Juna and Maria's ohana luau

"Juna and Maria's ohana luau"
             SunStar Davao, January 21, 2023

The heirs of Francisco “Lim Chuan Juna” and Maria Loreto “Tan Sipo” Villa-Abrille recently held their grand reunion at the Waterfront Insular Hotel with a festive Hawaiian luau.

 

Dressed in our vibrant Hawaiian outfits, the third to seventh generations of the family happily greeted each other as they met for the first time again. The tent venue was beautifully bedecked with exotic tropical flora and fauna by Mel Villocino’s A Million Dream Production and Event Styling.

 

In her welcome remarks, Malu Abella-Lopez said, “As in a tree, we are branches growing from the same roots. We hope that the differences in upbringing, values, and traditions will make our roots stronger.”

As I was writing this article and reviewing the photos, I realized that the Hawaiian theme suggested by Tita Malu turned out to be the perfect choice to celebrate the gift of family or “ohana” in Hawaiian.

I am sure most of you with kids have watched the movie “Lilo and Stitch” with them where the word “ohana” was emphasized: “Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten”.

Truly, our Villa-Abrille clan will never forget our forefathers Juna and Maria who left us a legacy we will always be grateful for. With proper management, the blessings passed on to us made our lives secure for generations. But, more importantly, we were also taught to always give back, especially in the development of Davao.

                

Just like the last reunion in 2016, I was tasked to share the colorful history of Ingcong Juna. I based my speech on Tita Malu’s article in the Hijos de Davao book “Witnessing Growth”.

Young orphan

In 1862, 12-year-old Juna, an orphan with neither brother nor sister, boarded a junk from Tang Sua, Fukien Province, Southern China to the Philippines.

                  

From Manila, he eventually found his way to Jolo where he became a successful pearl diver and trader. He married Tan Sipo, of Chinese-Muslim lineage from Pollok, Cotabato, and was baptized into Islam in Jolo.

                 

Juna arrived in Davao with Tan Sipo in 1878. They were among just only 20 Chinese families then. They settled with the Tausugs in the Piapi area where he set up a small store. The family would later move to Claveria Street with a bigger general merchandise store.

                

Juna was referred to by different names, among them Juan Padda and Lim Chuan Juna.

New name

At 40, Juna and Tan Sipo, 29, married in Catholic rites at the San Pedro Parish in 1890. They were given Christian names: Francisco and Maria Loreto Villa-Abrille, after the Spanish Governor-General in Davao, Faustino Villa-Abrille.

Juna and Tan Sipo had five children: Ricardo, Carlos, Luisa, Cesareo, and Candelaria. (Author’s note: I am the great-granddaughter of Luisa.)

He spoke fluent Spanish and his ability to speak the lumad Bagobo and Mandaya dialects earned him respect. By 1929, of the 20 Chinese pioneers, Juna was the only one who remained.

To his grandchildren, he was Ingcong, and Maria Loreto was Amah. His grandchildren still recall how Ingcong kept his precious pearls in a sack; how they were made to choose fine cloth before these were sold in the store; and how they would always store simple commodities like rice and sugar and enjoy local food. He was known to give away goods for free when he deemed that the buyer did not have enough to pay.

Reluctant landowner

Juna became a reluctant landowner towards the end of the 19^th century when a Spaniard forced him to buy vast hectares of wilderness for PhP2,000 across Davao River (Matina Area) because the Spaniards were already fleeing Mindanao. He would also own lands in Davao’s poblacion and Sta. Cruz. By 1904, Juna was one of the big abaca planters in Davao.

Decree Number 21484 issued by the American Government on June 14, 1916, formalized his ownership of the lands through the Court of First Instance. He would later donate parcels to accelerate the development of the municipio of Davao of the undivided Davao province: the lands of the Post Office, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts Office, the General Hospital, the Chinese School, and the Puericulture Center, and the roads of what was then Jones Circle, and portions of Uyanguren Street, Tomas Claudio Extension, and Acacia Road.

Juna died at 93 in 1943.

After his death, his heirs donated portions of what is now Guerrero St., Sta. Ana Avenue, Juan de la Cruz Street, Jacinto Street, MacArthur Highway, Candelaria Street, Maa Road, Quimpo Boulevard, and Tulip Drive, and a proposed park along MacArthur Highway.

Son of Davao

Juna would have been truly proud of his heirs: five children, 29 grandchildren, hundreds of great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

In 1969, Lim Juna’s philanthropic contributions earned him the distinction of being one of the first Datu Bago awardees (posthumous), the highest honor ever bestowed to a son of Davao.  A downtown street (Villa-Abrille) was also named after him.           

In “Reconstructing History from Text and Memory” written by Prof. Macario D. Tiu, he wrote that, “When Juna purchased land in the downtown area, the other Chinese residents joked about it among themselves. Most of the Chinese migrants thought of their stay in the Philippines as only temporary. After earning some money, they planned to go home to China. They did not think of Davao or any place else as their permanent home and therefore thought it foolish that a Chinaman would be buying land, which he could not bring back to China. But Lim indeed belongs to Davao.”

 

I am in awe that though he was not Davao-born, Ingcong Juna took great pride in being a Dabawenyo and encouraged his children to do their share in the growth and progress of the city.

“Mahalo nui loa” (Thank you very much in Hawaiian), Ingcong Juna and Amah Maria! You can count on us that our love for “ohana” and Davao will always shine through.

 Special thanks to The Southern Vibe for the photos you see on this page.