This picture was taken in one of those Christmas family reunions in the mid-60's. As always, the venue was
the Apepe-Claret-Yap residence in Plaridel, Misamis Occidental, in a place we fondly called Paraw. Everyone
was there - grandparents, aunts, uncles and grandchildren - not really a big family at that time. Of those
seated, only Tia Belen (Avelina Roda-Claret), Tia Noming
(Norma Claret-Apdujan), and Tio Dodong (Rogelio Claret Yap), are with us.
The rest have passed on.
Today, many of the grandchildren are grandparents themselves. And they have settled all over.
a) Ciriaco M. Apepe
During the American Occupation starting in 1901, Filipinos were recruited to serve in the
U.S. Army, commanded by American officers. They were special men in special units, officially designated
"Philippine Scouts," a term applied both to the Filipino enlisted men and to their American officers.
For a young Filipino man, acceptance into the Philippine Scouts was a distinct honor--as was service in the Scout
units for American officers. One such young man was Ciriaco M. Apepe, of Aloran, Misamis Occidental.
b) Antia Yap
As American rule in the Philippines started, mainland China was in turmoil. Fighting
warlords, rebellion and civil war led to the fall of the ruling dynasty. This resulted in thousands of
Chinese from Guandong and Fujian provinces of Southern China to migrate en masse to the Philippines to escape
poverty, worsening famine and repression. They sailed in sampans (flat-bottomed boats) and three-masted junk
ships (junk from Chinese word, jung - meaning "floating houses").
Those from Guandong (called the Canton people) settled in Manila and
the Luzon provinces. Those from Fujian (called the Minnan people), also settled
in Manila and Luzon, but many proceeded to the Visayan islands and Mindanao. Antia Yap, (also known as Yap Tian Kit),
presumably was one of the Minnan people.
c) Prudencia L. Claret
A winsome lass and native of Plaridel, Misamis Occidental, she was the only daughter of Lorenzo Claret
(Tatay Ensong) and Fortunata Laput (Nanay Atang).
She had four brothers namely, Leon, Elias, Quinto and Isabelo. The family might have had mestizo blood, as the siblings
were tall, fair-skinned with slightly sharp, chiseled noses.
The Apepe-Claret Tandem
Ciriaco M. Apepe, a Philippine Scout was assigned to Plaridel, as the town's Chief of Police. This
was where he met the local beauty, Prudencia Claret. Before long, they were married and had their first child, a son,
in 1923. They named him Jovito. Two years later, tragedy struck. Ciriaco had a fatal heart attack in April, 1925.
(See Postscript). In December of that year,
their second son was born, named Ciriaco, Jr. He was a posthumous child, having been born after the death of his father.
Prudencia became a single parent, with two sons to raise. But that wasn't a problem. Being the only
girl, she was loved and had the support of her brothers. Besides, as a military widow, she received a monthly pension
from the government, enough to meet her family's needs.
The Claret-Yap Couple
Antia Yap, a Chinese immigrant, settled in Plaridel, together with his compatriots, whose names now
become part of Plaridel's history. Names like Yap, Du, Koga, Tan Ho, Sin Yan, Siao, Soya, Sen Sui and many more. Antia
Yap met the widow Prudencia and there was instant attraction to each other. They lived as husband and wife. Their first
child, a daughter, died a few days after birth. Then the second child came, a son named Santos, then the third, a
daughter, named Norma, and their youngest, a son, named Rogelio.
Antia Yap (Yap Tian Kit), together with his partners Guana Yap (Yap Ching Guan) and Koga Tan (Tan Eng Khok),
founded a company called YTK & Co. They engaged in the copra trading business. Starting with carabao-pulled carts
(caromata) to a fleet of cargo
trucks (trak de carga), they bought
copra from the barrios of Plaridel, Calamba, Sapang Dalaga and even up to Rizal, Zamboanga del Norte.
The copra was then shipped to Cebu and sold to a coconut oil processing plant there. The copra was loaded on
wooden-hull boats the names of which I can still remember: Iruņa, Asuncion and Rosario-A
(pronounced rosaryo ah). With the renowned business acumen of the Chinese, the
business flourished and brought prosperity to the partners and their families.
For the grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren, view or download
the family tree:
Postscript: Ciriaco Apepe died of heart attack at a very young age. His second son,
Ciriaco, Jr. also died of heart attack at about the same age. Ciriaco Jr.'s second son, Benito "Baby"
Apepe also died of heart attack at a much younger age.
