My Korean Ancestry

17th Century Bloodline

Our Annual Reunion

In this century, Jung-su, a kind and generous Korean-Chinese businessman and fisherman of Do (present name of Jeju-do Island, South Korea) was eventually baptized into Roman Catholic Rite. He was named Martin by the Augustinian friars who were on mission in Hermosa, Bataan, Philippines during the  feast  day of St. Martin of Tours. He was given a surname of  Tungol because of his good and honest reputation as a businessman who cared so much for the poor. Tung in Chinese means "a  good circulation" and the native  "ol" means  business. That is why Tungol means "a good circulations of business". Moreover, Jung-su in Korean means a combination of beauty and honesty.

He lived in Hermosa, Bataan by doing buy and sell until he met a lovely native from Kumintang  (present name of Batangas) named Maria Catapang who was a hardworking merchant from the South and who was a woman who loved literature and writings. They married in Minalin, Pampanga where Maria lived with her family. It was been told that Martin did a typical pamamanhikan in Korean and Filipino traditions with his fellow Koreans and Augustians in the house of a certain Donya Gaspara Bondoc who was a blood relative of Maria. It was Donya Gaspara who taught Maria how to read and right.

Martin and Maria lived at Minalin where they got involved in egg business. Their house was near the river of Minalin and adjacent to the ancestral house of the Bondocs and that of Donya Gaspara Bondoc. This can be located presently by standing in front of the Sta. Monica Church facing the main gate of the church. Their first child was named Claro (born 1675 in Minalin and died a bachelor in Minalin circa in the later years of the 17th century  due to difficulty in breathing, most probably, asthma.). Claro was a silent and dutiful man.

Their second child was Faustino (my ancestor) who was born in 1677 at Dinalupihan, Bataan, Philippines during a busy market day. He was born while Maria was tending her business at high noon. Thanks to a local midwife who helped the expecting Maria in delivering her second child. He was named Faustino because of a kind Spanish mestizo named  Don Faustino de Caballero who was present customer of Maria uring the birth of Faustino. It was believed that Don Faustino de Caballero was the godfather of Faustino Tungol. Faustino Tungol married Marcela Pangan Dimacali (born in 1687 in Minalin, Pampanga. Marcela's parents were Luciano Dimacali (born 1659) and Estebana Pangan (born 1665) who were both natives of Minalin.

Caridad, the third child was born in 1680 at Minalin. She was the pride and joy of her parents after  years of expecting a baby girl to come into the family of Martin and Maria. She was exact opposite of her eldest brother Claro. She was a joyful and a pampered child of her parents and brothers. She was married to Amado Pangilinan who was one of the uncles of Nicolas Pangilinan who was one of the mayors of Minalin. She and Amado settled in Sta. Ana, Pampanga.

Sta. Monica Church in Minalin, Pampanga

Zosimo, the fourth child was born in 1685 in a banca along the river of Macabebe, Pampanga while Martin and Maria were on their way to Paombong, Bulacan for fish business. Maria was in her 8th month of pregnancy when she gave birth to Zosimo. Sadly, Zosimo expired to poor health in Paombong, Bulacan two months after his birth. This was the first grief in the family of Martin and Maria.

Amparo, the fifth child was born in 1687 in Betis, Pampanga where Martin was learning the furniture business. Martin and Maria did not stay for a long time in Betis with their furniture business because of a new clothing business from Chinese traders in Minalin, Masantol and Macabebe, Pampanga. They entrusted their furniture business to a cousin of Maria named Simon Galang. Morever, Amparo married Juan Hizon of Mexico, Pampanga.

Honorio, the sixth child was born in 1690 in Minalin, Pampanga. He married after his 50th birthday to a damsel named Barbara Zapata (born circa, a Chinese mestiza of Binondo, Manila. He became a widower when Barbara died while giving birth to their first child who was named Juan who eventually died hours after the death of his mom. Honorio became desparate. It was believed that he went to fishing with his Korean cousins. He stayed in Korea and never came back home.

Bruno, the seventh child was born in 1693 in Minalin, Pampanga. He was the most business minded and mischievous among the siblings of Martin and Maria. He had this coin bank inside the bamboo pillars of their house in Minalin. He would never sleep at night without counting the sales of eggs which he sold in the market. He was the singer among the siblings. He married Esperanza Padilla (born 1707) of Gapan, Nueva Ecija. They settled in Arayat, Pampanga where Bruno and Esperanza's family owned vast rice fields.

If you're a descendant of Apu Jung-su, feel free to click below and join us in Facebook and visit us at http://jung-su.webs.com/.