal ang kanyang El Filibusterismo para sa alaala ng Gomburza.

Arsobispo Pedro Payo y Piñeiro, O.P.

Marahil noong 1882, sa edad na 20 anyos, inordenahan si Fr. Esteban Ramirez Guillermo bilang isang pari ng Arkidiyosesis ng Maynila, na noon ay nakasasakop sa buong probinsya ng Bulacan at pati na rin ng Laguna. Ang nag-orden sa kanya ay ang Arsobispo ng Maynila noong panahong iyon, si Pedro Payo y Piñeiro, O.P.(Arsobispo mula Enero 28, 1876 hanggang Enero 1, 1889).

Bilang isang batang pari, si Fr. Esteban ay nadestino sa Nagcarlan, Laguna bilang katuwang na pari ng mga Paring Pransiskano sa Parokya ng San Bartolome. Sa panahong ito sa kasaysayan, ang mga paring Pilipino ay maari lamang maglingkod bilang katuwang at hindi kura paroko, isang katungkulan na para mga orden ng mga relihiyoso (religious orders) na noong ay pawang mga Kastila lamang.

Mula Polo Hanggang Nagcarlan

Petra Ramirez Guillermo

Sa pagkakadestino ni Fr. Esteban sa Nagcarlan, nakasama rin niya ang kanyang mga kapatid na sina Petra at Bonifacio. Tila hindi tumira sa Nagcarlan ang isa niyang kapatid na lalaki na si Melecio. Gayunpaman, ang anak ni Melecio Guillermo at Graciana Kapiral na si Gregorio Guillermo (1880) ay nanirahan sa Nagcarlan, kasama ng kanyang mga tiyo at tiya. Marahil siya ay naging katuwang na sacristan ng kanyang tiyo na si Fr. Esteban Guillermo.

Petra Ramirez Guillermo

Bilang bagong pari sa Nagcarlan, marahil ay naikuwento ni Fr. Esteban sa kanyang mga kamag-anak sa Polo ang kagandahan ng bayan ng Nagcarlan – ang sariwang hangin at saganang malinis na tubig mula sa bundok, atbp. Napadayo na rin sa Nagcarlan ang pinsan ni Fr. Esteban na si Mariano Ramirez (marahil ang ama ni Mariano ay kapatid ni Justa Ramirez, ina ni Fr. Esteban at mga kapatid).

Bilang isang pari, si Fr. Esteban ay naglingkod rin sa bayan ng Magdalena at Paete hanggang sa kanyang kamatayan noong 27 Nobyembre 1908 sa edad na 46 taon. Kura paroko siya ng Paete noong siya inatake sa puso (angina en el pecho ayon sa kanyang death record sa Paete).

Death Record of Fr. Esteban Guillermo, Paete Church, November 28, 1908

Pag-ibig at Pagsisimula ng Mag-Anak sa Nagcarlan

Pamilya Pleto: Melecio Pleto at Anacleta Molinar

Si Melecio Pleto, anak ni Miguel Pleto at Maria Platero, ang unang asawa ni Anacleta Molinar. Nabunga ng 4 na ang anak ang kanilang pagsasama: sina Andrea (1871), Vicenta (1874), Lope (1875), Aurelio (1877) at Diego (1878).

Baptismal Record of Vicenta Molinar Pleto, 24 January 1874

Baptismal Record of Diego Molinar Pleto, 13 November 1878

Napangasawa ni Diego si Marcelina Bautista at ang kanilang naging anak ay sina Dioscoro, Elvira at Felizardo. Napangasawa ni Dioscoro si Amparo Aro. Ang kanilang mga naging anak ay sina Dioscoro Jr., Prosperidad, Oscar, Freny at Celso. Si Elvira naman ay napangasawa ni Felix Coronado. Sila raw ay nagtananan sa panahon ng Simbang Gabi. Sina Ellen, Dan, Piedad, Boy, Nanie, Tessie at Ching ang kanilang naging anak.

Elvira Pleto, Miss Garden Day Nagcarlan

Si Vicenta ay mapangasawa ni Bonifacio Ramirez. Ang kanilang mga naging anak ay sina Eulalia Ramirez (1899), Deogracias Sr. o Gracias (1901), Vicente (1904) at Jose o Pepito (1905). Marahil sina Eulalia at Vicente ay maagang namatay.

Walang kaalaman ang pamilya tungkol sa naging buhay nina Andrea, Lope at Aurelio Pleto.

Pamilya Guillermo: Melecio Guillermo at Graciana Kapiral; Bonifacio Guillermo at Anacleta Molinar

Si Petra, ang nag-iisang kapatid na babae nina Fr. Esteban, Bonifacio at Melecio (naiwan sa Bulacan), ay nanatiling soltera sa kanyang buhay.

Si Melecio ay nakapangasawa ng isang Bulakenya na si Graciana Kapiral. Ang isa nilang anak na lalaki, si Gregorio, ay sa Nagcarlan na lumaki at nagbinata, bagaman ang kanyang mga magulang na sina Melecio at Graciana ay hindi nanirahan sa Nagcarlan. Walang kalinawan kung bakit si Gorio ay nanirahan sa Nagcarlan. Marahil siya ay maagang naulila kaya’t isinama siya sa Nagcarlan. Gayunpaman, siya ay nagsilbing kasa-kasama at sakristan ng kanyang tiyo na si Fr. Esteban.

Nakilala ni Gorio, napaibig at napangasawa ang isang dalagang taga-Nagcarlan na si Valeriana Urrea (1886). Ang kanilang naging mga anak ay sina Ferrer, Eduardo, Robinoso, Lydia at Reynaldo.

Gregorio Kapiral Guillermo at Valeriana Urrea-Guillermo

Si Bonifacio ang ikalawang kapatid na lalaki ni Fr. Esteban. Sa Nagcarlan, nakilala ni Bonifacio ang biyuda ni Melecio Pleto na si Anacleta (1855), anak ni Luis Molinar Andres na taga-Manaol at Juana Irlanda Estevan na taga-Calumpang. Tatlong babae ang kanilang naging anak, sina Concepcion (1889), Teresa (1891) at Justa (1894). Napangasawa ni Concepcion si Sotero (Teroy) Serrano. Napangasawa ni Justa si Jose Montanano. Si Nory Maria Merced ang kanilang naging anak. Napangasawa ni Teresa si Dalmacio de Jesus Eusebio (1898) ng Los Banos at Pandacan at 5 ang kanilang naging anak: sina Wenifrida, Hermila, Dolores, Dalmacio at Enrico.

Ancestral House along Mabini St., Poblacion, Nagcarlan

Ancestral House along Mabini St., Poblacion, Nagcarlan

Dalmacio Eusebio, Escuela Catequistica de Pandacan, 1901

Teresa, Concepcion and Justa Molinar Guillermo with the Ladies of Nagcarlan

Teresa Molinar Guillermo-Eusebio

Justa Molinar Guillermo-Montanano

Concepcion Molinar Guillermo-Serrano

Cion, Tisang at Titay

Ancestral House along Mabini St., Poblacion, Nagcarlan

Pamilya Ramirez: Mariano Ramirez at Vicenta Hernandez

Maliban sa magkakapatid na Fr. Esteban, Bonifacio, Petra at Melesio Guillermo, ang pinsan nilang si Mariano Ramirez ay napadako din sa Nagcarlan mula Polo o Meycauayan upang doon manirahan. Ang ama ni Mariano ay marahil kapatid ni Justa Ramirez, ang ina ng magkakapatid na Guillermo.

Napangasawa ni Mariano si Vicenta Hernandez (1859) at apat ang kanilang naging anak: sina Natalia (1891), Bibiana (1892), Alejandra (1880’s) at Bonifacio (1880’s).

Napangasawa ni Natalia si Hugo Poon (1887). Nanirahan ang mag-asawa sa Calumpang. Walang impormasyon tungkol sa kanilang naging mga anak at angkan.

Si Bibiana ay napangasawa una, si Pascual Montanano (1886), at marahil nang nabiyuda ay napangasawa naman ang chino na si Co Paco ng San Pablo, na gumamit ng apelyidong Kristiyano na Jacobo. Sa San Pablo nanirahan si Bibiana Jacobo. Si Olympia ang naging anak nila.

Si Alejandra Ramirez ay napangasawa ni Ramon Mia at sa Maiit, Nagcarlan sila nanirahan. Sina Arsenio, Guillermo at Carmen ang kanilang naging anak. Noong pananakop ng mga Hapon, sa Maiit nag-evacuate ang pamilya ni Tisang at Masyong Eusebio, sina Weny, Mila, Dolly, Menching at Rico, at ang pamilya ni Trinidad Ramirez na sina Deo, Cesy at Teddy.

Napangasawa ni Arsenio (Senio) si Clementa (Intang); at si Guillermo (Imong), si Tonang. Ang naging asawa ni Carmen (Mameng) ay si Sebastian (Bastian) Pompa, isang sarhento na namatay sa Battle of Bataan noong gera. Pinsang buo nina Senio, Imong at Mameng Ramirez sina Deogracias Sr. at Pepito Ramirez.

Sgt. Sebastian Pompa

Si Bonifacio Ramirez naman ay napangasawa si Vicenta Pleto (1874), na anak ni Anacleta Molinar sa unang asawa na si Melecio Pleto. Ang kanilang mga naging anak ay sina Eulalia Ramirez (1899), Deogracias Sr. o Gracias (1901), Vicente (1904) at Jose o Pepito (1905). Marahil sina Eulalia at Vicente ay maagang namatay.

Second from the right: Pepito Pleto Ramirez, Saxophone. Circa 1920's

Baptismal Record of Eulalia Pleto Ramirez, July 5, 1899

Baptismal Record of Deogracias Pleto Ramirez, June 29, 1901

Baptismal Record of Jose Pleto Ramirez, June 25, 1905

Baptismal Record of Vicente Pleto Ramirez, May 26, 1904

Napangasawa ni Deogracias si Trinidad Lucido at naging anak sina Deogracias Jr. at Cesar. Nang mabiyuda si Trining ay napangasawa niya ang kapatid ni Gracias na si Pepito at si Teddy ang kanilang naging anak.

c. 1938 Photo at the Old House Along Mabini St.
seated on the floor: Hermila Eusebio, Reynaldo Guillermo, 
Deogracias Ramirez Jr., Nory Guillermo-Monterola, Dalmacio Eusebio, 
Dolores Eusebio-Arbilo; seated on chairs: Concepcion Guillermo Serrano, 
Teresa Guillermo Eusebio, Justa Guillermo Montanano; 
standing: Wenifrida Cortezano Atienza, Lydia Guillermo Santos, 
Sotero Serrano, Trinidad Lucido Ramirez

73 Years Ago in Dec. 1941: 
Our Evacuation from Pandacan, Manila 

to Maiit, Nagcarlan with the Mia-Ramirez Family

by Rico Guillermo Eusebio

The writer, with nephew Val Atienza and sisters
Dolly and Mila. Photo taken in Pandacan circa 1945.

This is my account of our evacuation to Maiit in December, 1941 as far as I can recall. The Mia family graciously hosted all of us.

World  War II started on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Many people of Manila decided to evacuate for fear of the Japanese atrocities when they come and occupy Manila. On December 8, we decided to evacuate to Nagcarlan, the hometown of my Nanay Teresa, via train at Paco station. The family of Tia Idang and Tio Primo Inocencio, our neighbors in Pandacan, decided to join us because they had nowhere to go. At the Paco Train Station, we could not be accommodated since all trains were full. So Ate Cion (Concepcion Guillermo-Serrano), for fear that we had no means of transportation, sent a truck to Manila from Nagcarlan. So we were able to evacuate together with the Inocencio family.  On the way, I saw dog fights between Japanese fighter planes and Philippine Army Air Corp. fighter planes. We came to know later on that the PAAC fighter planes were piloted by then Capt. Jesus Villamor after whom the present Villamor Airbase is named.  The Basa Airbase in Lipa City was named after a certain then Lt.  Basa. They were heroes who downed several Japanese planes.

At the poblacion in Nagcarlan, I could recall that the Inocencio family was accommodated in the Monserrat family residence at the corner of Mabini St. and Rizal Ave (main road where jeepneys pass today). A few days later Tio Teroy, the late Sotero Serrano,  husband of Ate Cion,  and who was then working at the Bureau of Customs (Aduana) arrived and asked why we were still in the town when we should have evacuated to rural areas because the Japanese were then coming.

And so, we evacuated to Maiit with the families of Tio Ramon and Tia Alejandra (Ramirez) Mia and their children. The Inocencio family, and perhaps also Tia Titay Montanano (with Nory) stayed with Tio Ramon and Tia Alejandra. We the family of Tatay Masyong and Teresa Eusebio (Weni, Mila, Dolly, Menching, Rico) stayed with Kuya Imong (Guillermo Mia). Then already widowed Ate Trining Ramirez, with her sons Deo, Cesy and Teddy (then an infant), and I think also Ate Cion and Tio Teroy Serrano, stayed with Kuya Senio Mia in Barrio Palayan.

The house of Kuya Imong was about 500 meters from the house of Tio Ramon Mia. Palayan is about a  kilometer from Maiit. At that time in Kuya Imong's house were Ate Tonang and her brother Berto (Liberato) and in Tio Ramon's house were Ate Mameng (Carmen  Mia-Pompa), whose husband the late Sgt. Sebastian Pompa, and who we call Kuya Bastian, was killed in the Battle of Bataan, if  I am not mistaken. Ate Mameng's children then were Evelyn and Dario while Kuya Senio and Ate Intang had Coring and Alfredo.

Tio Gorio and Tia Aled Guillermo died a few years before the war. Their children were not with us in Maiit. Cousins Kuya Ferrer, Ruben, Eduardo, Darding, Reny and Ate Lydia, if I'm not mistaken, evacuated to Bgy. Palina, towards Liliw. (Please ask Ate Lydia.)

Our daily activities then were catching frogs in the rice fields, which served as our dinner cooked by Nanay Teresa. I remember Ate Mila falling into the water while catching frogs. We all laughed. We have other farm foods such as fish caught by Kuya Imong in the rivers. All of us experienced these activities.

When the situation then appeared to be normal, we went back to town. That was before Christmas. The Inocencio family continued to stay with the Monserrat family, such that Manoling, the eldest son of Tia Idang Inocencio married Asteria, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Montserrat.

For a few months, Tia Idang and Nanay Teresa engaged in buying and selling goods from Nagcarlan to Paco, Manila.  It was not a successful venture. Finally, we decided to return to Pandacan, Manila together with the Inocencio family with a new daughter-in-law, Aster.

This is the best of my recollection. Ate Lydia and the other elders can provide more information, and anecdotes.