Excerpts from the book THE FAMILY OF KAPITAN JUANCHO OSORIO of Dalaguete, Cebu
By Urbano Osorio Y de la Peña
Member of the Third Generation
(translated to English from Cebuano by Edwin Osorio La Rosa)
CHAPTER I
THE ORIGIN OF THE FAMILY: JUAN SEREÑO AND MARIA VICENTA
This narrative that traces the long line of our ancestry began at the convent circa 1880 where a young man, who was a foreigner, married a native of our place. And ended in 1983 when the grandchildren of Atty. Amando O. Amazona, Jr. were born and who were counted as the seventh generation of Juan Sereño, who was the former servant of the Parish Priest, who became his majordomo and was later appointed as Gobenadorcillo. It was said that Juan Sereño was brought as a servant by the Friar who was assigned as the Parish Priest of Dalaguete. He was trustworthy and obedient that the Parish Priest made him the majordomo of the convent. During the Spanish times, people look up to the people who were associated with the church and the convent. And Juan, being the majordomo of the convent, was well known in the community and married a lady from a prominent family. He married Maria Vicenta.
During those times, the Parish Priest was very powerful. So, it was not a surprise to the people that Juan was appointed as Gobernadorcillo (the head of the town). His administration was successful and fruitful because of the backing and help of the Parish Priest. In a valuable historical document where the boundaries of the surrounding towns: Argao, Moalboal, Badian, Alegria and Boljoon, Kapitan Juancho Osorio (Juan Sereño) attended and signed the said document with the Parish priest, Friar Manuel Gallo. The document was prepared on January 18, 1834 at the Casa Real de Cebu under the leadership of the Mayor and Captain of the Spanish Armada, Sr. Don Manuel Romero and of the Ecclesiastic Fiscal, Friar Julian Bermejo. At that meeting, all Parish priests, Gobernadorcillos, the Principals and leaders of the aforementioned towns attended and signed the document.
On July 16, 1844, General Narceso Claveria was appointed as the 64th Governor General of the Philippines. He ordered that all Filipinos carry a Spanish surname to make it easier to trace their lineage. Different Spanish surnames were posted on the door of the church for the people to choose from and the chosen surname will be affixed to their old names. Kapitan Juancho (Juan Sereño) chose the surname OSORIO since, according to his Parish priest the surname was famous in Spain. And his wife chose a new name, VICENTA LUCERO. When their children, Romana Osorio and Antonio Osorio, were married, Vicenta Lucero was written on the Record of Marriages instead of Maria Vicenta as their mother.
The marriage of JUAN OSORIO and VICENTA LUCERO produced 10 children, to wit:
1. Antonio Osorio
2. Mariano Osorio
3. Isabel Osorio
4. Romana Osorio
5. Evaristo Osorio
6. Benita Osorio
7. Simon Osorio
8. Florencio Osorio
9. Dorotea Osorio
10. Anacleta Osorio
Five girls and five boys!.....They are creations who were given and entrusted to them by God, molded in His image. Five boys and two girls were able to perch on the boat of Love and reach the shores of matrimony.
1. ROMANA to Eduardo Buenconsejo on September 21, 1847
2. ANTONIO to Leoncia Almagro on February 8, 1848
3. MARIANO to Macaria Villahermosa on May 31, 1853
4. EVARISTO to Romana Garces on February 2, 1855
5. DOROTEA to Pedro Buenconsejo on February 7, 1859
6. SIMON to Florentina Llanos on January 22, 1667
Of the seven that got married, only one did not have any children, Florencio Osorio and Gerarda Salvador. And the descendants of those that got married are scattered all over Dalaguete and the provinces of Visayas, Luzon and Mindanao. Even in America, Canada and Spain!.... And in this book you will meet them in their homes in the town of Kapitan Juancho and of thosewho emigrated to other lands to seek their fame and fortune.
