This originally was an exercise to list as many of the family clans in the City of Tanjay, Negros Oriental, Philippines, which is our hometown, where many families are said to be inter related. Over time, a database was built up from sources such as individual family trees volunteered to us, research, interviews, old records, and the internet. All these data was encoded into the database residing in my computer using the FTM software, which already had the extensive family trees of my forebears from Luzon. A few years ago, the database was uploaded and posted on this website to make it available to all who visit the site. For simplicity, and to afford some privacy, it is devoid of all notes, events, stories, anniversaries, exact birthdays, etc.
The more interesting aspect of this project is not the creation of various family trees, but to find the linkages between family clans, and individuals, by blood line and marriage.
For example, using the "Relationship" tool (under "People" menu), one can trace how two former politicians Cornelio Villareal and Aguedo Agbayani are linked to each other (not related). Or, how either of them is linked to former president Fidel Ramos. Other well-known political, business and show-biz figures include, Greggy Araneta, Emilio Aguinaldo, Robert Arevalo, Robert Jaworski, Imelda Romualdez, Juan Luna, Gloria Macapagal, Fernando Poe, Quentin Paredes, etc, or for that matter, all of the presidents of the Philippines.
This was an attempt to trace and prove correct a popular blog (click on second useful link below) that states most political clans and business empires in the country are all inter-related. Ironic examples are the close links between dictator Ferdinand Marcos & challenger Benigno Aquino and then national hero Jose Rizal & martial law strongman Fabian Ver.
Most of these mentioned have just a tenuous link to the bulk of the individuals in the database, while others are part of a well-developed family tree.
Recently encoded are selected data from the open source Geni website where a series of avid genealogists had mapped out a large segment of European royalty. So now there is a direct bloodline between King Juan I of Spain born 1358 with the Ponce de Leons of Palawan, and thence, by linkages, to the rest of the other persons in the database. Along the way, the royal lineage passes through a few other kings and the emperor Ferdinand II of the Holy Roman Empire.
Many linking names are therefore descriptive, such as "NenaPa Syquia". Another easy approach to view linkages is to successively click on various individual's "Tree" and then drag their boxes around to view the entire field of inter-relations.
Where there is a clan of interest, the forebears are traced to a "ROOT". In this database, there are over 100 roots, which can be displayed as true family trees. To best explore the extent of the database, click "R" in the alphabet of names, click on "ROOT", and choose and click any family name. Then click on "Descendants" option. That particular family tree will be shown. One doesn't have to start from a root. Any individual's family tree can be displayed, so long as he/she has descendants. To print it out in a more comprehensive format, go to "Reports". Understandably, some family trees are merely skeletal. Many individuals could find themselves listed under different family trees, as the branches do overlap.
Most sites devote their data to just one family tree. This site is like a "pine forest" of family trees, each with a distinct top or apex indicating the fellow who started it all, which I call the "root", with his offspring branching downwards to the ever-widening base, and inter lapping with adjacent trees by marriage. This may sound like an oxymoron, but this is the better visualization method. Conventional wisdom shows the root as located below with branches growing upwards.
It is inevitable that there are errors, especially in the older generations where linkages amongst similar family names may be conjectural. Or, the data given to us was wrong to start with.
A notable feature is that each individual has been given a birth year, which in most cases, is an educated guess ("guestimate") using date interpolation (based on logical assumptions of marriage and child-bearing age and spacing), as indicated by the prefix "Abt" (about) before the date. Where an exact year is known, estimated birth years of siblings, parents, and children are adjusted accordingly. However, after uploading into this website, estimated years appear without the "Abt" prefix, except in the "Detailed Listing", or in the "Family View". Please note this distinction.
Whatever the case may be, the guestimated birth years could be significantly off, since the order of birth of siblings may not be correct, and some siblings may be missing.
If you want to be included in the database, you first have to find an individual whom you know is a relative, then send us the data on how you are related, including full names and birth years, and include data of your immediate family.
Individuals who happen to be webmasters of their particular family tree should take note that the data herein cannot be as authoritative or complete as theirs. Many of the sources herein are from public domain blogs on the internet.
We wish to acknowledge the invaluable help of so many relatives, friends and genealogical hobbyists in helping make this database. The listing will be too long to mention. However, the Tanjay website has selected Family Trees shown in detail that have introductions and acknowledgments.
We enjoin the members to call our attention to any errors/updates/additions/deletions that they wish to make.
In the meantime, this site will keep evolving with more additions, and selected ID photos. Most of the pictures are blow-ups of recent candid shots, or from scans of old pictures, Facebook, etc. If you don't like your picture, let us know, and/or sent us your choice for reposting.
As a public service, we would be glad to email more data generated from the original software to those interested members. For other features of the database, please go to the Tanjay website:
http://www.tanjaycity.org/ or click on Tanjay Site under Useful Links further below.
And do sign the guestbook.
Fernando "Danny" Gil
direct email: ferngil@aol.com or ferngil@yahoo.com
Tanjay, Philippines