Our
great grand father Felix Rodriguez was of Castillian Stock,
an only son of affluent family from Molo, Iloilo. He lived
in a big house, 16-18 rooms with a retinue of “servants”
and gardeners. Apparently, he grew up in a world of plenty
where everything he wanted and desired was provided by his
family.
Lolo
Felix married Lola Asion ( Encarnacion Soriano). They begot
9 children, namely: Francisca (Paquita), Esperanza (Pacing),
Jose (Peping), Manuela (May), Dolorez (Loling), Jesus ,
Maria (Maring), Conchita (Conching) and Estela. Lolo Felix
had two other children, Colita (Coleng) and Dodoy Lastimosa.
The
couple spent the early years of their married life in Iloilo.
But when their house was totally burned, they moved with
their children to Mindanao in the town of Tago, Surigao
del Sur and joined Lolo Esco (Francisco Soriano) who was
then a Senator for Agusan and Surigao provinces. It was
during their stay in Tago, when Tio’y Jesus, Tia’y
Conching, and Tia’y Coleng and Tio’y Dodoy Lastimosa
were born. When Lolo Esco’s term as senator ended,
he returned to Iloilo taking the family of his beloved sister,
Lola Acion, back with him. It was sometime in 1914 when
the youngest daughter, Estela (also the youngest of the
first generation), was born. From this point on, I would
surmise that Lolo Felix died in Iloilo after few years of
Lola Estela’s birth.
Lola
Asion went to Manila with her children when they were of
college ages. She rented a big house in Biatico, Intramuros
and took in boarders. With indomitable spirit and determination
she was able to send her children through college. Mama
Paquit graduated as teacher from the Philippine Normal School;
Tio’y Peping became a lawyer; Tia’y Loleng a
pharmacist and Tio’y Jesus a lawyer too.
My
story would jump to year 1924, when I was already five years
old and my Mama Paquit was already married to Papa Candelario.
It was May of 1924 and Lola Asion would be celebrating her
birthday in Manila. My papa and mama decided to travel to
Manila to be with Lola on her birthday. Cenang my younger
sister and me with our parents travelled by boat from Surigao
to Manila in April of that year. The boat ride (one way)
was one month’s time, thus we had to stay with Lola
for one month while waiting for the same boat to take us
back to Surigao. It was a very memorable experience for
me and Cenang, not only the long boat ride, but also the
excitement of being in a big City, seeing big buildings
and plenty of Calesas for the first time. It was also in
that occasion that we met the brothers and sisters of Lola,
Tia’y Mayola and Tio’y Otto and Tio’y
Jesus who was at that time still taking up his studies.
This
part of the story is about a “relative” of Lolo
Felix in Iloilo. An engineer of Surigao city , Engr. Prospero
Salas, told me and Cenang, that his father was related to
the Rodriguezes of Iloilo; in fact a cousin of Lolo Felix.
His father came to Surigao to flee from the Spanish militia
(Conquistadores) who were rounding up “Rebolutionarios”
after the fall of the Philippine revolutionary government
in 1896. He settled in the Municipality of Gigaquit, Surigao
del Norte, and married a local lass. Their union produced
two children, Prospero and Alfonsina, now all deceased.
We hope to trace the connection with this Salases, after
all we might come from the same roots….tree….
*Letty Cedro Rivera is the oldest member of the clan, she
is 85