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The Balunsats were part of the Nueva Vizcayeno Klansmen from the Philippines who migrated to the US since the 1900's. The maze of interrelationships span through many families and lineage which include: the Danguilan's, Logan's, Lumicao's, Pangilinan's, Alindada's,Binaley's,Alayu's, Padilla's, Mendoza's, and even such English names as Bennett.
The Balunsat's have married with Americans and Europeans of various descents, and nationalities, so that today, the lineage spans the globe.
However, throughout all these, the rootsstocks remain firm, and quite unswerved with the flood of changes. Traditions remain strong, and will not die inspite of layers of influence, and inundations of cultures and counter-cultures.
This research is for the coming generations. Lest they forget (too soon) their origins.
According to some of the inhabitants of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, the Balunsats did not originally come from there, but migrated there from Aparri (which is the northenmost port of the Philippnes), via the Cagayan Valley, and upward to the Mountain provinces. Does that then negate my claim to the Vizcayenos? No way! Both my father and mother are related to the Gaddangs through the Logans who had about a dozen siblings. My father was descended from Josefa Logan, and my mother from Joaquina Logan, who are sisters. They both represent the matrilineal lineage from both parents. But both paternal lineage, appear to lay claim to a European, and Middle eastern stock. The Padillas, having been known to come from Spain, via the Manila Galleon.
There were also a family of Balansats found by the Catalans in the Island of Ibiza, Spain about the 11th and 12th centuries. We have not yet established any links to this family groups and origins. But description of their physical appearance, suggests an Asiatic, or semitic appearance.
My Uncle Pericles told me that we were of Greek origin, when he was still alive. that it was originally Balunsatis, before it was shortened. My Greek friends in Germany told me that there were Balunsakis families in the Island of Crete.
My research into family surnames starting with Bal (i.e Balthasar) reveals that it came from the word Baal, and that the word Baal is a generic name for the Gods of the early middle eastern Pagans, coined by early Israelites, but actually have different names in different localities.
Discoveries from current research by Tudor Parfitt (University of London) on the "Lost Tribes of Israel" showed that "Ba" is a commonly used first syllable in QabrHud, in the Hadramaut Valley, in present day Yemen, where he proposed that ancient Sena, the place where israelite lost tribes were dispersed. Mssrs. David Goldstein's and Neil Bradman's DNA research on tribes of Levites, substantiates claims of Levite DNA strains as far as Africa. I further propose that from Yemen semites travelled as far as the Philippines and Japan through the straits of Sumatra, long before the western world discovered the sea routes.
Another of my name theory is that it is a derivative of Balanza or Balance from the Italian branches of the family.
Yet another theory is that it may have come from the french Bal, or the Spanish Balse, which means Waltz.
How did the Greeks and Phoenicians come to the Philippines?
Historians say (Columbia Encyclopedia) that the Suez Canal was built around 19th or 20th century before Christ, and fell into disuse around the 8th century. St. Thomas, a disciple of Christ travelled to India in 52 AD, thus founding an Indian branch of Christianity in the lower western coast of India.
I do not doubt the Poenicians and Arabians traded with China via the Ocean routes long before European rise in Civilizion.
The Philippines would have been a good stopping port, on the way up, where the ships can pick up fresh food and supplies, and spices.
It is not known how far the Carthaginian Commerce extended. The Carthaginian God Melkart (local name for Baal) originally came from
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