Keepers of the family tree

To close Family History Month, we discuss people who spend hours reading old records, exploring cemeteries, and asking relatives questions about their family. They can recite names their grandparents have never heard of. The study of family history genealogy has deep roots in the Philippines. Muslim tarsila preserve the descent of ruling families. Jose Rizal prepared his own family tree in Dapitan. Mariano Henson documented Kapampangan families, while Luciano P.R. Santiago and Luis Camara Dery connected family research with Philippine history. These people are the keepers of the family tree.

The following selected genealogists, whom I personally know (or knew), represent different approaches to this work, from reconstructing lineages and preserving records to helping others discover their ancestry. Their interests vary, but all help make family history accessible to more Filipinos.

National Artist Dr. Resil B. Mojares helped preserve sources essential to family research through the Cebuano Studies Center. His books on the Aboitizes, Escaños, Vicente Sotto, and the Gos were some of the books that examined connections between kinship, business, and politics, showing how family histories can illuminate commerce, influence, and the wider history of a community.

Peary “Vip” Aleonar, Jr. reconstructed Carcar family lineages through parish records and other sources. His Carcar Families blog made these findings freely available. He encouraged careful documentation, challenged misleading surname assumptions, and shared discoveries with descendants seeking connections to their ancestral town.

Dr. Michael Cullinane, an adopted son of Cebu City, has reconstructed Cebuano family networks through decades of archival research. His book “The Chinese Mestizos of Cebu City” helps descendants understand their ancestry. His generosity with documents and family trees has also supported the work of other genealogists.

Mona Magno Veluz, known in social media as Mighty Magulang, researches Filipino ancestry, particularly through American period records. Her public videos introduce genealogy and history to wider audiences. She also supports oral history documentation, encouraging people to combine archival evidence with family memories and stories.

Felvir Dieta Ordinario helps preserve and broaden access to Philippine records through FamilySearch. His work involves partnerships with church authorities, civil registrars, and libraries. Digitized parish registers, research facilities, and educational activities help more families begin investigating and documenting their own ancestral connections.

Noah Iñigo Toledo Tan, notably the youngest genealogist in the Philippines today, studies Cebuano families, naming practices, and migration. His contribution to the Lahug history volume reconstructs relationships across a barangay. A History major of Ateneo de Manila University, he has also helped correct past genealogical mistakes by comparing records and interviewing descendants about their family histories.

Gavin Sanson Bagares traces Cebuano family connections through archives and interviews, sharing findings in articles and books. His research began with the Sansons, and he helped connect the Osmeña family through DNA investigation that supported the Sanson connection in President Sergio Osmeña’s ancestry.

Klarenz Kristoffer Magdaluyo Quiñones researches Spanish-Filipino lineages using Philippine and overseas archives. A Geni curator with library training, he also indexes records. His projects include the Gonzalez Doble Zeta family tree book, bringing documentary research to families seeking to establish their ancestry.

Genesis Velez develops the Velez Genealogy Project, tracing family connections from Cebu’s Parian to other communities. Building on research shared by Cullinane, he combines parish records, wills, family correspondence, and DNA evidence to investigate relationships and follow the movements of related families.

Cebuano Kabilin brings local genealogy to social media through family histories, photographs, and archival discoveries. Drawing on parish registers, civil records, and newspapers, the initiative places ancestors within their communities. Readers contribute memories and information, making research an opportunity for exchange and discovery.

Todd Sales Lucero combines documentary research with DNA evidence in Philippine genealogy. His publications explore surnames, presidential families, and principalia families. He led the President Sergio Osmeña DNA Project, while his column and educational work encourage readers to investigate and document their ancestry.

Interest in genealogy has grown slowly but steadily over the years. A photograph, a reunion, or an unfamiliar name can begin a search that reaches far beyond one household. As records become more accessible and researchers share their knowledge, more Filipinos can recover these connections. Our family histories survive because someone takes the trouble to find them and pass them on.