Eustaquio Lopez Website An online attempt to collect historical gems of information and reconnect Lopez descendants with each other.
Lopez Reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 6 and 7, 2010. For more information, click here Lopez Reunion Info. ~~~~~
Once
upon a time in Jaro Iloilo(?), there was a couple named Maximo Lopez,
a repairman, and Juana Hilario, a seamstress. They had
two children named Placido and Fermin Lopez. Placido, who married Maria
Jacobe, had children named Domingo, Pedro, Graciano, Candelaria(?),
Ramon, and Doroteo. Graciano, who never married or never had any children,
grew up to be known as Graciano Lopez-Jaena. The
other son, Fermin, married Fernanda Regina Hechanova, and had children
named Eustaquio, Protacio, Marcelina, Vicenta, Cirillo, Pablo, Teopista,
Mercedes, Agustin, Laurente, Agapito, and Nicanor. Like
his friend and contemporary Dr. Jose Rizal, Graciano Lopez-Jaena (1856-1896)
is etched in Philippine history because he challenged the existing
government and religious influence at that time by revealing the oppression
of the Filipino people. He was 18 years old when he wrote the story
Fra Botod that satirized the priests and friars that supposedly served
the community with a heavy hand and overfed themselves as their
flock starved (Yoder, 1999). Botod, in Ilonggo, means, someone
ate so fast that they swallowed too much air causing stomach ache.
Graciano seemed whimsical in nature and may not have been too careful
of what he said publicly which got him in trouble with the authority.
He studied to become a physician but did not finish. While he practiced
medicine in his small hometown, his deep resentment emerged as he cared
for the prisoners and victims of the government
and religious orders. He dabbled in farming as well.
With the help of his cousin, Eustaquio, Graciano Lopez fled to Barcelona
Spain in 1880. He changed his name to Lopez-Jaena to separate himself
from the other Lopezes there. He started the newspaper La
Solidaridad (Yoder, 1999). Writings
seem to suggest that his gift as an orator and possibly charisma always
got him the good graces of friends who helped in get out of trouble.
He attended Universidad de Valencia to study medicine, and then, journalism,
but again, did not finish (Global Pinoy, 2006). At 40 years old, he
died of tuberculosis in Spain. That same year, his friend, Marcelo
del Pilar also succumbed to tuberculosis (Wikipedia, 2007) while Dr.
Jose Rizal was killed by the Spaniards in a firing squad later that
year (Yoder, 1999). Information
about Eustaquio Lopez is scant. Apparently, "Lolo Takoy", my father
said, amassed land and wealth in Silay on the island of Negros, Philippines.
Silay is in the northwest coast known for its sugar production. Barrio
Eustaquio Lopez today is one of Silay's 16 rural barangays (Philippine
National Statistical Coordination Board, 2007). A public elementary
school was also named after Eustaquio Lopez (Philippine Department
of Education, 2004). There was a May 26, 2007 clan reunion in Silay
City. Unfortunately, I knew this too late. I'm hopeful that
there would be more of these reunions and more information uncovered
as family members reconnect. ~~~~~ SOME
SOURCES The Lopez Memorial Museum |
Copyright
© 2008 Muriel C. Lopez. All rights reserved.