As I mentioned in one of my posts before. One of the most popular people in my family tree was Esteban Raymundo Abada.
From the Senate of the Philippines website I read about him: "Senator
Esteban Abada was born on March 15, 1896, in Sarabia, Negros Occidental.
Of middle class parentage, the child Esteban grew up in the neighboring
town of Kabankalan, where he graduated from the town’s elementary
school as Salutatorian. At the age of 14, he went to Manila and studied
at Manila High School. He was granted a scholarship and he pursued his
studies in the Philippine Normal School, where he graduated in 1915. He
embarked on an educational career, starting immediately after graduation
as a teacher in the elementary grades. In 1916, he became elementary
school principal, and was subsequently promoted supervising teacher.
Four years after he started his teaching career, Abada was elected as a
pensionado to the United States. Studying in the Michigan, he was
elected to the Phi Betta Kappa, a nation-wide fraternity of scholars. He
graduated as Bachelor of Arts from that University with distinction,
and was consequently awarded a Teacher’s Life Certificate. Returning to
the Philippines and to his interrupted teaching career, he served as
high school teacher for two years, after which he was again promoted to
the position of high school principal, which he held for three years. In
1927, he was a Superintendent of Schools. His first assignment was
Zambales, and then he was transferred to Capiz, Tarlac, and Batangas. In
1939, he was designated Administrative Officer of the Bureau of Public
Schools. While he was serving as Division Superintendent of Schools
before that, he had occasion to associate with the then Speaker Manuel
Roxas. In, 1946, after Roxas became President, he appointed Abada
Director of Public Schools, and was Undersecretary of Education in 1948.
Drafted as senatorial candidate in 1949, he copped second place among
all winning candidates in that election. Abada carried his efforts in
behalf of education to the halls of the upper chamber of Congress. As an
official of the Department of Education, Abada had a reputation as a
fighter, taking on even Americans who had a hand in running of that
department before our independence. As a Senator, Abada preserved that
reputation, to the advantage of educational circles in the country. To
his credit he has several important legislative measures affecting
education, all enacted into law. He was, aside from his efforts for
education, likewise a member of the Philippine Delegation to the United
Nations during one of its plenary sessions. Although suffering from an
ailment, Senator Abada nevertheless contributed his share of work in the
Senate during its 1954 session. He was Chairman of the Committee on
Education, and as the session progressed, the ailment took its toll on
his health. He went to the United States for medical treatment but never
recovered. The educational and political career of Esteban Abada ended
in the New York Hospital where he died on Decemer 17, 1954. He was
survived by his widow, the former Purificacion Morente, and two
children: Ester and Tita." From my research, I also learned that Esteban
R. Abada has other children who died young.
Below is my relationship chart with Esteban Raymundo Abada. Our ancestors Andrea and Esteban were siblings. Please click on the picture to enlarge. Living persons are not shown for privacy reasons.
