Pantaleon Montecillo - What I Remember

Roots and wings are the best gifts that we can give to each other and the future members of our family - our children and grandchildren. I read somewhere, that family provides the roots - the more roots, the healthier the plant - unless the plant is root bound and have no room to grow.

Plants with shallow roots are easily blown away by the slightest wind. The more the roots intertwine with each other, the stronger the family, the more support available to the young ones. Young people will eventually go and make their own way -a strong family provides a strong base to rise from, when they are ready to fly out into the world. Strong rooted connections will provide a good safety net to catch them should they fall.

I want the members of the family to understand that most of this accounts are from memory. Mostly my view of the Pantaleon Montecillo Clan were formed when I was young, during my formative years. I was in my teens when I left Catmon in the early part of the sixties. There are a lot of things about the family that I don't know about, a lot of family dynamics that are very mysterious to me from my vantage point.

Had a conversation over the weekend with cousin Levi Adelan, that helped illuminate some things but also left me with more unanswered questions.

Maayo gyud unta ang mga tugpuanan sa atong kabataan!

Tatay Panta

I don't know very much about Tatay Panta except that he was the last Kapitan in Catmon. His reversal of fortune happened when the Americans came after the Spanish American War - that is my perception. He had a hard way to go. He lost not only his prestige and position, but also his wife. He was left with a lot of children to care for - some of them still very young. A major blow to the psyche for sure!

So if any of my family members are reading this - please contribute what you know.

Nanay Teresa

Don't really now much about her. Lola Milyang used to tell stories about her but I was not paying attention. She was born a Rivera - I had the opportunity to meet some of the Rivera relatives from Bantayan Island, when I was young.

Her sister Josefa, married a Jurado and was the mother of Lola Ninang Monsanto, Lola Lolang Ares, Lolo Babeng, Lola Pipang, Lola Malta Innocencio, Lola Uding Ruedas, Lolo Titing, I think I am missing some names - like Tio Quirico's father in Bohol, etc. I wish I had paid better attention to the details.

The Rivera family lived close to the beach in the proximity of where the high school is located now. They owned land on both sides of the Naghalin River up to Bagalnga.

I guess, what I am hoping to happen is that our family would start to reconnect and strengthen the connections through the sharing of memories and pictures. I am hoping that this would start bringing us all closer together. It is a legacy that we can leave to the future generations and bind them together, no matter where they are.

I will post what I remember of the Lola Talina and her children.

There is still a lot of work to be done. I hope the family will continue to share memories and photos. Mecmec Concha does a really good job! His work has been inspirational. I hope and pray that he continue to keep all of us informed and connected.

Thank you, Mecmec!

Getting Together Logistics

Emily is coming this week, on Thursday. With our hectic and busy lifestyles, the logistics of getting everyone together is challenging. She will be in Michigan from Thursday and staying until Monday. Emily is not available on Saturday and Sunday. She is leaving on Monday night.

I am leaving for Central Michigan University tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM. I will not be back until Friday evening. I am scheduled to be at a fundraising event for First Step on Friday night. First Step is one of our community partners serving victims of domestic violence, mostly women and chilren.

I am taking students to sort food at Gleaners' Community Food Bank on Saturday morning. I have a Wayne County Legislative Breakfast to attend on Monday morning at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn; then a Student Government meeting to facilitate at 11:00 AM and another at 5:00 PM - that takes care of the rest of my Monday.

Lauren is off all day on Friday but working on Monday. She suggested that we get together at her house on Friday. Donna is going to find out about the schedules of her family members. Garrett and Brandon are off on the weekends but they may have plans. I am still waiting for Leto to call - I know that he is working on Friday. But I don't know his actual schedule. He has been doing a lot of training and development for his company.

I hope and pray that I will at least get some time to see and visit with Emily. I am looking forward to it. Something will work out!

A Global Connection - Finding Family on “Facebook”

When I was growing up in the Philippines, I was told that all Montecillos are related. A distant Montecillo ancestor settled in the northern part of the island of Cebu. Cebu is a Philippine island steeped in history. This is where Magellan landed, when lost his way to look for spices and other treasures.

Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan; a small island off the island of Cebu. The island chieftain, Lapu Lapu, refused to pay homage to the King of Spain. The Spaniards did not settle in the Philippines until 1565. Lapu Lapu is the first Filipino hero.

The first Spanish settlements were established in Cebu. The settlers were mostly soldiers, who married local women. That is how our family story began. My Montecillo ancestor settled in northern Cebu – Catmon, Sogod and Borbon. As the family grew, various branches moved away and settled in different parts of Cebu and other islands in the Philippines.

I belong to the clan of Pantaleon Montecillo y Menchavez. My great grandfather, Pantaleon, was the last Spanish Capitan of Catmon. His mother is a Menchavez. He was first wife to Teresa Rivera. When Lola Teresa died, he married Catalina Loyola.

To test the family story, I asked all the Montecillo members on Facebook to tell me their story. I forwarded a link featuring the Pantaleon Montecillo Clan Grand Reunion in 2006-2007. I belong to the Emilio (my grandfather) Branch of this clan.

Here is a sampling of the replies:

Era Montecillo works with the Camphill Community at Coleg Elidyr, Victoria House in Wales. She has been working there for a few years. The college educates and trains young people with special needs. She said, “Tita, that family featured in the link you sent me, is my family. I belong to the Pantaleon Montecillo Clan, Cesario Branch.” Lolo Cesar is one of my grandfather’s younger brothers from the Loyola marriage.

Ameera Ares lives and works in Qatar with her family. She wrote, “Tita, I belong to the Gervacio Branch of the Pantaleon Montecillo Clan. Tata Batyong is my grandfather.” Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States after the Spanish American War in 1898. Filipinos fought with the US troops in the First World War. Tata Batyong was a soldier in the war. He decided to stay in the US after the war. He brought his brother Emilio to Detroit in 1917. Emilio is my grandfather. During one of his trips to the Philippines, Tata Batyong married in Catmon and decided to settle there in 1926.

Frances Montecillo-Narvaez lives and works in Switzerland with her family. She wrote, “Your great grandfather, Pantaleon, was the best cousin-friend of my great grandfather, Panfilo. He named his eldest son after Pantaleon. Panfilo moved and settled in Tuburan. The family have scattered all over since their time.”

Ian Mark Schomber lives in Germany. He found out about me in Facebook. He is from the Menchavez side of the family. His mother called Cebu and told her sister-in-law, Yeldez, about me and my quest in Facebook. Yeldez immediately had her son send an e-mail confirming that we are indeed cousins. The e-mail spoke of the Menchavez family gatherings in Sogod.

This is only a sampling of the Montecillo “Facebook” connection. Most of the family is still in the Philippines. Outside the country, most of us have settled in the US and Canada, with a growing number in the Middle East, Australia and Hong Kong. An exchange of pictures and stories through Facebook, e-mails and blogs have continued to connect us. With the help of technology, I am connected to a truly globalized family.

My curiosity is leading me to find out a little bit more about the Mexican and Spanish Montecillo families. I understand they are into grassland ecology in Mexico and vineyards in Spain. This could be a lot of fun.

Keep connecting and keep the connections strong!

San Francisco Family - Taken End of 2007

My sister Jette Rojo Meehleib - she is the "prettiest" - a member of the jet set - currently attending an "International Surfing and Classic Rock Festival" in La Union, Philippines. Go figure.



Taken with brother Athan (Jonathan) and sister Jette. Athan teaches first grade and is going for his graduate degree in reading.



My San Francisco family - Nanay Julia is a Menchavez from Bawo. Nanay is superwoman -very active and into everything.



Tatay home from the hospital! I did not really get to meet him until I was 12 years old in Catmon. We did not start really connecting until I was 42 years old here in the US. We are slowly but surely getting to know each other better.

My Family - Back In The Day

Donna and I - my swimsuit caused a lot of gossip - my belly button is showing. Not a good thing to do in Catmon in the sixties!



Daddy and Mama goofing around in the water. Happier days!



Lola Bette wading in the water - near suba and Tata Batyong's payag.



This family photo was taken during one of the summers we spent in Catmon with Lola Bette.

Going To San Francisco

The Original Plan

After the last delivery for the Madonna University Christmas for Kids Project, the original plan was to sit back, relax, be with family (in Michigan), go to church and celebrate a quiet Christmas.

A Dose of Life's Realities

Received word from the family, in San Francisco, that Tatay was taken to the hospital. Tatay is in his 80's, every hospitalization is risky. At 61 years old, I have never spent Christmas with him. So I cried. It happens - when I am not in control of circumstances in my life.

Decisions, Considerations, Decisions

Had 60 families with 154 children in the background counting on having a good Christmas. Had to focus on the packing, last minute shopping and deliveries to these families.

Had not shopped for my immediate family, had very limited $$$ for travel - holiday travel in the US is expensive. The obstacles were countless, financially!

Have never spent a Christmas away from my children and grandchildren - unless they have chosen to do so. They are the most important people in my life. Have spent the last 30 Christmases with the family in Michigan!

Drafted Lauren, John, Dominic and Larry to help. I was losing focus, got lost in neighborhoods that I was familiar with. I felt very splintered and acted very scattered. I was also searching the net for cheap air fare to San Francisco. So was Frank and Lauren. The regular economy class fare to San Francisco during the holidays is over $750.00.

Donna and Frank encouraged me to go - so did Larry. What would I ever do without him and the support he provides???

So on December 23, I made the decision that if I can find affordable air fare, I would go. So, I gave the kids an "I Owe You" for Christmas when the right price came up.

I flew to San Francisco on December 24 to spend Christmas with Tatay and family, but mostly Tatay.



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