Descendants of 1st Filipino Migrant to Cambodia Rekindle Roots with PH
Ambassador Christopher B. Montero (third from right) and Consul General Myca Fischer (second from left) meet with the descendants of Angel Labrador Fernandez, one of the first Filipinos who set foot in Cambodia in the 1870s. Clockwise from left: Mr. Phalik Yin, Director of Hospitality of Modernity Holding, Ms. Fischer, Ms. Julienne Fernandez, a retired Cambodian tourism representative in France, H.E. Tep Yuthy, Senator of the Cambodian Senate, Ms. Sony Fernandez, Director of Operations of the Parliamentary Institute of Cambodia (PIC), Ambassador Montero, Mr. Songthoul Fernandez of Kennary Tours, and the son of Mr. Phalik. (Phnom Penh PE photo)
PHNOM PENH 30 October 2018 — The descendants of one of the first Filipino migrant workers to 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 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
For more information, visit www.phnompenhpe.dfa.gov.ph or @PhilippineIn on Twitter
Left photo: H.E. Samson Fernandez, Cambodia's Minister of Health and Justice (1st from right) with President Ramon Magsaysay (2nd right) during the official visit of King Father Norodom Sihanouk (4th right) to the Philippines in 1956 (Malacanang Archives photo). Right photo: General Sosthène Fernandez, Commander in Chief of the Khmer National Armed Forces in the 1970s. (Memoires d'une guerre oubliee photo)
An article on the 1872 state visit to the Philippines of King Norodom I, which appears in the book "The Royal House of Cambodia" written by Julio A. Jeldres (2017). (Phnom Penh PE photo)