MANANG SHIRLEY's COMMENT

You confused Lola Toyang (Victoria) with Lola Cari (Caridad). The latter was the wife of dr. Palinar who was from Pangasinan and who later on saved Tiyoy Dandy out of the prison camp during WWII. Also, the name is Caridad Cabiles Paculan-Palinar. Originally, the Paculans were from San Fernando, La Union. Kaya "adjaybanger" din ang roots natin.

Yes, Tiyay Mely, was one of the children of the Palinars who was married to Tiyoy Nonoy Pastor, a top Engineer of the National Power Corporation. They lived in that area in San Francisco del Monte (I forgot the street). They have a big fiesta celebration every year and the Pastors used to invite the Project 8 family. That's where I met Lolo Palinar and the rest the aunties. Tiyay Mely was also a principal sponsor during the wedding of Toto Dante and Odette in 1977. That was around 1959 and I was in a college freshman in FEU. I also frequently go the Lucasan's house when I go with Tiyay Elpha. Tiyay Rosie, by the way, loved to hosts big parties. Tiyay was married to Tiyoy Moling Lucasan, a councilor in Quezon City during Mayor Amoranto's time. Also, the eldest of the Lucasan's children was Dolly, who I believed was Miss Luzon at one time.

BTW, Lola Cari met a violent death. One night, Lolo Palinar, being a doctor, was called on an emergency by one of the residents in Pangasinan. It was dark and pouring that night. Since, they were riding in a "calesa", it wasn't known why the horse went wild. Sige and silbe ng kabayo which ultimately threw Lola Cari out of the Calesa. I think she died instantly when she fell on the pavement. It was a gruesome death.

Anyway, I am still in the process of helping Uncle Ed Knott re the Paculan-Rodrigazo genealogy. However, i can only get so far. Hopefully, when I go home, I will be able to get further family history/info from Tiyay Elpha.

Isn't Tiyay Lydia beautiful in this picture? No wonder, na "love-struck" kaagad si Tiyoy Abun.

FLYGIA RODRIGAZO HOFILENA: ABOUT TIYA'Y LYDIA

Manang Flygia sent us this picture. It was the picture of Tiya'y Lydia (whoever down loaded this picture is a TECHIE who knows how to format it in TIFF), when she was crowned as Miss Murcia.

It was Tiyo'y Abun (Abundio Z. Arrieta) then a lawyer of Governor Alfredo Montilebano Sr., who first danced Tiya'y Lydia, which ended in a love affair, marriage and a family.

The date maybe December 8, 1934, the fiesta of Murcia, which coincide with the bombing of Pearl Harbor eight years after. Tiyo'y Abun and Tiya'y Lydia being the eldest, brought along the Rodrigazos to evacuate in Libacao, Aklan. The rest is history, which also ended in a love affair between two more Rodrigazo's and Arrieta's. It should have been three.

MANANG SHIRLEY : ABOUT PALINAR

Dr. Palinar was the husband of Lola Caridad, sister of Lola Toyang.

Anyway, the story goes that the Irwins had 6 or 7 daughters (not too sure) and three sons -- John, Sherman and William (I'm not sure which order according to age). I had both versions as told to me by Lola Toyang and later Uncle John Irwin when we were in LA in 1984. The only survivor until now is Uncle John.

William (Bill) was drafted (or he enlisted) in the army at young age (maybe 19) and together with Tiyoy Dandy they were captured -- hence, they were in the "Death March." It was told that Bill reached the concentration camp with Tiyoy Dandy but died of diarrhea. The story about Dr. Palinar who helped Tiyoy Dandy got out of the prison camp and the Palinar family nursed him back to health in Pangasinan.

It was also told that once upon a time during WWII the Irwins resided in Quezon City (most possibly in the Lucasan's house in San Francisco del Monte). One day the Japanese were going house-to-house looking for Americans. They were past the Irwins house when one of the Filipinos tipped them that Americans reside in the next house. So when they went into Lola Andit's, she told her sons, John and Sherman were sleeping that time to escape. Uncle John was able to jumped out of the window but Sherman was left behind because he had a fever and wasn't not able to escape.. They dragged Uncle Sherman nearby (with some group of Filipinos), asked them to dig their graves and they were all beheaded. He was only 15. It was a gruesome end. Uncle John is now in LA, married to Tiyay Angeles and they have three children-- Michael, Michelle and Cathy. Uncle John and Tiyay Angeles met through Lola Andit since Tiyay Eles was the caregiver of Lola.

Also, Lolo Irwin was one of the first batches of engineers sent by the American government to RP to introduce the "Poso" (deep well pump) that became the family business. Grampa Irwin was also captured by the Japanese and was never found. Lola Andit searched for him and even went to the extent of joining the Red Cross but to no avail.

Uncle Ed Knott emailed to me some more WWII experiences of Tiyoy Dandy which hopefully I'll find time to forward them to you.

THE PALINAR PACULAN

Legend has it that our grandmother Victoria Palinar Cabiles Paculan was originally from Pangasinan. The Palinars are natives of Lingayen and insofar as my recollection of history is concerned, it was Dr. Palinar, the father of Mely (if my recollection from my mother, serves me right) married to Pastor, was the one who saved Elizalde "Dandi" Rodrigazo to near death in a prison camp in Lingayen. "Dandi", who was imprisoned in a Japanese Camp after marching from Bataan to Lingayen, later known in our history as "The Death March", was so sick.

I was told by Tiyo'y Dandi whenever I'm in Murcia that many of his compatriots escaped during the march either by rolling down the hills whenever the situation permits as they passes by on thickly forested areas. He, however, cannot leave behind his cousin who was also captured by the Japanese with a group of Americn soldiers, the "Irwin", the son of Lola Andit Paculan Irwin, whose sister is Rosie and Mary Irwin - Knott, who, as we were informed by Ed Knott, Mary's husband, are in this picture together with their cousins the Palinar. Lola Andit is the sister of Lola Victoria "Toyang" Palinar, Cabilles Paculan Rodrigazo.

Tiyo'y Dandi told me that they were forced to eat the meat of dead carabaos along the road due to hunger. When they reached the prison camp in Lingayen, then Lt. Ferdinand Marcos was their mess officer, who rations their meals. Their prison beds are made of decks of bamboos and because of the unsanitary condition in the camp, he suffered diarrhea. He was then confined in the infirmary of the camp, became too thin and sick. The Japanese already placed a tape with his prisoner's number in his forehead. Whenever the patient is about to die, Japanese soldier will remove the tape in their forehead and dump them into a pit along with the others. Thereafter, the tape will be placed in the masterlist corresponding their names, which means that they are already dead.

It was providential, however, that Dr. Palinar saw Tiyo'y Dandi in the infirmary while on his round to check the patients. He was also looking for the Irwins, but found Tiyo'y Dandi instead. He was so sick that the camp commander allowed Dr. Palinar to take Dandi home. He never saw his cousins again. Thereafter, he went home to Negros, joined the guerilla movement and fought the Japanese when General Douglas Mac Arthur and the Americans returned to liberate our country.

(The picture is a complement of Ed Knott, WW II American hero married to Mary Irwin, sister of Rosie Lucasan. They have 11 children, 7 are still living. He's now 86.)

From Artemio "Labing" Arrieta's blog.