Pioneer ‘Music Man’ of Laoag and his family

Family Picture of Nemesio Ventura Pedro and Juana Alcaraz Lorenzo in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Philippines in 1945. (From left) parents Juana and Nemesio, Fernando, the 4th and youngest child, Esperanza, 3rd child, standing: Jose, the 2nd child and his wife Marciana Victoriano, Isaac the eldest child and his wife Mizue Teresa Baba.

By Leticia Pedro Cagayat

Nemesio Ventura Pedro was the acclaimed “Pioneer Music Man of Laoag”. He was a gifted musician. He was the original composer of the Ilocano zarzuela. This was inspired by the Spanish zarzuela which is a theatrical play that alternates between spoken and sung scene.

One of his favorite compositions was “Anching”, dedicated to his dearest daughter Esperanza. He was a versatile band master. He was the founder of the Modernista Band. It is the first and the longest existing band in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

He was the conductor of the choir of St. William Church in Laoag for many years. He taught music, solfeo to young folks at his house along Rizal St., westward from the Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol in Laoag City.

His parents were Fernando Pedro and Modesta Ventura. Their six children were: Roque, Ignacio, Simeon, Nemesio, Maximo and Genaro. Nemesio's wife was Juana Alcaraz Lorenzo from Laoag. Their four children were namely: Isaac, the eldest (my dad), Jose, the second child, Esperanza, the third child, and Fernando, the youngest.

Nemesio was born in December 19. The exact year of his birth is unknown to his grandchildren. His youngest brother Genaro was born on September 18, 1894 in Laoag. This information was derived from his eldest child Aurora Abaro Pedro. She is one of the first cousins of my dad, Isaac.

Nemesio was the fourth of the sixth children. Here we can speculate the probable year when Nemesio was born. Isaac named his eldest child Nemesio who was born on December 19, 1942 in Laoag. He named him in his honor and what a joy they have the same birthday.

Childhood memories of our grandfather Nemesio was narrated by my elder sister Cristina Pedro Castro, to me, on April 18, 2021. She was a Grade 4 pupil in 1959 at the Holy Ghost Academy, now the Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag. She remembered him bedridden in one of the rooms, first floor of his two-storey house in Laoag. She assisted our Aunt Esperanza "Anching" in feeding him several times. Lolo Mesio was half paralyzed because of a stroke. He was bedridden for some years. Monsignor Ignacio Cordero, parish priest of St. William Cathedral would visit him and administered to him the Holy Communion. His grandchildren do not know the specific date when he passed away.

Nemesio Ventura Pedro and Juana Alcaraz Lorenzo had four children, namely: Isaac the eldest, Jose, the second child, Esperanza, the third child and Fernando the youngest.

Isaac Lorenzo Pedro (July 7, 1909-May 24,1988). He was born in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. He was a dentist, a graduate of the University of the Philippines, Class 1932. He and Salvador Lopez composed " Our Mother Gave Us Wings", the UP graduation song in 1932. Isaac wrote the melody. Salvador penned the lyrics. His friend was a writer, journalist, educator, diplomat, statesman, a former UP President from Currimao, Ilocos Norte. Dr. Isaac, DMD was a public servant, politician, councilor for several years in Laoag. He worked with the Presidential Assistant on Community Development, PACD in the 1960s.He was assigned in Batanes at a timely period, then an underdeveloped province. He retired from government service in Laoag under the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Isaac's wife was Mizue Teresa Baba (October 15,1923-September 1,1980). She was born in Claveria, Cagayan. Her father was Eishiro Baba from Kashima, Saga Japan. He arrived in the Philippines on December 19, 1913 at the age of 19. He settled in Claveria as a woodcutter and merchant. He married Filomena de Peralta Quiano on December 8, 1922 in Claveria. Their children were: Mizue Teresa, Hermenigildo Shigewo, Conchita and Isidro. The eldest Mizue Teresa was Miss Claveria 1939, then a third-year student at the Claveria Institute. Isaac and Mizue Teresa got married on August 12,1940 at the St. Joseph Church. He was 32 years old and she was 16 years old and two months old. She graduated at the Holy Ghost Academy in 1941, now the Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag. Their nine children were: Nemesio, Victor, Clarita, Cristina, Leticia (that's me the fifth child), Juanita, Luzviminda, Esperanza and Andy Lawrence. She devoted herself as a full-time housewife and mother. She died in Laoag on Sept. 1, 1980 while Isaac on May 24,1988. Eishiro was born on November 28, 1894. He was ambushed and killed by the Ilocos Norte guerrillas on April 27, 1942 in Bobon, Burgos, Ilocos Norte. Filomena was born on Dec. 16, 1905. She died in Claveria on Feb.10, 1939.

Jose Lorenzo Pedro (Aug. 11,1911-Nov.27, 1998). He was born in Laoag City. He was a musician, composer, band master, choir conductor and educator. He composed the lyrics and melody of " Pride of the North", the Alma Mater song of the St. William College, now the Divine Word College of Laoag. He was a history instructor of DWCL. He organized and was the band master of the DWCL band. He was the choir conductor of St. William Cathedral. His wife was Marciana Victoriano from Laoag. She was born on June 29,1913 in Laoag. She was a high school teacher at the Ilocos Norte College of Arts and Trade. They migrated to the United States after their retirement. Jose died in California on Nov. 27, 1998. Marciana died in Quezon City on Sept.18, 2020. They had four children namely: Josefino, Remigio, Milagros and Sophie.

Esperanza Lorenzo Pedro (Sept.10, 1914-Aug. 17, 2002). She was born in Laoag City. She was a kindergarten teacher at the Holy Ghost Academy now the Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag. She was the organist at the St. William Cathedral. She was a singer too with the choir. She taught solfeo at the Pedro home. She taught the song " Regina Coeli" Latin Easter chant to the girls/boys who will assist the child chosen to “mangawat ti manto” during the "sabet" on Easter Sunday. They are dressed in white with angel wings. "Sabet" in Ilocano, " Salubong " in Pilipino means " meeting". It is a Filipino Easter tradition, ritual, a pre-dawn procession. It is meeting of two images the Risen Christ and the still mourning Mary, she still covered with black mourning garments. The selected child "mangawat ti manto", will remove the black veil. For years she taught this song and supervised the participants of the “Sabet”.

Fernando de Pedro (May 10, 1917-October 27, 1991). He was born in Laoag, the youngest of the four children. His father Nemesio named him Fernando in honor of his father Fernando. He was a priest, Society of the Divine Word. He was ordained on November 28, 1942. His profession was on June 28, 1948.He was one of the two first Filipino SVD missionaries assigned abroad in Indonesia in the 1950s. His co-missionary was Fr. Raval also from Laoag. He served as a parish priest at the Sacred Heart Parish, Church in Kamuning. Quezon City. He was assigned at the Sunnyside SVD in Baguio City and later in Surigao. He stayed at the SVD retirement home within the compound of the Christ the King Seminary in Quezon City. He died on October 27, 1991 in Quezon City. The original family name is Pedro but he chose de Pedro as his surname.

Leticia Pedro Cagayat currently resides in Japan where her maternal grandfather Eishiro Baba originated more than a century ago. One of Nemesio Ventura Pedro’s grandchildren, she was born and raised in Laoag City. She graduated at the Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag, Class 1969 2nd Honorable Mention, Divine Word College of Laoag AB-History, “Cum Laude” Class 1972 and University of Santo Tomas, Manila, MA-History “Benemeritus” in the oral defense of her thesis.