A Very Chank Ancestry
INTRODUCTION
Filipino Flag
Greeting
My name is Chazz Legaspi and this is the website about my Ancestry! You might be wondering what exactly “Chank” means. It’s a nickname a friend gave me and what I like to refer to myself to online. I would’ve called it “A Very Chazz Ancestry” but it just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Background Basics
Although I was born in the hospital right beside school, all of my ancestors were born in the Philippines and spent their lives there, apart from my parents who moved here when they were in their late 20’s. When I asked my parents about the kind of things my ancestors did back then, there was a range of occupations from a politician to a fish seller, but there was one thing that both my mother’s side and my father’s side had in common: farming, hence the website theme.
MY PARENTS
Emelinda “Emie” Dignos Legaspi
Emie is the oldest out of 4 children, the daughter to Lydia Pepito Dignos and Marciano Dignos. She was born on October 22, 1969 in Ormoc, Philippines and grew up in a house in the city made of light material. She got a chemical engineer license there and then came to New Zealand in April 1996, where she’s currently raising 6 children and taking a Business Management course in uni.
Celestino “Dondon” Legaspi III
He is the oldest of 7 children and the son of Jovencia Laurio Legaspi and Celestino Legaspi II. His birthday is March 15, 1969 and he was raised in Masbate, Philippines. He got the nickname “Dondon” because they called him Junjun, short for Junio junior because he is Celestino III, but then his younger relative could only pronounce it as “Dondon”. He came to New Zealand in 1998 where he got married and raised 6 children.
MOM'S PARENTS
Lydia Pepito Dignos
Lydia is one of 9 children. She was born in Hiloctogan, Philippines, March 28 1950, and her parents were Vivencio and Celsa Pepito. Her hobbies were planting flowers and doing chores. According to my mother, her garden was really beautiful.
Marciano Dignos
My Grandad was born in Palompon, Philippines, on May 29 1949 and he got married to Lydia and had 4 children with her. He really enjoyed drinking and singing. In 1987, when my mom was only 17 turning 18, he died of leukemia. She was at school when she heard the news and somebody came to pick her up and take her home. Apparently he had died with his eyes open and her siblings decided to leave it open for the time being, but when my mum finally got home to see him, his eyes had closed on their own. They say it was almost as if he was waiting for her.
DAD'S PARENTS
Jovencia Laurio Legaspi
My grandmother was born in Masbate, Philippines on May 31 1946. She was a teacher at a school on a mountain before she retired. She was a salutatorian when she was in high school. According to my dad she had a very “boring life” because everyday was just her going to work, coming home, going to sleep, and then repeating.
Celestino Legaspi II
Celestino Jr was born in Aroroy, Philippines on March 16 1944. Apparently he was a very good basketball player and he was great at scoring three-pointers. He used to be a teacher and taught at a school in the mountains, but not the same school as his wife. In 1972, he became a policeman.
GREAT GRANDPARENTS
Mum's Mum's Side
Mum's grandparents, Vivencio and Celsa Pepito, worked in a crop farm where they grew cassava, corn, and bananas in Kananga Leyte. They both liked to dance and drink coconut wine and also enjoyed cooking and were very good at it. They were very nice people and they both died somewhere in 1997-1998. Both of them were really skinny because they really liked vegetables and rarely ate meat. Vivencio participated in cockfighting, meaning he would force chickens to fight each other.
Dad's Mum's Side
My dad’s grandma’s name was Maria Laurio and her whole family were farmers. She owned a farm where she grew rice and had a coconut plantation. There were bamboo trees and fruit trees too. The fruits she grew were mango, tamarind, and santol. When my dad was young he always walked to the farm because it was 2km away from his house. Sometimes he'd ride a caribou with a wooden cage because it's a hilly place and it was hard to walk up hill. She was also a sower and loved playing card games. When she died, the farm was divided between her family. My dad’s grandad was Bernardo Laurio. He was a politician but his favourite pastime was fishing. My dad always went fishing with him and rode in a small boat in a town called Baleno.
Dad's Dad's Side
His grandad, Celestino, was already dead before he was born. He was a fisherman and had a fishing business that his wife continued after he died. Unfortunately, she died when my dad was in highschool because of asthma. During their time there was nothing to help with it and she had an attack. My dad was in a quiz bee when it happened, so after he came back home, she was already dead. The business went to their children after she died. One of them still continues it and owns one of their fishing boats.