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The Tayabas Chronicles: The Early Years
In the rural southern Tagalog towns of Sariaya and Tiaong in Quezon province, late nineteenth-century Philippines comes to life in this densely detailed and richly layered book of the recollections of Doña Conchita. A useful reference for students and teachers of Philippine history as it provides flesh and character to the endless dates and names found in most textbooks.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 27, 2017
I grew up in Quezon Province and did not know anything about life there in the 19th century except the stories my parents told me about my grandparents. Still those stories are sketchy and only the major events are retained in my memories.
Thank you to the original memoirs of Ma. Concepcion Herrera Vda. de Umali entitled "Fragmentas de Mi Juventud." Written in Spanish, it was translated by her daughter, Nita Umali Berthelsen and edited by her granddaughter, Karen Berthelsen Cardenas. The memoirs must have been in first person. Nita Umali Berthelsen changed it to third person probably to make it more realistic because half of the book was about the life of her parents and their siblings prior to the author's birth. I am not sure if it was a nice move because I thought the original texts translated directly to English would be more engaging.
Still, this book is very interesting because it made me imagine the life of my grandparents in Quezon. My hometown is in Alabat Island and this book happened in Sariaya, Tiaong and their environs. We only pass these towns on our way to Quezon, Quezon and back to Manila. Tiaong is the first town after Batangas, followed by Candelaria, then Sariaya, then Lucena, then Atimonan, then Plaridel (Siain) then Gumaca whose port called Salome is where we embark to go to Quezon, Quezon. Still, there are many words in this book that I used to hear from my parents which I thought must have passed to them by my grandparents. Examples of these are banguera (o banguerahan), sinucmani (biko), camarin (granary), casco (river boat), paragos (Carabao cart), caturay (a kind of edible flower), Colorum (cult that revolted against Spanish friars - from et saecula saeculorum), dalungyan (jackfruit family), ipa/darak (before and after rice milling), kakawati, sasa, uway, etc.
My favorite part in the book is that the Umalis had interacted with President Manuel L. Quezon. The former president was very much a gentleman and described to have a pinkish face. He borrowed money from the father of the author and got astonished when the regal Escudero couple was served like royalties while having ordinary dinner in their own house. I also liked that the story ran parallel with the nation's history like the changing of colonizers from Spain to the US, the revolt of the masses from Bonifacio to Aguinaldo and the destruction of properties by the Americans. This supported the common belief that Americans and not the Japanese made more damages in the country. Maybe to justify their plundering of the economy in disguise of helping the country to rise from war.
My only regret is that even in 1896 or 1897, there is not a single word about the death of Dr. Jose Rizal. There was just a scene here where the Umalis were gifted a copy of Noli Me Tangere, that I understand was a banned book at that time. Also, there are characters that just pop into the story. That made the story and characters quite difficult to follow. However, I understand that this is a memoir and life is like that - people just pop into our lives without any backstory.
I liked this book and I recommend it to those who'd like to know more about Quezon Province during the turn of the century (from 1800 to 1900, that is).
Thank you to the original memoirs of Ma. Concepcion Herrera Vda. de Umali entitled "Fragmentas de Mi Juventud." Written in Spanish, it was translated by her daughter, Nita Umali Berthelsen and edited by her granddaughter, Karen Berthelsen Cardenas. The memoirs must have been in first person. Nita Umali Berthelsen changed it to third person probably to make it more realistic because half of the book was about the life of her parents and their siblings prior to the author's birth. I am not sure if it was a nice move because I thought the original texts translated directly to English would be more engaging.
Still, this book is very interesting because it made me imagine the life of my grandparents in Quezon. My hometown is in Alabat Island and this book happened in Sariaya, Tiaong and their environs. We only pass these towns on our way to Quezon, Quezon and back to Manila. Tiaong is the first town after Batangas, followed by Candelaria, then Sariaya, then Lucena, then Atimonan, then Plaridel (Siain) then Gumaca whose port called Salome is where we embark to go to Quezon, Quezon. Still, there are many words in this book that I used to hear from my parents which I thought must have passed to them by my grandparents. Examples of these are banguera (o banguerahan), sinucmani (biko), camarin (granary), casco (river boat), paragos (Carabao cart), caturay (a kind of edible flower), Colorum (cult that revolted against Spanish friars - from et saecula saeculorum), dalungyan (jackfruit family), ipa/darak (before and after rice milling), kakawati, sasa, uway, etc.
My favorite part in the book is that the Umalis had interacted with President Manuel L. Quezon. The former president was very much a gentleman and described to have a pinkish face. He borrowed money from the father of the author and got astonished when the regal Escudero couple was served like royalties while having ordinary dinner in their own house. I also liked that the story ran parallel with the nation's history like the changing of colonizers from Spain to the US, the revolt of the masses from Bonifacio to Aguinaldo and the destruction of properties by the Americans. This supported the common belief that Americans and not the Japanese made more damages in the country. Maybe to justify their plundering of the economy in disguise of helping the country to rise from war.
My only regret is that even in 1896 or 1897, there is not a single word about the death of Dr. Jose Rizal. There was just a scene here where the Umalis were gifted a copy of Noli Me Tangere, that I understand was a banned book at that time. Also, there are characters that just pop into the story. That made the story and characters quite difficult to follow. However, I understand that this is a memoir and life is like that - people just pop into our lives without any backstory.
I liked this book and I recommend it to those who'd like to know more about Quezon Province during the turn of the century (from 1800 to 1900, that is).
February 16, 2025
Gem itong book na ito. It was fun searching google for the names of individuals, places, events, mentioned in the book. Google map helped a lot to better situate the events.
High profile ang pamilya haha (ninong ba naman sa kasal si Manuel Quezon; Hartigan the American Lawyer who defended Isidro for aiding the insurrection, was also the first President of the Philippine Bar Association). Tapos casually dropping the names of Emilio Aguinaldo (who gave them permission to carry guns) and some key figures in the revolution.
Maganda rin siyang material para maintindihan ang kalakaran noong panahon nila (how the illustrados accumulated wealth sa pagsasaka at pagko-copra, gender roles, social classes, education).
The descriptions of places around Sariaya, Tiaong, Tayabas, and Laguna, along with significant events, evoke a deep sense of nostalgia.
Thank you Doña Concha for writing this book!
High profile ang pamilya haha (ninong ba naman sa kasal si Manuel Quezon; Hartigan the American Lawyer who defended Isidro for aiding the insurrection, was also the first President of the Philippine Bar Association). Tapos casually dropping the names of Emilio Aguinaldo (who gave them permission to carry guns) and some key figures in the revolution.
Maganda rin siyang material para maintindihan ang kalakaran noong panahon nila (how the illustrados accumulated wealth sa pagsasaka at pagko-copra, gender roles, social classes, education).
The descriptions of places around Sariaya, Tiaong, Tayabas, and Laguna, along with significant events, evoke a deep sense of nostalgia.
Thank you Doña Concha for writing this book!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews