The First Jews in the Philippines

 Levy Abad  12/ 29/2017
   
Adolphe Levy and Brothers

Adolphe Blum Levy (1849-1888)
(Photo courtesy of
Joelle Nordmann Lasserre)

After fifteen years of research into the founders of La Estrella Del Norte, I finally found pictures of two of the three siblings, Adolphe Levy and Raphael Levy. I still have to find one of Charles Levy.  It was a relative, Joelle Lasserre, who shared the pictures that she found in her research on the French side of Adolphe Levy’s family.

Adolphe Levy (1849-1888), the founder of La Estrella del Norte, together with his brothers, has been faceless throughout Philippine history, despite the contribution of the Levy brothers in pioneering business in the Philippines starting in 1870's. I have communicated with the different branches of the Levy family in the Philippines, but no one can provide pictures. Several visits to the  Philippine archives in 2000 to 2004 then  online research and lastly, scouring Supreme Court decisions for clues, proved futile.

The Birth of La Estrella Del Norte

Adolphe, Charles and Raphael Levy were from Alsace, France. They left the country due to the impact of the Franco–Prussian War, traveled to the United States, and eventually moved to the Philippines where they started a business. They  organized La Estrella Del Norte (The Star of the North) and later added “Levy Hermanos” to the company’s name. “The first business that they established was in Iloilo where they sold religious medals, statues, gold chains, gilt eyeglass frames, perfumes and later they expanded their trading business. Charles Levy opened what became the main office at Escolta, the old central business street in Manila. La Estrella del Norte began to diversify" (Frank Ephraim, Escape to Manila, From Nazi Tyranny to Japanese Terror, 12). Adolphe Levy led the business in its early years. Unfortunately, he will succumb to illness in 1888 at the age of 39. With the death of Adolphe, Charles Weil, a relative, took over management, together with Charles Levy and Raphael. The company introduced the first bicycle, in 1894 the first phonograph, and in 1899 the moving picture machine. In 1904, they brought the first automobile ever seen in Philippine society” (Lou Gopal, La Estrella Del Norte, Manila Nostalgia, Facebook). 

Contributions of the Levy Brothers

Raphael B. Levy
(Photo courtesy of Robert Hermanos)

The business that Adolphe Levy and his brothers built catered to the taste of the aristocracy of the country. In a way, the Levy brothers laid down the foundation of the business presence of the Jewish community in the country beginning in the 1870’s. According to a friend musician who attends a synagogue in Manila, Aryeh Meir Ben Avraham and online sources, the office of La Estrella del Norte was even “used for high holiday services until the first synagogue was built in 1919” (Lou Gopal, Manila Nostalgia, Facebook). This synagogue will be known as Temple Emil. The book of Frank Ephraim, Escape to Manila: From Nazi Tyranny to Japanese Terror, tells of the story of how the Philippines welcomed German and Austrian Jews (numbering around 1200) that escaped the Holocaust or what is referred to nowadays by the Jewish community as the Shoah or Catastrophe.  Frank Ephraim noted, “The Levy brothers befriended Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. They were even supportive of his views” (p.12). This happened when Adolphe was still alive.

From the time Adolphe Levy and his brothers arrived in the Philippines in the 1870’s up to

Courtesy of Lou Gopal , Manila Nostalgia

1888 when he passed away, and onto the 1960’s, Adolphe’s legacy lived on through his siblings who continued the business. Their business provided jobs that established goodwill especially with those who were running the government. I do believe that this goodwill created the atmosphere of being a welcoming country to the Jews who escaped Germany to Manila. When the last of the Levy brothers left the Philippines, there were already a lot of Jewish investments, and the relationships built over the years came in handy in the effort to save their distressed brothers and sisters escaping the Shoah.


Descendants of Adolphe Levy

Some members of the family left the Philippines for the United States and others returned to France. The descendants of Adolphe Levy, the oldest of the three and known to be the founder of La Estrella Del Norte, are still in the Philippines.  His early death will deprive him of the pride of seeing his achievements grow, leaving not only an imprint on the field of business but also on his descendants. He had a son with Benita Enriquez named Francisco Enriquez Levy  (1883-1944). It will be Francisco, who was orphaned at the age of four, from whom a branch of the Levy of the Philippines will originate. Francisco is the grandfather of the famous Philippine movie star Susan Roces or Jesusa Levy Sonora” (interview with Moises Levy, 2007 Toronto, Ontario included in Levy Family History Manuscript 1870-2010, researched by Levy Abad) and wife of the late Fernando Poe, also a famous movie star, who ran for President in 2004.  To date, after 147 years, there are hundreds of descendants of Adolphe Levy in the Philippines and others are residing abroad.

Legacy

Courtesy of  Lou Gopal , Manila Nostalgia

The reason for including the family background is to honour Adolphe Levy and his brothers Charles and Raphael for their contribution in building the Jewish community in the Philippines during the time when  there was no  community yet but only the Levy families from Marckolsheim  and Mutzig of Alsace..(Source: Joelle Nordmann Lasserre). Frank Ephraim mentioned in his book  that "The Levy brothers tended to quietly support the Filipino quest for sovereignty, hoping it would bring about more religious freedom” (Escape to Manila, From Nazi Tyranny to Japanese Terror, 12). The Levy brothers were low-profile, so much so that even if they owned businesses, it is difficult to find pictures of them.

From the time of Adolphe Levy and his brothers in  the 1870's up to the time that there was a relative number of Jews to form a community until the 1960s, their engagement in numerous businesses made an impact and yielded positive results in lobbying during the war years and may have been instrumental in the decision of President Manuel L. Quezon to admit 1200 Jewish refugees. All this  positive outcome can be traced back to the time of tireless building of goodwill.

The Research Continues

Part of the story of Adolphe Levy is that he had a daughter named Mercedes Levy (1888-1967)  born on March 1,1888, (five years younger than Francisco)  with Irma Heymann Levy. Irma died in 1893 at the age of 30, leaving Mercedes totally orphaned.The descendants of Mercedes will be the source of the picture of Adolphe. Years and years, the family of Adolphe in the Philippines wandered and yearned for the day that they will have his picture. Lo and behold, finally, Adolphe comes back to life in the memory of his children in the Philippine diaspora. 

I would like to end this article with a quote from Eitz Chayim Hi: "Hashivenu Adonai eilecha v'nashuva, chadesh yameinu k'kedem" (Return us to you, God, so that we shall return, renew our days as of old). 

(Some parts of this article were originally published in the Winnipeg Jewish Review, Levy Abad: From Kristallnacht to La Estrella Del Norte, November 9, 2015)

SEMFA, Ready for the Challenges of 2018 
The Diversity Times

Levy Abad 12/10/2017

Last December 2^nd, I went to Steinbach to attend the South East Manitoba Filipino Association (SEMFA) Christmas Party. I was happy to respond to the invitation of the President of the Association, Kris Ontong, to perform original songs about migrant life and struggles. 

The Christmas celebration was a big success. About two hundred fifty people filled the Pat Porter Active Living Centre. In the event, all the previous presidents of SEMFA were present, proof of the organization's unity. With this unity goes the capacity to mobilize membership and resources to assist any newcomer in need assistance. The gathering was also appreciated by leaders like  Mayor Chris Goertzen who attended as well as the MP of Provencher Ted Falk, for it enabled them to reach out, build relationship and deliver services. SEMFA also  networks with barristers to facilitate delivery of legal services to our Kababayans in Steinbach.  I  saw my lawyer friends Gary Sarcida and Daniel Cleto from Pullan  Kammerloch Frohlinger in the event  and so as my friend Won Jae Song of Diversity Times who is a friend of SEMFA.

"Steinbach Manitoba, according Jorie Alivio Sawatzky, the founding Chair of SEMFA, can boast of the presence of approximately one thousand five hundred (1,500) Filipinos actively participating in the economy of the City." This data is also confirmed by Kris Ontong. He added that “there is a constant flux of 50 to 100 Filipinos arriving yearly on average.” Edwin Sonsona, a friend and long-time Steinbach resident, relayed that most Pinoys work in barns of HYLIFE, Maple Leaf, ProVista Agriculture Ltd., as well as non-barn jobs in companies like Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Granny’s Poultry Cooperative, Loewen Windows and Doors, Barkman Concrete, to mention a few.  According to Raymond Chua, SEMFA President back in 2015, there’s approximately a thousand Filipinos in Steinbach, including children. Given these figures, one can estimate the notable presence of the Filipino community. Aside from their economic contributions, Filipinos of Steinbach work hard to keep the culture alive. This can be seen in events like the 2015 Pioneer Days Parade that showcases diverse cultural forms reflective of the Philippine history, customs and tradition. 

Jorie Alivio Sawatzky was gracious enough to provide me with the list of leaders of SEMPA through the years.  In October 28, 2006, Jorie was elected as the Interim President who will later assume the presidency on March 31, 2007 to March 2009. Jun Narvaez became its second President from March 2009 to 2011. He was followed by Rommel Gallego (March 2011 to 2013), Cesar Valdez (March 2013 to 2015), Raymund Chua (March 2015 to 2017) and Kris Ontong (2017 to 2019). These leaders were  instrumental in laying down the requisites of unity that SEMFA has exemplified.

Going over the Facebook page of SEMFA, one can see a lot of things going on in their organization. Although SEMFA was primarily organized as a support system for newly-arrived immigrants in Steinbach, it also participated in numerous events like the Annual Pioneer Days Parade, as mentioned earlier, Summer in the City, Cultures in the City where SEMFA sells Pinoy barbeque and hosts musical presentations, both traditional and contemporary (source: Kris Ontong), Volunteers Appreciation and programs to welcome newcomers, Pick Up and Walk (for a Clean and Healthy City). SEMFA also organized workshops on different immigration concerns like the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program in cooperation with the Friends of Filipino Immigrants in Mb (FFIM). SEMFA also joined events sponsored by Eastman Immigrant Services like “An Evening of Fun” at the Mennonite Heritage Village.  Indeed, to be a part of the leadership team of SEMFA is not a walk in the park, but involves dedication and sacrifice in serving the people of Steinbach.  From the first Chair of SEMFA and the succeeding leaders who tirelessly gathered the community through the years up to the present, leadership is really a significant achievement in itself."

Kris Ontong has this to say about the Association: “SEMFA Council is proud to cap-off the year with a well-attended Christmas Party that doubles as a membership sign-up/renewal event. The feedback has been very positive about the new features that were introduced in the event, e.g. Interac machine for payment convenience, major raffle prizes that boosted ticket sales and a featured kababayan performer whose songs resonated deeply with the Filipino immigrants of the area. Earlier this year, many other improvements were brought into SEMFA and they all resulted in increase interest in the association, bringing in new members to the Facebook group and more volunteers helping out in projects and activities. These achievements are worth pointing out as they were accomplished by just a handful of Council Officers and some dedicated volunteers. Next year, the restructuring of the SEMFA Council will begin so that it will be made up of representatives from the different job sectors of the region. It is our hope that SEMFA members will take part in this historic transition to make the association stronger and more reflective of the community that we live in.”

Again, I would like to thank the President of SEMFA Kris Ontong and the whole team for inviting me over to perform migrant songs that reflect our experiences in the Canadian diaspora. With the organizational strength of SEMFA and the political sense of the present leadership in always uniting the community and staying focused on  rights and welfare, showcasing our culture and tradition  to be a part of the tapestry of Steinbach, the Filipinos will be able to give back effectively for the City's welfare. Congratulations to all my Kababayans in Steinbach. Mabuhay and until we meet again!!!

(Part of this article has been previously published on Filipino Journal Vol.31 Number 24 , December 22  to January 5, 2018: "Steinbach Filipino Christmas")

(Levy Abad is a freelance writer and also a singer songwriter/recording artist and a member of Migrante Canada-Mb chapter and also a founding member/ program coordinator of Winnipeg Multicultural Human Rights Forum, Levy has released four albums , Canadian Experience Vol. 1 (iTunes), Never Give Up and Rhythms of Compassion CanEx 3.and for June 2017,"Tara ng Maglakbay". You can reach Levy Abad through lev67.abad@yahoo.ca or on Facebook).