There has always been a rumor in the family that we are related to the famous Luna brothers: Antonio and Juan. Now that there is an Oscar-bound film, Heneral Luna, the rumor has again surfaced. This time a cousin's daughter has done some research and found documentation that indeed we are related.
My mother, Esperanza Luna, is the daughter of Gerardo Luna and Teodorica Santos Ocampo. Gerardo Luna is the son of Joaquin Luna, the brother of Antonio and Juan ,and 4 other siblings (Manuel, Remedios, Numeriana, Jose). Joaquin is named after his father: Joaquin Posadas Luna de San Pedro and his mother is Laureana Ancheta Luna.
The information is scanty but there are fragments to go on with.
My older siblings who lived with our Ingkong and Impo in Mandaluyong said that Ingkong had mentioned that we are related to Antonio and Juan but that is where the stories end. Another cousin said that he remembers my mother's brother, Ben, often talked about his grandfather Joaquin as a frequent traveler between Baguio, Ilocos (La Union), and Manila. Well, it figures now since documents say that he was a government agent for the tobacco industry. Namacpacan, a town in La Union was renamed Luna in honor of Joaquin Luna.
The cousin who found the records on Joaquin Luna said that she saw the names of his children which includes Gerardo's name. But I asked her again to send me the link and she said she couldn't find it. Only that it was in a .gov.ph site.
Trolling around google, I found bits and pieces on the less-famous Luna brother, Joaquin. Before he became a Philippine Senator in 1916 for the 12th district in the first ever Philippine Legislature, he worked for the government in the tobacco industry. As a Senator, he introduced a bill that created the first state-owned school of music that would later become the UP Conservatory of Music.
Oh, did I say that my Ingkong was a violin teacher? Okay, so there is that musical connection.
Another fragment said that in 1903, he was also sent as an agent of the Philippines to the St Louis World Fair.
In 1917, he was appointed governor of Mt Province.
I haven't yet found anything about Joaquin's marriage to FIlomena Baltazar.
At least there is a trail now. Stories await.
Wow you are related to me then. Joaquin Luna's second partner was my great grandma, Dolores Vital Luna. Dolores and Joaquin had three children, two girls and one boy. My grandma was also named Esperanza Aida. But she went by her stage name.
ReplyDeleteI just saw this, Isadora. Glad to meet you. Am still trying to find more pieces to the story of Joaquin Luna. Pls share more.
DeleteMy name is Walter van den Broeck, I'm the youngest grandson of Peter Jules van den Broeck, Dolores first husband, with whom she had two children: Robert Sidney, my father and Gracia Helena, my aunt.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm nearly 75 years old, I'm very pleased to meet you.
I live in Belgium.
Do you, by any chance happen to know when Dolores and Joaquin
married? It would be a great help.
Many thanks in advance!
walter.vandenbroeck@telenet.be
Walter, I just saw this comment. I don't have any details of Joaquin's story. I wish I know more. Please share more stories about Dolores.
Delete