My father's ancestry has been traced 3 generations back. According to stories from older people in our family, some of my father's ancestors might have come from Spain. The Philippines has been occupied by Spain for more than 300 years so it is most likely that Spaniards have intermarried with some Filipinos. My father's ancestors were from Antique in the island of Panay. When my father's father was young, he decided to go to Negros Occidental where he later on had his own family. They settled in Hacienda Bagroy, Silay City, Negros Occidental. My grandfather was a truck driver and his wife was a homemaker. They were not well educated but they have encouraged their children to go to school and get some education, especially the boys, as they usually come out as the bread winner in their own families. However, only my father persevered to obtain a university education. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Banking and Finance after about a decade of being a working student. My father's mother died before I was born but I have lived to see my father's father until he died in 1994. I remember he was a very tidy person and his clothes were always carefully folded in his wardrobe, a quality that my father also possessed.
My father was a young boy when the World War II broke out. Their family used to be friendly with the Japanese soldiers during the war, probably so as not to get into trouble. My father used to tell me how their family would share their food (sweet potatoes) to some soldiers during the war.
