Quoted from Barry W. Arcala:

"My father, Mamerto A. Arcala, was born in Salindeg, Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippine Islands on the island of Luzon in the northern part of the islands. Salindeg is the barrio. Vigan is the city. Ilocos Sur is the province. And, Philippine Islands is the U.S.A. territory which was given its independence after World War II and became the Republic of the Philippines. When he and his three brothers LEGALLY immigrated to the United States the Philippines which was a territory of the U.S. due to the U.S. winning the Spanish-American War. I believe that my father was the youngest of the four brothers and a teenager when they arrived in the U.S. I have forgotten the uncle's name who died in the State of Washington, since I never know him anyway and he died before I was born. The others, beside my father, were Antonio A. Arcala and the oldest Pedro A. Arcala. My father and Uncle Pete both died within three months of each other in the mid-1950's. You should remember when Uncle Tony died. There was at least one sister to my father and his brothers but she NEVER left the Philippines. The brothers also left behind their parents (Bartholomew and Angel Arcala [I'm not sure of her name and I was accidentally baptized Bartholomew]); never to be seen again by the brothers. The brothers were true sojourners (Look the word up in the dictionary). Pedro Arcala also left behind a wife and a son who he never saw again either. The son, Salvador, my first cousin, I met during the Christmas / New Year's Season of 1975/76 when I visited the Philippines on vacation / "find-my-roots journey. Salvador is now dead as is his wife. His children and grand-children still live in different places on the island of Luzon. Antonia Arcala is the only other Arcala to return to the Philippines. He was there during the liberation of the Philippines at the end of World War II. But, he got to Salindeg to late to see his parents who had died a month or so before due to starvation at the hands of the Japanese who were occupying the area at the time."

Note:

After further research on Mamerto Agan Arcala, I have found a Census record that lists him as Mamerto Arribas and that Pete Arcala was his step-brother. This does prove that there are discrepancies in Mamerto's family tree. First of all, Mamerto's death certificate and his naturalization record documents his legal name as Mamerto Agan Arcala. By tradition, Filipinos take on their mother's maiden name for their middle name.

Who was Agan? Why did Mamerto use the surname Arribas instead of Arcala?

For sure, Arribas, was named for Narcisa Arribas (sometimes documented as Rivas) who was married to Bartolome Arcala, the father of Antonio Arribas Arcala and Pete Arribas Arcala. That would mean that Mamerto and Antonio were step-brothers or possibly half-brothers, if the 1940 Census people erroneously wrote him in as a "step-brother."

The search remains. Asians are difficult to track!

God parents were Simeona Aquino and Augustin Arguilla.

• Residence: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States - 18 April 1950
• Residence: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States - 18 April 1950
  • Reference: FamilySearch Record - SmartCopy: Jul 20 2023, 20:38:35 UTC
• Reference: FamilySearch Record - SmartCopy: Sep 13 2023, 22:11:24 UTC