By Lutgarda “Lee” Espiritu Pendleton THE LATE Norberto Gerona Gonzales from Ligas, Malolos, Bulacan who was brother of my late grandmother Carmen Gerona Gonzales was the patriarch of my three relatives now living in the state of Victoria in Australia
Norberto’s wife Gregoria “Inang Gorya” Sanchez Gonzales who was also from Ligas, Malolos, Bulacan celebrated her 100th year last 12 March 2014 at St Agatha’s Resort in Guiguinto, Bulacan.
Nevertheless, all her three children from Australia and their families flew from Melbourne, Victoria to celebrate with the ocassion.
When I first arrived in Australia on March, 1988 I knew that on my mother’s side I have some relatives in Melbourne, Australia.
My mother’s cousin Uncle Raff and his wife Arlene were one of the first Filipino immigrant in the early 1970’s who settled in Melbourne, Australia.
When I first met my Australian husband in the Philippines and eventually he sponsored me to come to Australia and we got married, and my relatives from Victoria came over to Sydney and supported me, and on my wedding day stood as our sponsors.
The Gonzales siblings from Malolos, Bulacan comprise of three families. One is Raff & Arlene Valencia Gonzales from North Eltham, Victoria, Medy & Vic Valencia from Tarneit,Victoria and Pablo “Pabs” & Elizabeth Flores Gonzales from North Vermont, Victoria.
Although my husband and I and our children eventually lived in far away Bundaberg in Queensland, I was able to keep track of the lives of my Melburnian relatives.
Their children all grew up in their adopted Australian state of Victoria and well over finished their studies and have their respective career and some of them have their own families.
Victoria Raff & Arlene and their family children and grandchildren, Medy & Vic Valencia with their son Rodney and Pabs and Elizabeth Gonzales with their daughter Giselle, Allan and Andrei together with the rest of the other brothers and sister in the Philippines have a family reunion and celebrated with the rest of all the family and friends from the Philippines and some from overseas.
Despite the challenges and the hassles, this old tradition of going home seeing each other in family reunion is treasured so much and held deeply in the hearts of Filipinos. which is held usually in such grand occasion as a matriarch’s centenary, compelling even those who had been away for many years to go home and see the Philippines.
This importnant family event usually coincides with milestones such as the matriarch turning 100 years , or the wedding of another relative.