Chapter 7: Prominent Descendants of Epifania Morente of the Niwva Clan of Marinduque

Lucresia Kasilag-National Artist for Music, 1989

This is a continuation of a series of articles written by Rene Nieva on the ancestral roots of the Nieva clan of Marinduque.

EPIFANIA MORENTE : GREAT MORENTE HERITAGE AND PROMINENT DESCENDANTS: The Morentes were able to trace back their roots to a prominent family in Spain that may have some French connection since Spain was just below France in the map of Europe. Maybe the Morentes, and thus we Nievas who are the Morente's co-descendants, may even have some royal blood (we wish) flowing in our veins because the Morentes have their own family crest.

Epifania or Maning was the oldest of the four Morente children. Following her were Catalina, or Ninay; Juan; and Juancho, who both settled in Mindoro. The Morentes themselves became political leaders in Mindoro, with Juancho becoming governor at one point. Juan married a woman (name unknown) and among their more outstanding descendants were bankers Jesus Pineda and businessman Chit Pineda.

Catalina married a Roces (first name unknown) from the prominent Roces family of Manila who were in the movie houses and publishing business as well in politics. They had only one child, a daughter named Asuncion, a versatile musician who studied and later taught both piano and violin. She married a civil engineer named Marcial Kasilag who was then a district engineer covering the Marinduque and Mindoro provinces.

Asuncion and Marcial in turn had six children. First was Octavio Kasilag, who married Caridad Versoza. Second was Lucrecia or King who never married but dedicated her life to music. She later became Dean of the Philippine Women's University and President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and in 1989 was named National Artist for Music.

Third was Natividad or Naty, who married Macario Peralta, a feared guerilla leader in World War ll who later became Secretary of National Defense. Fourth was Wilhelmina who married a Dr. Ochoa (first name unknown). Fifth was Marcial Kasilag, Jr.. And sixth was Pedro Kasilag who was a well-known pianist.

Juan Morente had married (name unknown). He had two children, Asuncion and Purificacion. Asuncion was wed to Esteban Abada who became a Senator. Another daughter, Purificacion, married stock brokerage pioneer Anselmo Trinidad. Among their children was Josefina or Josie, who was known for her beauty and brains. She went to UP for her undergraduate studies and then took up post-graduate studies in Sorbonne in Paris, France. She joined the Department of Transportation and Communication where she rose to Deputy Secretary and at one time Acting Secretary.

Interestingly, she married one of the descendants of Calixto Nieva, Eduardo Lichauco, through one of Calixto's children. Dionisio. Dionisio married Salud de Santa, and among their children was Alicia. Alicia married a prominent Chinese-Filipino businessman named Luis Lichauco, and among their children was Eduardo. Thus, Josie Trinidad-Lichauco was the only one among the descendants of Calixto Nieva and Epifania Morente where the two founding father and mother of the Nieva clan re-connected with each other.