Jasmine Trias - from my hometown?

Well not exactly her, but her grandfather is personally known by my mother. When I saw headlines in online newspapers saying that Jasmine’s family is from Tanza, Cavite. I did not take much notice because I thought they were from the bayan (main town). I even initially thought they were from Malabon since there are a lot of Triases there as evidenced from the renaming of the town to Gen. Trias. It was only when I phoned Nanay (mother) last weekend that I realized that indeed her paternal lineage is from Amaya, Tanza, Cavite. My sister in Florida who has the TFS channel even told me that Kuya Emong was being interviewed. He’s Jamine’s granduncle and is probably the closest relative they have in Amaya right now.

This made me think of who else from this coastal barrio might have claims to fame. These immediately came to mind: former Senator Justiniano Montano was born there. He was a great orator and law maker in the Philippine Senate during the 50s and 60s. Esteban de Ocampo is also from Amaya. He was a writer (‘was’ because I don’t know it he’s still alive), historian, and former chairman of the National Historical Institute. Mars Ravelo, writer and cartoonist of delightful komiks characters like Darna and Kaptain Barbell, married somebody from Amaya and still has a house there. During his heyday movie stars come to stay in his place to savor the rural air and the beach. I think I wasn’t born yet at that time so I couldn’t remember. There were stories that he modeled his Bondying and Facifica Falayfay characters from local barrio folks in Amaya. How true?

Any one out there living right now in Amaya or whose family is from Amaya? Please email me or leave a comment. Maiging maka ututang dila ko kayo kahit sa panulat lamang. (It’s good if I can chat with you even just in writing). Who knows you might be my relative, you know how it is in small barrios – almost everybody is related.