TRACING MY BISAYAN ROOTS SERIES [1 of 3]
We are so blessed that Lola Atis celebrated her 100th birthday last weekend. I decided to travel to my hometown Capiz to seek the secret to living 100 years old and to finally find my Bisayan roots. I’ve never appreciated our family’s heritage until I visited Roxas City for the first time (after 34 years) and our Bukid in Sinabsaban, Cuardero in Capiz. Now, I can truly say that I’m a Bisaya and proud of our family’s heritage.
Would you like to know the secret to living 100 years old (and maybe longer)? But first let me tell you a story about our family…
Our Lola can still walk without any aid and can remember the birthdays of all her sons and daughters. She gave birth to a total of 10 children and outlived 2 of her daughters.
The entire Diaz-Fuentes Clan is now 272 with 65 Apo, 150 Apo sa Tuhod, and 47 Apo sa Talampakan.
I marveled at how big our clan is and even got to meet most of my first cousins. Check out the family photos of the entire clan (from panganay to bunso):
1. Angeles “Elis” Diaz (deceased) & Anacleto “Ito” Espinosa, Sr. (deceased) Family – Total of 52 Family Members
2. Gerardo “Raldo” Diaz and Innocencia “Ising” Ebuna Family – Total of 50 Family Members
3. Prospero “Pero” Diaz and Milagros “Lagring” Frantilanan Family – Total of 21 Family Members
4. Christita “Titang” Diaz and Apolinario “Poning” Francisco Family – Total of 89 Family Members (The Biggest Family)
5. Diosdada “Edith” Diaz and Maximino “Junior” Bermudo Family – Total of 34 Family Members
6. Angela “Lilang” Diaz and Teodolfo “Dolfo” Ebuna Family – Total of 36 Family Members
7. Our Awesome Family! Luzvimin “Vimin” Diaz and Emerita “Emy” Soria Family – Total of 10 Family Members
8. Amparo “Paring” Diaz (deceased) and Mariano “Dikyam” Roxas (deceased) Family – Total of 22
Family Members
9. Solomon “Mon” Diaz and Leticia “Letty” Alegano Family – Total of 39 Family Members
10. Alexander “Alex” Diaz and Carmen “Carmen” Bechayda Family – Total of 7 Family Members (The Bunso and smallest family in the clan)
My Dad gave the finale speech on behalf of the family because he is one of the most respected members of the Diaz-Fuentes clan. His full name is Luzvimin, which stands for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. So that would me make the son of the 3 biggest island groups in the Philippines. 🙂 I guess I’m really destined to promote our country.
The Diaz-Fuentes Clan had a family meeting for the first time. We decided to have an annual reunion and I was voted as the first Vice President in charge of coordinating with family members outside of our Capiz hometown. I welcome the appointment because I want to know our family on a deeper level.
After the celebration was over, I had a chat with my Lola about her secret to living 100 years old. I also interviewed our family with regard to the activities of Lola, particularly her diet. Check it out:
Top 7 Tips to Living an Awesome Life for 100+ Years according to my Lola Atis
7. Eat Vegetables that Crawl for Long Life. This would include tacway, alugbati, kalabasa, kamote, latoy, upo, ampalaya.
6. Eat lots of Banana. Lola always eats banana together with rice sometimes. It’s her favorite fruit.
5. Drink Lots of Water Only. Lola does not drink any softdrinks. She would sometimes drink Vino Kulafu, which is similar to the wine drank by priests. (Thanks, Angelo, for the right spelling. 🙂 )
4. Be a Pescetarian. Eat Fruits, Vegetables and Fish only. Lola does not eat any meat (Pork, Beef or Chicken) by choice. I thought before that you need to be a Vegetarian to live longer.
3. Eating Desserts is OK occasionally. Lola would eat ice candy sometimes in small quantities. This is good to know.
2. Exercise Every Morning. Lola would make it a point to do bending exercises and walking in the bukid to plant seeds. She loves gardening.
1. Most Importantly, Don’t forget to Pray and Thank God Everyday. My lola’s #1 secret in reaching 100 years old is that she does not forget about God. She always prays and thanks Him for all His blessings everyday.
Live an Awesome Life,
Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2009.
blog: www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
prof. blog: AntonDiaz.com
mobile: +63917-LOVEOAP (5683627)
email: anton@diaz.ph
wow! happy birthday to your lola! you have a big clan there and it looks like you had fun meeting all of them.
thanx for the tips although i think i will have a hard time keeping the “no meat” and “desserts occasionally” part, but ill keep them in mind =)
Anton, wow 100 years old! My maternal lola is already 88 and she’s still a rock star. She looks like she’s only in her sixties naturally, without cosmetic surgery. And my dad at age 70 has the energy of a 25 year old, I kid you not. Anyway, it’s mind-boggling to see how many relatives you have particularly because my family is so small. We operate like a Western family and just hang out among immediate family members (mom, dad, kids and apo), the antithesis to the Filipino clan. It must be amazing to have one of these grand reunions where everyone from the family tree shows up. Thanks for sharing! I’m on my way to living ’til 100 years old if I cross check your Lola’s longevity advice. I very rarely eat animal protein and exercise about 5 times a week. Just have to fit the banana into the eating regimen and tone down on the drinking (except for Vino Culapo). Hahaha!
Hi,such a huge clan! Anyway, I think it’s spelled Vino Kulafu. Looked it up on wiki and it’s described
Vino Kulafu is the Philippine’s most popular Chinese wine, competing with other Vino de Chinos, such as Sioktong…
FYI
I’ve also been to Roxas City, Capiz a couple of years ago and it actually served as my very first post in my blog. I like it there, the seafoods were freshest and overflowing! The sea breeze was finest. I guess eating DAMPA style originated from those islands in the Visayas. I suddenly reminisce my trip there which was work-related when I read your post here. I just didn’t like the airport, it was then small with stinky toilet.
I also come from a huge clan in Marikina and I know the happiness of having reunions. Congratz to your lola for living a century, we’re not even half of her age! More years of blessings to come.
i think it’s apo sa talampakan..haha.
happy birthday lola atis! congratulations for living a 100 years. God Bless po.
If you live In province it is applicable to have Lola`s lifestyle.
I doubt in manila area.
this is sooo cool!!! i’ve always been wanting to trace our family…cant wait to start doing this na din… hehehe
love the color schemes per family… hehehe so fun to look at… 😀
Wow!! Truly Awesome! Celebrating your 100th birthday with all your family members around. What more can you ask for? ^^
amazing! happy birthday to your lola and happy reunion to your big family! 🙂
wow you are really big in a family. sarap ng reunion nyan. I also met a 102 year old man at Batanes and according to him, he stayed long because of those things that you mentioned.
Wow, such a big extended family you have there, Anton. And happy birthday to your Lola. She definitely looks healthy. I wouldn’t have known she’s 100 years old.
Plus, it’s so nice to know that we are magkababayan. My mom also hails from Capiz (Casanayan, stone’s throw away from Iloilo) 🙂
Happy birthday to your lola, Anton! Ang cute n’yo naman — wearing color coordinated shirts per family! How organized! You have a big clan! Bagay talaga that you married Rache — her family’s the largest in our clan. Hahaha!
This is truly awesome Anton 🙂 Very few can organize such big family reunion.I do remember when I was a kid we have also organize reunion like this but it happened only once…I’m really proud of you and reading this blog suddenly urge me to recall my family clan 🙂
my lola is 95 years old too. and she loves banana too.
i guess i wouldn’t be a candidate to live that long — not really fond of bananas!
Thank you very much for sharing your lola with us and her secrets :). She inspires my husband and I. May Love and Light continiously be showered upon her and your big family! – Johanna Diaz
hi kuya anton, good day..i am so glad that i stumbled into your blog today as i was googling “mother’s day in Philippines” and i found the PI calendar you made. Glad to know that you are proud to be a Bisaya. 🙂 I am a pure-blooded Boholana and I am so proud of my roots too. Your blog is very inspiring. I’ll be back for more readings for sure. Keep on blogging kuya.God bless.
Our lunch today was deep-fried pork sticks with flour and pepper from S&R, talbos ng kamote and adobong manok with potatoes. I’ll betcha walang take-out McDo ang diet ng lola nyo. Gleng, gleng.
wow! happy birthday Lola! 🙂
great tips! and of course that has been treasured in our family. para to live longer like your lola. my husband’s lola is 93.
🙂
happy burfday lola!
and you got a great big happy family!!!
😀 nakakatuwa… pinakamarami nanamin ang 50.
Thanks so much 🙂
I’m sure walang junk food 🙂
anton
Haha, ano kaya ang meron sa banana…
Yeah, I just appreciated how large our clan was. It’s never too late to
appreciate your roots / family 🙂
Oo nga ang laki rin ng chinese clan niyo… hehe.
Bisaya or Binisaya refers to spoken Visayan Language. If you’re from CApiz, then you’re a CApiznon or a CApizeno. Capiznons speak Hiligaynon. FYI. 🙂 Cheers to your Lola!
Congratulations to your Lola and your family. My maternal Lola will be turning 100 years old this coming June 21, 2009. We are also planning a family reunion with family members from all over the globe participating in said event. It is hard and very much a challenge to plan something when everyone is all over the place. You did an excellent job having pulled everything to together for your Lola. Congratulations once again!!!
Good Luck! I guess there are a few lolas who are turning 100… ang galing.
A centennial birthday is really worth celebrating with a family reunion.
Make sure you have a family tree to share with everybody 🙂
Yeah I was a bit confused about these. Thanks for clarifying this!
anton
Anton, gawa kayo ng family tree! Having a regular reunion as you first planned it is great!
Thanks for the suggestion 🙂 My lola just died this year and we are
still thinking when to hold the reunion to keep the family ties
stronger.
Wow!..ang laki ng Fuentes clan…I am a Fuentes also from Aklan..and according to my dad, Fuentes from Capiz are our relatives also..i hope you can trace the roots..our great great grand father was Don Basilio Fuentes..dont know if your lola knows him..they said we’re distantly related to the great Jovita Fuentes.
Well, it’s nice to know more about Fuentes outside Aklan.
Have a nice day..and my regards to your lola.
oh..i missed your last post…sorry to hear that.
amazing! happy birthday to your lola and happy reunion to your big family! 🙂