Ang Aming Angkan

Jose Rizal, our national hero, was also called "Pepe".

The nickname is something every Pinoy parent plans about the same time they come up with their child’s “real name”.  For example, my nickname is Monette; and I have two sisters named Suzzette and Nanette — no way that was a fun coincidence.

Growing up, childhood nicknames brand us.  Calling an acquaintance by a nickname elicits a sense of immediate familiarity.  The Pinoy practice of calling complete strangers Tito-Tita (uncle-aunt), Kuya-Ate (big brother-sister) and Manong-Manang (big brother-sister) feeds that very need for familial intimacy.  Politicians make up traditional nicknames to appear more approachable to their constituents.  In a visit to Bicol years back, my husband’s cousin (who also happened to be mayor) introduced me as “Monang”, which temporarily disguised my pseudo-urban upbringing.

To paraphrase the Pinoy comedian Rex Navarrete , every Filipino family is required by law to have a “Boy” and a “Baby” – or at least, it feels that way.  Each region has their own version of these nicknames, often reserved for the youngest of the siblings, regardless of how phonetically distant their “real” names are.  These uniquely Filipino defaults are “Boboy”, “Nonoy”, “Totoy”, ”Inday”, “Ineng”, “Neneng”, among many.

In conversations I’ve had over the years over my family history, it is very common for relatives to forget real names.  I am stuck with an “Inkong This” or “Mamay That” to work with.  So in the service of those who will walk down the same path I did, here are traditional Filipino nicknames and their likely equivalents.  

I started with my own database; but do send me your Lolo’s and Lola’s nicks, sans the westernized names, at monaveluz@gmail.com.  I’d be happy to include them here.

(Aming Angkan’s ”All in the Family” series looks into familial ties that bind the famous and the infamous.)

Noynoy Aquino comes from a political bloodline that has shaped the country for over a hundred years.  Even the women with whom these men shared their lives have secured their places in history, by ancestry and/or by accomplishment.

Here, I’ve summarized information Nick Joaquin unearthed and published in this fascinating book, “The Aquino’s of Tarlac”:

Generation 5.  Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Cojuangco Aquino (1950-).   President of the Philippines, 2010-2016.  Senator, 2007-2010.  Congressman of the 3rd District of Tarlac, 1998-2007.

Generation 4.  Benigno Simeon “Ninoy” Aquino Aquino (1932-1983).  Senator, 1967-2007.  Governor of Tarlac, 1961-1967.  Vice-Governnor of Tarlac, 1959-1961.  Mayor of Concepcion, Tarlac, 1955-1959.  His wife:  Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco, an heiress to the Cojuangco fortune and eventually, President of the Philippines.

Generation 3.  Benigno Simeon “Igno” Quiambao Aquino (1894-1947).  Speaker of the House of Representative, 1943-1944.  Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce, 1938-1941.  Assemblyman of the 2nd District of Tarlac, 1935-1938.  Representative of the 2nd District of Tarlac, 1928-1934.  Senator, 1919-1928.  His first wife:  Maria Valeriana Urquico, the bolo-waving daughter of Katipunero Antonio Urquico.

Generation 2.  Servillano “Mianong” Aguilar Aquino (1874-1959).  General in President Aguinaldo’s army.  Delegate to the Malolos Congress.  Military Governor of Tarlac, 1898.  Mayor of Mucia, Tarlac, 1897.  Katipunan Member, 1896.  His first wife:  Guadalupe Tañedo Quiambao was the daughter of Pablo Quiambao, a Macabebe scion-turned-Robin Hood.  Pregnant, she fought off Spanish soldiers who attacked her home.  She died in the encounter, with a bolo in one hand and a dagger in the other.

Generation 1.  Braulio Aquino.  Mayor of Concepcion, Tarlac, 1885-1887.  His wife:  Maria Antonina Petrona Aguilar de Hipolito, the great-granddaughter of Angel Pantaleon de Miranda (founder of Angeles, Pampanga) and the niece of Mariano V. Henson (the Mayor of Angeles).

PBA Stars «    All in the Family Series     »  The Road to EDSA

(Aming Angkan’s ”All in the Family” series looks into familial ties that bind the famous and the infamous.) 

So, which professional players in the PBA are related?

The colorful rivalry between the Crispa Redmanizers and the Toyota Tamaraws captured the attention of our baskeball-crazy nation back in the 1970s.  At the forefront of the on- and off-court action were Robert Jaworski for Toyota and Philip Cezar for Crispa.  Both were known for their physical game and passionate love for the sport.  The two eventually worked together as players-coaches of Ginebra San Miguel.

Robert Jaworski and Philip Cezar are separated by 21 genealogical steps.  They do not share a bloodline; but Cezar is the nephew of the husband of the grandaunt of the wife of the second cousin of the husband of the first cousin of the husband of the mother of Jaworski.  Another way to see the relationship:  Cezar is the second cousin once removed of the wife of the second cousin of the husband of the first cousin of the husband of the mother of Jaworksi.

Robert Salazar Jaworski → his mother, Lou Salazar → her husband, Fernando Clemente Bonnevie → his mother Trinidad de la Rosa Clemente → her father Moises Clemente → his son, Luis de la Rosa Clemente →  his daughter, Elizabeth Sabong Clemente → her husband, Lorenzo Escartin Calleja → his father, Mariano Malonda Calleja → his father, Lorenzo Calleja → his father, Gonzales Dietz → his son, Ignacio Calleja → his daughter, Angelina Calleja Serrano → her son, Melchor Veluz → his wife, Mona Liza San Diego Magno → her father, Carlo Ricardo Hernandez Magno → her mother, Fredesvinda Francisco Hernandez → her mother, Candelaria Francisco → her mother, Narcisa Francisco → her daughter, Leoncia Francisco → her son, David Francisco Cezar → his son, Philip Dudley Cezar

Another PBA cager, James Yap, shares a closer link to Robert Jaworski, via marriages into the Cojuanco-Aquino Family, with only 7 genelogical steps separating them.  Yap is the husband of the first cousin of the wife of the son of Jaworski.

Robert Salazar Jaworski → his son, Robert Vincent Jude “Dudut” Bautista Jaworski → his wife, Mikael Maria Antonia “Mikee” de los Reyes Cojuangco → her father, Jose Sumulong Cojuangco → his father, Jose “Peping” Chichioco Cojuangco → his daughter, Maria Corazon “Cory” Sumulong Cojuangco → her daughter, Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino → her husband, James Yap

Pinoy Politicians  «     All in the Family Series     »  The Aquino’s of Tarlac

Family History Research Notes

1.  Philip Dudley Cezar’s Family Tree can be found on Geni.com.
2.  Robert Salazar Jaworski’s Family Tree can be found on Geni.com.