Dust Thou Art, to Dust Thou Shalt Return

Last Sunday was the Interment and burial services of my younger brother, Atty. Erico B Katague, Sr. He passed away last August 15 and was 80 years old. The following are some of the photos during the funeral services, Jaro, Iloilo, Philippines. Rest in Peace, my dear brother!

Only in Marinduque, Philippines-An Update

Chateau Du Mer Main House, Amoingon, Boac, Marindque,Philippines-Our Winter Retreat

Just recently, I posted in my blogs an article written by a friend discussing his recent trip to the Philippines as a Senior Citizen. The article reminded me of my own experiences as a snowbird resident in our second home in the Island of Marinduque. The following is the article I wrote more than two years ago March 3, 2014 to be exact just in case you have not read it.

"This morning a door to door service woke me up at 4:30AM. I was in deep sleep when I heard the newly installed buzzer in our front gate. I thought the kids in the neighborhood were playing with the buzzer as in previous years. The bell rang two more times and I realized is time to wake up and see who is ringing the door bell . I walked barely awake to the front gate about 20 meters and asked what time is it and who is ringing the buzzer in this early morning hours.

I heard an apologetic response, door to door service Sir. What time is it? 4:30AM Sir. Why so early? Please be patient with us Sir. We are still delivering to Buenavista. Our load of fresh vegetables are rotting, that is the reason for this very early delivery.

I opened the gates, 4 small boxes and a long side table with glass top was delivered in my back porch. After checking that the glass top was not broken, the door to door service with another apology went on their way to Buenavista about 45 minutes away. The delivery was part of the mop and pail package that my sister in-law purchased for me in Manila. It cost 600 pesos. It is needed to clean our marble floors in the main house and the tile floors of the conference Hall. The glass top side table and other boxes were for my sister-in-law beach house and cottage.

Thank you dear sister-in-law for ordering the mop as well as my new PC and monitor, but hopefully the next delivery will not be early in the morning as this one.

Another item I want to mention is the dental service in this poor island with no air service from Manila. In general the dental services here are comparable to US standards and are much, much cheaper than the dental cost in California. I had ordered two new dental partials last year. The other day, one of the teeth in my lower partial broke after I eat a small piece of lechon skin ( roasted baby pig).

I tried to call my dentist in his land line several times. His telephone kept on ringing but no one is responding. I got tried ringing his phone, so I decided that my driver and I just drive to his office. Luckily, he was in his office and was able to fix my partial after leaving it overnight. I realize he does not answer his land line. He only respond to his cell phone that I did not have at that time.

Update: Just recently, Macrine had her teeth fixed ( a crown) and it cost us a fortune. As they say when you open your mouth to see a dentist here in US you also open your wallet. Like most Americans, we do not have dental insurance.

The third item I observed that is only in the Philippines is the special check out line for senior citizens in the grocery stores. During our 4 day stay in Manila prior to our land and sea trip to Marinduque, we purchased about a 2 weeks supply of grocery staples, fruits and vegetables. I was accompanied by my sister-in-law who has a senior citizen card and booklet. I was surprised to see a special check out line with seats for waiting only for senior citizens. I believe we got a 5% discount for certain basic food items, but not for alcohol and tobacco. Not much discount, but every penny here in the Philippines counts. There is no such line in the US.

Finally, I want to emphasize that I am really enjoying our 90 days snow birding time here in Marinduque so far. The mornings are cool but in mid day it is getting hot and humid- a sign that the hot summer season in the island Paradise is getting near ".

Update: The weather here in Northern California had been beautiful this past week. Cool in the morning ( in the 60'S and not too hot in the afternoon), sunny and not a single drop of rain!

One Hundred Years Anniversary of the National Park Service

Yesterday, August 25, 2016, was the 100th Anniversary of the Creation of the National Park Service which administers over 400 National Parks, National Monuments,and National Historic Sites. How many have you visited? The following is a repost of my blog on the 20 most popular National Parks, Monuments and Historic Sites in the US.

The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah

Its almost the end of summer and time to think of visiting the nearest national monument and Landmark near you. This will save you gas money and probably these places are less crowded if you compare it to visiting a National Park. So what is the difference between a National Monument/Landmark versus the popular National Parks?

A National Monument in the United States is a protected area that is similar to a National Park except that the President of the United States can quickly declare an area of the United States to be a National Monument without the approval of Congress. National monuments receive less funding and afford fewer protections to wildlife than national parks. However, areas within and extending beyond national parks, monuments, and national forests can be part of wilderness areas, which have an even greater degree of protection than a national park would alone, although wilderness areas managed by the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management often allow hunting.

National monuments can be managed by one of several federal agencies: the National Park Service(NPS), United States Forest Service(USFS), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), or Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

President Theodore Roosevelt established the first national monument, Devils Tower in Wyoming, on September 24, 1906. He established eighteen national monuments, although only nine still retain that designation. Fifteen presidents have created national monuments since the program began; only Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush did not. Bill Clinton created the most monuments, nineteen, and expanded three others. Jimmy Carter protected vast parts of Alaska, proclaiming fifteen national monuments, some of which later were promoted to national parks. The most recent national monument designated by Presidential Proclamation was by George W. Bush on January 6, 2009. Three marine locations in the central Pacific Ocean were protected, covering a total of 195,274 square miles (505,760 km2). The most recent monument, Prehistoric Trackways, was established by an Act of Congress, signed into law on March 30, 2009.

Concerns about protecting mostly prehistoric Indian ruins and artifacts—collectively termed antiquities—on western federal lands prompted the legislation. Its purpose was to allow the president to quickly preserve public land without waiting for legislation to pass through an unconcerned Congress. The ultimate goal was to protect all historic and prehistoric sites on U.S. federal lands.

Twenty-seven states have national monuments, as do the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Minor Outlying Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Arizona, with eighteen, has the largest number of national monuments, followed by New Mexico with twelve and California with ten. Fifty-five national monuments protect places of natural significance, including ten geological sites, seven marine sites, and five volcanic sites. Twenty-two national monuments are associated with Native Americans. Twenty-three are other historical sites, including ten forts. The total national monuments and landmarks in US is 100. I will just give a short description , agency in-charge and coordinates of the 20 most popular and visited national monuments as follows:

Of the 20 listed below, Macrine and I had visited only six since the 1960's. How many in the list have you visited ? I bet you must have visited the Statue of Liberty in New York City and probably the George Washington birthplace in Virginia.


1. Admiralty Island USFS Alaska57°38′N 134°21′W / 57.64°N 134.35°W / 57.64; -134.35 (Admiralty Island) 01978-12-01 December 1, 1978 Occupying most of Admiralty Island, the 7th largest in the United States, this monument is part of Tongass National Forest in the Alaska Panhandle. It has a large population of grizzly, black, and brown bears, as well as whales, mountain goats, and deer. Most of the monument has been declared the Kootznoowoo Wilderness, restricting future development. The Greens Creek mine lies within the monument.

2.African Burial Ground NPS New York40°42′52″N 74°00′15″W / 40.7144°N 74.0042°W / 40.7144; -74.0042 (African Burial Ground) 02006-02-27 February 27, 2006 Re-discovered in 1991 during excavations for a new federal building, this former burial ground that contains the remains of more than 400 free and enslaved Africans buried during the 17th and 18th centuries was designated a National Historic Landmark memorial in 1993.

3. Bandelier NPS New Mexico35°47′N 106°16′W / 35.78°N 106.27°W / 35.78; -106.27 (Bandelier) 01916-02-11 February 11, 1916 A historic district, Bandelier contains Frijoles Canyon, which contains Ancestral Pueblo homes, kivas, rock paintings and petroglyphs.

4. California Coastal BLM California36°53′N 122°11′W / 36.89°N 122.18°W / 36.89; -122.18 (California Coastal) 02000-01-11 January 11, 2000 This monument ensures the protection of all islets, reefs and rock outcroppings from the coast of California to a distance of 12 nautical miles (22 km), along the entire 840-mile (1,350 km) long California coastline.

5. Craters of the Moon NPS, BLM Idaho43°25′N 113°31′W / 43.42°N 113.52°W / 43.42; -113.52 (Craters of the Moon) 01924-05-02 May 2, 1924 One of the best preserved flood basalt areas in the continental U.S. contains three lava fields along the Great Rift of Idaho as well as the world's deepest open rift cracks and other volcanic features.

6. Devils Tower NPS Wyoming44°35′N 104°43′W / 44.59°N 104.72°W / 44.59; -104.72 (Devils Tower) 01906-09-24 September 24, 1906 The tower is a monolithic igneous intrusion of volcanic neck rising dramatically 1,267 feet (386 m) above the surrounding terrain. Proclaimed by Theodore Roosevelt, this was the first national monument.

7. El Morro NPS New Mexico35°02′N 108°21′W / 35.04°N 108.35°W / 35.04; -108.35 (El Morro) 01906-12-08 December 8, 1906 On the site of an ancient east-west trail is a great sandstone promontory with a pool of water at its base. There are inscriptions from the 17th century as well as older petroglyphs made by the Anasazi.

8. Fort McHenry NPS Maryland39°15′47″N 76°34′44″W / 39.263°N 76.579°W / 39.263; -76.579 (Fort McHenry) 01925-03-03 March 3, 1925 The only place designated a national monument and historic shrine, Fort McHenry is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812 when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy. It inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner".

9. George Washington Birthplace NPS Virginia38°11′10″N 76°55′50″W / 38.1861°N 76.9305°W / 38.1861; -76.9305 (George Washington's Birthplace) 01930-01-23 January 23, 1930 Representative of 18th-century Virginia tobacco farms, this site is the birthplace and boyhood environment of George Washington. The entrance includes a Memorial Shaft obelisk of Vermont marble that is a one-tenth scale replica of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. Also within the monument are the historic birthplace home area, a kitchen house, and the Washington family burial ground.

10. George Washington Carver NPS Missouri36°59′10″N 94°21′14″W / 36.986°N 94.354°W / 36.986; -94.354 (George Washington Carver) 01943-07-14 July 14, 1943 The site preserves Moses Carver's farm, which was the boyhood home of George Washington Carver, a scientist and educator who developed many uses for peanuts. It was the first national monument dedicated to an African-American and first to a non-president.

11. Giant Sequoia USFS California36°02′N 118°30′W / 36.04°N 118.50°W / 36.04; -118.50 (Giant Sequoia National Monument) 02000-04-15 April 15, 2000 The monument includes 38 of the 39 Giant Sequoia groves in the Sequoia National Forest, amounting to about half of the sequoia groves currently in existence. This includes one of the ten largest Giant Sequoias, the Boole Tree. Its two parts are around Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.

12. Gila Cliff Dwellings NPS New Mexico33°14′N 108°17′W / 33.24°N 108.28°W / 33.24; -108.28 (Gila Cliff Dwellings) 01907-11-16 November 16, 1907 Located within the Gila Wilderness, the people of the Mogollon culture lived in these cliff dwellings 180 feet (55 m) above the canyon floor from the 1280s through the early 14th century. They lived in five caves with 46 rooms. Henry B. Ailman discovered them in 1878.

John 13. Lava Beds NPS California41°43′N 121°31′W / 41.71°N 121.51°W / 41.71; -121.51 (Lava Beds) 01925-11-21 November 21, 1925 This is the site of the largest concentration of lava tube caves in North America. It also includes Petroglyph Point, one of the largest panels of Native American rock art. The monument lies on the northeast flank of the Medicine Lake Volcano, the largest volcano in the Cascade Range.

14. Montezuma Castle NPS Arizona34°37′N 111°50′W / 34.61°N 111.84°W / 34.61; -111.84 (Montezuma Castle) 01906-12-08 December 8, 1906 Montezuma Castle features well-preserved cliff dwellings built and used by the Pre-Columbian Sinagua people around 1400 AD. Several Hopi clans trace their roots to the area, which is not connected to Montezuma. The monument also includes the Montezuma Well, which has been used for irrigation since the 8th century.

15. Muir Woods NPS California37°53′N 122°35′W / 37.89°N 122.58°W / 37.89; -122.58 (Muir Woods) 01908-01-09 January 9, 1908 Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, it protects one of the last old growth Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) groves in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as one of the most easily accessed.

16. Natural Bridges NPS Utah37°35′N 110°00′W / 37.58°N 110°W / 37.58; -110 (Natural Bridges) 01908-04-16 April 16, 1908 Located at the junction of White Canyon and Armstrong Canyon, it is part of the Colorado River drainage. It features the second- and third-largest natural bridges in the world, carved from the white Triassic sandstone of the Cedar Mesa Formation that gives White Canyon its name.

17. Petroglyph NPS New Mexico35°10′N 106°46′W / 35.16°N 106.76°W / 35.16; -106.76 (Petroglyph) 01990-06-27 June 27, 1990 This monument protects a variety of cultural and natural resources, including five volcanic cones, hundreds of archeological sites and an estimated 25,000 images carved by native peoples and early Spanish settlers. It lies on West Mesa, a volcanic basalt escarpment.

18. Rainbow Bridge NPS Utah37°05′N 110°58′W / 37.08°N 110.96°W / 37.08; -110.96 (Rainbow Bridge) 01910-05-30 May 30, 1910 One of the largest in the world, Rainbow Bridge is the most famous example of a natural bridge as well as the most accessible. It stands 290 feet (88 m) tall and spans 275 feet (84 m) wide; the top of the bridge is 42 feet (13 m) thick and 33 feet (10 m) wide. It was made from sandstone formed during the Triassic and the Jurassic periods.

19. Statue of Liberty NPS New York, New Jersey40°41′N 74°02′W / 40.69°N 74.04°W / 40.69; -74.04 (Statue of Liberty) 01924-10-15 October 15, 1924 This iconic statue, built in 1886 on Liberty Island and 151 feet (46 m) tall, commemorates the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and is a gesture of friendship from France to the U.S. Liberty Enlightening the World is a symbol of welcoming immigrants to the U.S. and is listed as a World Heritage Site. Ellis Island, where 12 million immigrants entering the U.S. passed through, is included in the monument.

20. White Sands NPS New Mexico32°47′N 106°10′W / 32.78°N 106.17°W / 32.78; -106.17 (White Sands) 01933-07-25 July 25, 1933 Located in the mountain-ringed Tularosa Basin valley area, White Sands consists of the southern part of a 275square miles (710 km2) field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. It is completely within the White Sands Missile Range and is subject to closure when tests are conducted.

Vignettes on the Life of Benito Lopez of Jaro, Iloilo, Philippines

The following is a repost of the article written by Nereo Cajilig Lujan and posted in his Face book page just recently. I enjoyed reading it because I was born in Jaro, Iloilo and was curious about Roca Encantada- a summer house of the famous Lopezes clan of Jaro. The two well-known Lopez brothers are Eugenio and Fernando. Eugenio was an industrialist and philanthropist whereas Fernando was well known for his political achievements having been elected vice president in three presidential periods in Philippine History. According to Nereo Lujan, our blood relation to the Lopezes is thru the wife of Fernando, Mariquit Lopez.

Nereo and I share the same ancestry with the Javellana clan of Iloilo. He has a blog www.javellana.wordpress.com. Read it if you want more details on the Javellana clan of Iloilo. Here's a repost of his very informative and popular article that had been shared by 160 readers, 466 likes, and 33 comments as of today.

" HISTORY 101. On 27 December 1907, Governor Benito Lopez was shot four times in his office at the Casa Gobierno (Casa Real de Iloilo) by Joaquin Gil, a supporter of Francisco Jalandoni who he defeated in the gubernatorial elections two months earlier.

Lopez died 24 days later on 20 January 1908 at the Iloilo Mission Hospital and his assailant was executed for his crime while Gil's patrons were exiled for their role in the governor's assassination.

Mourning the death of her husband, Doña Presentacion Hofileña Lopez retired to her native town in Navalas (now Buenavista) in the island of Guimaras and built for herself a house there.

The Lopez widow left her two sons Eugenio (born 1901) and Fernando (born 1904) to the care of his sister Elena who married her late husband's brother, Vicente Lopez (who built the elegant Nelly Garden in Jaro in 1928).

Doña Presentacion's house, constructed on top of a huge coral rock in Barrio San Miguel overlooking the north eastern coast of Panay Island, was completed in 1910.

While residing in Guimaras, Doña Presentacion took fancy on a baby girl born in 1909 to a peon (unskilled farm worker) and an American soldier stationed there. She adopted her and named her Julieta.

The mestiza Julieta Lopez was crowned Miss Iloilo in 1927 and on 19 June that year married Vicente Arenas. Their son Ramon became the husband of socialite Rosemarie Bosch Jimenez, popularly known as Baby Arenas.

Sometime in the mid-1920s, Doña Presentacion married Daniel Evangelista but they were childless. She contracted pneumonia and her condition quickly worsened, resulting to her death in February 1930.

In the 1950s, the Lopez brothers had the house in Buenavista renovated, turned it into their summer home and called it La Roca Encantada as it is perched on a rock.

On 21 April 1967, after inaugurating the Iloilo Airport in Mandurriao, President Ferdinand Marcos and party had lunch at La Roca Encantada, becoming the first Chief Executive to set foot on Guimaras soils.

La Roca Encantada, which quickly became a tourist attraction, was declared a National Heritage House by the National Historical Institute on 14 August 2002.

Benpres, the holding company of the Lopez family that was incorporated in 1993, was coined after the names Benito and Presentacion. It was renamed Lopez Holdings Corporation in 2010 ".

Macrine and I Pampered Ourselves Today

I woke up this morning under the weather. My 81.6 years old body is aching. It is not due to our bed mattress because it is new. I decided I will treat and pamper myself later on today. I decided to have a manicure and spa pedicure at our neighborhood salon. Macrine and I have manicure and pedicure services on a routine basis when we are Marinduque.

However, Macrine is the only one who has her manicure and pedicure on a monthly basis here in Northern California. She has this done at our neighborhood nail salon operated by a Vietnamese-American family. The salon is headed by the Mother( she is the only one with good English command with the exception of the daughter). She is assisted by her husband, her sister, sister-in-law and just recently her 25 year old daughter.



The cost is $10 for manicure and $20 for a SPA pedicure plus a $2 tip. The name of the Salon is Elegant Nails, about one mile from our residence. This is indeed a reasonable price compared to other nail salons not operated by Vietnamese-Americans. Today I had the same service and I like it. I enjoyed the service especially the massage part of the service. Beginning today I will now pampered myself with these services on a regular basis.

I was curious why more than 80% of the nail salon business are in the capable hands of the Vietnamese-Americans here in Northern California. The following article and the above video answered my question.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32544343 and
http://matadornetwork.com/life/why-vietnamese-americans-rule-the-nail-salon-scene/

Causes of Lung Cancer of Non-Smokers and Treatment-An Update

Several days ago, I posted an article on possible causes of lung cancer of non-smokers. I wrote that article after I received a note that a close relative of Macrine was just diagnosed with lung cancer although she had never smoke a cigarette in her life. In that posting she does not know the stage and type of cancer she had.

Today she went to see her oncologist for the results of her PET scan last week. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. Fortunately there is a treatment plan available that will likely contain the spread of the cancer. The pill that she will take appears to be highly effective because of three conditions: she’s Asian, has no history of smoking, and she has metastatic non small cell lung cancer.

The drug prescribed for her is Gefitinib (Iressa). The drug has very tolerable side effects, namely, skin rashes and diarrhea. An alternative drug in the same class is Erlotinib ( Tarceva). According to the clinical literature, Erlotinib has been found to have improved overall survival rate than Gefitinib.

Tarceva is also indicated for stage 4 non small cell pancreatic cancer.

Last November, Tagrisso (omisertinib; formerly AZD9291) obtained FDA approval for the treatment epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients whose tumours carry the T790M mutation. The drug is a third-generation EGFR inhibitor, which is designed to overcome resistance to other drugs in the class such as Roche/Astellas' $2bn-a-year Tarceva (erlotinib), AZ's Iressa (gefitinib) and Boehringer Ingelheim's Giotrif (afatinib).

For details on Iressa and Tarceva read the following:

https://www.drugs.com/iressa.html and https://www.drugs.com/tarceva.html

The Newly Revamped San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

My daughter and grand daughter ( Ditas and Carenna) just visited San Francisco newly revamped Museum of Modern Art(MOMA)just recently. If you are a lover of art this must be one in your bucket list of places to visit.

Ditas and Carenna had fun and took a couple of pictures as follows.





Read the following news releases on the opening of MOMA last May.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/san-francisco-museum-of-modern-art-san-francisco-6

http://abc7news.com/entertainment/revamped-san-francisco-museum-of-modern-art-reopens/1338928/

My Sudden Reality Check as a Senior Citizen in the Philippines

The following is a repost of the article in FB by Adolfo Aquino*-a Face Book friend and a fellow Filipino-American also residing in California. He went home to the Philippines on July 15 to help in the burial ceremonies of his eldest sister. He described his personal experiences during this trip a sudden reality check as a Senior Citizen in the Philippines. Here is his interesting story for your reading pleasure.

" Before I delve into the crux of my story, let me tell you first about the events that led me to a reality check of myself. I came home to bury my eldest sister in the Philippines on July 15, 2016. The experience was so stressing and at the same time very nostalgic of my childhood in Barangay Malinis of Lemery, Batangas where I grew up under the strict but doting guidance of my sister whom I fondly called Ate Ciana.

We were 18 years apart in age and she was already a teacher when I began my recognition of things and events surrounding my infancy. It was she who brought me first to the city of Manila when I was about 5 years old. It was the time when the provincial bus would fetch you from your homes before the crack of dawn and wait for you until you finish your shower and get your travel things ready. My thought of going to the big city was more exciting than my first travel to the US or to any of my travels in Europe. What could be more fascinating to a child’s eye than to see the neon lights of the Jai Alai across the old Luneta Park? It was then and so many more enthralling sites other than the hundred camachile trees and corn fields that abound our Barangay Malinis. As I was looking at the lifeless face of my Ate Ciana, I was overwhelmed by emotions and memories of my childhood days when she was always part of my daily life as my protector, my counselor, my second mother.

Once again, I felt the infantile sensation within me, having been pampered as the baby of the family and now confronted by the frozen and helpless body of my guardian. As I turned around from the white casket after a few minutes of prayer and recollections, I was met by a few couple of children who grabbed my right hand to say, “Mano po, Lolo Addie”. “Mano po, Lolo Addie”, yes it was me because that’s my name and that’s what my family and friends always call me, but hearing the word “lolo” jolted me like a lightning bolt. One second ago, I was crying inside me like a child who lost my sister like I lost my mother, and the thought that I was old, a grandpa, a senior citizen was not so uplifting. The un-invigorating thought of being called a “lolo” came to pass and the consoling notion that they were just little children was understandable and made it easier for me to ignore.

The day after the burial of Ate Ciana, I went to the BPI bank of Lemery to withdraw some cash. It was a busy day in the bank and I found myself at the end of one of the three queues when the security guard approached me and directed me to an empty line where a teller was waiting. Trying to be respectfully gracious to the people on the queue, I asked the guard why. He said, “Sir, you are a senior citizen and we have a special line reserved for you”. I was so flabbergasted but elated at the same time. There were three long lines of people, some of whom seems to be older than me, and yet the guard picked me up and addressed me as a senior citizen. Again, it was not a very stimulating idea but I felt relieved from the thought of standing in the queue for the next ten minutes or more.

On Saturday morning, my elder sister, Ate Emma and I went to Manila and took an air-conditioned bus to save our dole-out money for some of our friends and kin who need and expect financial help from us. The bus conductor issued us our tickets with discounted fares for two senior citizens worth around P40.00 pesos. Now, I am getting to like my status as a senior citizen.

After a day’s shopping for some cheap electronic gadgets (of course we know they’re made in China, where else) and some gift items around Carriedo and Echague streets (Ang bakya naman!), we took a UV Express (mas class naman kesa jeep) to the provincial bus terminal of DLTB Co. plying Manila-Lemery-Batangas. A 30-meter queue for the Lemery bound bus confronted us at the terminal but as soon as we got off from the UV Express on Taft Ave., two bus conductors/staff helped and directed us to go to the very front of the line saying, “Sir, Mam, Seniors po kayo, dito po kayo sa pinaka-una ng linya”. This time, I knew I was a “Senior citizen” but for God’s sake, how did I became the oldest out of the hundred people on the line? I thought I belong to the baby-boomer age? Whatever happened after 1947 in the Philippines? Was it another baby-boomer more explosive than the atomic bomb of WW-II.

Three days later, my two elder sisters went to Xntro Mall in our Barangay Malinis to see a Filipino movie. I refused to go with them ……………..it was Tuesday, a “free movie day” for Senior Citizens!

For the veracity and authenticity of my story and social status, my Senior Citizen Control No. is 2016-0738, issued by the Republic of the Philippines, Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), Municipality of Lemery on July 28, 2016 signed by the Hon. Mayor, Eulalio M. Alilio ".

My Comment: Heart felt condolence from the David B Katague Clan. Not mention in your interesting story is that Senior Citizens also get discounts on groceries, medicines, and airline tickets. Senior citizens are granted several benefits and privileges under Republic Act No. 9994 and Republic Act No. 10645.

*Adolfo Aquino ( Addie or Adel)was born in Malinis, Lemery, Batangas, 69 years ago. He is the youngest of 9 siblings. He finished elementary at Our Lady of Caysasay, Taal, Batangas and high school at Our Lady of Fatima in Tanauan City, Batangas. He majored in Management and studied law until his 4th year in various universities in the Philippines. He worked at Filinvest group of companies as Manager of Credit Dept. & Bus. Development Dept. He later was engaged in retail business at Cartimar Pasay & Central Shopping at Shaw, Mandaluyong. He and his wife from Marinduque immigrated to US several decades ago. He retired from the California Highway Patrol in 2013. Welcome to the club, Lolo Addie!

Death in the Family-Erico Balleza Katague

Me and Erico, 1945
It is with great sadness to announce that my younger brother Erico Balleza Katague passed away last August 15. He was 80 years old and survived by wife Helen Esparagoza Katague, daughter Jemma and son, Erico Jr.

Erico ( nickname Neneng) was a year and a half younger than me. He finished Law from Lyceum of the Philippines. He worked for a number of years at COMELEC ( Commission of Elections) in the province of Iloilo. Besides his immediate family above he is survived by three brothers, David( me), Efren ( Australia) and Ruben ( Bacolod). His sisters are Myrla Hilaga( Canada), Agnes Galvin( Maryland) and Amor Gregorio ( Jaro, Iloilo). Neneng Erico with wife Helen had been a resident for a number of decades in their home in Arguelles Street, Jaro, Iloilo, Philippines.

I will miss you, but I know you are happy now and much relieve from the pains that you have suffered for the last couple of years. Rest in Peace, my Dear Brother. Your brothers and sisters love you very much.

Clarification of My Ancestry to the Lopezes of Jaro, Iloilo

In my search for my ancestral roots on my father side of the family, I had the following FaceBook conversation with Nereo Cajilig Lujan, author of the blog www.Javellana.wordpress.com

I specifically asked him if he has information where my great grandparents, Victoriano Catague and Marcelina Javellana settled. In addition, I wanted to know my ancestral link to the Lopezes and Confessors of Jaro. The following is our FB conversation that clarified and answered my questions. Thanks a million, Primo Nereo!

Nereo Cajilig Luján: David B Katague, primo, the grandfather of Benito Lopez was Basilio, a Chino Cristiano who was adopted by the Lopez family thus no blood relation to our ancestors.

On the other hand, the land where the Navalas church was built was donated by Don Miguel Jayme and his wife Carmen Lopez Javellana, sister of our Lolo Tinong (Don Cristino Lopez Javellana). The couple also financed the construction of the church.

Don Vicente Guingona, Municipal Treasurer of Navalas from 1899 to 1901, married Francisca Javellana Jamora (niece of Lolo Tinong, daughter of his sister Inocencia who married Juancho Jamora). They were the grandparents of former Vice President Tito Guingona.

Petra Lopez Javellana, another sister of Lolo Tinong, married Sixto Hofileña Golez, a cousin of Presentacion and Elena Hofileña. They were the ancestors of the Golezes in Buenavista and Jaro.

Melquiades Ledesma Javellana, the fourth child of Lolo Tinong, became Municipal President of Navalas/Buenavista in 1918. His son Abelardo Darroca Javellana also became mayor of Buenavista and later governor of Guimaras.

Your grandparents Victoriano Catague and Marcelina Lopez Javellana (sister of Lolo Tinong) also settled in Navalas.

David B Katague: Thank you so much for this information. This explained why we have a lot of relatives in Guimaras. Victoriano Catague was my great grand father. He was my DAD grand father. So we have no blood relation to the famous Lopezes? My grand mother was Consolacion Golez Jamili. I wonder what is her ancestral link to the Golezes mentioned in your blog? What is the ancestral link of the Javellanas to Tomas Confessor?

Nereo Cajilig Luján: Senator Tomas Confesor, governor of the Free Panay and Romblon Civil Government during WWII, was married to Rosalina Javellana Grecia, daughter of Juana Ledesma Javellana and Celerino Grecia, former gobernadorcillo of Jaro. Juana was the eldest child of Lolo Tinong (who was also once gobernadorcillo of Jaro) and Lola Baldomera Ledesma. Juana was the elder sister of Melquiades whom I mentioned in an earlier post.

Our relation with the Lopezes is only through Mariquit Javellana, wife of Vice President Fernando Lopez. Mariquit was the daughter of Ramon Joseliva Javellana and Leonor Virto. Ramon was the son of Julio Quimbiong Javellana whose father Ygnacio Javellana (married to Juliana Quimbiong) was the brother of Manuel Javellana (married to Gertrudis Lopez), our ancestor (father of my Lolo Tinong and your Lola Marcelina).

Note: My search for my Catague ancestral link to Bohol and Antique have not been answered. Again, if you are reading this blog and know of residents from Catague, Bohol, Philippines, I like to hear from you!

My Eight Years of Blogging Activities

Last month was my 8th year anniversary of blogging. My first posting was on July 7, 2008 advertising my beach house in Boac, Marinduque, Chateau Du Mer and the island of Marinduque as a tourist spot in the Philippines (see attached).

Today, I have written more than 1,700 postings and had over 3 million views. If you are my blog followers(30) you know that I write mostly from personal experiences. I have written on a variety of topics except politics and religion. I blog because I love writing as well as exercise my aging brain and also to inform. I have attempted quitting twice during this eight year of writing. However, because of a number of comments from readers that they enjoyed reading my blogs (simple writing and direct to a point), I decided to continue blogging. I try to write at least three posts every week. Incidentally, besides my blogs(ten), I have also a writing account on HubPages.com

Currently, I am averaging about 200 readers per day. Please continue reading my blogs and will appreciate any comments, positive or negative.
http://marinduqueawaitsyou.blogspot.com/2008/07/tired-of-city-living-visit-marinduque.html#comments

Victoriano Catague and Marcelina Javellana were My Great Grand Parents

My Father Dr. David Jamili Javellana K(C)atague,(DDS)-son of Roberto Catague, grandson of Victoriano Catague and great grandson of Don Manuel Javellana and Gertrudis Lopez of Jaro, Iloilo, Philippines. My father changed the first letter of his surname from C to K when he was in elementary school.

Marcelina Lopez Javellana, my great grand mother was the youngest daughter of Don Manuel Javellana and Dona Gerteudis Lopez from Jaro, Iloilo as listed in Nereo Lujan blog, www. javellana.wordpress.com. However, until now I have no definite information on the the parents of my great grand father, Victoriano Catague.

However, when I was a child I overheard from my father, Dr. David Jamili K(C)atague, that his grand father was from Antique( Barbaza or Culasi?). If this is true it will explain why there are several families with the surname Catague in the province of Antique. In my search for information on the parents, brothers and relatives of Victoriano, I have initiated contacts with several Catague relatives from the Philippines. One of these relatives is my aunt Daisy Catague Cababasay. Incidentally, there is a town in the province of Bohol, named Catague. I am curious if there is link of the Catagues from Bohol to that in Iloilo, Antique, Guimaras or Negros Occidental!

Map of Catague, Bohol, Philippines, Catague is a 4th class municipality located in Central Bohol. It has a population of about 20,000 and near the Chocolate Hills- a popular tourist attraction of the province.

Daisy is my Dad first cousin. Her Dad and my grandfather were brothers. Daisy calls me Nong David because I am older, although she is my aunt. Daisy and I had enjoyable and nostalgic conversations about relatives during the time when I was gathering confirmation regarding my great, great grand parents: Don Manuel Javellana and Dona Gertrudis Lopez from Iloilo, Philippines (www.javellana.wordpress.com). Here are excerpts of our conversations via FaceBook .

Aunt Daisy: Good morning Nong David according to my Papa, Victoriano Catague and Marcelina Javellana are my father's parents so they are my grand parents.

My Father's name is MANUEL JAVELLANA CATAGUE the youngest of 7 siblings namely Roberto, your grand father, his son David Sr is your father. His siblings were RUPERTO CATAGUE, Nanay ESPERANZA (nay Pansay)who married a Benedicto they settle in Guimaras, Nanay JULIETA (nay julet), Nanay ROSARIO CATAGUE CAVANAS( Nanay Chayong). Naabutan ko pa ni sya( she was still alive and remember her) because we Mama and Papa used to visit her in Delgado street in Iloilo City.

Her children were Nang Carol Cavanas Piccio(d), Nang Virginia(d), Nang Angie(d),and Nong Vicente (d). Naabutan ko pa ni sila tanan because I used to live in Delgado when I studied Cosmetology because they have a beauty parlor and the last one that I can recall is Nanay INCARNACION. When I was connected with the Department of Finance I traveled a lot to Guimaras, Binalbagan, Magallion, Bacolod, San Carlos and Antique in search for my roots.

Me: Daisy, these are very informative vignettes and I appreciate it. Yes, I remember very well our visit in Delgado. Thank you, I did not know that the name of my grand father was Roberto. So is Victoriano also the grandfather of my Dad? The reason for my query was a question for Nereo Lujan author of the blog www. Javellana, wordpress.com. Please read the blog, there is a lot of information about the Javellana ancestry.

Daisy let me know if I am correct: My grand father's name was Roberto and my grand mothers name was Consolacion Golez Jamili. They have three boys ( Guillermo, David( my Dad) and Julio). When Roberto died, Consolacion married Ruperto, the younger brother. They have seven or nine? Children, the youngest is Adela. They were raised in Binalbagan, Neg Occidental.

Adela has a son ( Roberto)who was a retired major residing in Oton, Iloilo. They have a stall in the public market in Oton. I do remember my visit in Binalbagan when I was a boy as well as our visit in the public market stall with Manang Adela. Have you read Nereo's wordpress blog ? Nereo's knows one of your daughter?

Daisy: Hello and good morning Nong David......yes you are right your grand father is Tay Berto and when he died his younger brother RUPERTO or Tay Perto married Consolacion. I didnt know their other children except for Nang Adela kay naabutan ko pa siya before she looked like Amor Katague Gregorio, your youngest sister.

When we were residing in San Carlos City Negros Occidental the Catague Clans from Magalion and Binalbagan used to visit us but I was very small then......anyway...when we came back here in Iloilo and when I was in college I spent my On the Job Training (OJT) at camp Delgado where Major Roberto Katague Guillergan , son of Nang Adela was the head of the Finance Department in Camp Delgado.

My brother Jose Catague who just passed away last Nov 20, 2015 introduced me to him in the 80's.....so when Nang Adela died we went to Oton for her wake. I was already married then...and attended her funeral......my Papa Manuel also told us before that during the war...Nang Adelas family were assassinated by the Japanese imperial army.....all were dead except for some few people including Nang Adela because they lay still bathe with blood and play dead that according to my father's story.

When I was at my Aunt's Nanay Chayong's house in Delgado, I meet one of my cousins Nang Alma Velez Alger. She is the daughter of Aunt Nanay Incar (Incarnation ). Nang alma's family is at Molo, iloilo City and we became close with one of her sons Rene Alger because Rene and my husband were office mates in SEAFDEC before. When he knew I was a CATAGUE he made an effort to connect with us. It just saddened me nong David that everyone who know best about our family is passing away. I just lost my last brother JOSE CATAGUE, now there's only 6 of us all girls left.

Nereo Cajilig Lujan has already contacted me we became friends in Facebook and yes she know my daughter Pam because there were together in some events about tourism. My daughter Pam is connected with the department of tourism regional office here in Iloilo. I have not read Nereo's blog at the moment but I will try later thank you Nong David......my dear nephew right ? hahahahah God bless you and your family always keep safe ❤ and oh...my husband and I will be in Houston, Texas this March. I hope we get a chance to meet each other soon..........❤

Me: I enjoyed reading all the above vignettes of our relatives and our ancestry. Another question, do you know our exact relation to Fernando Catague, the famous painter who hails from Antique? Fernando's father was Andres Catague from Antique. The story of Nang Adela's family blood bath during the Japanese occupation interests me. It should be documented.

The Japanese bloodbath of my aunts family above was similar to the bloodbath the Noel Balleza clan ( relatives of my mother Paz Barrido Balleza)of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo had suffered during the Japanese-American War in the Philippines. These events should be documented, so we can learn a lesson from the above atrocities.

Note: If you read this blog and have friends and relatives who hailed from Catague, Bohol, please contact me via FaceBook or comment in this blog.