About the Author
Luz Dayrit Navarro is a native of Bamban, Tarlac, Philippines. She studied at Holy Angel College (now, Holy Angel University) in Angeles City, where she was the Editor-in-Chief of the school organ, the Angelite. She also attended the University of Santo Tomas College of Pharmacy in Manila, Philippines. She married Dr. Honorio Navarro (University of the Philippines Medicine '55) in May, 1953. They have four children, two boys and two girls. The family went to live in the US and they are all US citizens now. All her children are married and live in different states with their own families. Now a widow, Mrs. Navarro resides in San Diego City, California.
She is retired, and spends her time writing her autobiography, reading her beloved books and collecting her writings done when she was still in the Philippines. She also wrote the family history as it was handed down from previous generations by word of mouth. She wrote the family tree on her maternal side and encouraged her elder cousin to write the family history on her paternal side. She believes that any one who can remember the story of their lives must tell it to the succeeding generation and leave it as a legacy to future generations, that they may know how their ancestors lived during their time on earth.
The Sibal Family History
In the nineteenth century, in the southern tip of Tarlac province in Luzon, Philippines, a dozen siblings came from the province of Pampanga and founded the town of Bamban.The siblings were surnamed Sibal and consisted of eleven brothers and one sister who married a Maristela man. The Sibal brothers called this place Bamban because of the smooth, thornless bamboo that grew in large clumps and the name of this bamboo is “bamban.” The place was very fertile for fields of rice and sugar cane and all kinds of fruit trees. It was very near the foothills of the large chain of Sierra madre mountains where abound hardwood trees of narra, lauan, wild animals such as deer, wild boars and all kinds of flora and fauna. The mountains were on the western side of Bamban, while on the southern side ran a river that teemed with fish. On the banks of this river called Parua, there were stones and sparkling sand brought by the current. The bank of the river was a forest full of pine trees (Pinus insularis) and the wind whistled its song through their boughs. At that time, Bamban was a veritable paradise. more>>
The oriental Madonna A beautiful, haunting kundiman I heard,
Which floated in woodlands like song of the bird,
I looked for the singer with surprise I saw
Ethereal vision in moonlight's soft glow.
Oriental Madonna as radiantly fair
As gleaming of moonbeams that played in her hair, Her golden brown beauty which tropic climes kissed,
Wore Philippine raiments of gossamer mist.
She stood on a hill with the wind in her hair,
Her kudyapi strumming as she sang a sad air,
How truly pathetic were all of her songs
her sweet face reflected the tale of past wrongs.
I thought she was young, not more than twenty one,
I shivered to learn she had many a son.
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