2. AQUINOS AND GILS: HOW THEY ARE RELATED?

We know from the very start that the Aquinos of Concepcion, Tarlac and Gils of Porac, Pampanga are one of the prestigious and powerful families in Pampanga. Both of this families owned large tracts of land and engaged in lucrative sugar industry. Aquinos owned several haciendas in Concepcion, Tarlac and formerly in barrio San Roque in Magalang, Pampanga. While the Gils owned the large Hacienda Pio in Porac, Pampanga and others in Floridablanca, Pampanga. Aquinos engaged in local and national; and they had Ninoy, a staunchest critic of late strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos and his son, Noynoy who served as the 16th president of the Philippines. And even in movie industry also, the Aquinos had Kris Aquino and the Gils had Rosemarie Gil and her children, Mark, Michael and Cherie and even several of her grandchildren.

However, how Aquinos and Gils are related? In past genealogical researches regarding to the Aquinos and Gils, the researchers reached their dead end on their ancestors of both sides. According to Marco D. Nepomuceno, family historian of Nepomuceno and Henson families of Angeles, the Aquinos traced their ancestry to the couple, Don Dionisio Aguilar Hipolito and Doña Petrona Henson of Angeles. Doña Petrona is the daughter of Don Mariano Paras Henson and Doña Juana Ildefonsa de Miranda of Culiat (old name of Angeles). Doña Juana is the only daughter of Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda, founder of Angeles and Doña Rosalia de Jesus. However, according to some researches, the husband of Doña Petrona Henson-Aguilar’s roots and family are still unknown.

And even for the Gils of Porac, the roots of their ancestor, Doña Carlota Aguilar is still unknown. According to some sources, Doña Carlota married Don Rafael Ocampo Gil, the only son of Señor Don Felino Talens Gil and Doña Francisca Javier Ocampo. Other children of Don Felino are Luisa married Vicente Toledo; Dolores married Roberto Toledo; Rosa married Carlos Molina Nalda; and Vicenta. Don Felino was a Spanish military officer assigned in Porac. One of his tasks was to supervise the logging industry and secure the friar missions. Due to his exemplary service, he was awarded vast tracts of land which he converted into rich sugar and rice lands. He also founded Escuela de Artes y Officios de Bacolor, (present day Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University) the oldest trade school in Far East together with the Filipino secular priest of Lubao, Fr. Juan Zita. Up to this day, no one can identify the roots of Doña Carlota.

Recently, with the help of Familysearch.org a website run by The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, i found some precious documents in form of notarios and testamentos that will trace the ancestors of both Aquinos and Gils. According to a notarial record signed by the Aguilars in June 7, 1894, a couple named Don Anselmo Aguilar Hipolito and Doña Maria Dimaliuat had eleven children; Benito, a former cabeza de barangay of undivided Magalang married Hermenegilda Zablan; Jacinto married Fausta Cabigting; Mariano married Severa Jimenez; Maria, a single mother; Dionisio married Petrona Henson and later he married Petrona Avillar of Gerona,Tarlac; Eugenia, a single mother; Vicente married Victoria Dizon; Antonio married Catalina Paras; Engracia married Eugenio Medina of Arayat; Josefa married Fructuoso Vergara of Apalit, Pampanga and Hilarion.

The couple according to the will of Doña Maria Aguilar Hipolito signed in February 19, 1868, they are identified as mestisos de sangley, and they are from Santa Ana, Pampanga. The couple had several lands in Concepcion which later sold to Guillermo Baron and in barrio Buensuceso in Arayat measuring seventy one hectares mortgaged to Don Tomas David of Magalang in 1894.

The couple’s son Dionisio married Petrona Henson of Angeles in then makeshift church of Angeles around 1852. The couple had three children, Maria Petrona, Policarpio and Paula. Maria Petrona married Don Braulio Laxamana Aquino of Magalang in February 4, 1873 in Angeles. The couple had six children. One of them is Servillano, a farmer and revolutionary general married three times, first to Guadalupe Quiambao and their son, Benigno Aquino, Sr. is the father of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. After Guadalupe died, he married Petronila Quiambao. In his old age, he married Belen Sanchez and they had son, Herminio, a former congressman of Tarlac. Servillano’s sister Brigida married Andres Limcolioc Ganzon of Magalang, and their great grandson, Edgardo D. Pamintuan is the incumbent mayor of Angeles. Another great grandson is Conrado Titus del Rosario, a known musician. Another daughter Maria married half brother of Andres; Alfredo Gonzales Ganzon, municipal president of Magalang in 1916. Their grandson, Carlito Ganzon was a former city councilor of Angeles.

Dionisio’s sister Maria was a single mother. She had two natural children whom their father is unknown. Her children are Carlota and Felino. According to her will, Carlota married Don Rafael Gil of Porac, Pampanga; while his son Felino pursued studies in Spain. Rafael and Carlota settled in Hacienda Pio in Porac and they had three children, Pilar married Manuel Bonilla Murciano; Maria and Felino who also resided in Spain. A certain Carlos Gil, Sr. probably son or grandson of the couple married Isabel Herreros and they are childless. Later, they adopted Carlos Worrel, Isabel's nephew and they renamed him as Carlos Gil, Jr. fondly known as Carlitos. Later, Carlitos married Maria Dolores Castellvi and their daughter Rosemarie Gil married Eddie Mesa (Eddie Eigenmann in real life) and their children Michael, Mark and Cherie are also seasoned actors and actresses as well.

Today, the descendants of Don Anselmo and Doña Maria spread in other towns in Pampanga. Some of their children intermarried with Cabigtings and Medinas of Arayat, Lapuzes, Oretas and Noveras of Candaba and Vergaras of Apalit. Some of them permanently settled in Santa Ana, Angeles, Arayat, Candaba, Magalang in Pampanga and in Gerona and Concepcion, Tarlac. Their surnames nowadays still uses Aguilar, while the descendants of Benito, first child of the couple prefer to use Hipolito instead of Aguilar. They are permanently settled in barrio Santa Rita in Concepcion, Tarlac and formerly in barrio San Miguel in Magalang.

Photo Credits:

Benigno S. Aquino, Jr.: mb.com.ph

Rosemarie Gil: starforallseasons.com

Sources:

Numero Ciento Sesenta y Seis: Remincia a la recompre de una finca rustica por $5.700 otorgada por Don Dionisio Aguilar, Doña Maria Aguilar de Dizon, Don Antonio Aguilar, Doña Engracia Aguilar de Medina, Doña Josefa Aguilar de Medina, Don Silvestre Aguilar, Don Catalino Aguilar, Don Agustin Lapuz, Doña Eusebia Aguilar de Lapus y Don Pedro Aguilar a favor de Don Tomas David y Pineda; signed June 7, 1894.

Numero Ventinueve: Testamento de Doña Maria Aguilar Hipolito: signed February 19, 1868.

Juzgado de la Alcadia Mayor de la Pampanga: Autos de testamentaria del finado Sr. Don Felino Gil y Talens, donde obrar los inventarios del caudal. promovidos por el albacea testamentario Don Rafael Gil, piduendo la aprobacion judicial de dicho inventario, previa la enfrimidad de sus coherederos; signed January 1, 1884.

Virtual interview with Manny Coronel Jose, a descendant of Don Felino Gil y Talens.

Note: All of these documentary sources are culled through familysearch.org of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints