TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: My Father Receives Award 33 Years Later!!!

My father, Mariano Flores Manguerra, was born and raised in Santa Rosa, Laguna, in the island of Luzon, Northern Philippines. When he married my mother, Concepcion Cuenco Manguerra, they lived for a few years in Manila, but when World War II broke out, they went to Mindanao where Papa was a member of the guerrilla movement. After the war, they settled in Cebu, Southern Philippines. We, their children, grew up in a Cebuano culture, which is different from the culture of the Northerners. For instance, we spoke Cebuano, not Tagalog. Food preparation was slightly different in both places; behavioral styles were also slightly different.

Because we grew up in Cebu, we knew little about my father's family. My older siblings knew more than I did; it was my mother's family whom we spent time with and knew firsthand. Consequently, my father's family turned into names I had heard or seen in the bits and pieces of genealogical information that I've collected.

Thanks to Facebook, I connected with relatives of my father, specifically, they are the descendants of my father's oldest brother Pablito Manguerra. One of them, Celso Manguerra, arranged a family reunion in Santa Rosa, and there I met a first cousin whom I had never met before, Magdalena Manguerra Ramos, the daughter of my paternal uncle, the legendary "Kuya Pablito."

Not only did Magdalena, or Dey, share family stories, but she brought a Santa Rosa, Laguna Recognition Award for my father. Apparently, my father and his brother Pablo, were given this city award back in 1981, and Magdalena received both awards. Not knowing where to send my father's award, she kept it for over three decades.

My father would have been delighted with this award. He would have been pleased that I met his brother's daughter and grandchildren.

My brother too, who had been interested in our family genealogy, would also have been amused. (When he was alive, we spent countless hours discussing the Manguerra Family, speculating where the first Manguerra came from for instance - Spain or Portugal?)

So, dear Readers, I'm sharing with you pictures of my father's recognition award, Magdalena Manguerra Ramos, Edith Manguerra (in yellow) and Celso Manguerra (in red) and other members of Rodolfo Manguerra's descendants. The bottom pictures show a flooded rice paddy near the house where we had a wonder lunch prepared by Luvina.