JUNE 29, for Dabawenyos, is a day of thanksgiving and celebration. It is the feast of San Pedro, Davao City’s patron saint, as well as Hijos de Davao’s 51st anniversary.
This year’s feast is extra special for the Hijos, because it is not just a night of festivities, but also a chance to bear witness to the rise of the new generation.
Hijos de Davao is a socio-civic organization that was formed to nurture relationships among Dabawenyos. It was founded in 1964 in the midst of the overpowering number of migrants in the City.
Hijos’ primary goal is to preserve the true Dabawenyo culture, in a city that has been dubbed as a melting pot of culture.
In its 51 years of true service to the people, Hijos de Davao has proved that they are not just a social club, but a social club that works for the common good. The new generation is embodied in this year’s muse for the grand ball, Margarita Rafaella Beatriz “Meg” Jocson Ong.
Beauty, brains, and equipped with a heart for the people – much like what Hijos has been fanning through the past 51 years. Meg comes from the 4th generation of the Generoso-Cabaguio clan. She is the great-granddaughter of lawyer Manuel Generoso Cabaguio and Esperanza Tan-Cabaguio. She is not just a pretty face and she is definitely more than just her prominent name.
At 17 years old, she has outshone many in her various undertakings. The years she had traveled the world in her pursuit of the arts and for a higher level of learning has only strengthened her love for her roots, and that path has led her back home.
Meg was born on February 19, 1998 to businessman Frederick D. Ong and Gretchen Cabaguio Jocson-Ong. Her mom, Gretchen, would describe her as kind hearted, down to earth, compassionate, and considerate.
“She has a soft spot for the less fortunate, sensitive to the needs of her loved ones, driven by her goals, and an obedient daughter. And above all, a good Christian,” her mom adds.
Meg spent her elementary years at the Poveda College in Manila and then transferred to the Garden International School, a British International School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which ranks among the top international schools in Asia.
Meg plans to take up a course on economic and finance in a university in the United Kingdom after graduation at the Garden International School next year.
Meg loves the piano and the violin, and has even won second place in the 2010 Australia-New Zealand Cultural Association Piano Competition, the only Filipino chosen among 30 music students in Malaysia.
From this feat, Meg was selected to take master classes in the world renowned Yehudi Menuhin School in the United Kingdom. Meg also loves horseback riding, and has been doing so since she was nine years old.
She has truly proven herself worthy of all the praises and has exceeded everyone’s expectations. Despite having known so many places and cultures in her life, Meg remains a Dabawenya at heart.
She says she is honored to be this year’s muse as her mother had been before her. Meg is definitely a role model and a source of inspiration, not just for the Hijos, but for all young Filipinos.
Tonight, Meg will grace the SMX ballroom as the first muse of Hijos de Davao's new generation. She will be escorted by my one and only son, Phillip Marco Garcia Dizon.
To be inducted as 2015-2017 set of officers are: President Vincent J. Garcia, Vice President Carmen Soriano-Diano, secretary Rowena Hizon-Daluz, treasurer Pilar Rosario E. Rodriguez, assistant treasurer Maria Isabel Soriano-Lemen, business manager Jose Claro H. Velez, and PRO Marissa Salonga-Tionko.
Board members are Atty. Rose Marie T. Cabaguio, Rochelle Rabat del Rosario, Edith Lizada Fuentes, Premie Salas, Trisha Porras-de Jesus, Gerry C. Cabreros, Jose Francisco T. Ledesma, and ex-officio Jacqueline Garcia-Dizon. Advisers are Ma. Lourdes Socorro Medina Estanislao, Rodolfo del Rosario Jr., Benjamin A. Lizada, and Dr. Luis T. Gahol.