“Unbelievable! Amazing! Really? Seriously? Are you kidding me?” These were some of the remarks made when I informed my friends, family members and relatives who themselves were not aware of this annual event.
Our family has proudly celebrated reunions for 184 years- with no interruption! Not even the Spanish-American war, the Philippine revolution, World War II, the Japanese occupation, Martial Law and the EDSA revolution would deter our elders from carrying on with our family’s yearly tradition. This year, 362 attendees, plus another 30-40 unregistered, happily joined us in family unity, which we held in barangay Himaao, Pili, Camarines Surr.
We trace our family ancestry to CALIXTO GUEVARA and FELICIANA VARGAS who lived in Pili, Camarines Sur. Back then, the small town had a couple of streets running parallel to the provincial road and a few cross streets that connected the parallel streets on both sides of the main thoroughfare. There was only a smattering of residential houses, and many lots were vacant. Calixto and Feliciana came from respectable families and led simple lives. They tirelessly worked on their land. Devoted to their faith, they practiced tinagba, the traditional Bicolano ritual of offering the best produce of the land to the church in gratitude for abundant harvests and continued prosperity.
DIECINUEVE
The Feast Day of St. Joseph is celebrated on March 19 every year in the Catholic calendar. In 1840, with wisdom guided by their faith, our great grandparents, Calixto and Feliciana, chose to honor and revere Saint Joseph, Protector of the Holy Family, as they continued to offer tinagba to the church. Amidst their daily chores, farm work, and demands of family life, they made sure to dedicate space and time to the practice of thanksgiving. With their eight children of four women and four men, they began the tradition of giving thanks to God through their devotion to St. Joseph for the blessings of bountiful harvests and prayers of intercession for their growing family.
It was also decided that the annual observance of this feast, called Diecinueve, meaning the 19th day of March, would include the celebration of a family reunion to be held on a rotation basis among the eight children. This legacy lives on to this day as the children and descendants honor the memory of Calixto and Feliciana. This year we happily celebrated our 184th reunion!
The eight children are in order of age as follows:
- CARLOTA GUEVARA married to Gregorio Polanes
- JUANA GUEVARA married to Antonino Velarde
- ISIDRO GUEVARA married to Nazaria Baldovino
- PEDRO GUEVARA married to Antonio Botor
- ANTONIA GUEVARA married to Toribio Barroza
- JUAN GUEVARA married to Francisca Nagrampa
- SIMON GUEVARA married Andrea Iraula
- CIRIACA GUEVARA married to Pablo Nagrampa
Two of the Guevara children, Juan and Ciriaca, married into the Nagrampa family, one of the founding families of Iriga City, Camarines Sur. Together with their other Guevara siblings they decided to establish a homestead in barangay Himaao, about 12 kilometers from the población of Pili, where they practically acquired all the land, and some areas near the población itself. Our aunts and uncle had rice lands while my father had several hectares planted to citrus, kalamansi and mandarin oranges. In later years, all the farms were planted with sugar cane.
In the course of many years, the family tree has grown bigger, and more family names have been added because of marriages. The family members have now grouped themselves as follows:
Group I – Carlota Guevara/ Gregorio Polanes and their descendants are now represented by the families of the children of Braulio Velarde married to Geronima Barrameda, originally descendants of Group II but who have taken over Group I who were childless. This was resorted to in order to keep the number of the groups at eight on a rotation basis. The family names that constitute the group are Velarde, Martinez, Plopinio, Aquino, Tandog, Margallo, Juaneza, Arejola, Navarette, Pacis, Patrocinio, Remitera, Malali, Clasio, Gomez, Blancada, Ranada, Melano, Alaro, Deocarisa, Morato, Torres, Levin, Torsar, Bonador, Ocampo, Garcia and their families. Lt. Col. Jose Barrameda Velarde served as Mayor of Pili for 12 years (1967-1979) and Vice Governor (under Governor Fuentebella (1980-1986).
Group II – Juana Guevara/ Antonino Velarde and their descendants are now represented by the children of Abdon Velarde married to Gavina Prado, Josefina Regullano, and Rosa Sto. Domingo. The family names that constitute the group are Velarde, Dayrit, Tayag, Federico, Panambo, Maligat, Yu, Montero, Lanzuela, Perez, Quinones, Seraspi, Arejola, Gadi and their families.
Group III – Isidro Guevara/ Nazaria Baldovino and their descendants are now represented by the families of the children of Roque Pardinas, married to Juana Sarion. The family names that constitute the group are Pardinas, Rabacal, Magpoc, Albano, Escalano, Bernas, Reonal, Balahi, Labachado, Sequera, Bermido, Bongon, and their families.
Group IV – Pedro Guevara/ Antonia Botor and their descendants are now represented by the families of the children of Felix Guevara, married to Anacleta Arca. The family names that constitute the group are Guevara, Villarico, Felio, San Carlos, Zaldivar, Mallari, Herand, Snaer, Dizon and their families.
Group V – Antonia Guevara/ Toribio Barroza and their descendants are now Group V is now represented by the families of the children of Patricio and Felipe Barroza. The family names that constitute the group are: Barroza, Gallarte, Buzon, Esplana and their families.
Group VI – Juan Guevara/ Francisca Nagrampa and their descendants are now represented by the families of the children of Rosendo Vales. The family names that constitute the group are Vales, Orcine, Ombao, Fontillas, Cavite, Marpori, Villamor, Imperial, Policarpio, Enriquez, Ramos, Dames, Gatdula, Canuto and their families.
Group VII – Simon Guevara/ Andrea Iraula and their descendants are now represented by the families of the children of Francisco and Proceso Victorino. The family names that constitute the group are: Victorino, Ranola, Vargas, Brizuela and their families.
Group VIII – Ciriaca Guevara/ Pablo Nagrampa and their descendants are now represented by the families of the children of Tomas Nagrampa married to Angela Formalejo. The family names that constitute the group are: Nagrampa (3), Sarte, Ceron, de Leon, Briones, Lumabe and their families. The second child of Ciriaca and Pablo, Francisca, includes Rono, Servino, Villamer and their families. Mayor Timotheo Sarte whose family is from Polangui, Albay served as Mayor of Pili (1960-1963).
TURNO 8, now represented by 4th generation descendants of Ciriaca Guevara and Pablo Nagrampa, was the Diecinueve host in 2024. Our 184th celebration of family unity was held in St. Francis of Assisi Church, Himaao, Pili. Mass was celebrated on the church’s top floor and the reception was at the ground floor. A huge canopy was set up along the entire west side of the church to accommodate more tables and seats for the guests. The Novenas for St. Joseph were held at the Himaao homes of the Group 8 families, with members hosting a day at a time for nine days.
HONOR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER
By observing the 10th Commandment, the Clan’s descendants are motivated to sustain their tradition every year.
The achievements of the descendants have brought honor to Calixto and Feliciana. In an article by family member, Col. Antonino S. Velarde II, dental surgeon, Philippine Air Force, wrote regarding the clan’s 154th reunion 30 years ago in 1994:
The clan has produced a Justice of the Peace, a Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church, a Minister of the Protestant Church, a Nun, an elected Vice-Governor of Camarines Sur, Municipal Mayors, and Councilors of Pili. Some have become professionals in healthcare, law practice, aviation, education, and engineering. There were with the armed forces, both officers and enlisted, who fought during World War II, as active guerillas in Camarines Sur against the Japanese, others in the defense of Bataan and Corregidor. Some walked the Death March from Bataan to Pampanga, while others were taken as prisoners of war to the Japanese concentration camps in Capas, Tarlac.
After World War II, there were those who enlisted in the Vietnam war. Some members of the clan, especially the professionals, went abroad as immigrants or overseas contract workers. Able-bodied men of the third generation headed by Roque Pardiñas as Chief Carpenter/ Mason were involved in the construction of the old church in Pili under the “rabus” system (bayanihan). The activities and involvement of the members of the clan in religion, politics, education, military service, and other professions have contributed to the respectable reputation of the family name and the progressive advancement of the localities where the members reside.
As told by Maria Isabel De Leon Sarcilla, Lead Organizer of TURNO 8 for this year’s celebration in Barangay Himaao, Pili, Camarines Sur:
My enthusiasm and inspiration of pursuing the best for the Diecinueve Turno 8 celebration were the words of my mother, Isabel Nagrampa De Leon that seem to echo in my mind and heart that we, her children should try to be instrumental in the continuity of the Diecinueve. She inculcated in us the importance of the devotion to St. Joseph, whose feast we commemorate on the day of the Diecinueve.”
WHO AM I? WHO ARE WE?
A Reunion has its lasting impact on one’s life, like no others. It is about oneself as it is about remembering, reconnecting, celebrating, and honoring others. More importantly it is a gesture of utmost gratitude expressed in words, handshakes, hugs and kisses, smiles and laughter or sometimes, simply in appreciative silence. The reuniting experience can be soulful and invigorating, or sadly by choice, also bland and forgettable.
As for me, looking at childhood photos alone brings back a stream of vivid memories: good and bad, happy and sad, tame and wild. Inevitably, family reunions break open our ties with grandparents, parents, siblings, and numerous relatives of whom we have no choice to be a member of.
Family values, culture, tradition, religion, are some that are handed down like incessant rush of water in a river. There is no escape that somehow, they are imprinted in our psyche, or to use the jargon – DNA. A family reunion wakes us up time and again to answer the questions: WHO am I? WHO we are?
There is no denying that the celebration enveloped, on one hand, in gladness, hope and joy with the living, and on the other, in sadness, accompanied with grief, sorrow, anxiety, or even survivor’s guilt brought about by thoughts of family members who have gone before us. The wisdom of Calixto and Feliciana come into play when they have chosen to gather their family in a solemn ground, expressed in a ritual of faith, a novena to St. Joseph, Protector of the Holy Family, with a celebration of Mass to honor and thank God, and not just with a party, or a social gathering of sorts.
A CLAN REUNION
A CLAN reunion no less, is the legacy handed down by our Elders, honored and celebrated through 184 years by the succeeding generations. It is hard to fathom that the Diecinueve is even going strong in this day and age. Not even the recent pandemic of Covid- 19 deterred our family members from keeping the tradition. Social distancing was observed in a Mass attended by a limited number of our local folks in Pili during these past years of the pandemic. A good number of our Clan members were sadly decimated but nevertheless Faith and Hope kept us unbroken to keep the legacy alive. Grateful that the Covid-19 and its variants have dissipated, a physical gathering was renewed last year, 2023 by Group 7.
No longer fearful of any deterrents, this year’s 2024 celebration, hosted by our group TURNO 8, was attended by 362 family members, plus another 30-40 persons unregistered. Diecinueve is a testimony of human resilience, perseverance, hope and Faith.
Family Groups Gallery
INSIGHTS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS
Diecinueve this year, as well as in the past, was commemorated with the presence of multigenerational members. The craving to be present in future celebrations of this Clan Reunion is fueled by a “flame” felt by the attendees in order to capture the true essence of the Diecinueve.
Let me conclude by sharing some personal reflections from Group 8 members who relished the event:
N.S. Sarte, 86 years old, Spain:
I am the wife of a bonafide member of the Guevara-Vargas Clan, the TURNO 8 group that just sponsored the 184th year of the Diecinueve, a religious, thanksgiving Devotion being celebrated by 8 groups of families come every 19th of March.
I observed during the early years that the corresponding TURNO just took a few months in preparing for the occasion. In my case, I am lucky to have attended the Diecinueve sponsored by other groups. And our TURNO, twice. One, that was held in 2000 and this 2024 celebration. But our Group 8 today happened to have a one-year preparation, the idea has started from the Members abroad. Through all the years, only their parents and relatives participated. And so, the Members abroad firmly resolved to find time to go home and experience for themselves this reunion, especially because it happened to be our turn – TURNO 8. Also, bearing in mind that most of us have grown older with gray hair. There was a joke that said that if a person is not lucky, there may be no other chance to attend such family devotion. Ultimately, it depends on God’s will, of course.
As a whole, the TURNO 8 occasion was organized with innovations which the Group wanted to be so. We are all pleased and thankful to have attended the occasion. I am looking forward for the continuity and solemn celebration of this Clan’s devotion to St. Joseph.
Angelita “Angie” Nagrampa-Marshall, 65 years old, Texas:
It was a great privilege and an opportune time to experience the Diecinueve. This is a new beginning to know more about the paternal side of our Family. Growing up as young children, we were distant from my first Cousins and relatives because we lived way far from them. We were closer to our cousins in Mama’s side of the family because they lived in the same neighborhood as we did.
This 2024 Clan reunion, which was my FIRST appearance ever, and Group 8 being where my immediate family belongs was the host, was even more meaningful. Indeed, it was a great opportunity to begin building cross-generational relationships, share a lot of interfamily stories and hear about the Clan’s history.
This was a significant memorable event. Not only did the experience of the Clan’s devotion and reunion give me a chance to reminisce old precious memories but it created new happy, fun memories for me to cherish moving forward.
Shiela “Shiey” Briones-Nanola-Seminiano, a young adult, California:
I was very excited to attend the reunion because it was my chance to meet my relatives but I was not expecting to understand the history of Diecinueve….it was not merely a family reunion but it is rooted from a religious tradition having St. Joseph as the patron saint of the Clan. The family trees were also amazing although it was difficult to grasp in 1 day…creating a Facebook account – featuring the family trees will help the younger generation continue this tradition.
Donelle “Nene” Sarah Nanola-Razon, 14 years old, 9th Grade, California:
I learned a lot from my relatives and realized that I am part of a big Clan. I like the Family Tree presented by each group. I’m amazed how this Family Reunion has been passed on from generation to generation. But I’m just thinking, “How can this continue?” Maybe someone can create a Facebook account since the younger generation is more into social media.
It was worth it to miss several of my classes to go with my Parents to the Philippines to attend the Reunion. I was surprised to see how big the FAMILY is. I will attend the Reunion again when the opportunity arises. I will also encourage Cousins-my-age to go. And yes, I met several cousins of my age.
Evelyn Servino-Aycardo, 71 years old, Manila, Philippines:
From us, the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of Francisca/Bruno. We express our heartfelt gratitude to the organizers and to everyone involved in making this grand Reunion a tremendous success. There is no joy in the world that can compare to the warmth and love from FAMILY and your dedication made all of that possible.
Muli, maraming, maraming salamat sa lahat na naglaan ng oras para maging matagumpay ang ating Reunion. Umaasa kaming mapapanatiling buhay ang ating tradisyon sa mahabang panahon.
Pagpalain pa nawa ng Diyos ang bawat isa sa atin at lahat na mahal natin sa buhay.
Featured Reunion Videos
Credit to Ted Ramores of Turno 8 who produced and edited these videos. He presented the documentary about the history of the clan reunion during the program held at the St. Joseph Hall in St. Francis Assisi Church in Himaao, Pili.
CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO OF THE EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION AND RECEPTION
CLICK TO VIEW THE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE GUEVARA-VARGAS CLAN
Editors’ notes: Photo and video credits including header image: Angela Nagrampa, Ted V. Ramores, Ruby S. Turiano Ramores, and Carolyn Turiano. In 2025, the clan reunion will be hosted by the Group 1 family members in Pili, Camarines Sur. Please await the family’s announcements.)
About the author
ANGELA MORALLO-NAGRAMPA has 36 years’ experience in therapeutic and substance abuse and vocational rehabitation and prevention counseling in the Behavioral Health Care Services and Superior Court of Alameda County, California. She also directed a Residential Program, and a Day Habilitative Program with Not-for-Profit agencies contracted by Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, serving the mentally ill and dual-diagnosed (addiction) clients.
She completed her MA in Counseling Psychology, Holy Names University, Oakland, California, USA; MA in Social Psychology, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines; and BS in Business Administration, Marketing, Ateneo de Naga University, Naga City, Philippines. She was an Elementary & High School graduate from Universidad de Sta. Isabel, Naga City, Philippines.
In the Philippines, she worked as a Professor in De La Salle University, Manila and Meriam College ( formerly Maryknoll College) Quezon City; Sr. Manager, Human Resources, BANCOM, Inc. (now Union Bank of the Philippines). Currently, she volunteers in San Leandro California as a member of the Police Chief Advisory Board ( CAB).