By Ed Rojas- Asuncion
For those interested in the Asuncion Family Tree…
My officemate Chunie Flores’ attended the wake for Otilia Oliva Gustilo (27 November 1915 to 14 December 2015), mama of her family friend – Eric Gustilo. Eric and Chunie belong to BCBP (Brotherhood Of Christian Businessmen & Professionals).
Eric showed Chunie a magazine they made a decade ago to honor their mom, the magazine titled “Otilia, The Shaping of a Beautiful Soul”.
It was published by Otilia’s children some ten years ago to celebrate and honor their mom at her 90th birthday. A lot of articles and photos showed Otilia and her family through her nine decades, her memories, her stories as well as those who were close to her, friends and relatives.
And the book started with a paragraph:
“Asuncion, ‘Galing tayo sa mga Asuncion’ and with pride on her face and the sparkle in her eyes, Otilia narrates her roots once given a chance to talk about it. She is eternally grateful that she lived with a third generation descendant, a great and noble woman of Nasugbu, Batangas in the person of her paternal grandmother, Florencia Oliva Y Zalvidea. She was the twelfth of fourteen children of Canuta Zalvidea Y Asuncion, who herself was the twelfth and youngest child of Mariano Asuncion and Maria dela Paz Molo de San Agustin.”
Knowing that we would be interested in the coffee table magazine, she borrowed it from Eric to show us.
In our Asuncion Family tree we know that among the twelve children of Mariano “Kagalitan” Asuncion and Maria Paz Molo de San Agustin came our ancestors – Justiniano and his sibling Canuta.
We know that Justiniano’s son Zacarias married his first cousin, the daughter of Canuta Asuncion with Zalvidea Revilla.
Now with this magazine, we know Canuta’s other daughter, Florencia Zalvidea Asuncion (Lola Enchang) married Florencio Gavino Oliva. Which means Lola Enchang and Lolo Zacarias are first cousins.
Lola Enchang had four children. Vicente, Carmen, Florencio Jr, and Magdalena. Otilia’s dad is Vicente. Which means Otilia’s dad Vicente is the second cousin of all the children of Zacarias (from first wife Juana Zalvidea and third wife Remedios Ramirez).
Therefore Vicente’s second cousins are Guia, Consuelo, Adonis, Jacobo, Rodolfo, Justiniano, Zacarias, Zacarias, Kenerino and Digna.
The children of this generation (Vicente, Guia, Consuelo, Adonis, Jacobo, Rodolfo, Justiniano, Zacarias, Kenerino & Digna) would be third cousins. For most of us today, this generation would also be our own grandparent (our parents would come after the generation of Vicente). Which means Vicente’s daughter Otilia is the third cousin of our parents. Otilia is third cousin of Gracia Carrillo, Corazon Galang, Paz Ma. Munson, Lourdes “Nellie” Jocson, Flavio Intengan, Andres Sr, Papa Ronnie, Sor Marissa, Kenerino Digno, Isabelita Torella….
Eric and his brother Francis (Fr Francis “Buddy” Gustilo, SDB) would be our fourth cousin. Whew, did we get that right?
The good news is that Eric, his brother Fr Francis and their cousins have kept tract of their line in the Asuncion Family tree coming from Mariano Asuncion and Maria dela Paz Molo, through Canuta Asuncion Zalvidea, through Florencia Zalvidea Asuncion, through Vicente Oliva and his siblings, and through Otilia and her siblings.
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Bulan Observer 
Tita Otilla was a close first cousin with my mother Solita Camara Besa and she has always been present in all the major life events of my mother’s family. She attended her 90th birthday of Augusto Camara and the 95th birthday celebration of my mother Solita in her wheelchair. We will all miss her presence and pray for the repose of her soul.