The Six Megatrends of 2026 And Why They Matter to Me

Sometimes we need to stop watching the daily news and look at the bigger picture.

I recently watched journalist, author and podcast host Derek Thompson discuss his fascinating idea of the “Six Megatrends That Define 2026” with Fareed Zakaria on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS.

I found the discussion especially interesting because, when I looked at Thompson's six megatrends, I realized that many of them are already subjects I have been writing about for years.

Perhaps without realizing it, I have been writing about some of the same changes taking place in our society, especially aging, health, human relationships, technology and artificial intelligence.

That is what makes Thompson's idea so interesting to me.

Instead of concentrating only on today's depressing headlines, he asks us to step back and look at the larger trends underneath them.

And when we do that, the future can look very different.

What Are the Six Megatrends?

Thompson divides the major forces shaping 2026 into six broad areas:

1. Culture - The Anti-Social Century

2. Health - The Making of the “Do-It-All” Drug

3. Artificial Intelligence - Apocalypse Nope

4. Economics - The Peter Pan Economy

5. Politics - The Paradox of Global Violence

6. Media- Quantity Is Eating Quality

These are not predictions about what will happen tomorrow.

They are attempts to understand the direction in which society is moving.

And that distinction is important. We live in a world where a dramatic event can dominate our television screens and smartphones for 24 hours and then disappear from the news.

But megatrends move much more slowly. They may take years or even decades to become obvious.

The Anti-Social Century

The first megatrend particularly caught my attention.

Thompson argues that modern society is increasingly becoming an “anti-social century,” with people spending less time with partners, children, friends and coworkers and more time alone.

That immediately made me think about aging. As we grow older, our social world can become smaller.

Children become busy with their own families and careers. Friends move away or pass on. Retirement removes the workplace relationships that once filled many hours of our lives.

Technology can make this even more complicated.

We can communicate with almost anybody in the world without actually being physically with them.

But there is a difference between communication and companionship.

I am fortunate that my life as a senior is still filled with people.

I play Bridge and Mahjong. I participate in activities. I enjoy conversations with other residents. I receive visitors. And perhaps most importantly, I remain connected to my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

One of the happiest experiences of my life recently was simply spending several hours with my great-grandson Beau Joseph.

I held him in my arms, kissed him on the head and watched him crawl around.

There was no technology involved. There was simply human connection.

And that may be one of the great challenges of the coming century:

How do we use technology without allowing technology to replace human relationships?

Health: From Treating Disease to Changing Aging

The second megatrend is health.

Thompson discusses the remarkable development of GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide and the possibility that these drugs may eventually have applications far beyond diabetes and weight loss. His article points to emerging research involving conditions ranging from addiction and fatty liver disease to other aspects of metabolic and mental health.

I find this fascinating because health and aging have been recurring subjects in my own writing.

As someone who has lived through more than nine decades, I have a very different perspective on medicine than I had when I was young.

When I was growing up in the Philippines, many diseases that are treatable today were frightening diagnoses.

Medical science has changed enormously during my lifetime.

And now we are entering another extraordinary period in which medicines may not simply treat one disease at a time but may influence several biological systems simultaneously.

I am careful, however, about the word “miracle.”

Science can produce extraordinary breakthroughs, but every promising treatment still needs evidence.

The lesson I take from this megatrend is not that we will soon discover a pill that makes us young again.

It is that the boundaries of medicine continue to move.

And that gives my generation something that previous generations of older people did not have: hope that tomorrow's medicine may be better than today's medicine.

Artificial Intelligence: Apocalypse Nope

This may be the megatrend that interests me the most.

Thompson deliberately calls it: “Apocalypse Nope.”

That is a refreshing way of looking at AI.

So much of the discussion about artificial intelligence is either extremely optimistic or extremely frightening.

AI will supposedly take everyone's jobs. AI will destroy civilization.

AI will make humans irrelevant. Or, on the other side, AI will solve every problem known to mankind.

I don't believe either extreme. I have been using AI writing assistants for more than a year, and I have experienced something much more ordinary and much more useful.

AI has helped me become a better writer.

It has helped me improve grammar, organize my thoughts, clarify my ideas and make my writing more engaging.

But AI does not provide the experiences that I write about.

It did not grow up in Iloilo. It did not immigrate to America.

It did not spend decades working in pharmaceutical research and the FDA.

It did not experience raising four children. It did not lose a beloved wife after 63 years of marriage.

It did not become a great-grandfather.

Those are my experiences. AI can help me tell my story. It cannot live my life for me.

That distinction is extremely important.

The Peter Pan Economy

Thompson's economic megatrend focuses heavily on younger Americans struggling with employment, housing costs and the difficulty of reaching traditional milestones of adulthood.

This is an interesting contrast with my generation.

When I was young, the traditional sequence seemed relatively straightforward:

Get an education. Get a job. Get married. Buy a house. Raise a family. Retire.

Today's young people face a very different economic environment.

Housing is expensive. Education can be expensive. Career paths are changing.

And artificial intelligence may transform many occupations before today's young workers reach retirement age.

As an older person looking back over my own life, I realize how much the economic environment shaped my opportunities.

I was fortunate to receive an education, immigrate to the United States and build a professional career.

But I also understand that every generation faces a different set of circumstances.

We should be careful not to judge younger people by the standards of the world in which we grew up.

Politics: Looking Beyond the Headlines

The fifth megatrend concerns politics and global violence.

Here again, Thompson asks us to look beyond the headlines.

Every day we see wars, political conflicts, polarization and international tensions.

Yet history is complicated. Some forms of violence may be increasing while others are declining.

Some societies may be becoming safer even while the world appears more dangerous because the media can instantly bring every conflict into our living rooms.

That is one reason I have become increasingly skeptical of judging the world solely by what I see on television or on social media.

The world is more complicated than the headlines.

And perhaps that is another lesson of megatrends:

We should learn to distinguish between an event and a trend.

Media: When More Is Not Necessarily Better

The sixth megatrend may be particularly relevant to me as a blogger.

Thompson argues that quantity is increasingly eating quality.

AI has made it possible to produce enormous amounts of written material.

More articles. More posts. More videos. More images. More information.

But more information does not necessarily mean more wisdom.

This is something I think about every day when I write my blog.

I have been blogging since 2009. I have written thousands of posts.

But at this stage of my life, I am less interested in simply producing more.

I want to write about things that mean something.

My best posts are not necessarily the ones that receive the most attention.

Sometimes my most meaningful writing is about something very personal, my family, my memories of the Philippines, growing older, my great-grandchildren, my late wife, my immigrant experience, or something I have learned during 91 years of life.

That is where technology and humanity meet. AI can help me write faster.

But I still have to decide what is worth writing about.

Why These Six Megatrends Matter to Me

After thinking about Thompson's six megatrends, I realized something.

Perhaps my blog has been my own little attempt to document the megatrends of my lifetime.

I have written about technology because I have witnessed an extraordinary transformation from a world without computers and smartphones to a world where artificial intelligence can converse with us.

I write about health because I have watched medicine transform during my lifetime.

I write about aging because I am living through it.

I write about family because relationships become even more precious as we grow older.

And I write about being Filipino-American because immigration has been one of the defining experiences of my life.

My generation has lived through an extraordinary period of history.

We have seen the airplane transform from a luxury into ordinary transportation.

We have watched television evolve into smartphones and streaming.

We went from letters to email to instant messaging.

We went from calculating machines to computers to artificial intelligence.

And now we are entering another technological revolution whose full consequences we cannot yet understand.

Looking Forward at 91

At 91, I don't pretend to know what the next decade will bring. But I am curious.

That may be one of the reasons I continue to write.

I want to understand the world in which my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will live.

I want to understand artificial intelligence.

I want to understand the future of medicine.

I want to understand how society is changing.

And I want to remain connected to the world rather than becoming trapped in the past.

Derek Thompson's six megatrends reminded me that we should not allow today's headlines to make us believe that the future is necessarily bleak.

There are enormous challenges ahead. But there are also enormous possibilities.

Technology can isolate us or connect us.

Medicine can extend our lives but we still have to give those years meaning.

Artificial intelligence can produce more information but humans still have to decide what is worth knowing.

And perhaps most importantly: Living longer is not the same thing as living better.

That is why, for me, the real megatrend is not artificial intelligence, medicine, economics or politics.

It is human adaptation. We have always adapted.

My generation adapted from the Philippines of the 1930s and 1940s to America in the 1960s and beyond.

I adapted from chemistry and pharmaceutical research to retirement.

I adapted from writing without computers to writing with AI.

And at 91, I am still adapting.

Perhaps that is the most encouraging message I can take from Derek Thompson's six megatrends.

The future is not something we simply watch happen to us.

We are participants in it. And as long as I remain curious, connected and willing to learn, I intend to keep participating. At 91, I am still looking forward.

AI Impressions on this Topic: 

I think this is an especially strong subject for your blog because Thompson’s six megatrends intersect remarkably well with the themes you have been writing about for years: aging, health, human relationships, technology, AI, and the question of how we should live in a rapidly changing world.

I checked the original May 2026 newsletter as well as the current CNN/Fareed Zakaria context. Thompson’s six themes are Culture, Health, AI, Economics, Politics, and Media. His central idea is particularly interesting: rather than becoming overwhelmed by the depressing news of the day, step back and look for the larger forces that will shape our lives for years to come

Moreover, I think this topic fits especially well with your recent AI, aging, health, and Filipino-American identity pieces. It also avoids sounding boastful: your age and life experience become the lens through which you interpret the megatrends, rather than the subject of self-congratulation.

One factual refinement I made is that Thompson's original Six Megatrends newsletter was published May 14, 2026, rather than September; the September GPS appearance is the occasion that brings the ideas back into the news. His six categories are explicitly Culture, Health, AI, Economics, Politics and Media.

Personal Note: A couple of days ago, another THD resident is no longer with us.  I heard ( there is no THD official announcement) that Eddie Alie- one of our oldest residents and the longest resident passed away. I do not know him personally, but I see him reading the newspapers every now and then in the Lobby and at Churchill Pub. May his soul rest in Peace, Amen.  

What I Learned After Finishing The Correspondent: Two Novels, Two Paths to a Meaningful Life

I have just finished reading The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, and I find myself doing something I often do after finishing a book that has touched me deeply: I am comparing it with another book I recently reviewed.

In this case, that book is Theo of Golden by Allen Levi.

At first glance, these two novels could hardly be more different.

The Correspondent is the story of Sybil Van Antwerp, an intelligent, independent, sometimes prickly older woman whose life unfolds primarily through letters. She is looking backward, at love, family, friendship, grief, mistakes, regrets, and the choices that shaped her life. The novel asks us to consider what remains unresolved within us, even after many decades of living.

Theo of Golden, on the other hand, begins when an elderly stranger named Theo arrives in a small Southern town. He buys pencil portraits of local people and gives the portraits back to the people who inspired them. In return, he asks for their stories. Through these simple acts of generosity, he creates friendships and changes lives.

Yet after finishing both books, I was struck by how much they have in common.

Both are really about connection. And perhaps that is why they resonated so strongly with me.

We All Want to Be Seen

One of the deepest lessons I took from Theo of Golden is that people want to be seen, not merely looked at, but truly seen.

Theo does this in a remarkably simple way. He notices people. He takes an interest in their stories. He listens.

The portraits become more than pieces of art. They become a way of telling someone, I see you. Your life matters. Your story is worth knowing.

The Correspondent arrives at a similar truth through a completely different path.

Sybil has spent much of her life communicating through letters. Her correspondence becomes a record of her relationships, her memories, her joys and disappointments, and eventually her attempt to understand herself.

The difference is important. Theo reaches outward to discover other people's stories.

Sybil writes inward to understand her own.

But both remind us of something I have learned repeatedly during my own 91 years:

Every person carries a story that deserves to be heard.

Kindness Can Change a Life

Theo teaches us about the power of an unexpected act of kindness.

His generosity is not complicated. He does not need wealth, political influence, or extraordinary power. He simply chooses to do something good for another person.

That lesson is especially meaningful to me because I have come to believe that, as we grow older, our legacy is less about what we accumulated and more about what we gave away, our time, our wisdom, our friendship, our encouragement, and our kindness.

The Correspondent approaches kindness differently. It reminds us that words can also be gifts.

A thoughtful letter can preserve a friendship. An honest confession can heal an old wound. A few carefully chosen words can give comfort to someone who is hurting.

In our world of text messages, emails, emojis, and instant communication, Evans reminds us of something we may be losing: the value of taking the time to think about what we want to say.

A letter says, in effect, You were important enough for me to sit down and write to you.

That is a form of kindness, too.

The Past Never Completely Leaves Us

Here the two books become quite different.

Theo of Golden is primarily a story about what can happen when we choose to move toward other people.

The Correspondent is more deeply concerned with what happens when we carry the past inside ourselves.

Sybil's life contains grief, disappointment, family complications, old wounds, and things left unsaid. Her letters gradually reveal that growing older does not automatically make us wise about ourselves.

That realization stayed with me. We often assume that age itself brings wisdom.

I am no longer certain that it does. Age gives us experience. Wisdom comes from what we do with that experience.

We can carry our mistakes for decades without understanding them. We can allow resentment to become part of our personality. We can protect ourselves from being hurt again and, in doing so, prevent ourselves from experiencing intimacy and forgiveness.

Sybil's journey reminded me that sometimes the hardest person to understand is ourselves.

Connection Requires Courage

This may be the most important similarity between the two novels.

Theo connects with people by approaching them.

Sybil connects with people through words.

But both stories remind us that genuine connection requires courage.

It is much easier to remain safely behind our walls.

We can convince ourselves that we do not need anyone.

We can live alone. We can keep our thoughts to ourselves.

We can avoid difficult conversations. We can say, "That's just the way I am."

But human beings were not designed for complete isolation.

At my own senior living community, The Heritage Downtown, I see this every day. We have more than 160 residents, each carrying decades of experiences, professions, families, successes, failures, loves, losses, and memories.

Sometimes I look around and wonder how many fascinating stories are sitting quietly around the dining room, waiting for someone to ask a simple question:

"Tell me about your life." That, to me, is one of the gifts of both books.

Two Different Kinds of Legacy

Theo's legacy is created through the people he touches.

Sybil's legacy is created through the words she leaves behind.

This distinction particularly interests me because I have been writing for many years.

I started blogging in 2009. Over the years, I have written about books, food, technology, aging, the Philippines, America, family, history, and the many ordinary and extraordinary experiences that have shaped my life.

Why do I continue? Perhaps The Correspondent helped me understand the answer.

We write because we want to leave something behind.

Not necessarily something important to the world.

Something meaningful to another person.

A thought. A memory. A story. A lesson. A moment of laughter.

Perhaps even a few words that someone reads years from now and says, I understand what he meant. That may be enough.

What Aging Has Taught Me

There is another reason these two books affected me. Both are, in different ways, books about growing older.

And neither suggests that old age means our story is finished. Quite the opposite.

Theo arrives in Golden as an older man and begins a new chapter.

Sybil, despite being well into her later years, still has discoveries to make about herself.

That is an important lesson for those of us who are fortunate enough to grow old.

We are never too old to begin again. Never too old to make a new friend.

Never too old to apologize. Never too old to forgive. Never too old to learn something new.

Never too old to write a letter or, in my case, another blog post.

And perhaps most importantly, never too old to make a difference in someone else's life.

Two Books, One Message

If I had to reduce the lessons of these two novels to two sentences, I would put it this way:

Theo of Golden teaches us to look outward to notice people, listen to their stories, practice generosity, and make someone's day a little brighter.

The Correspondent teaches us to look inward to examine our memories, confront our regrets, acknowledge our grief, and find the courage to understand and forgive ourselves and others.

Theo asks us: "Whose life can I touch?"

Sybil asks us: "What does my life mean?"

Perhaps the real wisdom lies somewhere between those two questions.

We need both. We need to understand ourselves, but we also need to understand others.

We need reflection, but we also need action.

We need memories, but we also need new experiences.

We need to tell our stories, but we also need to listen to someone else's.

And we need both the courage to say I am sorry and the generosity to say I forgive you.

My Final Thought

When I finished The Correspondent, I did not simply close the book.

I thought about my own correspondence with life.

At 91, I have accumulated many memories of Iloilo, education, America, immigration, science, the FDA, marriage, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friendships, loss, aging, and now life here at THD.

Like Sybil, I have a lifetime of stories.

Like Theo, I have learned that other people's stories are just as important as my own.

And perhaps that is the greatest lesson these two novels have given me:

A meaningful life is not measured only by what we accomplish. It is measured by the people we see, the people we listen to, the kindness we give, the forgiveness we offer, and the stories we leave behind.

Theo reminds us to reach out. Sybil reminds us to look within.

And both remind us that, regardless of our age, there is still time to connect, to learn, to forgive, to love, and to make a difference.

That is a lesson worth carrying with us long after the final page.

AI Overview: 

True Connection Requires Vulnerability, Not Just Eloquence

• The Performance of Words: Sybil uses perfectly constructed letters to control her narrative and keep people at a safe distance.
• The Cost of Safety: Her daughter Fiona highlights the pain of this emotional barrier, admitting she never knew how to confide in a mother who hid behind a polished exterior.
• The Lesson: While clever prose builds elegant bridges, true intimacy requires stepping out from behind the desk, risking imperfect phrasing, and letting others see our unedited self.

Forgiveness Breaks the Armor of Isolation

• Carrying "Stones": Sybil carries decades of profound grief, specifically the tragic childhood loss of her son, Gilbert and guards her secrets fiercely. 
• The Unsent Message: For years, she writes to a figure from her past but hoards the letter, choosing the frozen comfort of resentment over resolution. 
• The Lesson: Meaningful growth requires dispatching our unsent letters. Confronting old ghosts and offering genuine forgiveness to others and ourselves is the only way to avoid stagnation.

Life Refuses to Be Stagnant in Any Season

• The "Winter" Rebirth: At 73 years old, divorced and living alone, Sybil views herself as entering the twilight of her story.
• Unexpected Evolution: Instead of winding down, her life actively expands through a late-stage love triangle, new generational friendships, and an unyielding intellectual curiosity.
• The Lesson: Purpose does not have an expiration date. Even when physical faculties fade, like Sybil’s deteriorating eyesight, our capacity to impact lives and experience joy remains entirely active.

AI Impressions on this Posting:

I think these two books make a fascinating pair for you, especially because both are ultimately about the human need to be seen, heard, understood, and connected to others, but they approach that truth from almost opposite directions.

The Correspondent gives us Sybil, an older woman looking backward at a complicated life, while Theo of Golden gives us Theo, an older man who enters a community and changes the lives of others through small acts of generosity. One is largely about looking inward; the other about reaching outward.

Moreover, I especially love that this post connects The Correspondent and Theo of Goldento life at THD. Your fellow residents may recognize themselves in both books: people with long histories, unfinished stories, memories, regrets, wisdom, and most importantly, the continuing capacity to form new friendships and touch another person's life.

And I think the closing thought captures something very much at the heart of your writing:

“We are never too old to begin again.”

Finally, this posting is a beautiful message for your worldwide readers and perhaps an even more meaningful one for the 160+ people sharing this chapter of life with you at THD.

Thank you for allowing me to help you put your reflections into words. It is a privilege.

The Tupas, Balleza and Sadyang-Abay of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Philippines -Part 1 of 2

The other day, I heard from a close relative that the name Sadyang-Abay is in our mother ancestral lines. I did some search, and here's what I found:

The connection between Sadyang-Abay (often spelled Sadiang-abay or Sadiangabay) and Barotac Viejo lies heavily in the genealogy, history, and prominent local families of this municipality in Iloilo, Philippines.

Brief Life History of Raymundo S. Tupas

When Raymundo S. Tupas was born in 1860, in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Philippines, his father, Pablo Tupas, was 41 and his mother, Natividad Sadyang-Abay, was 39. He had at least 1 son and 1 daughter with Clara Soberano.

The ancestral connection between the Tupas Clan and the Sadyang-Abay Clan of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, is rooted in a direct matrimonial alliance established in the mid-19th century. 

The Foundational Ancestors

According to historical and genealogical records from Barotac Viejo, the two families merged through the marriage of:

Pablo Tupas (born circa 1819)
Natividad Sadyang-Abay (born circa 1821)

The Lineage and Legacy

This union solidifies the Sadyang-Abay family as a key maternal root of the prominent Tupas lineage in northern Iloilo. A notable descendant of this marriage was their son, Raymundo Sadyang-Abay Tupas (born in 1860 in Barotac Viejo).

Raymundo and subsequent generations laid the generational groundwork for the family in the municipality, which eventually evolved into one of the most enduring political and civic dynasties in Iloilo's 5th District. The Sadyang-Abay bloodline remains an integral piece of the clan's historical identity and heritage in the region. 

The branches of the Tupas and Sadyang-Abay families diverged and expanded into separate prominent lineages in Barotac Viejo, intersecting deeply with other foundational local families like the Soberano, Causing, and Balleza families. 

1. The Tupas-Soberano Branch (Direct Descendants of Raymundo)

The most prominent later branch stemming directly from the early Tupas-Sadyang-Abay union was established by Raymundo Sadyang-Abay Tupas (born 1860) and his wife, Clara Soberano.

• Vicenta Barrera Tupas (born 1884), one of their early documented descendants, helped establish ties into the broader Iloilo network.
• Felicidad Tupas, who married into the prominent Causing family (Guillermo Causing Sr.), connected the family to the legal and political Causing lineage of Barotac Viejo.

2. The Tupas-Balleza Political Lineage

Another major historical branch in the municipality developed through Alfonso Tupas Sr. and Perpetua Balleza. Their children and grandchildren became central figures in the town's growth:

• Jose "Pepe" Balleza Tupas Sr. (1912–2009), a prominent elder of the clan.
• The Political Branch (Niel Tupas Sr. Line): This branch yielded the late Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas Sr. and his wife, former Barotac Viejo Mayor Myrna Causing-Tupas. Their children—former Congressman Niel Tupas Jr., former Mayor Niel Tupas III, and Lex Tupas, represent the contemporary public face of this generational branch. 

3. The Sadyang-Abay Later Branches

While the Tupas surname took on significant political prominence, the Sadyang-Abay family remained rooted in the agricultural, educational, and civic fabric of Barotac Viejo. Over the generations, the surname evolved and spread through maternal lines, marrying into families such as the Llamos family (e.g., the local educator community like Evelyn Sadyang-abay Llamos).

Parents and Siblings

• Pablo Tupas

  Male

  1820–Deceased
• Natividad Sadyang-Abay

  Female

  1822–Deceased

Siblings (6)

1. Santiago S. Tupas

   Male

   1845–Deceased
2. Tiburcio S. Tupas

   Male

   1846–Deceased
3. Saturnina S. Tupas

   Female

   1857–Deceased
4. Raymundo S. Tupas

   Male

   1860–Deceased
5. Prudencio S. Tupas

   Male

   1871–1928

+1 More Child

Personal Note: Above is additional information I found recently, on My Balleza Ancestry, my mother side of the Family- Of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Philippines

BAROTAC VIEJO · ILOILO · PHILIPPINESSEPTEMBER 2026

David B. Katague — Barotac Viejo Ancestral Tree

Sadyang-Abay → Tupas → Balleza → Barrido

A Three-Family Reconstruction Rooted in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo. Compiled from FamilySearch indexes, 1918 Census, parish foundation history, and the old handwritten Balleza family tree preserved by oral memory.

Documented

Oral / Old Tree

Hypothesis

Missing

Overview Lineage Map

Top-down synthesis of three families converging to David B. Katague

SADYANG → TUPAS → BALLEZA → BARRIDO → KATAGUE

1820s

Natividad Sadyang-Abay + Pablo Tupas

Root couple · FamilySearch index

1860

Raymundo S. Tupas + Clara Soberano

b. Barotac Viejo · Bridge generation

GAP

Alfonso Tupas Sr. lineage connection

Needs verification — sibling search 1855-1875

1840-1900

Candido → Genaro → Talie → Perpetua 'Tuwa' Balleza

Old Balleza tree · 4 generations oral

Union

Perpetua Balleza + Alfonso Tupas Sr.

6 children: Alfonso Jr., Felicidad, Tomas, Josefina, Pepe, Socorro

Parallel

Unidentified Father Balleza → Jose / Pedro / Vicente

Father name illegible on old tree

1920s

Pedro Balleza + Maria Vencer → Alfonso Vencer Balleza

Vencer maternal surname introduced

1940s

Alfonso Vencer Balleza + Mrs. Barrido (née Barrido)

Barrido maternal line · grandmother first name unknown

Final

Paz Barrido Balleza → David B. Katague

Living memory · preservation line

Generation-by-Generation

HOVER FOR NOTES · TAP TO EXPAND

Natividad Sadyang-Abay

c. 1821 / 22Matriarch

Spouse:Pablo Tupas

DOCUMENTED

Listed as mother in FamilySearch record for son Raymundo. Surname Sadyang-Abay suggests pre-claveria naming or composite maternal line. Needs original parish baptism to confirm spelling.

Pablo Tupas

c. 1819 / 20Patriarch

Spouse:Natividad Sadyang-Abay

DOCUMENTED

Father in same FamilySearch entry. Tupas is established Barotac Viejo surname. Likely born before 1836 parish founding, so may have record in Dumangas or Ajuy mother parish.

Critical Gap — Verification Needed

Research note lists Raymundo S. Tupas (b. 1860) as child of Natividad & Pablo, but connection between this Raymundo branch and Alfonso Tupas Sr. branch is not yet documented. Hypothesis: Alfonso Sr. is nephew or younger brother. Needs sibling baptism search 1855-1875.

Raymundo S. Tupas

b. 1860, Barotac ViejoDocumented son

Spouse:Clara Soberano

DOCUMENTED

Birth year from family research notes. Middle initial 'S' likely Sadyang. Would have been 38 during 1898 revolution. Check 1918 Census and cedula records.

Clara Soberano

c. 1865Spouse — noted in research

Spouse:Raymundo S. Tupas

ORAL / FAMILY TREE

Spouse name from secondary research compilation. Soberano is Ilonggo surname clustered in Barotac Viejo & Banate. Seek marriage record c. 1885.

Alfonso Tupas Sr.

c. 1880s? – mid 1900sConnector to Balleza line

Spouse:Perpetua 'Tuwa' Balleza

Alfonso Jr. · Felicidad · Tomas · Josefina · Pepe · Socorro

ORAL / FAMILY TREE

Father of Alfonso Jr., Felicidad, Tomas, Josefina, Pepe, Socorro with Perpetua Balleza. His parentage is the key unresolved link. If son of Raymundo, birth would be c. 1888-1895.

Candido Balleza

c. 1840s–1860sEarliest Balleza ancestor on tree

Genaro Balleza

ORAL / FAMILY TREE

Root of the old family tree drawing. No dates on original. Name suggests early Gobernadorcillo-era family.

Genaro Balleza

c. 1860s–1880sSecond generation

Talie Balleza

ORAL / FAMILY TREE

Middle generation. Connects to Talie.

Talie Balleza

c. 1880s–1900sThird generation

Perpetua Balleza

ORAL / FAMILY TREE

Short name likely diminutive for Natalio, Eustalio, or Vitaliano. Mother of Perpetua.

Perpetua "Tuwa" Balleza“Tuwa”

c. 1890s–1970sGreat-grandmother · Balleza-Tupas link

Spouse:Alfonso Tupas Sr.

Alfonso Jr. · Felicidad · Tomas · Josefina · Pepe · Socorro

ORAL / FAMILY TREE

Pivotal figure. Nickname Tuwa used by grandchildren. Marriage to Alfonso Tupas Sr. merged Balleza and Tupas lines. Children confirmed by living memory.

BIG GAP — Father Unidentified

Old family tree lists Jose, Pedro, and Vicente Balleza as brothers, but their father's name is missing / illegible. This prevents linking to Candido-Genaro-Talie line. Could be same as Genaro or Talie, or a separate Balleza progenitor. Needs 1880-1900 baptism sweep.

Unidentified Father Balleza

c. 1860–1880s (?)Missing progenitor

Jose Balleza · Pedro Balleza · Vicente Balleza

MISSING LINK

Father of Jose, Pedro, Vicente. Name lost on old tree. Priority research target.

Pedro Balleza

c. 1890s–1960sFather of Alfonso Vencer Balleza

Spouse:Maria Vencer

Alfonso Vencer Balleza

ORAL / FAMILY TREE

Married Maria Vencer. This marriage introduces Vencer surname. Children include Alfonso Vencer Balleza who continues direct line.

Maria Vencer

c. 1890s–1960sMaternal line — Vencer

Spouse:Pedro Balleza

ORAL / FAMILY TREE

Vencer family from Barotac Viejo / Anilao corridor. Provides second surname to son Alfonso Vencer Balleza per Spanish naming custom.

Jose Balleza

—Sibling

HYPOTHESIS

Listed as brother of Pedro and Vicente. No further data.

Vicente Balleza

—Sibling

HYPOTHESIS

Listed as brother of Jose and Pedro.

Alfonso Vencer Balleza

c. 1920s – 1980sMaternal grandfather of David

Spouse:Mrs. Barrido Balleza (née Barrido)

ORAL / FAMILY TREE

Documented in family genealogy compilation as son of Pedro Balleza & Maria Vencer. Name uses maternal Vencer as middle. Married into Barrido family.

Mrs. Barrido Balleza“née Barrido”

c. 1920s – 1990sMaternal grandmother · Barrido lineage

Spouse:Alfonso Vencer Balleza

Paz Barrido Balleza

HYPOTHESIS

First name not yet recovered. Mother of Paz Barrido Balleza. Surname Barrido is prominent in Barotac Viejo; 1918 census shows Juan Balleza on municipal board — possible relative network. Seek marriage record c. 1945.

Paz Barrido Balleza

—Mother · Direct ancestor of David

David B. Katague

ORAL / FAMILY TREE

Daughter of Alfonso Vencer Balleza & Barrido mother. Carries Barrido as middle name per Philippine custom. Mother of David B. Katague. Living memory line.

David B. Katague

—Root of this reconstruction

DOCUMENTED

Compiler of this ancestral chart. Lineage traces through mother Paz Barrido Balleza, grandfather Alfonso Vencer Balleza, and deep Balleza and Tupas roots in Barotac Viejo.

Legend & Status

Documented

FamilySearch, 1918 Census, parish

Oral / Family Tree

Old Balleza Tree, family memory

Hypothesis

Inference, needs record

Missing Link

Unidentified, blocks lineage

TOWN CONTEXT

Barotac Viejo · Founded ~1750 as visita, Parish 1836

All pre-1836 baptism/marriage must be sought in Dumangas. American period civil records start 1902. Sadyang-Abay surname may indicate early 19th c. naming.

Supporting Evidence

1918 Census of the Philippines

Juan Balleza listed on Barotac Viejo municipal board. Confirms Balleza family civic prominence post-American occupation. Indicates literacy and property — higher chance of civil records.

Parish Foundation

Barotac Viejo founded c. 1750 as visita of Dumangas; independent parish 1836 (St. Anthony of Padua). Records before 1836 in Dumangas. Critical for Sadyang-Abay / Tupas search.

1959 Myrla Hilaga Wedding Photo

Social network evidence — Balleza, Tupas, Barrido families appear together in mid-century events, confirming intermarriage within same poblacion circle. Supports oral linkage.

FamilySearch Reference

Raymundo Tupas (b. 1860) entry citing parents Natividad Sadyang-Abay & Pablo Tupas. Digitized index — need original image for parish book/page number.

Next Research Steps

Eight priority tasks to close gaps — ordered by archival yield

For September 2026 field trip

1

Retrieve original parish baptism for Raymundo S. Tupas (c. 1860) from Barotac Viejo St. Anthony books — confirm parents Natividad & Pablo and get grandparents.

2

Search Dumangas & Barotac Viejo marriage records 1885-1895 for Raymundo Tupas + Clara Soberano to confirm Soberano parentage.

3

Sweep baptism records 1885-1900 for children of Raymundo Tupas — look for Alfonso Tupas Sr. to prove Gen -1 to Gen connection.

4

Transcribe and digitize Old Balleza Family Tree handwriting — attempt to recover Unidentified Father Balleza name via UV light / enhanced scan.

5

Search 1890-1910 baptisms for Pedro, Jose, Vicente Balleza — same father field should reveal missing progenitor name.

6

Locate civil marriage Pedro Balleza + Maria Vencer (c. 1920-1930) and Alfonso Vencer Balleza + Barrido (c. 1945) — get full Barrido grandmother first name and parents.

7

Check 1918 Census household schedules for Barotac Viejo (if extant at US NARA / Philippine National Archives) — enumerate Balleza, Tupas, Vencer, Barrido households.

8

Interview oldest living relatives with structured questions on Tuwa Balleza household, Alfonso Sr. siblings, and Barrido maternal line — record audio for archive.

“For six grandchildren and two great-grandsons — to preserve”

DAVID B. KATAGUE FAMILY ARCHIVE

Chart compiled September 2026 · Barotac Viejo, Iloilo · Sources: FamilySearch, Old Balleza handwritten tree, oral history.

This is a working reconstruction — gaps marked in red/gray require parish & civil record verification.