I grew up listening to my father's stories about our name and our lineage. He would say that properties along F. Torres Street and many more properties in Davao City were our great-great grandmother’s, Doña Vicenta Tionko, daughter of Maria Suazo-Monteverde and Tomas Monteverde, former mayor of Dumangas, Iloilo and former municipal president of Davao. Of the hectares of land in the name of my relatives, one of the most prominent from my father’s stories and my memories as a child is the Tionko Family Ancestral House.
Built before the war, the Tionko Ancestral House was a prominent structure in the younger years of Davao City. Today, it is under the care of Dr. Louie Gahol after inheriting it from his mother, Carmen Tionko-Gahol, my grandaunt. One can describe the structure as a clean and elegant mansion-like structure, surrounded by century-old trees at the corner of Tionko Avenue and Quirino Street.
In the years of Japanese occupation, my grandmother and her siblings stayed in this house. Although one day, they were asked to leave within 24 hours. In an interview conducted by Santos-Delgado, Tionko-Gahol explains, “The general of Mindanao and Sulu was going to stay here. That is why we had to leave.” She further stories that her sisters would hide underneath the house for fear of the Japanese. When the war passed, however, the house was a place for gathering, where parties would be held. At that time, there were not many people in Davao, so everyone would be invited to come.
Comparing the thoughts of the house before and now, it is not the same. Presently, it sits quiet, no parties in it, and not even a family living in it. If I could do something to rekindle the spirit of community or family of the past, I would hold more family gatherings. In these events, our clan, including the Gahol, Dela Cruz, Gutierrez, and the Tionko, with nearly five generations, could gather. I have read articles that mention there would be action toward heritage tourism in Davao City. I could appreciate it better if there would be effort done to create a complete heritage map for Davao City; one that acknowledges its pioneers and celebrates the development, opening its doors to new residents.
05/30/2019
History