By Rafael A. Lahoz, Jr.
His baptismal record is on file at the Vigan Convent archives, page 348 of the LIBRO DE BAUTISMOS volume no. 26, ANOS 1862-1868. The full text of this document follows:
EN CUATRO DE NOVIEMBRE DE MIL OCHOCIENTOS SESENTA Y SIETE ANOS, YO EL ENFRASCRITO CURA PARROCO DE ESTA CABECERA DE VIGAN, HAGO CONSTAR QUE EL PRESBITERO D. LAZARO BENIGNO CON MI LICENCIA BAUTISE, SOLEMNAMENTE Y PUSO LOS SANTOS OLEOS EN ESTA IGLESIA DE MI CARGO, EL CHINO, QUE QUICO, EL 29 ANOS DE EDAD NATURAL DE CHAN CHIU EN EL IMPERIO DE CHINA A QUIEN SE LE PUESTO POR NOMBRE DE MIGUEL. FUE SU PADRINO D. MIGUEL DE LAHOZ, ESPANOL EUROPEO A QUIEN SE ADVERTIO EL PARENTESCO ESPIRITUAL Y OBLIGACIONES QUE CONTRAJO Y POR VERDAD LO FIRMO.
JUAN OSSET, CURA PARROCO
According to Mr. Damaso King, the owners of Formoso Lumber and Liberty Trading in Vigan could be relatives of Que Quico. He mentioned several names:
as persons whose forebears could have come from China on the same Chinese Junk to Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
No record of Que Quico's Chinese parents are available locally.
FILOMENA DEL CARMEN DE VILLAFUERTE; - Miguel Lahoz was married to Filomena del Carmen de Villafuerte on July 21, 1870 at Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Filomena is the daughter of Cecilio Juan de Villafuerte and Celestina dela Cruz. Her baptismal record states that she is "mestiza sanley" [half Chinese]. Her paternal grandparents were Juan Pablo Mariano [2/03/1781-9/02/1864] and Gabriela Rosales [born 3/23/1788]. Married on 3/30/1803. The maternal grandparents of Filomena were Benito de la Cruz and Maria Vallejos.
The children of Cecilio Juan de Villafuerte and Celestina de la Cruz were;
According to the archives records at the Sto. Domingo Convent, Filomena Villafuerte had given birth to a baby girl on 1/17/1862 and baptized on 1/19/1862. The record states that the child's father is unknown and Filomena was a 'soltera' [single]. Mr. King surmises and believes that this first child of Filomena is actually the first born child of Miguel and Filomena before Que Quico was Baptized on 11/04/1867 and married on 7/21/1870. Because Que Quico was an infidel at that time there was no way the church could record him as the father of the child. Que Quico's baptism and subsequent Christian marriage was perhaps a necessity to remedy a "live in" situation, which was "contrary to social norm" during the Spanish times. Renato Constantino's book; The Philippines a Past Revisited however narrates that priests inspite of their vows of celibacy maintained live-in families with several children. [see page 71 of Constantino's book]. Note also that the first born child of Miguel after his marriage, Rafael was born about three months after his wedding.
The full text of this marriage record is found in the archives of the Vigan convent "LIBRO DE CASAMIENTOS page 96 Vol. 16 Ano 1868 -1879." The full text of this record follows:
EN VIENTE Y UNO DE JULIO DE MIL OCHOCIENTOS SETENTA ANOS, YO EL INFRASCRITO CURA PARROCO DE ESTA CABESERA DE VIGAN PRECEDIDAS LAS TRES AMONESTACIONES Y DEMAS DILIGENCIAS QUE PREVIENE EL SANTO CONCILIO DE TRENTO NO HABIENDO RESULTADO IMPEDIMENTO ALGUNO QUE A MI NOTICIA HAYA LLEGADO, CASE POR PALABRAS DE PRESENTE Y VELE' EN ESTA YGLEGSIA A MIGUEL LAHOZ, QUE QUICO CHINO CRISTIANO DE TRIENTA Y UNO ANOS DE EDAD, NATURAL DE CHAN CHIU EN EL YMPERIO DE CHINA Y RESIDENTE EN ESTA CABESERA DE VIGAN, SOLTERO HIJO DE PADRES INFIDELES CON FILOMENA VILLAFUERTE MESTIZA SANGLEY SOLTERA HIJA DE DON CECILIO DE VILLAFUERTE Y DE DONA CELESTINA DE LA CRUZ, DIFUNTA, DEL BARANGAY DE DON PEDRO VELASQUEZ GREMIO DE MESTIZOS, SIENDO SUS ABUELOS PATERNOS DON JUAN PABLO MARIANO Y DONA GABRIELA ROSALES, Y MATERNOS DON BENITO DE LA CRUZ Y DONA MARIA VALLEJOS. FUERON TESTIGOS DON TRANQUILINO CENTENO Y DONA LUCRECIA VILLANUEVA Y POR VERDAD LO FIRME. DERECHOS UN PESO. - JUAN OSSET, Curra Parroco.