Manuel Tinio - Antecedents

Antecedents

The Tinio family, whose most illustrious son is Manuel Tinio, is conceivably the most prominent and wealthiest family in the province of Nueva Ecija. Too, the family is the largest landowner in Central Luzon, if not the entire Philippines, prior to the declaration of Martial Law.

The Tinios, like the Rizals, are of Chinese descent. An archival document from San Fernando, Pampanga dated 1745 describes a certain Domingo Tinio as a Chino Cristiano or baptized Chinese.

Juan Tinio, the first ancestor on record had twin sons who were baptized in Gapan in 1750. In the baptismal record he is described as an indio natural, a native Filipino. From this it can be deduced that either his grandfather or an earlier ancestor was a pure-blooded Chinese. (Juan Tinio became the first middleman of the Tobacco Monopoly when it was established in 1782 and held the position for two years.)

Juan Tinio's great-grandson, Mariano Tinio Santiago, was the father of Manuel Tinio. Mariano and his siblings, originally named Santiago, changed their family name to Tinio, their mother's family name, in accordance with Gov.-Gen. Narciso Claveria's second decree of 1850 requiring all Indios and Chinese mestizos to change their family names if these were saints’ names. Although he was a native of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, Mariano eventually settled in Licab, then a barrio of Aliaga beside Lake Canarem, and carved out rice fields from the heavily forested area. Having served as Cabeza de Barangay of the place, he came to be known as ‘Cabezang Marianong Pulang Buhok’ (Cabezang Mariano Red Haired). Although he eventually became a big landowner, he lived very simply on his lands. Mariano was a man of strong principles, and even led a petition to the Governor-General denouncing the corruption and abuses of the Alcalde Mayor, the governor of Nueva Ecija, and asking for his recall. Cabesang Mariano married several times and, in the fashion of the time, engaged in extramarital affairs, siring numerous progeny. His fourth and last wife was Silveria Misadsad Bundoc of Entablado, Cabiao. He died on Oct.11, 1889 in Licab. Silveria, a woman of very strong character, lived on until the 2" decade of the 20th century.

Manuel Tinio was born to Silveria on June 17, 1877 in Licab, a barrio of Aliaga that became an independent municipality in 1890. He was the only son and had two sisters, the eldest, Maximiana, married Valentin de Castro of Licab and Catalina, the youngest, married Clemente Gatchalian Hernandez of Malolos, Bulacan. Manuel was his mother's favorite, his father having died when Manuel was twelve.