"If we hold on together" is the theme of Quilaman clan and as far as I know this was started in the early 80’s when our Lolo Gorio we fondly called, is encouraging us to sing in the church for any occassion and later on for January 1st of every year as we are celebrating our Lola Ganda Teresa’s birthday and all their Children from the different places are coming home just to join such occassion bringing with them some gifts and foods as their share for the celebration Grandpa is inviting the Pastor and some of the church members …I remember Gre jon "Joni" (now in the US) and Lea (now in Dubai) as our soloists for the song since they have a high pitched voices as the original ones who sang their part so well but when Grejon left the country lea tried to do her part for a year or two and after that solo parts are being sung by all the grandchildren.
August 5 of 1989 when our Lolo passed away and it was a total wreck that comes to the family we are so weak but our Lola Teresa show us on how to become strong I visited him at Rosario Hospital on the 4th of August he was in the bed and in comma according to the Doctor, my grandma did not leave him she told me that he is just waiting for somebody to visit him I talked to him and told him how I loved him then he stretched his hand and say my name my lola was amazed and called the doctor he opened his eyes we have a whispered prayers then I left the hospital…the following day my mother sent Daisy Fernandez to fetch me but I confronted Daisy telling her that am not going to go with you unless you will tell me the reason Is lolo gone? she did not answer but I knew it already in the bus I told her that I am ready now Disyang no problem and she was happy how strong I was to accept such reality but when I got home and seen the body nobody can stop me crying the loudest cry of anguish in my life.
The following January we have celebrated Lola’s birthday we did the same things but still a part of us is not complete if we hold on together was being sung again by the grandchildren and children of the QUILAMAN CLAN and that year going abroad was the trend due to scarcity of job employment Year 1990 to 1995 almost half of the Quilaman’s siblings went to Macau and Korea with some of the grandchildren but prior to that there are those who migrated to US and went Saudi Arabia and added to our pain is the disappearance of one of our uncle who went to Middle east up to the present, and am asking God if what is the message of that disapearance he got 3 kids when he left he loved his wife and his kids how come he disappeared just like that but I salute my cousins they are nurses now except for the youngest who is a nursing student too.
That Birthday Celebration on the 1st of January my Lola’s special day all the Children and Grandchildren decided to make it as the QUILAMAN’s Clan Annual Reunion and for the past years If We hold On Together is still there as part of the Celebration Children and In laws, Grandchildren and Children In laws, Great grand Children are celebrating and hopefully great great grandchild will be there joining the celebration by the year 2008 the first day of the year.
Modern IT for us in USA Macau Korea and Canada still become a part of the celebration last January 1st while they are singing IF WE HOLD ON TOGETHER am listening to the phone teary eyed but the joy that my grandma is still there the reason for us to be inspired, gave me the reason to be strong and of good courage to face realities in life.
Our Family is not perfect lots of feud in any circumstances yet everything is perfect when each is sharing to lift the burden of every indidvidual…the legacy that our Lolo taught and leave us…
IF WE HOLD ON TOGETHER I KNOW AND THE CLAN KNOWS THAT OUR DREAMS WILL NEVER DIE….
QUILAMAN CLAN HOLD ON TO THE END!!!
