Nov 23 2009
Sabino Beato Francisco
Long long ago, there was a young man named Sabino Francisco. At a time when Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez-Jaena and Jose Rizal were writing by hand to develop the Propaganda Movement, Sabino and his family were linotypists.
In 1880, he married a beautiful young lady named Bernarda Vito. They bore 11 children, 8 of whom grew to adulthood. All the children of Sabino and Bernarda were educated, with the girls studying at the Centro Escolar de Se̱oritas. At a time in history when women were expected to stay home, all their daughters were career women Рnot bad for Filipinas in the 1920s. Most of his daughters were pharmacists. One daughter, Fely, was the founder of the Centro Escolar University. And his son, Emong, was the highest ranking Filipino general at that time.
Sabino died at the ripe old age of 97 (1854-1951). He lived through the Spanish occupation, the Propaganda Movement, the Philippine Independence, the Philippine-American War, the American occupation, the Commonwealth, World War II and the Japanese occupation.
Today, 129 years after, Sabino has 11 children, 31 grandchildren, 89 great grand-children, 186 great great grandchildren and 27 great great great grandchildren. One of his children was named Antonina (see picture below, first row, far right).
Antonina had six children, the youngest of whom was Nenita.
Nenita had six children, the youngest was of whom was…. yup! You guessed right… me!
Sabino Beato Francisco is Lolo Binong… my great grandfather. And this is what Lolo Binong and his wife Lola Anday (Bernarda Amacan Vito) look like:
These two portraits used to hang at the hallway in my Lola Antonina’s house, which was in front of our house, when I was a child. I must confess that these old photos used to terrify me and bring me nightmares. I mean how could images of old dead people who lived in Rizal’s time not torment a 5-year old chid? Strangely enough, it was only a few weeks ago when I was able to identify who these characters are. And now that I know I have something about my forebears, I know that because I have the blood of Lolo Binong in my veins, I:
- Will have a long life;
- Will suffer from different degrees of hearing impairment, and
- Be like his daughters and have flabby arms (just look at the photo above with his kids).
Last week, through the decrees issued by our Boss Uncle Peping, the cousins (my first and second cousins) rallied together and came up with a super grand reunion of all the living descendants of Lolo Binong – though I have a suspicion that our dead relatives were also there noisily joining in the fun. Six generations in all: G1 – Lolo Binong, G2 – Lola Antonina and her siblings, G3 – Mom and her siblings and cousins, G4 – Toe and her first cousins and second cousins, G5 – my pamangkins (nephews and nieces), and G6 – my apos (grandchildren – I actually have 27 of those little runts). Yeah, yeah… I know, I know – I’m not only Auntie Toe, I’m Lola Toe as well… now shut up! 
Coming soon… the Reunion of the Lolo Binong… Six Generations and Counting.
Thanks to Uncle Peping for the stories he told me while he was in Cambodia and to Peachy for the scary fantastic photos.
- Of Lola Antonina, St. Antoninus, Angkan ni Antonina, and all the Antoninas and Antoninos
- Lolo Roman
- On Names
- Angkan ni Roman at Antonina
- Dad’s Article in “High Blood”
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Wow! What a fascinating family story! I am amazed that your family is able to keep track of all of this! My family on the other hand, well, I don’t know much about them…
what an impressive family tree! even more impressive is how you traced it back…with vintage photos!
wow, ang galing! your family’s amazing (and so large!). really impressive that you were able to learn a lot about your family’s history. mas lalo akong na-inspire to learn more about mine
LIW, yes… it’s really good that our family is reviving our interest in our history.
That is so interesting! I had a friend at work who also recently had a grand reunion with relatives she never knew of before!
fortuitous faery, and there are loads more vintage photos where those came from.
carlotta, hehe… nice to trace one’s family… so that one knows who to blame.
Vera, hehe… yes, I would never have known that some of the people in the reunion were my relatives if I met them on the street.
Toe, pareho yata ang laki ng pamilya natin except that kami walang founder ng CEU at highest ranking general ..hehehe.
Same lineage kami ni you-know-who and I believe his family is the smallest among all the branches in our family. Madamot sila sa anak.
Ting, haha… parang you-know-who has a lot to contribute to your family.
Sa’min… ako naman ang madamot sa anak. 
how nice of your family to remain intact over the years – that’s amazing. I only knew of my family tree – up to my great, great, great grandfather and all the numerous branches of the tree – when it was made because of an inheritance claim case many years ago LOL
I chuckled on your being Lola Toe with 27 apos while you’re still young … That’s the benefit of being the bunso I guess :lol
bw, hahaha… funny how your family grows when inheritance issues crop up.
Lola Toe… sounds really funny when someone else says (or writes) it.
Lola Toe! (How we’ve progressed from Cousin to Lola in a few weeks!)
Lovely entry! Looking forward to the rest of your story.
clannish ka rin pala, toe. i was reminded of my father. we always visit relatives noon when i was young. and he used to tell stories. ngayon, iilan na lang ang contact ko sa mga relatives ko.
good for you…all i have of my family tree were names and no pictures. pictures were burned during WW2…and old pictures of my lolo were thrown away when i was still a child…nice historical post though
Toe, who would you say you look more like, your Lolo Binong or Lola Anday? Just curios.
Hi Peachy, haha… I hope I get to do the next entry. I realize that I don’t have much pictures… may have to steal Facebook photos of cousins.
Bing, if it weren’t for these reunions, I would also lose contact. Email and Facebook help a lot.
Thanks backpacking philippines. I really should start scanning all the photos. There are more of those where they came from.
Whew. Good for you to actually know a lot about your family. I can imagine you and your family havin’ a one-of-a-kind reunion.
Wow
It’s so great you can trace your roots & to an illustrious past at that.
Those old photos used to scare me, too. But now I long to see them & the people in it, too.
Wow Toe galing naman, you are able to trace your ancestry all the way from the Spanish period pa. You have some really illustrious ancestors.
I love those vintage photos it is good they are still well preserved for the future generation to look back at where they came from. =)
Wow that’s awesome you managed to trace your roots. I also wanted to know more about my ancestors that’s why once I have the time, I am taking a trip down to Madrid, Spain. Because according to my mother her family was from that city.
Btw, I so love the vintage photos!
No updates here for quite a while but am dropping by to wish you and your family a merry Christmas Toe!
Merry Christmas Toe.
Mr and Mrs Toe maligayang pasko po sa inyo at buong pamilya. Maging mas masagana sana ang inyong bagong taon.
At sana mas magkaroon ka ng panahon sa blogging
merry christmas to you and your family toe!
Hi Gen. Yeah the reunion was a riot.
Auee, yes… it’s very interesting to know how the real people in those old pictures used to live.
Daphne, I sure hope that we could scan all those old photos before they rot.
Charles, oh cool to go family-hunting in Madrid!
BTW, my parents met there when they were both students.
This is very very late but thanks for the greetings and a belated Merry Christmas to Ferdz, myepinoy, Ewok and Carlotta!
I forgot what I was going to say…it’s too late at night…but Happy New Year anyway!