Salaria

1. Introduction

2. Ancestors

3. Family Symbol

4. Pilgrimage

5. Favorite Dishes

6. Church Involvement

7. Christmas

8. Town Fiesta

II. CHAPTER ONE: “The Ancestors”

            Just like other Chinese immigrants from mainland China, our great great grandfather came from Juxian, China also known as city of Chrysanthemums. He was just 22 years old single, and enthusiastic venturing in business to other countries. Together with other Chinese bachelors from Juxian, they sailed to the Philippine Islands across the China Sea landing in Pangasinan. Go, Sy, and Co were the three bachelors who tried to seek their fortunes in the Philippines. They planned to go to Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. However, at the time of their arrival, the Chinese in Manila were being deported by the Spaniards due to the recent Chinese revolts in the nearby provinces. So Go, Sy, and Co remained in Pangasinan for a while. Sy and Co went further north and Go went to Pampanga and started his candle making business. He settled in the town of Sta. Rita, Pampanga, which at that time, was a part of the town of Bacolor, Pampanga.

            His candle making business became prosperous due to the great demands of candles in the towns of Pampanga. Candles were used in the homes, churches and offices since there was no electricity at that time. Go fell in love with Pascuala Amio, a Spanish mestiza from Sta. Rita, Pampanga. Pascuala belonged to a prominent and rich family land owners of Sta. Rita. The Amio family originated from Spain in the village of Calatayud. The Amio family comes from farmers and vineyard owners in Spain. In order to marry Pascuala, Go converted into the Catholic Religion. He was baptized on Sunday thus he was given the Christian name Domingo. When the officiating priest asked him what was his family name, he could not answer because he could not understand Spanish. So the priest asked “Is your family name Go, Sy, o Co?” He could not answer so the scriber just wrote on the baptismal record "Gosioco". From then on our great great grandfather was known as Don Domingo Gosioco.

            The family candle-making business prospered. They even supplied candles to nearby towns and cities like Manila. They were able to buy more lands like rice fields and sugarcane fields. They were able to build a house in San Vicente Sta. Rita, Pampanga and became known as "salaria".

III. CHAPTER TWO: “The Family Symbol”

            Juxian comes from the Chinese word meaning “City of Chrysanthemum.” Our ancestors adopted this flower as family symbol. It reminded Domingo of his place of origin. The Chrysanthemum flower is a cluster of florets bound together in one stem symbolizing every individual member of our family and joined together with love and dedication. It symbolizes the closeness and unity of the Gosioco Family members. The Chrysanthemum flower has also medicinal values like curing high blood pressure, poor blood circulation, swelling and other skin diseases. The Chrysanthemum flower is also made into tea. Our great great grandfather Domingo used the Chrysanthemum plant to cure family ailments and served it for tea as a drink.  He had wide knowledge of herbaceous and medicinal plants, being Chinese. He was a herbalogist aside from being a candle maker. He was also a good cook using herbs and spices from China to enhance the taste of Cantonese and Sechzhuan Cuisine. His knowledge of herbal medicine runs in the genes of the younger generations like Tatang Peping, Tata Senyong and Dulce Panlilio who became Pharmacists by profession.

V. CHAPTER FOUR: “Gosioco-Carpio Favorite Dishes”

            Pablo Gosioco, one of the children of Don Domingo Gosioco and Pascuala Amio, married Catalina Carpio. The Gosioco-Carpio Culinary art is a blending of Chinese and Spanish foods. Our great grandfather, being a Filipino-Chinese, and our great grandmother, being of Spanish descent, combined both Chinese and Spanish style of cooking. There is not a single week in Salaria that any of this family favorite dishes are not served on the table. These are the family member’s favorite dishes:

1.     Pochero de Gallina or Pochero de Pescado     

2.     Torta de Papas or Torta de Cangrejos

3.     Tipe Kamanyang

4.     Batsoy

5.     Lumpiang Shanghai

6.     Lumpiang Sariwa

7.     Ukoy

8.     Rellenong Bangus, Rellenong Manok, Rellenong Alimango or Rellenong Ampalaya

9.     Asado de Cerdo, Almondigas

10.   Inihaw na Dalag with vinegar, bagoong, and mustasa or Burong Paro

11.   Menudo or Pisto

12.   Sinigang na Baboy or Bulanglang with Bayabas

13.   Sabo Misua with Shrimps and Patola

14.   Leche flan, Sansrival, Postre de Pinya, Postre de Guayava,  Postre ng Santol

15.   Buko Sherbet with Barquillos

16.   San Nicolas Cookies and hot tsokolate

The Gosioco-Carpio family, usually served food five times a day: Almuerso,

Segundo, Lunch, Merienda, and Cena. They also invited close friends and relatives to dine with them. During Merienda time they usually held a Tertulia while drinking hot chocolate and San Nicolas Cookies, tea, or “Buko Sherbet”.

            Since the dinner sessions usually turned into social gatherings, they served as binding force in keeping the house-hold members, relatives, and friends. The love and art of cooking became one of the legendary household activities. Friends and relatives sought the delicious recipes all the time. The visitors looked forward in tasting and eating the Salaria dishes during ordinary visits, fiestas, birthdays and other occasions.

            The Salaria cooking tradition has been handed from generation to generation. May Domitila Gosioco-Cuenco inherited the art of cooking and became a nutritionist.

VI. CHAPTER FIVE: “Gosioco-Carpio Involvement In Santa Rita Religious Events”

            The Gosioco-Carpio family was actively involved in the religious activities in Santa Rita, Pampanga. They own the Virgin of Correa that was being paraded in the procession during the town fiesta held on May 22. The Virgin of Correa, also comes out during Candelaria (February 2^nd), during Holy Week in the Salubong, the Marian Festival in October, and the Paglayunan on Christmas Eve. Recently, the Gosioco household added the Sto. Cristo, which comes out during Holy Week. The Sto. Cristo, commissioned by Antoine B. Gosioco, is a replica of the Crucified Christ in Valladolid, Spain and the Crucified Christ in Antigua, Guatemala.

            The Nuestra Señora dela Consolation y Correa and the Señor Misericordiae require a lot of preparations usually lasting for three days prior to the procession. The helpers are usually fed and offer their voluntary services as a part of their religious “Panata”. During the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries, the carrozas of these religious icons have candles since there was no electrical system at that time. The candles are protected from the blowing wind with the “Virinas”. The “Virinas” also protect the icons and the carrozas from getting caught by fire from the lighted candles. The carrozas were decorated with fresh flowers brought from Baguio City. Recently the Gosioco-Ceucno household members use silk flowers instead of fresh ones.

            Our great great grandfather, Domingo, sold and supplied candles to the church of Santa Rita and to the Carpio families used in the Carrozas during the procession. That was how Pablo and Catalina met. It was a fascinating love affair of Pablo and Catalina through the flames of burning candles. Don Pablo and Doña Catalina had six siblings: Jose, Remedios, Lourdes, Conrado, Vicente and Asuncion. Remedios died in her early teens. Conrado became a priest like his uncle, Rev. Fr. Narciso Gosioco. Jose became a pharmacist. Lourdes and Asuncion took care of the household in Sta. Rita and lived with their spinster aunt, Macaria Gosioco. Vicente became a doctor, specialized in internal medicine and surgery. He married Juanita Claustro Brillantes of Tayum, Abra. They had three children: Antoine, Miriam, and Dennis.

Antoine inherited the love of religious pageantry of the Gosioco-Carpio household. He collects religious icons and souvenirs from around the world. He documents religious rituals and celebrations through photography and videography. Our great grandfather, Pablo Gosioco and great grandmother, Catalina Carpio continued the tradition of participating in the annual religious celebrations in Santa Rita.  This tradition has continued up to the present generation. It is the pride and honor of the Gosioco household members to be part of the Santa Rita religious festivals.

VII. C­HAPTER SIX: “Christmas Salaria”

            Christmas time is one of the traditional get-together parties of the Gosioco household. Since Christmas in the Philippines is one if the longest festivals in the country, the Gosioco household starts the preparation and celebration from December 16, the “Simbang Gabi”. After the “Misa de Galo”, every morning, some relatives and friends dropped by Salaria to eat light breakfast: “bibingka, suman, puto bungbong” and hot tsokolate. At eight o’clock in the morning, proper breakfast is served. Relatives like Imang Carning, and cousins from Guagua, come to join the nine days “Misa de Gallo”.

            The 23^rd of December was the busiest day in Salaria. More food was prepared, not only for the visiting friends and relatives but the Virgin Correa was decorated for the “Paglayunan”. “Paglayunan” is the Sta. Rita version of the “La Posadas” – a religious ritual introduced by the Spanish Friars via Mexico. In “La Posada”, real persons dressed as St. Joseph and Virgin Mary parade around town seeking for an inn. They are followed by the townspeople in a procession singing the “Villancicos”. However, in Sta. Rita, the real persons as characters of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph are replaced by the icons of the Virgin of Correa and St. Joseph mounted on the decorated “andas”. They are preceeded by “Seriales”, young girls dressed as angels, and the people in the procession. They stopped in three designated houses as inns and the “tiples” (choir members – usually the male tenors), sing verses rejecting the couple or saying: “there is no more room” for them. The procession ends in the church at 12:00 midnight, the Christmas is celebrated.

            The Gosioco household members were busy with the preparation and assistance in the rituals because they were in charge of the “baby Jesus” in a manger, which was blessed by the priest after the midnight mass, and the parishioners kissed the baby Jesus to receive blessings.  Before the baby Jesus was brought to the church, he was hidden or secretly brought to church since the Virgin Mary is not supposed to have given birth  until 12:00 midnight.

            The baby Jesus is wiped with perfume called: “Miruya” from Madrid, Spain, also the favorite perfume of Inang Loring. The baby Jesus remains in church for the rest of the Christmas festivities, which is January 6^th – the feast of the Three Kings.  Within these days, the novena to the Holy Infant Jesus was celebrated.

            Salaria is one of the attractions in Sta. Rita at christmas time. It is turned into a wonderland with all the Christmas trimmings and ornaments. It is the pioneering glitz and glamour of Christmas time like Policarpio street nowadays. The household members prepare the Christmas tree. It is used to be a real pine tree from Baguio, brought by the relatives. But lately, artificial tree is used. Inang Loring usually buys the ornaments in Quiapo or Divisoria, Manila. Antoine and Miriam, with the help of Kuya Kario, hang the decorations. Antoine used to hang a “Mariang Sinukwan” doll – the face of Mariang Sinukwan mounted on a native salakot every year as a good luck ornament.

            In the front windows, the “belen” or Christmas nativity scene is displayed with colorful Christmas lights. Real grass is used as the base. Mang Bari constructs the crib. The statues are exhibited, adding the baby Jesus on Christmas Eve. The passersby stopped in front of the house to view the exhibit.  Even jeepneys, cars and karetelas stopped for a while to have a glance of the wonders of the “belen” sceneries It used to be the one and only attraction in Sta. Rita.

           In later years, other family households did the same like Kong Dodu Ocampo. Nevertheless, the Gosiocos popularized the traditional nativity scene display in town. At present, May and family put up the “belen” in the front yard to keep the tradition alive.

            Other features during Christmas in Salaria are the “parols” or Christmas lanterns hanged in the windows. Dr. Vicente and wife used to buy customized lanterns with the shape of a “turkey”, “piña”, “ginger bread house”, etc. every year.  These were made in Tarlac. But one time, the “parols” caused fire in the window panes. Since then, the family switched to Christmas lights and Chinese lanterns. Later, Miriam hanged “parols” made from capiz shells sold in San Fernando. At present, May hangs the capiz shell lanterns.

The magical lights of Salaria still brighten the Christmas holidays and sets the merry mood of the yultide season.

VII. C­HAPTER SEVEN: “The Role of Salaria during the Santa Rita Town Fiesta”

             Sta. Rita celebrates its town fiesta on May 22. It is a big day for the Salaria household. Nine days before the feast day, there are already activities happening in Salaria. The wives of the "casamac" come to the house starting the 13th of May. They help in general cleaning of the house, backyard and the gardens. On the 18th of May, the "casamac" husbands come to prepare the "carosa" of the Virgin of Correa. On May 20th, the "carosa" of the Virgin is fully prepared. It is brought to the church for the procession on May 22nd. A brass band escorts the Virgin to and from the church.

              Meanwhile, the household members assisted by the "casamac" and the cooks, prepared the food; baked cookies and made deserts for the visitors who will come during the feast day. Relatives from Baguio, Bamban, Concepcion, Tarlac, Manila, San Fernando, and Guagua arrived at "visperas time."

               The morning of May 22nd, Salaria hosted breakfast for the priests who celebrated masses in the church. There were about 20 to 30 priests who came to say mass in honor of Santa Rita. The "seminaristas" also came through the invition of Fr. Narciso Gosioco, the parish priest in Angeles City. Other priests and guests were also invited by Father Conrado Gosioco, the parish priest of San Rafael, then Sapang Bato. The breakfast menu includesd "pisto," smoked ham marinated in pineapple juice, asado, enseymada, hot tsokolate, and deserts.

                Most of the visitors came during lunch time. All the favorite Salaria recipies were served on the table. Usually, during these occassions, Antoine played the piano to entertain visitors. His father, Dr. Vicente, sometimes join him by playing the violin. His wife usually sang "kundiman" and Spanish songs. Atsing Pitang from Baguio and her brother Delfin usually played the piano and the violin also. Thus, the gathering became a mini-concert in Salaria to the enjoynment of the other guests. Imang Carning, Tatang Peleng from Guagua and Tatang Miliong from Concepcion, Tarlac, entertained the guests with their stories ending in a "tertulia." In the evening, more guests came to the house to view the procession and some stayed behind and attended the "zarzuela," which was usually staged after the procession. In later years, the "zarzuela"  was replaced by the coronation ball of the fiesta queens and a variety show performed by movie stars.