CAVINTI DIASPORA

Emilio Ansay

By Cenon C. Juarez
Long Beach, CA

Emilio Ansay, farmer, businessman, politician, educator was born on July 4, 1923 in Cavinti Laguna. He is the second of the four children of the late spouses Francisco P. Ansay and Catalina Conde Ansay.

Emil, as family and friends call him, was strong and husky. During his boyhood, he was fond of the outdoors, hunting birds with a slingshot with his friends. He enjoyed frying his catch.

At the age of six, Emil, due to his insistence, was enrolled at the Cavinti Elementary School despite the school standard of admitting only seven-year old children.

In school, Emil studied hard and received good grades. He hated debates, especially if he was assigned on the negative side. But, he has to participate, because the main goal of the teacher was to measure the vocabulary of each student.

Sometime in 1942, during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, Emil met Mercedes Umali. Later, in July 1st of the same year, they exchanged vows at the Cavinti Roman Catholic Church. They brought forth six children: five females and a male. Four females died at an early age. Hence, a male and a female survived.

After their marriage, the couple decided to live on a farm. They started life by weaving hats, bags and mats from pandan leaves. Every Wednesday, Emil has to bring their finished products to a merchant in the town. Worthy of mention is from those early days of their marriage life, thrift was their close friend. Whatever amount they received from the sale of their finished products, at least 10% or more was saved for future function.

Through Emil’s endeavor, Emil was able to build a hut big enough for the couple to seek shelter. This, of course, was done strenuously with the help of friends through the “tornohan” or “bayanihan.”

Emil busied himself cultivating the land around his home. He planted vegetables, cassava, sweet potatoes and some seasonal short-lived plants. He was able to put up a piggery, a poultry and had cultured a few cabo-negro palm trees (kaong) from which a sweet juice, “tuba,” was manufactured. All excess from the harvests after home consumption were sold in the market.

Living in the rural area, though, they never forgot God. On Sundays and holidays of obligation, they go to church to give thanks to the Almighty.

Emil and Cheding, after spending life in the farm for two years moved to the Poblacion or the town proper. They built a house on a lot shared to Emil by his father. He was able to convince his wife to put up a variety store with the savings that they had. Besides, he engaged in coconut and copra dealership.
“Strike the iron while it is still hot,” was Emil’s philosophy so that the business prospered as customers continued bringing coconut by-products to him.

It was at this point in time that the townspeople persuaded Emil to run for a municipal councilor in the municipality. His friends endorsed and escorted him to file his candidacy. He won the second seat among the eight slots for councilor who served from January 1, 1956 to December 31, 1959. Konsehal Emil or Ka Emil, as he was then addressed, gained reputation as a loyal and hard-working member of the municipal council. He never failed to visit the district assigned to him whenever there were barrio assembles and/or meetings. As a councilor, he coordinated the self-help projects in the three barangays where he was assigned. He saw to it that the workers who gave voluntary labor were given food from the “Food for Work” agency of the government. Moreover, he was instrumental in securing a pre-fabricated school building for Bulajo,

Ka Emil’s political career did not end as a councilor. Sometime in August, 1959, he was voted by the municipal council to run as the official candidate for municipal vice mayor under the Nacionalista Party at the upcoming November election. He won; hence he rendered public service as vice mayor from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1963.

Being a vice mayor entailed more responsibilities for the municipality. He deemed it obligatory on himself to seek the assistance of provincial officials if he intends to do something for the municipality. He sought the help of Dr. Valentin Ramos, then Provincial Health Officer of Laguna for the approval of the construction of a Health Center in Duhat, one of the barangays in Cavinti. Likewise, he approached a certain Engr. Villatuya of the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA) for additional water pipes for the completion of the Cavinti Waterworks System and his request was granted. He was able to acquire some culverts from the provincial government for bridges in the feeder road of Udia, another barangay in Cavinti. He also gave favorable assistance to individuals for personal intention. He was instrumental in the appointment of the late Patricio Linay as a school janitor in Cavinti Central School when the duo approached then Senator Wenceslao Lagumbay for the purpose. Patricio Linay got the position.

The educational life of Ka Emil began when he was still a councilor. He was assigned chairman of the committee on education. He felt that he needed more understanding of school policies and other matters relative to education. Though he might have some other purpose in mind, he enrolled at the Union College of Laguna in Santa Cruz towards an education degree in 1958. He obtained a degree in Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSEE) in 1963.

During the same year, there was a need for more teachers in Cavinti. The then schools district supervisor of Cavinti, Mr. Gregorio Herradura, offered him a teaching position in Paowin. He did not stay long in Paowin. In less than a month, he requested to be transferred to a school nearer the town. He
was transferred to Lumot where he taught for two years. Then he was transferred to the central school. Concurrent with his assignment as a sixth grade class adviser, he worked as a district office aid in the offices of the principal and the district supervisor.

After retirement, Ka Emil and his better half, on November 17, 1977, joined their children in the United States.

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