Bonjour, Philippines!

France has long ceased being a monarchy, yet today, there are 3,000 families of noble blood in the country. The most numerous among them are d’Abovilles who trace their roots to an 11th century ancestor, Guillaume d’Aboville, who fought alongside William the Conqueror in the Battle of Hastings and who eventually settled down in Normandy. A descendant, Francois-Marie d’Aboville, fought for America as chief of artillery of the French troops in the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. During the French Revolution in 1789, Francois-Marie was incarcerated in the Bastille Tower but regained his freedom and his position when 900 of his subordinates petitioned for his head. Present-day d’Abovilles, all descendants of Francois-Marie, number 2,500, 180 of which are males carrying the d’Aboville name.

While the traveling public opted to cool their heels at home last February after the bomb explosions in Bali, the looming war in Iraq and the insurgency problem in Mindanao, 100 members of the d’Aboville clan came to the Philippines for a grand reunion. The youngest was eight years old and the oldest was 88. The Philippine reunion, the first to be held outside of the ancestral castle in Brittany, took all of two years to organize. More family members would have come over if not for the reasons cited above.

The clan’s Philippine connection is businessman Count Hubert d’Aboville who first came to Manila in 1977 as a backpacker fresh out of school. The down-to-earth young Count d’Aboville wanted to see the world on his own. He had never heard of the Philippines before. Manila was just the first stop in Asia of a round-the-world package tour that he got. Traveling on a shoestring budget, he asked passers-by for directions to the biggest park in Manila. He was led to the Rizal Park where he spent the night and was befriended by a group of boys from Tondo who brought him to their neighborhood.

In 1979, Hubert and his four brothers thought of joining the grueling Paris-Dakar car rally. To raise the needed amount, they approached companies for donations. Hubert was asked to see the head of one company. "You’re lucky if he gives you 10,000 francs," a brother told him. The company head not only gave Hubert the money but also hired him to work for his firm in the Philippines.

While working in Manila, he met Ara Valenzuela, a granddaughter of Pio Valenzuela, Philippine hero and co-founder of the Katipunan. Ara was public relations manager of Hotel InterContinental Manila when she decided to go to France. After a brief spell in the south of France, she came back to Manila to undergo training with Rajah Tours and Travel. After the six-month training, she was to assume the position of Rajah Tours representative in France. It was during that time that their paths crossed. Hubert decided to stay on in Manila and eventually started Pamatec, an energy power company. He married Ara and the union has been blessed with a son and three daughters.

The Manila reunion of the Daboclub was Hubert’s idea. "Daboclub membership is limited only to d’Aboville family members and their in-laws," he says. A grand-uncle organized Daboclub in 1989 to keep tabs on family members. Existing branches of the clan were given number and color codes for easy identification. A lot of clan members have not met each other before. Inside the Air France plane to Manila, some were wondering which of their fellow passengers were Daboclubbers.

Hubert wrote to Secretary of Tourism Richard Gordon informing him of the reunion. Courtesies were extended to the visitors by Philippine immigration and customs personnel. The warm welcome impressed them. Check-in was a breeze at InterContinental Manila where they were treated to a cocktail reception and a sumptuous dinner buffet at the Skytop.

Hubert and Ara, with the help of some good friends, lined up an unforgettable week for their visitors. On Day 3, they rode six big bancas to go to Coco Beach in Puerto Galera where they saw frolicking dolphins on the way. Hubert and Ara asked the Santa Clara nuns for prayers for beautiful weather and for the safety of everyone. Day 4 was spent in a beautiful private beach. Everywhere, the locals’ hospitality, kindness and smiles impressed them.

On Day 5, the couple hosted a Barrio Fiesta at Villa Malasimbo, their sprawling Puerto Galera property. A French/English Mass was celebrated by a Filipino priest overlooking the sea under a canopy of mango trees. The aroma of five roasting suckling pigs (lechons) nearby, not to mention grilled giant prawns, made it difficult for Daboclubbers to concentrate on the Mass. After the delicious meal, a cockfight was staged for their entertainment.

Day 6 was devoted to scuba diving, golf at Ponderosa and to lazing around Villa Malasimbo. It was back to InterContinental Manila the next day where a special gala concert featuring the world-famous bamboo organ and Filipino classical music performers awaited them at the Las Piñas Church. Inside the church, Ara thoughtfully laid out colorful fans (pamaypay) made of bamboo shavings on the seats. Dinner followed at the courtyard as little children comprising the Manunugtog Kawayan (Bamboo Orchestra) played.

The last day was reserved for shopping at the American Women’s Bazaar. Everyone had a grand time going on a buying spree. When they were told that it was time to go, three ladies ran to the opposite direction to do more shopping!

At the farewell lunch, Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo and his wife Lovely, good friends of Hubert and Ara, came to bid the Daboclubbers bon voyage. Their presence was warmly appreciated and toasted with 100 bottles of wine brought over by 100 visiting d’Abovilles.

To date, those who came still talk about their wonderful visit to our lovely islands – to the chagrin of those who decided to forego the trip. Tant pis! (What a pity!) But with their Philippine branch of the family, surely there will be a next time.