Jose S. de los Reyes

(Malabon de Sevilla Tree Custodian, 2022)

Jose Sevilla de los Reyes, son of Josefa Hizon Sevilla (sister of Vicente, Escolastico, and Maxima), and oldest child of Isabelo Florentino de los Reyes, published ‘Biografia del Senador Isabelo de los Reyes y Florentino : Padre de los Obreros y proclamador de la Iglesia Filipina Independiente’ in 1947. In it, he dedicated one paragraph to the death of his mother; he was only 12 when Josefa died and he had to make the trip to Bilibid to inform his father of Josefa’s death.

I was fortunate to have been able to track down to the Special Collections unit of the UP Library the 1947 English version of this book; I was not allowed to photocopy the book as the pages were already fragile. I made do with copying by hand the paragraph in question:

“He was accused of having inspired the rebellion and iron chains were placed at his feet and he was held incomunicado for long months as attested by his horrible long hair and beard. His wife died without his having seen her due to the acerbity of the situation more than anything else. He was not even permitted for a few minutes to attend the funeral of his first wife whom he so dearly loved. It will be recalled that she was married to him against the wishes of her parents, she coming from a rather distant province, the daughter of the popular Capitan or Civil-Governor of Malabon, Don Gregorio Sevilla, and of Dona Genoveva Hizon, of wealthy and distinguished lineage from Pampanga. Not even the moving appeals of the then illustrious and influential Dr. Pedro A. Paterno for then Governor-General Primo de Rivera in representation of the 6 little orphans abandoned by the deceased and martyred mother and the imprisoned father proved of any avail.”

p. 9, Biography of Senator Isabelo de los Reyes by Jose Sevilla de los Reyes, 1947 (translated from Spanish by the Honorable Camilo Osias)

Isabelo was deported to the Montjuich prison in Barcelona a few months after Josefa’s death. His children, the 4 oldest who were judged old enough to care for themselves, were sent with him to Spain. The two youngest were left in the care of Josefa’s family in Malabon. From family stories, it was fortunate that Josefa’s sister, Maria, had married a Spaniard, Diego Sequeras. His family helped care for the young children who had accompanied Isabelo to Barcelona.