Gloria is the second child among the eight (8) brood. She was born in Waipahu, Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii. During the 1900s, when Americans recruited hundreds of thousands of Filipinos to work in Hawaii, Gloria’s father was one of the Sakadas or the “Filipino Migrant Workers” working in the pineapple fields of Oahu Hawaii. Initially, her father, who was married to Roberta Questas, and had one child at that time, sailed together with other Filipinos with hopes of providing a better future for the family. Years later, her father was able to go back to the Philippines and brought his wife and child. In 1918 of September 3, the Celebrado family was blessed with another child whom they named Gloria. During this time, their family already had a house given by the American Government. However, Gloria was around seven years old when she was sent to Cebu, Philippines, to stay with her grandmother on the paternal side, while her parents and six siblings stayed behind. In her teenage years, her family came back to the Philippines for good and stayed in Davao. It was this time when the youngest child was born.
Gloria used to be a seller in Uyanguren, Davao City. Back in the days, she was swooned over by a number of suitors which made her sisters jealous. Among those admirers was a Japanese Imperial Army General who won the attention and heart of the mestiza girl and later asked for her hands. The Japanese went back to his homeland to formally inform his parents of his plan. World War II broke out while on his way back to the Philippines and was among those who were considered as prisoners of war. While waiting for a miracle to happen, Gloria received a letter from the Army General in prison, enclosed in a matchbox telling her to free herself from the engagement since they won’t be seeing again anymore. The war forced Gloria’s family to transfer in the island of Samal.
She met her husband, Leodagario Aguilar, at the onset of the Japanese war. Gloria initially had apprehension in Leodegario’s advances which lasted for a year. Her father persuaded her to accept his love since he showed great admiration towards Gloria and her family. Eventually, their passion bore six children, three daughters and three sons. During this time, the reality of women who were raped and turned into “Comfort Women” magnified the atrocities of war against hapless maidens and mothers for submission and abuse. And Gloria’s knowledge of the Japanese language came in handy as she pleaded to the men to spare them from the brutality.
Throughout the years, the Celebrado-Aguilar family lived in different cities. They stayed their farmlands in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur and Tagum, Davao del Norte. All of which is owned by her husband’s family. One of those years, they sent their daughter, Epifania, to their grandmother, while her other children stayed behind. Unfortunately, it was around 1960s when Gloria and Leodegario separated, citing domestic violence and infidelity as the reason for the fallout of their marriage. Since then, the family has not seen the head of the household anymore. Gloria and her children worked hard to provide for their family until the day her children can fend for themselves already and eventually, had their own families.
This was the time when they discovered Gloria’s Birth Certificate, which shows that she is a birthright American citizen — an unknown fact to them. This discovery led them to pressume that Gloria is an America citizen as she was born within the territorial limits of the United States. This also means that her children are automatically American citizens. With all of these happening in a short period, each of Gloria’s children and their own families moved to the United States of America and stayed there for good.
As an ever-social butterfly, Gloria usually joins social clubs when she was in America. She showed great interest in fashion, her “Best in Costume” Awards during any social gatherings with fellow Filipinas based in the United States of America were enough proofs. Gloria also showed independence during her stay in the USA as she usually takes the bus and does her own thing.
In the late 1990s, Gloria decided to go back and retire in the Philippines. She was accompanied by her daughter and stayed with her granddaughter for a time. However, since she was not taken care of properly, they decided to place her on Home Care. In years, Gloria has stayed in two elderly homes. It was in the early months of 2021 when Gloria showed signs of slipping away. Her sleep-wake patterns were different; there is little to no appetite, her limbs were weaker, and; she showed aggressiveness towards the caregiver. It was noted that the prior elderly home just let nature take its course on Gloria’s life.
Mommy Gloria celebrates her 103rd birthday at Senior’s Hope Haven
Because of this, the family decided to transfer Gloria to Senior’s Hope Haven where she was gladly taken care of. During this year, a heartfelt reunion of one of her daughters, Epifania, made her stronger and happier. Indeed, a daughter’s love is a testament of how meaningful her life is. Today, Mommy Gloria just recently turned 103 years old. All the weight of the years has made her stronger and resilient. Her ears and eyes may not be as clear as the young ones, but they've heard and seen more than what we can imagine. Because of the long journey she has gone through, she may have a nugget of wisdom for us.
Mommy Gloria celebrates her 103rd birthday at Senior’s Hope Haven
Her life is a testament of how she is and will always be her family's golden treasure — given of high regard, respected, and loved. (BY SHERAIAH GRACE P. DUMANDAN)
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