Manuel Rávago, Sr.

• **Don Manuel Ravago (1870-1937), illustrious and close friend of the Vincentians, as an Alumnus of the "Escuela del Hermano" Antonio del Rio, C.M. and of the College-Seminary of San Carlos, Cebu.

Manuel Ravago Sr. Studied 'Philosophy' under Fr. Narciso Vila and Fr. Rafael del Rio; took the ' clerical habit in the Cebu Seminary in 1887, but later, in the seminary of the University of Santo Tomas, realizing he was not called to the priesthood, he pursued the career of Law which he finished in 1896.

Manuel Ravago, known as "Juan de Saavedra", was an academician of language, theater director and an actor. Manuel Ravago Sr. taught at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. His photo is hanging in the Halls of Letran.

CAREER Manuel Ravago Sr. founded a magazine, Revista Catolica de Filipina, wherein he published his poems Libertas and Vida Filipina. He was a contributor for Cultural Social, El Comercio, Ilustracion Filipina, El Ideal, and La Defensa. He then became the head of office for Diario de Sesiones de la Asamblea Filipina and was also a correspondent member of the Academia Filipina de la Real Academia de Ciencias y Letras de Cadiz.

Manuel Ravago Sr was an exquisite writer in Spanish he collaborated for long years in the 'Catholic periodicals like El Libertas. — Spanish daily published in Spanish, Catholic organ, founded in 1899, with telegraphic service, editor Manuel Ravago, editorial rooms and business offices No. 85 Santo Tomas, Vida Filipina, Cultura Social, Estrella de Antipolo, La Dejensa, El Mercantil, etc. He published interesting accounts of his travels in a book, and was called as an eloquent orator to address great audiences, as in his speech in the cathedral of Manila, "De abismo en abismo" during the First National Eucharistic Congress of the Philippines on December 11th - I5th, 1929.

Manuel Ravago Sr. was honored by the Spanish government for his work, Cruz de la Orden de Carlos III. On the other hand, the Vatican awarded him the Pro Ecclesiae Et Pontifice.

Manuel Ravago Sr. also worked in theater for the plays Tomas Moro and Isabel, la Catolica.

AWARD Manuel Ravago Sr. was a recipient of the Premio Zobel in 1928 for his work Peregrinando (On a Pilgrimage).

REFERENCE Brillantes, Lourdes. 81 Years of Premio Zobel: A Legacy of Philippine Literature in Spanish. Philippines:Filipinas Heritage Library, 2006.

Claro M. Recto and Manuel Ravago Sr both opposed Jose Rizal

www.los-indios-bravos.com

Yo soy Filipino……….Reclaiming El Espanol para todos 1917
Manuel Ravago Sr at the age of 50 together with his son Reti age 20 travelled to Europe (Singapore_Colombo_Port-Said (Egypt)_Palestine_Italy_Spain) sailed on the boat Legaspi, Feb3,1921…wrote his book Perigrinando. A book describing a European trip.

Don Manuel Ravago (1870-1937), illustrious and close friend of the Vincentians, as an Alumnus of the "Escuela del Hermano" Antonio del Rio, C.M. and of the College-Seminary of San Carlos, Cebu. He Studied Philosophy under Fr. Narciso Vila and Fr. Rafael del Rio; took the ' clerical habit in the Cebu Seminary in 1887,. but later, in the seminary of the University of Santo Tomas, realizing he was not called to the priesthood, he pursued the career of Law which he finished in 1896. An exquisite writer in Spanish he collaborated for long years in the 'Catholic periodicals Libertas, Vida Filipina, Cultura Social, Estrella de Antipolo, La Dejensa, El Mercantil, etc. He published interesting accounts of his travels in a book, and was called as an eloquent orator to address great audiences, as in his speech in the cathedral of Manila, "De abismo en abismo" during the First National Eucharistic Congress of the Philippines on December 11th - I5th, 1929.

SOURCE: Page No. 286 PART 2 VINCENTIANS DURING THE 20TH CENTURY

A famous journalist of Manila (the famous writer and orator, Don Manuel RAVAGO who happened to be one of the pupils of Bro. del Rio , recalled with fruition : "Brother Antonio del RIO was an expert pedagogue, a keen and exemplary religious, so patient with his charges, so excellent a friend, that I entertained always a most special fondness and veneration for him, an esteem that has not been diminished with the passing of the years."

SOURCE: page no. 164 Chapter 8 TOWARDS THE GOAL

Don Manuel Ravago, Sr., also known as "Juan de Saavedra", was an academician of language, theater director and an actor. He taught at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. His photo is hanging in the Halls of Letran.

In 1907, along with Benito Valdez, Rafael del Pan, and Manuel Ravago, lost to Fernando Ma Guerrero for a seat in the First Philippine Assembly to represent the southern district of Manila.***

• **RESEARCHER'S PERSONAL NOTES: Family history established that Manuel Ravago's involvement in the government.

He founded a magazine, Revista Catolica de Filipina, wherein he published his poems Libertas and Vida Filipina. He was a contributor for Cultural Social, El Comercio, Ilustracion Filipina, El Ideal, and La Defensa. He then became the head of office for Diario de Sesiones de la Asamblea Filipina and was also a correspondent member of the Academia Filipina de la Real Academia de Ciencias y Letras de Cadiz.

The Spanish government honored him for his work with a Cruz de la Orden de Carlos III by King Ferdinand VII. The Order may be conferred on Spaniards and on foreigners for outstanding services to the Fatherland.

The Vatican awarded him the Pro Ecclesiae ET Pontifice.

He also worked in theater for the plays Tomas Moro and Isabel, la Catolica. He taught at Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

He was a recipient of the Premio Zobel in 1928 for his work Peregrinando (On a Pilgrimage). He won first prize of Php400.00. There is a copy of the book, which was donated to the archives of Centro Escolar School.

El Libertas. a Spanish daily published in Spanish, Catholic organ, founded in 1899, with telegraphic service, whose editor was Manuel Ravago, and editorial rooms and business offices were located at No. 85 Santo Tomas.

Among Don Manuel Ravago's Sr. close social circle were Ignacio Villamin, Guillermo W. Gomez, Senator Juan B. Alegre, Claro M. Rector (whose wife Mrs. Claro M. Recto incidentally belongs to his daughter Dolores Ravago's close social circle)***, Enrique Zobel y de Ayala, Rafael Palma, Manuel Maria Rincon, Luis Calderon, Ramon Torres, Epifanio de los Santos and Spanish Vice Consul Ricardo Muniz.

• **RESEARCHER'S PERSONAL NOTES: Family history established that in 1957 circa, when Dolores Ravago flew in from Hongkong to the Philippines to visit the Dominguez family, she opted to stay with Mrs. Claro M. Recto who happens to be a close social circle of hers and her father's as well.

It is also known that Claro M. Recto and Manuel Ravago both opposed Jose Rizal.

He married his cousin Dona Concepcion Ravago who passed away at the age of 42 on August 9, 1907 with whom he had two beautiful daughters by the name of Concepcion (Concha) and Dolores (Lolita).

A widower, he remarried Laureana (a mayor doma to one of his close social circle, the Zobel family) with whom he had five (5) children, namely Manuel, Jr***., Cruz Ma., Resurreccion, Rosario and Lourdes.

His son, Manuel Ravago, Jr. was a professor at Far Eastern University in the 1937 circa, and was a college professor of my father (Resurreccion).***

• **RESEARCHER'S PERSONAL NOTES: Family history established that my father (Resurreccion) while enrolled at the Far Eastern University to his shock, was angrily confronted by his college professor Manuel Ravago, Jr., regarding circumstances about the mal-treatment that Concepcion (Concha) Ravago had received from the Dominguez'es.

Research later established that the FEU professor was Don Manuel Ravago's son by his second marriage and therefore, was Concepcion's (Concha) half brother. And of course, Concepcion (Concha) RAVAGO was my father's mother and that he has been LIED to while growing-up that she had "DIED" when he was only four months old! BUT apparently she was ALIVE all this time!

Don Manuel Ravago, at age 61 years old, subsequently remarried for the third time 39 year old Pelagia Madriguera of Paete, Laguna on September 12, 1931.

The history of our DNA Tuscany bloodline: The Italian surname “NERI” which means God’s Light was first found and evolved in TUSCANY in the city of Lucca, where the “NERI” was of noble status.

RELEVANCE (to us): Great-grandfather Don Manuel Ravago's middle name was “NERI ergo TUSCANY!