AncestryDNA Story of the Villarino Family Tree

The city of Villarino de los Aires named after a Spanish Noble Duke Deigo Villaran founded in Spain in the 13th century near the border of Portugal. There are several variation of noble surnames as follows: Pedro de Villar, Andres Villar, Deigo de Villaran, Villarin, Villar, and Villarino which are passed on and changed from one generation to the next which was designated by military order by King Charles III of Spain, in the17th century.

800px-Giovanni_Battista_Moroni_-_Portrait_of_Don_Gabriel_de_la_Cueva,_later_Duke_of_Alburquerque_-_WGA16256

The 5th Duke of Alburquerque, Grandee of Spain, at the height of the Spanish Empire, 1560.

Wikipedia

Great-Grandfather: Mateo Evangelista Villarino - Not Pictured Grandfather: Juan Villarino - Not Pictured
Grandmother: Lauriana Mauricio - Not Pictured

Father: Joseph Mauricio Villarino Sr. - Right Front Row

Mother: Emerita Din Villarino - Back Row, Far Left

Son: Joseph Din Villarino Jr. - Left Front Row

Daughter: Evelyn Din Villarino - Back Row Center

Daughter: Jane May Din Villarino - Back Ro,w Right Side

Picture taken in 1978

Joseph Mauricio Villarino Sr.

Born in 1904-1989

Our AncestryDNA researcher, can confirm that the city of Villarino de los Aires was established during the 13th century. However, records from 1300 to 1700 in the city archives are scarce and difficult to locate. During this time, the church typically preserved records, if any were available.

Our research is based on a variety of sources, including AncestryDNA, personal notes on family names, and information provided by my father in the late 70s. I also gathered information from elders of the Villarino Clan in the Philippines, who recollected details between 1850 and 1904. These sources helped me trace the origin of our great-grandfather, Mateo Evangelista Villarino, who hailed from the city of Villarino de los Aires in Spain.

Mateo Evangelista Villarino was an educated upper-class "Spaniard "Don" who migrated to the Philippines in the 1800s. He settled on Catanduanes island and owned 43 acres of land, where he cultivated rice, coconut, and abaca. Our grandfather Juan Villarino served as a city counselor in the city of Bagamanoc, while our grandmother Lauriana Mauricio was a leader of the women's society.

Our father, Joseph M. Villarino Sr., was a WWII Prisoner of War and survivor of the infamous Bataan Death March. He received several awards for his heroism, including the "Bronze Star," the fourth highest-ranking award that a service member can receive in the U.S Military and the Congressional Gold Medal from the US Congress as it's highest expression for distinguished achievement and contribution by an individual awarded by President Obama posthumously.