Most families have their legends, urban or rural. This is so true with Philippine families, no thanks to those Spanish surnames which have led many to believe they're descended from Spanish ancestors. And so, off they go searching for their ancestral houses in Spain.
A common claim would be that their ancestor was a Spanish priest from whom they got the name. That's an urban legend. Trouble with this legend is that a child from a Spanish priest would not get the latter's surname. Illegitimate children just didn't get their father's name. It's possible? I wish somebody would show me how they could go about circumventing this rule.
Did Clavería have any inkling? A year after his 1849 decree, he had asked how the implementation was going on, and the report that came back to him said, among other things, that a result of the decree was that many indios even in the mountains were now bearing the same surnames as the illustrious Spanish houses of Alba, Medinaceli and Osuna. From all indications, these three houses to this day have maintained their illustrious-ness. And from all indications, too, those indios are still up there. But with a rural legend; what else can you call it?
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From the mountains to the city. In a related development, Cebu heritage buffs are initiating a revival of old Parian traditions.
Trouble with this inward focus is it sets back Cebu Society to the dozen or less families of the Parian of the 1800s. Veloso, Osmeña, Rallos, Garces, Regis, Velez, etc.
Thus, if you want to identify with this old Parian, my guess is you'll just have to establish your lineage to these families. Unless it's back to the fringes for you--not much movement from your ancestors a hundred-forty years ago.
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