Victoriano Catague and Marcelina Javellana were My Great Grand Parents

My Father Dr. David Jamili Javellana K(C)atague,(DDS)-son of Roberto Catague, grandson of Victoriano Catague and great grandson of Don Manuel Javellana and Gertrudis Lopez of Jaro, Iloilo, Philippines. My father changed the first letter of his surname from C to K when he was in elementary school.

Marcelina Lopez Javellana, my great grand mother was the youngest daughter of Don Manuel Javellana and Dona Gerteudis Lopez from Jaro, Iloilo as listed in Nereo Lujan blog, www. javellana.wordpress.com. However, until now I have no definite information on the the parents of my great grand father, Victoriano Catague.

However, when I was a child I overheard from my father, Dr. David Jamili K(C)atague, that his grand father was from Antique( Barbaza or Culasi?). If this is true it will explain why there are several families with the surname Catague in the province of Antique. In my search for information on the parents, brothers and relatives of Victoriano, I have initiated contacts with several Catague relatives from the Philippines. One of these relatives is my aunt Daisy Catague Cababasay. Incidentally, there is a town in the province of Bohol, named Catague. I am curious if there is link of the Catagues from Bohol to that in Iloilo, Antique, Guimaras or Negros Occidental!

Map of Catague, Bohol, Philippines, Catague is a 4th class municipality located in Central Bohol. It has a population of about 20,000 and near the Chocolate Hills- a popular tourist attraction of the province.

Daisy is my Dad first cousin. Her Dad and my grandfather were brothers. Daisy calls me Nong David because I am older, although she is my aunt. Daisy and I had enjoyable and nostalgic conversations about relatives during the time when I was gathering confirmation regarding my great, great grand parents: Don Manuel Javellana and Dona Gertrudis Lopez from Iloilo, Philippines (www.javellana.wordpress.com). Here are excerpts of our conversations via FaceBook .

Aunt Daisy: Good morning Nong David according to my Papa, Victoriano Catague and Marcelina Javellana are my father's parents so they are my grand parents.

My Father's name is MANUEL JAVELLANA CATAGUE the youngest of 7 siblings namely Roberto, your grand father, his son David Sr is your father. His siblings were RUPERTO CATAGUE, Nanay ESPERANZA (nay Pansay)who married a Benedicto they settle in Guimaras, Nanay JULIETA (nay julet), Nanay ROSARIO CATAGUE CAVANAS( Nanay Chayong). Naabutan ko pa ni sya( she was still alive and remember her) because we Mama and Papa used to visit her in Delgado street in Iloilo City.

Her children were Nang Carol Cavanas Piccio(d), Nang Virginia(d), Nang Angie(d),and Nong Vicente (d). Naabutan ko pa ni sila tanan because I used to live in Delgado when I studied Cosmetology because they have a beauty parlor and the last one that I can recall is Nanay INCARNACION. When I was connected with the Department of Finance I traveled a lot to Guimaras, Binalbagan, Magallion, Bacolod, San Carlos and Antique in search for my roots.

Me: Daisy, these are very informative vignettes and I appreciate it. Yes, I remember very well our visit in Delgado. Thank you, I did not know that the name of my grand father was Roberto. So is Victoriano also the grandfather of my Dad? The reason for my query was a question for Nereo Lujan author of the blog www. Javellana, wordpress.com. Please read the blog, there is a lot of information about the Javellana ancestry.

Daisy let me know if I am correct: My grand father's name was Roberto and my grand mothers name was Consolacion Golez Jamili. They have three boys ( Guillermo, David( my Dad) and Julio). When Roberto died, Consolacion married Ruperto, the younger brother. They have seven or nine? Children, the youngest is Adela. They were raised in Binalbagan, Neg Occidental.

Adela has a son ( Roberto)who was a retired major residing in Oton, Iloilo. They have a stall in the public market in Oton. I do remember my visit in Binalbagan when I was a boy as well as our visit in the public market stall with Manang Adela. Have you read Nereo's wordpress blog ? Nereo's knows one of your daughter?

Daisy: Hello and good morning Nong David......yes you are right your grand father is Tay Berto and when he died his younger brother RUPERTO or Tay Perto married Consolacion. I didnt know their other children except for Nang Adela kay naabutan ko pa siya before she looked like Amor Katague Gregorio, your youngest sister.

When we were residing in San Carlos City Negros Occidental the Catague Clans from Magalion and Binalbagan used to visit us but I was very small then......anyway...when we came back here in Iloilo and when I was in college I spent my On the Job Training (OJT) at camp Delgado where Major Roberto Katague Guillergan , son of Nang Adela was the head of the Finance Department in Camp Delgado.

My brother Jose Catague who just passed away last Nov 20, 2015 introduced me to him in the 80's.....so when Nang Adela died we went to Oton for her wake. I was already married then...and attended her funeral......my Papa Manuel also told us before that during the war...Nang Adelas family were assassinated by the Japanese imperial army.....all were dead except for some few people including Nang Adela because they lay still bathe with blood and play dead that according to my father's story.

When I was at my Aunt's Nanay Chayong's house in Delgado, I meet one of my cousins Nang Alma Velez Alger. She is the daughter of Aunt Nanay Incar (Incarnation ). Nang alma's family is at Molo, iloilo City and we became close with one of her sons Rene Alger because Rene and my husband were office mates in SEAFDEC before. When he knew I was a CATAGUE he made an effort to connect with us. It just saddened me nong David that everyone who know best about our family is passing away. I just lost my last brother JOSE CATAGUE, now there's only 6 of us all girls left.

Nereo Cajilig Lujan has already contacted me we became friends in Facebook and yes she know my daughter Pam because there were together in some events about tourism. My daughter Pam is connected with the department of tourism regional office here in Iloilo. I have not read Nereo's blog at the moment but I will try later thank you Nong David......my dear nephew right ? hahahahah God bless you and your family always keep safe ❤ and oh...my husband and I will be in Houston, Texas this March. I hope we get a chance to meet each other soon..........❤

Me: I enjoyed reading all the above vignettes of our relatives and our ancestry. Another question, do you know our exact relation to Fernando Catague, the famous painter who hails from Antique? Fernando's father was Andres Catague from Antique. The story of Nang Adela's family blood bath during the Japanese occupation interests me. It should be documented.

The Japanese bloodbath of my aunts family above was similar to the bloodbath the Noel Balleza clan ( relatives of my mother Paz Barrido Balleza)of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo had suffered during the Japanese-American War in the Philippines. These events should be documented, so we can learn a lesson from the above atrocities.

Note: If you read this blog and have friends and relatives who hailed from Catague, Bohol, please contact me via FaceBook or comment in this blog.