Wednesday, January 17, 2018

71. 12 EN GRANDE PAMPANGA WEDDINGS HELD IN 1936

One of the most significant milestones in one’s life is the Wedding, in which two people are united in marriage. “Kasal”, is our term for marriage, “kasalan”, the wedding ceremony. The customs and traditions of present-day unions were primarily influenced by a blend of Filipino, Spanish, American and Chinese models. One thing is certain though—when Kapampangans get married, they leave no stone unturned to make sure that theirs is a wedding to remember—the flashier, the better! Here are 12 notable Pampanga weddings in 1936, half of which were held in the “marry” month of June!
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LOURDES ALBA & RAFAEL C. HIZON
Married: 30 September 1936, Paco Church, Manila
Sponsors: Dña. Victoria H. vda. De Rodriguez, Don Jaime Hernandez
Notes:
The groom was a successful insurance agent of the National Life Insurance Co. insurance agent at the time of his marriage.

CARMEN DEL ROSARIO & VIRGILIO RODRIGUEZ
Married: 25 January 1936, Sto. Domingo Church, Manila
Sponsors: Dña. Victoria H. vda. De Rodriguez, Dña. Rosa del Rosario Valdezco, Dr. Teofilo Villongco, Hon. Cayetano Rivera
Notes:
Carmeling, a 19-year old Centro Escolar de Señoritas beauty,  and her beau Virgilio Rodriguez ( eldest son of sugar planter  Dña Victoria Hizon Rodriguez and the late Godofredo Rodriguez of San Fernando), had already planned on getting married after college, when the 1935 Manila Carnival intervened. A friend of Carmeling’s father badgered him into allowing her  daughter to run for Miss Philippines.  Thinking that her chances of winning were slim, Carmeling’s father persuaded his reluctant daughter to run. To their utter surprise, Carmeling won the Miss Mindanao title. Her name had already been announced in national newspapers when Carmeling resigned her title to marry the man she loved.

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JOSEFINA BUYSON & DR. JESUS EUSEBIO
Married: 12 April 1936, San Guillermo Church, Bacolor
Sponsors: Dña. Bartola S. de Dizon, Hon. Mariano Buyson Lampa
Notes:
Dr. Jesus Eusebio was the eldest son of Don Andres Eusebio,  a prominent sugar planter and businessman, with Asuncion Santos. Jesus was already a practicing ophthalmologist when he proposed to his fiancee, Josefina Buyson. Pitang, as she was called,  was one of the children of Mariano Buyson and Dña. Maria de la Paz Miranda Angeles.  Their well-documented wedding at San Guillermo Church was officiated by Fr. Andres Bituin. The church was decorated with flowers especially brought in a day before by Manila’s foremost florist, Mr. Francisco Hilario. The bride was resplendent in a gown made by Pacita Longos, the most famous couturier of the era. Reception followed at the Buyson residence. Entertainment was provided by Serafin Payawal and Tirso Cruz, Manila’s best big bands.

ESPERANZA PAHATI & ATTY. CARMELINO ALVENDIA
Married: 4 April 1936, Lourdes Church, Manila
Sponsors: Dña. Francisca Pascual de Pahati, Hon. Eusebio Orense
Notes:
Atty. Carmelino Alvendia was the valedictorian of his University of the Philippines law class in 1930. He was the winner of the Callaghan Prize given by the U.P. College of Law. He taught Mercantile Law at  Far Eastern University, and worked with Orense and Belmonte law firm. He hails from Floridablanca, Pampanga.

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LUZ HIZON & RAFAEL P. HIZON
Married: 25 April 1936, San Fernando Church, Pampanga
Sponsors: Justice Jose Abad Santos, Dña. Miguela Hizon Teopaco
Notes:
The groom is one of the 8 children of Primo Hizon and Maria Perez of Mexico. Primo was a U.S.T chemistry graduate who carried out researches and scientific studies of diseases and their cures. He would go on to found Hizon Laboratories Inc., the very first pharmaceutical manufacturing company in the Philippines. The pharmaceutical firm still operates today, run and managed by Hizon descendants.

EMILIA P. RORIGUEZ & AMADO R. LUCIANO
Married: 3 June 1936, San Beda Church, Manila
Sponsors: Dña. Josefa Rodriguez, Dr. Andres Luciano
Notes:
Amado is the son of Antonio Luciano, former mayor of Magalang who served for 2 terms, with Nicolas Quiason.
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AMPARO Z. DIAZ & DEMETRIO S. SANTOS
Married: 7 June 1936, San Ignacio Church, Manila
Sponsors: Don Mariano J. Santos, Dña. Nieves S. Santos, Justice Anacleto Diaz, Dña. Sotera Z. Diaz
Notes:
Demetrio is the son of Mariano and Nieves Songco Santos. Her bride, Amparo, was two years older. He was 24 when they got married, and he would precede her in death, passing away at just age 43 in California, where they settled with their 6 children. Amparo died in 1985.

MANUELA DE LEON & AUGUSTO HIZON
Married: 20 June 1936, Mexico Church, Pampanga
Sponsors: Dña. Maria Hizon, Don Rafael de Leon
Notes:
Augusto Hizon comes from a very large family—parents Ramon and Maria Hizon had seven daughters and five sons. Coming from a landed class, the Hizons owned haciendas in the province. They also figured in politics, known for being staunch Liberal Party members.”  Augustor’s brother, Rodolfo Hizon, became a post-war mayor of San Fernando mayor. A sister, Corazon, reigned as Miss Pampanga 1933. Meanwhile, Manuela, who hails from Mexico, was the daughter of Don Rafael de Leon, a PASUDECO stockholder,  with Rosario Basa (daughter of patriot Jose Maria Basa).

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CORAZON MALIG & BENITO GOLDING
Married: 24 June 1936, San Ignacio Church, Manila
Sponsors: Dña. Remedios Soto de Malig, Don Emilio A. Santos
Notes:
Benito (“Beniting”, “Ben”) Goldman is of Polish-American-Filipino descent. His grandfather, Poland-born Herman Golding, emigrated to the U.S. from Bremen, Germany in January 1856. His father,  Benito “Bennie” Golding Sr. (Herman’s son), married Rosenda Francisco Abriol Santos of Sta. Ana. His bride, Bacolor-born Corazon Malig, was the daughter of Lazaro Malig and Remedios Soto. The couple settled in the U.S. with their children. Benito would pass away first; leaving Corozaon a wido, She died at home in Waldorf, Maryland on 19 April 2003, age 88.

ESTER DE LEON & NORBERTO RODRIGUEZ
Married: 27 June 1936, Sto. Rosario Church, Angeles, Pampanga
Sponsors: Don Jose de Leon y Joven, Dña. Josefa Rodriguez
Notes:
The bride, Ester, was the daughter of Alonzo de Leon and Vicenta Paras of San Fernando. Besides being a sugar planter, Alonzo was a respected leader in finance and agriculture.

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CONSUELO CONSING & ARTURO LUMANLAN
Married: 8 August 1936, U.S.T. Chapel
Sponsors: Don Rafael Consing, Dña. Potenciana Cuyugan Lumanlan
Notes:
Arturo Lumanlan is the son of Porac sugar planter Bonifacio Lumanlan, with Potenciana Cuyugan. Consuelo was the eldest child of Rafael Consing with Porfiria Quintana. She would outlive her husband by many years. Arturo’s sister, Juanita Lumanlan-Nepomuceno became Pampanga’a governor and congresswoman.

ANTONIETA PANLILIO & DR. ALFREDO ORTIZ
Married: 27 June 1936, Knox memorial Church, Manila
Sponsors: Dr. Mariano Lamson, Dña. Camila Panlilio

SOURCES:
All photos, Pampanga Social Register, 1936, by Kabigting.
www.viewsfromthepampanga.blogspot.com, various articles
Ninu't Ninu Qng Capampangan, by Kabigting

Friday, January 5, 2018

70. 12 KAPAMPANGANS IN HOLLYWOOD

In the 1920s, Hollywood beckoned with promises of fame and fortune to aspiring actors, ingénues and starving artists. The first wave of Filipinos to arrive in Los Angeles coincided with the rise of Hollywood. They, too, were lured with the prospects of employment that the blossoming film industry offered. In 1929, MGM Pictures sounded out a casting call for extras for the movie “The Pagan”. Hordes of Filipinos went to audition, and many passed the 5 foot height limit set for these extras. Generally, these uncredited and underpaid Filipinos  portrayed  savage natives and service-type roles. Through the years, a few Kapampangan artists have made headway in the American film and TV industry. Let’smeet some of them.
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ROSA DEL ROSARIO
U.S. Film Credits: Anna and the King of Siam (1946), The Border Bandits (1946), An American Guerrilla in the Philippines (1950)
Filipino star-wannabes would wait for the postwar 1940s before they could see one of their own claim a legitimate acting role in a Hollywood film. Kapampangan Rosa del Rosario (aka Rosa Stagner, b. Dec. 15, 1916), an American-Filipina mestiza from Bacolor, was already an established star in pre-war Philippine movies when she, on a visit to the U.S., caught the eye of an American director who was casting Asians for his  movie. She won the role as one of the king’s 14 wives in the film classic, “Anna and the King of Siam” in 1946 (to be redone as the musical “The King and I” in 1954). As wife number 7, del Rosario  was unbilled  in this Rex Harrison starrer.  That same year, she  appeared as Celia in the “The Border Bandits”, opposite Johnny Mack Brown and in 20th century Fox ‘s, “An American Guerrilla in the Philippines” with Tyrone Power. Del Rosario is well known for being the first flying female superhero of Philippine films--Darna. She died on Feb. 4, 2005 in Modesto, California.

ROGELIO DELA ROSA
U.S. Film Credit: Sword of the Avenger (1949)
Rogelio Dela Rosa (b. Nov. 12, 1916/d. Nov. 26, 1986) from Lubao was the first true Filipino male superstar, with a career that spanned over 3 decades. He had his first Hollywood break in 1949 when he was cast as the lead for a movie that was  shot with both Tagalog and English version. Thus, two separate casts-one American, one Filipino, supported him.

Entitled “Sword of the Avenger” (Tagalog: “Ang Vengador”), Dela Rosa was billed  as Ramon Delgado, with Sigrid Gurie as his leading lady (in the local version, dela Rosa played opposite Pacita Francisco). The story was set in Spanish Philippines.  The falsely accused Roberto Balagtas (dela Rosa) was imprisoned, but managed to escape with a treasure map. He finds the treasure by fighting off Chinese smugglers, and becomes a wealthy man. Assuming the name Don Diego Sebastian, her returns to exact revenge. The movie, which was shot  in Hollywood, was directed by Sidney Salkow, who was better known as the director of the popular TV series “Lassie” and “The Addams family”.

NEILE ADAMS
U.S. Film Credits: Grubstake (1952), This Could be the Night (1957),  Women in Chains (1972), Fuzz (1972), Chu Chu and the Philly Flash (1981), and Buddy Buddy (1981)
Ruby Neilam Salvador Arrastia, is known in Hollywood as the actress-singer-dancer Neile Adams—and the first wife of the hottest new male star of 60s Hollywood, Steve McQueen. Born on Jul. 10, 1932, to Jose Arrastia of Lubao with Carmen Salvador (sister of character actor Lou Salvador Sr.), she moved to the U.S. after the war.  Adams became a proficient dancer and found herself being cast in musicals. One of her early appearances was in “Pajama Game”, staged at the Carnegie Hall. She moved on to TV and films,  with credits in the 1952 western “Grubstake” and as Patsy St. Claire in “This Could Be The Night” (1957).

Husband and wife appeared in a memorable episode in “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”. Separately, Neile Adams had a recurring role in the TV series “Five Fingers” as Rita Juan in 1960, and went on to guest star in top TV shows thrugh the 60s,70s and 80s, like “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”, “Love American Style”, “Bob Hope Show”. “The Bionic Woman”, “ The Rockford Files”, “Fantasy Island”, “Vega$” and “Hotel”. In 1986, Adams wrote “My Husband, My Friend”, a biography of her husband Steve, who had died of cancer in 1980. Coincidentally, Neile’s son (Chad McQueen) and grandson, Steven R. McQueen (Jeremy Gilbert in “The Vampire Diaries”), are both actors. A nephew, Enrique Iglesias, is a singer and an occasional actor.

MINDA FELICIANO
U.S. TV Credits: Hawaiian Eye (1959)
International jetsetter Minda Feliciano was the daughter of Manuel Valdez Feliciano, a district engineer, and Amparo Santana of Batanes. Born as Arminda Feliciano on June 1, 1931, her town of origin is sometimes listed as either Angeles or Guagua. That may be due to the peripatetic career of her father, who was assigned in different provinces like Bataan, Nueva Ecija and Surigao.

When she moved to the U.S., she started modeling and auditioning for acting roles and, in 1959, won a regular slot (she played the hula-dancing receptionist, Evelyn) in the popular TV series,”Hawaiian Eye”, produced by Warner Brothers. Her trips around the world led to a chance meeting with actor Michael Caine. The two were soon engaged, but somehow, things didn’t fall into place and the couple parted ways. Michael would marry the exotic beauty, Shakira Baksh in 1973 , win 2 Oscars and be knighted in 2002.

Linked with singer Tony Bennett, Feliciano would form a more lasting relationship with Norman John McClintock Lonsdale, a true English blue blood. Romance bloomed and they were wed in 1997. In the Lonsdales’ sprawling Oxfordshire estate, the couple entertained film star friends like Joan Collins, Peter Sellers, Britt Ekland and Roger Moore. Minda and Norman would be together for 12 happy years until his death in 2009. Minda Feliciano currently lives in London in her ivy-colored house fronting the scenic Thames River.

GEORGE SUNGA
U.S. TV Credits: Judy Garland Show (1963),  An Evening with Carol Channing TV Special, 1966), The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967), The Tim Conway Comedy Hour (1970), Three’s Company (1976), Good Times (1976), The Ropers (1978), The Comedy Playhouse (1986)
Behind the camera, Kapampangans have also left their mark in the American entertainment industry. Leading the way is the venerable George Sunga, who first joined CBS as a production supervisor of “The Judy Garland Show” in 1963, and later, “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour”. He went on to produce the hit TV shows  "Good Times," (1974)  "The Jeffersons," (1975) , “All in the Family” (1974)  “Three’s Company” (1976) and many other successful serials. In 1989, Sunga was elected  officer of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.  For his commitment to diversity in television, an award in his honor was created and given yearly at the Media Access Awards. The Sungas are from Guagua, Pampanga.

LEA SALONGA
U.S. Film Credits: Aladdin (1992), Mulan I & II (1998,2004), Redwood Curtain (1995), ER (2010), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2016) 
The toast of West End and Broadway, Angeles-born Lea Salonga (b. Feb. 22, 1971), has also penetrated the U.S. showbiz industry, both as actress and singer. While still with the hit musical ‘Miss Saigon’ . she was tapped to sing key songs for such movies as “Aladdin” (1992) and  “Mulan” I and II ( 1998, 2004). She had a once-in-a lifetime experience of singing “A Whole New World” at the 1993 Oscar Awards, which went on to win Best Song. Salonga was also seen on a 1995 TV film produced by Hallmark Hall of Fame, “Redwood Curtain”. The film chronicles the search of an Amerasian piano prodigy for her biological father, aVietnam veteran. Other credits include guest appearances in hit TV series “ER” , “As The World Turns” and most recently, as Filipina Aunt Myrna in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”.

RICO HIZON
U.S. Film Credit: I.T. (2016)
Federico “Rico” Morales Hizon, whose parents come from Mexico and Mabalacat, respectively, made a name for himself as an international journalist, but his credentials now include acting in a Hollywood film. In the 2016 film“I.T.” topbilled by Pierce Brosnan, the Singapore-based BBC correspondent portrayed himself in this nail-biting thriller directed by John Moore.

WINSTON QUITASOL
U.S. Film Credits: Ghost (1990), Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992), Mortal Kombat (1995), the Phantom (1996), Spiderman 2 (2004), Iron Man 3 (2013), Frozen (2013), Big Hero 6 (2014), Moana (2017)
The visual effects/lighting genius behind contemporary classic Disney movies is half-Kapampangan (courtesy of his mother) Winston Quitasol. His talents are put to good use in films  that require visual effects, allowing him to push the technical and technological boundaries  of film effects to produce all kinds of fantastic scenes and imageries. As a visual effects technical director, Quitasol is responsible for lighting various elements (like a character or FX) for a specific scene and composing the said elements to a live action background via computer work. The realistic effect is achieved through his mastery of computer tricks. On the other hand, as a senior lighting artist, he determines how a shot should look by observing the environment of the approved scenes or finding an art director’s  color key. By positioning his lights in the computer, he can match the look and then render out all the elements he needs to composite the final scene.

Quitasol has worked on a slew of high profile Hollywood films , and his first unforgettable assignments was the megahit “Ghost” from 1990, starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. His more recent works include “Spiderman 2”, “Surf’s Up”, “Iron Man 3”, “300: Rise of an Empire , “Frozen”, “Big Hero 6”, “Moana” and “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure”. Quitasol works at the Walt Disney Animation Studios, California State University-Long Beach

JESS ESPAÑOLA
U.S. TV Credits: Bill and Yed’s Excellent Adventures (1990), King of the Hill (1993), Futurama (1999), The Simpsons, Season 19: Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind (2007).
Animator Jesus “Jess” Española, from Lubao, is the only full Filipino winner of the
the prestigious primetime Emmy Award for his 2008 work on “The Simpsons ( ‘Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind’ episode). Raised by his single mother, Española struggled to finish high school by taking on odd jobs like baby-sitting and washing dishes. He saved enough money for his  Fine Arts course at the University of the Philippines. Española  found work as an animator for Burbank Animation in Makati, then moved to Fil-Cartoons, which was contracted to create animation for Hanna Barbera cartoons like the popular Flintstones, Scooby Doo and Jonny Quest. So adept did Española become, that he was sent to the head studio in the U.S. where he found employment when the Philippine office closed.

His first assignment was at Film Roman for “King of the Hill,”, one of the primetime shows of Fox, that also includes Matt Groening’s “The Simpsons”. Soon, he was doing character layouts for “The Simpsons”, rising to become its assistant director. Espanola’s win at the Emmys validates the common knowledge that Filipino animators are among the best in Hollywood.”A lot of Filipino artists are in the cutting edge of the animation industry. I guess I am lucky that I worked with "The Simpsons," said Jess, the poor boy from Lubao who made good.

KRISTINE SONGCO
U.S. TV Credits: The Fairly Odd Parents (2014), Sullivan and Son (2014), Sing It (2016), My Little Pony (2016-17), The Great Indoors (2016-17)
In the CBS TV sitcom “The Great Indoors”, Kapampangans were treated to a January 2017 episode in which the characters of actors Joel McHale and Stephen Fry,  spoke  in Kapampangan—albeit, with a thick American accent—so they could disguise their secret plan to leave young campers in the wild without their smartphones. The language got a lot of online attention after Pampanga-born Christ Sundita posted it on facebook. It turned out that the  idea was conceived by story editor/ writer, Kristine Songco (b. Dec. 6, 1985),  a Cal State Fullerton honors graduate in 2007.  She worked on Nickelodeon shows like “The Mighty B!”, “Fanboy” and “Chum Chum”. Her writing gigs have come to include  “The Great Indoors”. Or that much-talked about ‘Kapampangan’ episode, Kristine sought the help of her father in crafting the dialogues. The Songcos are a prominent family from Guagua.

ALLEN EVANGELISTA
U.S. Film & TV Credits: Project Almanac (2015), Ghost Whisperer (2010), The Secret Life of the American teenager (2008-2013), Mozart and the Whale (2005)
From appearing in commercials (American Online, MTV, Time Warner Cable, Domino's),  Allen Evangelista transitioned to TV easily,  beginning with ABC's "Once and Again" , "Alias", and a lead role in "Mozart and the Whale". Evangelista was born in Los Angeles to a Kapampangan mother, Aurora (from Angeles), and Alfredo Evangelista from Manila. He last visited Pampanga when he was 7 years old. After starring in popular teen shows, he snagged his first major film in 2015 with “Project Almanac”, where he essayed the role of Adam, the 16-year old tech-savvy geek who builds a time machine. The youthful-loking Allen was, in fact, already 33 years old at that time.

ETHAN DIZON
U.S. Film & TV Credits: Grey’s Anatomy (2012), The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete (2013), Bad Worlds (2014), Get a Job (2016), Spiderman: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Young Ethan Dizon (b. 2002), is the son of  Eric Dizon,  who traces his ancestry to the Dizons of Mabalacat. His mother is actress Corinne Chooey, while two younger brothers are also actors. Ethan made his acting debut as a 3 year-old child actor in the CBS hit series, “How I Met Your Mother”, He then had guest roles in  “Grey's Anatomy”, and “'Til Death”. His film credits include: “Get A Job”, “Bad Words” ( with Jason Bateman), and the “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete”, where he is best-known for playing Pete.  In 2018, he will be seen in “Avengers: Infinity War”. A gifted artist, he was nominated for Best Actor at the NBCU Short Film Festival 2014 in "Paulie", where he played the title role.

CREDITS:
ROSA DEL ROSARIO PHOTO: www.viewsfromthepampang.blogspot
ROGELIO DELA ROSA PHOTO: Alex R. Castro
Avenger: Constantino, Ronald, editor, The Golden Years: Memorable Tagalog Movie Ads, from the collection of Danilo Dolor.
NEILE ADAMS PHOTO: wikicommons, wikipedia
GEORGE SUNGA PHOTO: youtube, Archive of American Television
Three’s Company: www.amazon.com
Redwood Curtain Poster:
RICO HIZON PHOTO: twitter.com
I.T. Poster: IMP awards
JESS ESPANOLA PHOTO: courtesy of Ruston Banal Photography
The Simpsons: www.amazon.com
WINSTON QUITASOL PHOTO: balita.com
Frozen:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294629/mediaviewer/rm3873693440
ALLEN EVANGELIST PHOTO: biphoo.com
Project Almanac:imdb. Project Almanac entry
KRISTINE SONGCO PHOTO: Kristine Songco FB page
Mister & Pete: www.amazon.com