May 10 2007
Angkan ni Roman at Antonina
Toe’s note: Today is the birthday of my grandmother, Lola Antonina. Lola Antonina is very special to me. She has lived with us for the first sixteen years of my life. I inherited her piano. I was also named after her (see this post I wrote last year also on her birthday). In her honor, Mom is guest writer again. This is the article she wrote for the family tree of her clan, also called Angkan ni Roman at Antonina.
If Papa Roman, Mama Antonina, Pilaring, Macoy, Teddy, Marcie, Lulu, Alice, Filito and Romy were alive today, 193 people would be gathering every Sunday, as Papa ordered.
Papa and Mama had 6 children, who gave them 37 grandchildren, one of them a priest. There are now 87 great grandchildren, 9 great great grandchildren, and still counting.
We lived in our big family home in P. Campa, Sampaloc, Manila, until the time came that one by one we got married and therefore had to live our own lives. Then they were left by themselves. They refused to leave P. Campa, but after much encouragement from us, they transferred to a house which we built for them beside us in Scout Rallos, Quezon City in 1967. They lived here until they died – Lolo in 1976, and Lola in 1987. They were married for 56 years.
Before they got married, Papa was the manager of an oil company whose office was near where Mama lived in Santa Mesa, Manila. Mama was a pharmacist, and they had a botica (drug store) where Mama was the farmaceutica (pharmacist) together with her other sisters, who were also pharmacists. Papa passed by the botica daily on his way to work in his Packard (one of the few in the Philippines then), and Mama would peep through a hole waiting for Papa to pass. And this is how they met. They got married 6 months after they met, in October 6, 1920. Papa was 32, Mama 26.
Papa and Mama had 6 children. Tito (our Coyang), Filito, Romy, Pilaring (my Ate), and Peping were born one or two years apart from each other. They thought that that was it. But 6 years after Peping was born, I was born. I was the baby, but they always teased me that I was picked up from the basurahan.
Papa and Mama were rare examples of a loving married couple. Even in their old age, they would kiss on the mouth and would hold each other’s hands, wherever they were.
They were caring grandparents, gathering their children and grandchildren (still no great grandchildren then) together for lunch through merienda every Sunday without fail.
When we, their children got married, they did not meddle into our affairs, and they considered their children-in-law also their children.
They were a very prayerful couple. Attending Holy Mass was their daily agenda coupled with the recitation of six rosaries, one for each of their children. I can just imagine how proud they would be and the smile in their faces if they had seen Fr. Frankie say Mass for them.
Both were strong-willed and very influential. This contributed tremendously to the successes of their children in their professions and endeavors, and also of their respective families.
When Papa was sick, Mama seldom left his side, and took care of him patiently and lovingly until the end.
Mama moved around in a wheelchair during her last four years. It was here that I witnessed the exemplary patience that she had displayed. Daily I would sit beside her, hold her hand, and look at her smiling, smooth, clear face. In her, I found inspiration – to be more prayerful, and be a better person, most specially as a good daughter, wife, mother and lola.
With Papa and Mama now in heaven, I am sure they are smiling and wondering where they would gather these 193 people if they were still around.
Let us pray to Papa and Mama, ask them to intercede for us to Jesus through Mary for continued blessings and peace in our family, our country and the whole world.
We love you Papa and Mama, and thank you for always being there for us, until now.
- Of Lola Antonina, St. Antoninus, Angkan ni Antonina, and all the Antoninas and Antoninos
- Sabino Beato Francisco
- Lolo Roman
- On Names
- The Last Wedding in the Family
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No wonder my dad always teased me also that I was “pulot lang sa basura”! Youngest, no? Ay, ikaw din pala!!!
What a great tribute to them Toe , I’m sure they’re smiling down, at you, especially
193… that has to be a record!
I’ve got tears in my eyes reading this. All families should be like this. What a story!
Now imagine the confusion should the 193 gather every Sunday. They’d probably be asking all the great-grandchildren present the same question: “Ikaw, kanino ka?”
Anyways, kakainggit when you see couples still very much in love after so many years. Talagang Till Death Do Us Part…
mare hindi ko pa binasa ang kabuuan…natural ang picture lang muna ang tiningnan at la dih dah! CARBON COPY KA NI LOLA ANTONINA! hrhrhrhrh
o sha balik ako mamaya…
Nice tribute!
I am always amazed at the seize of the Filipino families.
My father was an only child. My mother had two brothers. Neither of her brothers has children. I have only one brother and he is also childless. I have only one son. I guess my family is lazy and not very productive!
Oh well … lola and lolo … yan I got tears in my eyes again. Just looking at their picture sends me back in time.
Great post Toe
Now i recall what i have learned during my elementary days, “a family that prays toegther, stays together. Toe, such a wonderful tribute for them.Im sure that your family is so proud of you.. Malaki ang clan nyo.. Masaya yun..Especially pag maliit ang gap with your siblings and cousins. I’m the only child and still single.. But my mom has been telling me that i should give them lots of grandchildren. Whew! hirap din yun.
toe,
my tita nena (bless her soul) had a big family. on some weekends her whole family would go long driving out to vegas to gamble. being such a big family they would travel in 4 or five separate cars. along the way they would pray the rosary with all the litany (pagka-habahaba sus guinoo patawarin ako)……..through a CB radio !!!
ama namin sumasa langit ka, 10-4?
dp
Ollie/Tonette,
6 years din difference namin ni David. Buti kayo sa basurahan lang. Sabi ng mga utol ko, ako daw napulot sa ta* ng kalabaw
Cheers,
ben
i also came from a big family (10 each from both sides) and because there’s a lot of them, sending them all to school is the next best thing to impossible. so i guess that’s the reason why my parents opted to narrow down the numbers of their children to just three. i am a middle child but my siblings (especially my big brother) says the same thing when we were young, “pinulot ka lang sa tae ng kalabaw!” o di ba mas harsh at brutal. hehe. lahat kase sila private skul, ako public skul so akala ko talaga nun, ampon lang ako ng nanay at tatay ko. iba talaga epekto ng salita sa bata, noh? super serious.
Comment Part II…
pasensha na at reyna ako ng pasaway according kay Mon so may part 2-part 2 pa ako hehehe
Uhhmmm siguro tutularan ko sila Lolo at Lola na 6 months after nagkakilala nagpakasal na kaagad hrhrhrhr Nakasulat kaya yan sa librong…nevermind hehehe
Natanong mo ba Toe kung paano niligawan ni Lolo si Lola at ano ang nagpasagot kay Lola?
Seriously I also came from a big family. Sa side ni Papa 12 sila (gawd..di naman busy ang mga ninuno ko noh?) Kay Mama naman 8 sila (so medyo busy din). That’s why sa mura kong edad na 26 eh ako’y may apo na….great!
Stories like this inspires me to believe that great love still exists.
Wow, kaya pala happy family … it must be because your grandpa and grandma had so much love for each other – parang radiation, lahat nahahawa.
Scout Rallos! Let me email you about this later.
P.S. Nakakatawa ang comment ni datu panot. One of my dad’s rules was to say the rosary every night so kahit natutulog ka na, they’ll wake you up so you can join the rosary (most likely, sleeping all throughout the 5 decades).
Hmmmm I think my first comment got caught up on your anti-spam
My paternal Lolo had 4 wives and 36 children. The first time I went to my father’s side family reunion, I got wasted just by the “beso-beso” and mano po ritual. My Lolo also had 8 siblings with more than 8 children each. I can honestly tell you that I have not personally met some of my cousins from this clan. I’m always cautious about addressing my relatives coz I can’t tell who is a cousin and the nephews and nieces are as well as the uncles and aunts from the elder cousins. Nakakalito!
Our “clan” which hails from Nueva Ecija may be as big.
I already lost track of how many we are now as I’ve been missing our reunion every Christmas since working here in Singapore.
My grandmother’s name is Antonia. I miss all of them…
great story!
it amazes me, as always, to hear stories about a big family & the fun of it, maliit na clan lang kse kami. and one thing i didn’t experience during childhood was being spoiled by a lola or lolo. malayo kse yung sa father’s side ko & lolo na lang yung sa mother’s whom i hardly see pa. *envy envy*
Mahirap din sigurong makumpleto kayo lahat eh no? Mostly ba out of the country?
I only have one sister so we are a family of 4 but we are quite a boisterous bunch you would think we were a brood of 8
Big families are fun especially all the eating, bingeing that goes on during reunions.
Thanks for Toe’s Roots — very interesting. I can see your forbears are entrepreneurial, achieving. One of the first Packards! Maybe one of the first boticas too?
An now I really know what Toe stands for.
From six children — 37 grandchildren, 87 greatgrandchildren. Hmmm You see i have six children too. Hope my children begin the procreation process. I don’t have a single apo yet!!
Hey, how are you na? Hope no more fever and you can look na at the mirror.
what a sweet couple! love is their legacy.
Ollie and Ben, kung saan-saan pala tayo pinulot.
But Ben, madaming basurahan sa Kamuning at sa Loyola Heights. San naman may kalabaw sa Pasig? At ta_ pa ng kalabaw? Hehehe! San naman kaya pinulot si Christian, Maryjo and Nino? 
Pining, 193 is quite a big number of people to come from just two people, isn’t it?
I hope they liked what Mom wrote about them. 
Pinayhekmi, I’m so happy you enjoyed this. You’re starting your own clan yourself… it happens one baby at a time.
Snglguy, hehe… I remember my Lola used to baston nga my cousins asking that very question.
She’d never do that to me though because she used to see me everyday. Yup, theirs is a very inspiring love story. 
Verns, at least that proves na hindi ako pinulot sa basurahan.
May part II din akong reply sa’yo mamya. 
Sidney, I guess Filipinos take seriously the words in the Bible to go forth and multiply.
Except me, that is. 
Well, the good thing is that you know all the names of all your family members. 
Thanks Mon. I really love their outfits. Parang gawa ni Patis Tesoro.
Hi Aries. Oh, it’s not all good. You can’t imagine how many times I wished I was an only child when I was young… hrhrhr!
You get all the attention when you’re an only child. 
DP, anovayan? That is sooooo hilarious!
Bilib talaga ako kay Tita Nena! 
Rayts, naku, ang saklap nga kung saan ko napulot… hahaha!
Grabe, pareho pala tayong may evil big brother. 
Verns, reply to Comment, Part II.
Yes, read my post about Lola Antonina I wrote last year… it’s linked on the intro of this post. 
Kelangan sisilipin mo din yung irog mo sa butas galing sa botika… hehe! Pano mo gagawin ‘yon? E busy ka mag-blog. 
Naku, pareho na pala tayong mga lola. 
Oh, don’t worry… you’ll find your great love soon! Pwomise! 
Bugsybee, sana nga their love would radiate throughout the future generations. And that’s why it’s important to remember where we came from diba? Yeah… Datu Panot is hilarious!
Hahaha… I can so relate… being asleep throught the five decades of the rosary. 
Oh, I’m so sorry Chase. I tried to search for it in my Akismet but I couldn’t seem to find it.
Noypetes, what you need are nametags color-coded to tell what Lola you’re from.
Haha… so which of the four wives is your Lola? 
Culture Shiok!, yes, your clan may be huge by now. My Mom is the one who is masipag taking track of all the newborns and birthdays and stuff like that so we’re all updated by email.
Ey, oh don’t worry… it’s got it’s downside. My Lola would always make me utos to do this and to do that, sometimes I would hide from her. And I always have to be on my best behavior in her presence.
Ann, yes, it’s hard to have complete attendance. A lot are out of the country. But there have been reunions in Canada and the States for those living there.
And everyone gets updated via email. 
Galing ng technology no?
Daphne, haha… para na din pala kayong big family… so you also have a lot of fun!
The bingeing is definitely the best part!!! 
Annamanila, I think my Lola and her sisters are the first pharmacists and educators in the country. Read my post about Lola Antonina. It’s linked in the intro of this entry. I don’t know about first Packard though.
Naku, be careful what you ask for… baka magsunod-sunod bigla mga apo mo. 
I’m still feeling crappy. 
Bingskee, yes indeed… and it’s a wonderful legacy to pass on to their descendants.
That’s a great Family Tree Toe! Am sure pag reunion nyan ang saya and dami nyo rin pala
! My dad are 16 brothers and sisters including him, Mom are 9 brothers and sisters that includes her, so can you imagine?? Ang saya saya !!!
Haze, it’s really a riot when we have family reunions. Lately though, reunions are composed more and more of little kids I couldn’t recognize.
My goodness… your family is really big. Pero masaya talaga pag madami! 
[...] hair was not Chinese but Filipina. Her name was Rosario. She was sent to Madrid by her parents, Don Roman and Dona Antonina, to take up lessons in piano, guitar, languages, etc.. And that was the first time that Romeo and [...]