I am Proud of my boholano roots..

 We are now  embarking into an illustrious endeavor to document the Familia Gorecho..Perhaps, if preparations and coordination will be successful, a grand clan reunion can be organized soon.  Here is my proposed outline/summary of the research:

Part One: Etymology of the Gorecho surname. a historical perspective on how we got our name. To review your Philippine History , the filipinos were forced to change the surnames during the Spanish era as a means of population control, or a zoning scheme to determine your place of origin. On November 21, 1849 Governor General Narciso Clavería ordered a systematic distribution of family names for the natives to use. The Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos was produced and approved names were assigned to families in all towns. Name distribution was so systematic that civil servants assigned family names in alphabetical order causing some small towns with only a few families to end up with all names starting with the same letter. The Gorecho is a Galician surname meaning it was patterned from the inhabitants of Galicia , Spain .

 

Part Two: Geographical  background of Bohol where Gorechos came from. Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is Tagbilaran City . It is the 10th largest island in the country, securely nestled in the heart of the Visayas. [1] To the west of Bohol is Cebu, to the northeast is the island of Leyte and to the south, across the Bohol Sea is Mindanao.Bohol is a popular tourist destination with its beaches and resorts. The Chocolate Hills, numerous mounds of limestone formation, is the most popular attraction. The island of Panglao , located just southwest of Tagbilaran City , is home to some of the finest beaches in the country. The Philippine Tarsier, considered by some to be the smallest primate, is indigenous to the island.Boholanos refer to their island homeland as the ' Republic of Bohol ' with both conviction and pride. A narrow strait separates the island of Cebu and Bohol and both share a common language, but the Boholanos retain a conscious distinction from the Cebuanos.

Hills dominate the island of Bohol . Two ranges run roughly parallel on the northwest and the southeast. An interior plateau is dominated by limestone hills. In Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan, these hills form near perfect cones in great numbers and are collectively referred to as the Chocolate Hills.Bohol's climate is generally dry, with maximum rainfall between the months of June and October. The interior is cooler than the coast.Bohol is the home province of Carlos P. Garcia , the fourth president of the Republic of the Philippines (1957-1960) who was born in Talibon, Bohol.[2]

 

Part Three: The Family Tree. It will be an updated database on the members of the Gorecho Clan that originated from the matrimonial bondage of Isidro Gorecho and Tomasa Cristobal. I am now in the process of documenting eight (8) generations of Gorechos.  Out of this matrimonial bondage are three siblings: Alejandro Gorecho, Melchora Gorecho and Joseph Gorecho. Alejandro was married to Barbara Bulahao with six children, Melchora was married to Pedro Mascarinas while Joseph was married to Irenea Estabaya. Thus, there are eighteen (18)   major lines : Six for Alejandro Gorecho and Barbara Bulahao (Librada, Leopoldo, Benegilda , Victoria , Victor, and Gregorio), seven  for Melchora Gorecho and Pedro Mascarinas (Segunda, Enrique, Seferino, Florencio, Felis, Herminigilda and Isidra), and five for Joseph Gorecho and Irenea Estabaya (Constancio, Eusebio, Eulogio, Teofilo, and Juanita).    Some of the surnames that became connected with Gorecho include Apsay, Embradora, Itable, Bulala, Mante, Corpuz etc. Its interesting to note that surnames seems to re-appear in other lines (like Gorecho-Mante, Mante-Gorecho, Gorecho-Corpuz, Gorecho-Embradora, Embradora-Gorecho) signifying intermarriage between not-so distant relatives, a typical occurrence in the provincial set-up.    I am now communicating with other relative to verify the information and make updates. . I just discovered in august 2009  that there is another group of gorechos based in lanao.. they are the descendants of Joseph Gorecho, i think he is a brother of melchora and alejandro gorecho which I have earlier documented.  

 

 

Part Four: Directory. We have to establish a database on the address and other  means of communication among the Gorecho clan for easy dissemination of information, such as emails, phone numbers, friendster accounts. If you have the emails of  other relatives, please inform me so that  I can forward to them the plans. 

 

If you have other suggestions, please share your thoughts.

 

Proud to be part of the majestic GORECHO Clan!