Filipino family histories help keep the past alive
As the Hawaii-Philippines Centennial Delegation trekked through Manila, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Pangasinan, members would break away from the group for a brief visit or a long-awaited reunion with friends or family. Long distance phone calls, e-mails or letters would have alerted the branches of the clan to pinpoint a date and time to connect with our quickly moving Hawaii entourage.
So as we flew into Cebu from Manila on the last leg of our journey, I swallowed hard and prayed for perhaps a one-in-a-million reunion with a member or acquaintance of the De Ocampo or De Zafra bloodline. Cha Thompson, of Tihati Productions, and Emme Tomimbang, who were both part of our group, chatted and held hands with me as we shared in the anticipation of being greeted by a relative, along with others holding Cebuano connections.
In 1912, six years after the first sakada, my lola (grandmother), Locina De Ocampo of Cebu, and my grandfather, George De Zafra of Iloilo, both of the Visayan Islands, departed the Philippines with their vision of a successful future. With her culinary expertise, my grandmother eventually opened "Betty's Café" in downtown Honolulu, lovingly naming the tiny restaurant after my mother, Beatrice.
Now in day nine of our tour, I was thinking of just three days prior, when we had witnessed the unveiling of the sakada statue in Ilocos Sur. Our members stood in the beaming sunlight, some leaning into the minimal shade under tents and tarps. Port Salomague Bay was the backdrop of the ceremony, and under the stinging heat of the noon sun, no one dared to complain as we looked at the sakada statue, slightly bent at the knee, his back arched so awkwardly. The reasons were so evident as to why our families sailed away from the Philippines to endure hard physical labor that they proudly and courageously accepted.
Mayor Thomas Osmeña of Cebu, along with his wife, Margot, greeted the delegation at the Grand Convention Center of Cebu, with a fabulous lunch and entertainment by the multi-award-winning Cebu City DanceSport Team, who impressed us with an intense and exhilarating performance. A quick tour of Magellan's Cross, the Basilica Minor del Santo Niño, and the one hundred steps of the Taoist Temple gave us a glimpse of Cebu's treasures.
Cebu province Gov. Gwen Garcia, along with many other dignitaries, hosted a memorable evening in the Social Hall of their capitol building. Gov. Garcia, like Gov. Linda Lingle, is the first female governor of Cebu. An extremely gracious and gifted speaker, Garcia's intelligence and wit rang through in her address to our delegation. This is a gift she likely inherited from her father, the former Cebu Gov. Pablo Garcia, and her mother, retired Judge Esperanza Fiel Garcia.
During this final event of our mission, I proudly participated in the presentation of a sister state/province agreement, while Jasmine Trias and Tihati Productions introduced our sister community to the extraordinary talent and culture of Hawaii.
Although I did not locate any relatives on this journey, I have traveled to the homeland of my lola, and I have recaptured a part of her passion in my heart. I have experienced the pride and spirit of the Visayan people, and I have touched and breathed in the place of what was only an oral history of my Filipino heritage.
Let this be inspiration to all of us, to take advantage of our technology and start to record the facts and names that have been repeated in the stories we hear at the family luau, the funerals and the holiday gatherings. Make an effort to document, and collect photographs and birth and death certificates that will create a tangible history of your forefathers and foremothers. Do not let your ancestors' sacrifices and determination be forgotten.
Vivian Aiona is the wife of Lt. Gov. "Duke" Aiona.