DESCENDANTS OF FIRST FILIPINO MIGRANT TO CAMBODIA
REKINDLE ROOTS WITH THE PHILIPPINES
The descendants of one of the first Filipino migrant workers who set foot in Cambodia in the 19th century rekindled their Filipino roots at a recent gathering with officials of the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia.
In 1872, Cambodia's King Norodom I made a historic visit to the Philippines, the first and only visit of a reigning monarch during the Spanish colonial period. On his return to Cambodia, he brought with him a group of Filipino musicians, among them Angel Labrador Fernandez of San Narciso, Zambales. He was a Maestro who helped form and train the Royal Reed and Brass Band of His Majesty, Norodom I.
Though there are records of Filipinos who served as palace guards and cannoneers when Cambodia became a French protectorate, it was the lineage of Angel L. Fernandez that remains strong and most prominent until today. His son, Samson Fernandez, became Minister of Health and Justice in the 1950s, while Samson’s son, Sosthène Fernandez, became Commander in Chief of the Khmer National Armed Forces in the 1970s.
At a recent dinner gathering with Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia Christopher B. Montero and Consul General Myca M. Fischer, the fourth generation descendants of Angel L. Fernandez shared many stories about their ancestors and their various roles in Cambodian history and society. Aside from those who remained or returned to Cambodia, some of Fernandez clan now live in other countries such as France, Singapore and the United States. They have retraced their relatives in San Narciso, Zambales and maintain links through annual reunions and Facebook groups.
“Angel Labrador Fernandez pioneered the first migration of Filipinos in Cambodia and illustrates the deep and long-standing people-to-people ties between Pinoys and Khmers," Ambassador Montero noted.
"The Fernandez family's valuable contributions to Cambodian history and society are well-known, in the same manner that modern-day Filipinos living and working in Cambodia are sharing their own talents and skills for the mutual benefit of our two countries. I am optimistic that people-to-people exchanges between our two countries will continue in the centuries to come,” Ambassador Montero concluded. END
