Baliwag Church

This is the Baliwag Church how it looks today.  This is where Friar Fausto Lopez conducted his duties as parish priest.  There are many very rich persons who originated (and some still live there)  from Baliwag, who, during Good Friday, try to outdo one other by putting up carriages with very elaborate and impressive depictions of the Passion of Christ.  The number of carriages that have joined the procession have reached over 150.  The cost of each carriage runs into millions of pesos.  The owners and their staff walk behind proudly behind their carriages to show that they “have arrived”, and also in thanksgiving to the graces they have received during the year.

Ancestral House of Joaquin Gonzalez

This is the house of Jose, one of the children of Mariquita Gonzaelz.  According to the Department of Tourism Plaque that is posted on the ground floor, it belonged to “the family of  Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez”. When Dr. Joaquin left for Apalit,  the other sisters had their own houses. Normally, in Asia, the one who inherits the ancestral home is the Son.  So, by default, Jose Gonzalez, inherited this house.

The Plaque states, and I quote verbatim with my translation:–

SENTRO NG KASAYSAYAN AT KALINANGAN NG BALIWAG

(Summary)

Ang makasaysayang gusaling ito, na dating tahanan ng pamilya ni Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez, ay unang ginamit bilang Bahay Pamahalaan o municipiong Bayang Baliwag noong unang dekadang pananakop ng mga  Americano. Ito ay may sukat na 2,081 metro kwadrado.

This historical building, that was the former house of the family of Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez, was first used as the Municipal Hall of the town of Baliwag during the first decade of the American Occupation (of the Philippines).  The house measures  2,081 sq.m.

Malipas ng mga sampung taon, noong Setiembre 15,1915, binili ng pamahalaang local ang gusali kasama ang lote.

After ten years, in September 15, 1915, The house and lot was bought by the Local Government

Nagsilbing municipio ang lumang bahay na ito sa loob ng mahigit na animnapu at limang (65) taon.  Hanggang 1971, kung kalian pinasinayaan ang bagong municipio sa ilalim ng pangasiwaan ng noo’y Alkalde Florentino Vergel de Dios. Sa pakiusap ng Baliwag Historical Society sa pangunguna ni G. Rolando E. Villacorta, ang lumang bahay ay ay inukol bilang aklatan o museo.

This old house served as  the Municipal Building  of Baliwag  for a period of 65 years.  In 1971, a new Municipal Building was constructed under Mayor Florentino Vergel de Dios.  The Baliwag Historical Society, headed by Mr. Rolando E. Villacorta, proposed to the authoritities that the Gonzalez house be converted into a Library or Museum.

Noong 1993, ipinaayos at ipininanatili ang dating anyo ng gusaling ito sa pagsisikap ng dating Alkalde Carling Trinidad at sa malaking ambagna ginampanan ni Kinatawan Pedro Pancho.  Ang pagpapaayos ay isinagawa sa malaking tulong ng Dating Kalihim Mina T. Gabor ng Kagawaran ng Turismo at ang Philippine Tourism Authority.

In 1993, this Building was renovated under the efforts of Mayor Carling Trinidad and funded with a generous contribution from  Congressman Pedro Pancho  The renovation was done under the auspices of Tourism Secretary Mina T. Gabor and the Philippine Tourism Authority.

Pagkatapos, tinanggap ito muli ng Pamahalaang Bayan ng Baliwag, sa pamumuno ni Alkalde Rolando Salvador, sa isang pormal na seremonya na ginanap noong Agosto 9, 1998.

The Building was received again by the Government of Baliwag headed by Mayor Roldando Salvador, in a formal ceremony that took place in August 9, 1998.

Ang seremony pinangasiwaan ng Baliwag Tourism Council ay tinampukan ni Gng. Gemma Cruz-Araneta, Kalihim ng Kagawaran ng Turismo at Governador Josefina M. dela Cruz ng lalawagin ng Bulacan.

The ceremony, undertaken by the Baliwag Tourism Council, was graced by Mrs. Gemma Cruz-Araneta, Secretary of Tourism, and the Bulacan Governor Josefina M. dela Cruz.

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Eva Iral, the representative of the Baliwag Gonzalezes still living in Baliwag, Bulacan, disputes that the statement of the DOT that the  house (above) used by the Americans during the American Occupation, was the ancestral house of Mariquita Gonzalez.  She says that this was really the house of Jose, the youngest of Mariquita’s children.  Eva even goes further to state that the house of Mariquita was positioned right across the Church.  This made it possible for an underground tunnel to connect the Church and the house, to provide a better access for the forbidden relationship of Mariquita and Friar Fausto, to flourish. Eva Iral died in 2010,  which makes us unable to confirm her statement.

Friar Fausto Lopez

The origins of the Gonzalez family date back to the Baliwag, Bulacan of the 1840’s. From 1733 to the end of the Spanish regine in 1898, Baliwag had about thirty curates. The two who had the longest years of service were Friar  Esteban Diaz Hidalgo who established a record of forty years, and Friar Fausto Lopez, who served a total of twenty-one years. However, it was Fausto Lopez who left the most lasting imprint in Baliwag, for during his lengthy stay, he was able to cultivate a completely human relationship with a local mestiza named Mariquita.

Fausto Lopez was born in 1811 in Valladolid, Spain, a descendant of Castillan nobility. He had a sister who was lady-in-waiting (a position only nobility could occupy) to the daughter of Ferdinand VII, Queen Isabel II who reigned in 1833. Fausto finished his reliegious studies in Valladolid in 1828. On October 3, 1829, after a long and tedious sea journey, Fausto set foot in the Philippines as an idealistic young priest of eighteen summers. His first assignment was in the island of Cebu, where he resided until 1837 as Amber Secretary of Province. In 1841, he was transferred to Quingua (now Plaridel), Bulacan, and promoted to Curate and Member of the Governing Committee. In 1845, he was re-assigned to Baliwag, Bulacan where he continued to function as the Curate and Member of the Governing Committee for twenty-one years. [1]
It was in Baliwag where the present Gonzalez lineage began. Fausto, then in his mid-thirties, met and fell for the charms of a local belle named Maria Amparo Gonzalez, fondly called Mariquita. Mariquita was the eldest of the many children of Vicente Gonzalez and Venancia de los Angeles. Vicente Gonzalez was of Quinqua (Plaridel) ancestry. Mariquita was beautiful, strong willed and deemed unconventional for her times. Ably mounted on her horse, she would survey their lands alone, engage in target practice with a rifle and direct her business affairs in stiff competition with her male peers. Her family owned the biggest house in town which occupied a while block. The house later on became the municipal building. The family was known for its strength of character and an astute business sense. It was no wonder then that Mariquita caught the interest of the influential cura, Friar. Fausto Lopez. Not uncommon in those days, a romantic relationship ensued and the union yielded six siblings: Soledad, Jose, Joaquin, Rita, Carmen and Francisco.

The disgrace casued by Friar Fausto and Mariquita led to the disuse of “Lopez” by the children, leading to the usage of “Gonzalez” instead.

Friar Fausto failed God, but God did not fail him.  God gave Padre Fausto and Mariquita, a son, Joqauin, who went on to be the pride of the “Gonzalez” clan.

Friar Fausto died on Sunday, April 17, 1865 at the age of 54.  He was buried in the San Agustin Church in Intramuros.  Unfortunately, his tomb was washed out during the Second World War.

Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez

DR. JOAQUIN GONZALEZ-LOPEZ

(1853-1900)

One hundred and eleven years after his death,  historians are still finding things about Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez-Lopez.   According to a list of the first Filipino doctors of medicine and surgeons in the archives,  Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez Lopez was not only the first Filipino doctor of medicine, he was also an ophthalmic surgeon (1878) antedating the more famous  Jose Rizal who trained in the same Paris clinic of Dr. De Wecker.[1]   However,  since Dr. Joaquin was not a national hero,  this fact has not been given as much notice as it would have gotten if otherwise.

As far as Baliwag, Bulacan is concerned, Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez ranks next to Mariano Ponce as the second most illustrious revolutionary figure the town of Baliwag has ever produced. [2]

Belonging to the prominent Gonzalez family, Dr. Gonzalez engaged in a lucrative medical practice in town for quite some time, with his clinic located in their big ancestral home across the old Municipal Building along the National  Highway.  He used to give free treatment to indigent townmates.

Joaquin was born in Baliwag, Friday, July 22, 1853, the illegitimate son of an Agustinian friar who came to Quingua  (Plaridel) in 1841 and Mariquita Amparo Gonzalez, a native “mestiza” with a caustic temper.

Joaquin had his primary schooling in Baliwag.  After obtaining his AB degree from Colegio de San Juan de Letran, he sailed for Spain on March 1872.  He received his “licenciado en medicina” from the Universidad de Valladolid.  From the Universidad Central de Madrid, he received the MD degree in 1878.  After his graduation, he went to Paris where he became an assistant for a time in the laboratory of Dr. Louis Weckert.  Then he travelled  extensively in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.

When Joaquin returned home, his mother Señora Mariquita did not recognize him at first.  The tall, bearded doctor arrived home in Baliwag at about eight o’clock one night and started knocking loudly on the door.

“Titang,” he repeatedly called in a low voice.  (Joaquin called his mother by that name.)

Señora Mariquita was roused from her retirement.  She could only hear the persistent rapping, not his voice.

“Who could be calling at this ungodly hour?” she demanded temperamentally.  Remember, she had a horrible temper.  She went to the housemaid to find out.

The maid came back and reported: “It’s a Spaniard,  Señora, a big bearded Spaniard.”

Señora Mariquita was perplexed.  She became more so when the strange looking caller familiarly addressed her “Titang” and hugged her.  It took her many seconds longer before she identified the once clean shaven face.

“Joaquin!” she shrieked.

“Titang!” responded Joaquin as he burst out laughing and kept kissing her.[3]

Joaquin first established a clinic at Plaza Binondo in Manila, but he later transferred it to his hometown.  His first patient in Baliwag was a man who had fallen from the lower section of the church belfry.

Florencia and Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez

At age 30, Joaquin married  Florencia Sioco y Rodriguez, the youngest daughter of Don Josef Sioco and Doña Matea Rodriguez .  They were married at 4:00 a.m. at dawn, Tuesday, January 22, 1884,  by Rev. Fr. Antonio Recondo ORSA,  with Jose Gonzalez, Joaquin’s brother , and Maria Sioco, Florencia’s aunt, as sponsors. At the beginning, Florencia’s mother, Matea Rodriguez, disapproved of the her daughter marrying Dr. Joaquin.   She did not like like Dr. Joaquin because of his Spanish mestizo penchant for “dulce vida” / good life.[4]  But Florencia could not be swayed by her mother’s wishes.

After their marriage,  Dr. Joaquin and Florencia moved to Apalit, the hometown of Florencia.

For a short term in 1896, Joaquin discharged the Office of Justice of the Peace of Apalit, Pampanga, where he had his permanent residence in Barrio Sulipan.

During the first period of the Revolution against Spain in 1896, he was appointed First Lieutenant of the Spanish Medical Corps of Volunteers.  He was awarded a medal of “Merito Civil” for this. During the second stage, in May 1898,  Joaquin was nominated as Member of the Consultative Assembly  by General Augustin, but that gesture failed to win back Filipino loyalty to Spain.

Joaquin was one of the two elected representatives of the Pampanga province (the other being Jose Rodriguez-Infante) to the Malolos Congress.  He was a member on the Commission on Credentials, and was one of the many nominees for Vice-Presidency on the first voting.  But the Body finally elected Benito Legarda, and Joaquin was named one of the members together with Felipe G. Calderon, of the Committee created to draft the Rules of Debate and Procedures of the Congress, and member of the Drafting Committee created to frame the constitution.

Joaquin had the distinction of being the First Rector of the Universidad Literaria de Filipinas (Cientifico was added later), the first Philippine State Unifersity.  General Emilio Aguinaldo, then President of the Revolutionary Government, founded this institution at Malolos as the highest seat of learning in the Philippines by his Decree of October 19,1898. Aguinaldo appointed Joaquin to the position upon recommendation of Felipe Buencamino Sr., who was at the time a member (Secretary of Promotion) of Aguinaldo’s cabinet.

The new university, succeeded in 1908 by the University of the Philippines (UP), was inaugurated on November 10, 1898, five months after the proclamation of Philippine Independence at Kawit, Cavite.  It offered courses in medicine and surgery, pharmacy, civil, canonical, administrative, and notarial law.

The outbreak of Fil-American hostilities, however, affected the University’s existence.  When Malolos fell to the American invading forces, Aguinaldo transferred the Philippine capital to San Fernando, Pampanga, and later to Tarlac where onSeptember 29, 1898, the school held its first commencement exercises under Dr. Leon Ma. Guerrero.  Guerrero, who is honored with a street name in Baliwag, was the second and last rector of the ill-fated university.

The faculty of the “Universidad Cientifico-Literaria de Filipinas”  included some prominent Filipino educators.  The following were some of the faculty, whose names have become well known in the history of the Philippines:

LAW faculty:  Cayetano S. Arellano, Pedro A Paterno, Arsenio Cruz-Herrera, Pablo Ocampo, Hipolito Magsalin, Tomas G. del Rosario, and Felipe G. Calderon:

MEDICINE AND SURGERY: Jose Luna

NOTARIAL  LAW faculty:  Aguedo Velarde, Arcadio del Rosario, and Juan Gabriel.

The General Secretary was Mariano Crisostomo y Lugo.

At the time of his appointment as Rector, Joaquin was serving as Member of Felipe G. Calderon’s committee created by the Malolos Congress to frame the Constitution.  Actually, he was one of the 16 physicians among the elite group of Congress members representing the “best constitutional minds of the country”.

Embodying the Filipino people’s cherished aspirations and political ideals”, the Malolos Constitution was adopted after two months of debate by the 92 member Congress and it was hailed as the “most outstanding legislative achievement of the First Philippine Republic”.

When the question of the unity of church and state came up for discussion in the Congress, Joaquin was one of the three who defended the adoption of the Roman Catholic religion as that of the State.  He wrote an article in support of that position.  He was succeeded as Rector of the University by Dr. Leon Ma. Guerrero.

After the establishment of US military government in the Islands, Joaquin was named Chairman of a three-man Civil Service Board with two Americans as members (Frank M. Higgins, chief examiner, and W. Leon Depperman, secretary). Unfortunately, however, Joaquin died of acute appendicitis on September 21, 1900 in Manila before he could assume his duties.  The vacancy was filled up by the appointment of Cayetano S. Arellano.

That a highly competent physician like Joaquin should die of appendicitis is rather puzzling.  Joaquin knew exactly what was going to happen to him.  In fact, when he heard a soldier’s trumpet blowing one late Thursday afternoon from the Spanish quarters across their house in Malate, he told some friends and relatives:  Tomorrow I’ll not hear that sound again.”  True enough, he never did, for he died the very next die.  Joaquin died at 6:00 in the morning, Friday, September 21, 1900. He was buried 12:00 noon, Sunday, September 23, 1900 at the Paco cemetery.  The cortege that followed his remains included Civil Governor William H. Taft.  A few years later, his remains were moved to the Apalit Church.

QUINCHO GONZALEZ

Quinchio

Joaquin Julian Salgado Gonzalez, or “Quincho” was the eldest son of Joaquin Jorge Gonzalez and Julia Salgado. He was born on September 13, 1922 in San Fernando, Pampanga.

He married Beatriz Bisquerra Mejia, the first child of Fabian Mejia  and Rita Bisquerra of Abra.  Fabian graduated from the Philippine Military Academy and his first assignment was at Natunin, Mounain Province. New graduates of the PMA are usually given hardship posts.  Natunin was located in a very remote place, only reachable by horse.   Betty was born in Natunin.

Then Fabian Mejia was assigned to San Fernando, Pampanga. She went to school at the Pampanga High School. Quincho was living there, just at the back of the School.  That’s where he met Betty.  She didn’t like Quincho at first glance.

“E que buri kanita,” she said.

Then Betty went to become a college intern at the Philippine Women’s University.  Quicnho went to La Salle. He would park his car in front of PWU and wait for her.

When World War II broke out, Fabian Mejia brought his family to Mindanao and became a leader of those fighting the Japanese.  He ended up as the aide of the President Manuel L Quezon.  When Quezon took a submarine to Australia, he was one of those who saw him off.  Quezon promised that, when he returned, he would make Fabian Mejia an important member of his staff. But Quezon died in Australia.

At the time when it seemed that War was coming, Quincho fetched Betty from PWU and brought her home to the family house in Sta. Ana, Manila.  So she stayed with him and gave him seven  children.  During Liberation (1944), Jojo, the eldest son, was born.  Quincho took an apartment at Gastambide, Sampaloc. The children were then born one after another.  Since Quincho was close to the universities, he  decided to study  Commerce and later Law at the Far Eastern University.   By the time he graduated from his Law degree, he had already four children. All of the children went up the stage.  It was now 1949, the year  Jimmy was born.    Quincho almost topped the bar, but he never practiced law. At that time, he was already working at the Tours and World Service, a travel agency.

When Joven was born in 1950, Quincho’s luck exploded.  The family  called Joven their “lucky boy”.  Quincho was able to buy a house in Josefina, Sampaloc, where they lived until Jeffrey, the second to the youngest child,  was born.

The turning point in Quincho’s life was when he joined Eusebio Canilao who owned the Tourist World Service.  They became very close, so much so that  Seung (Eusebio) became the godfather of Joven in his baptism. Quincho also joined the CF Sharp Travel and Shipping owned by the Rocha family. Then he took his brothers Alfonso and the others and put up his own company, the International Travel Consultants (ITC).

In 1951-52, Quincho took a break. He went abroad for three months.  He lived in Spain. He wanted to see how the world was, outside the Philippines. He also wanted to know more about the countries where he was sending people to work.

Quincho  was very motivated. He personally serviced VIPs like the Alontos, Diosdado Macapagal, Ninoy Aquino. Alonto would take a whole block of an airplane when he went to Jeddah for his pilgrimage and other business.

Quincho became very successful in the travel agency business.  He got his brother Susing, who was then driving for a company, to work in the travel business. He got his sisters, Zeny and Dorita, then  his other brothers, Ponzo and Dado.  Susing and Zeny opened the Continental Tours—Susing, the Continental Tours in Makati, and Zeny the Continental Tours (Dewey Arms branch)  in Bayview Hotel which  later transferred to the Elke’s club.  Netting and Dado ran Air France, with Dado as the sales representative. Even Quincho’s  sons joined in the business.  Jojo became the KLM and the TWA manager.  Jesse from the States, took Cathay Pacific.  Butch was in Alitalia.  All of them arranged tours and brought the first Overseas Workers to Europe. It was a fun time for all of them, with the money coming in and with travelling first class and staying at the best hotels in Europe.

In 1968, Quincho was at the peak of his career.  He bought a house in Jupiter, Makati.  Then  the house in Forbes Park, Makati came along, and he bought  it.

He let his sons drive expensive cars.  Jojo remembers driving up to Baguio with his two younger brothers when he was just sixteen years old.  Of course, at that time, the driving was easy, and the sons were good drivers

Martial Law  was declared in September 21, 1972, and put an end to all of that. People could no longer travel at will. They either had a migrant visa or a study visa, for them to go abroad.   Quincho suffered a heart attack  in 1972 because the travel agents couldn’t collect money for tickets issued to their customers,  and  Quincho had to pay off the tickets which he had issued to the agents.  Their life changed overnight.

Since there was no more travel, Susing went to oversee the farm in Pandacaqui. Later, Dorita took over as Overseer.   Quincho, Betty and their children went to the States in  1976 to live there. Zeny and Alfonso  also followed suit.

At the beginning, Betty was just being seen by a doctor in the States.  She started getting episodes where she had to be hospitalized. Then in 1981, she was operated upon in Pasadena, California.  She stayed long in the hospital. In 1987, Betty passed away.

Betty  resisted in giving up their Forbes Park house.

“I want to have a house where my children can return to, when they  go  to Manila, “ she protested.

“Betty, you are the Queen of that Forbes House,”  Quincho said. “Without you, that house has no soul, it isn’t alive. And it looks like you will not go back to that house. Let it go.”

Quincho had been trying to sell the house, but couldn’t because Betty was emotionally tied to it. But with these words, she relented. As soon as she gave her consent, the house was sold within a few days’ time.

Quincho stayed on in the States for a while after Betty’s death.  He returned to Manila off and on, but  in 1992, he decided to return permanently to the Philippines.  After a year, on August 10, 1993, he died. He was  89.  Life without his “Queen”  was not the same, so it was just as well that he join her.

Three of his children—Butch, Jojo, and Queenie have returned to live in Manila, whereas the others have found their lives in the United States of America.