Philippine Genealogy Research
“We help Filipino families trace their roots across the Philippines and connect with relatives in America.”
Philippine ancestry is often called the hardest genealogy in the world—war, colonial transitions, and natural disasters have scattered and destroyed records across more than a century. Many families are told their history is simply untraceable.
It rarely is. With the right combination of archival knowledge, an understanding of Spanish and American colonial record systems, and new search technology, records once thought lost can be recovered—and a family's story rebuilt from the documents that survive.
Areas of Specialization
Grounded in active research across the Western Visayas and beyond.
Aklan & the Western Visayas
Deep familiarity with Numancia, Kalibo, and the surrounding towns of Aklan (formerly part of Capiz), including the provincial boundary changes that trip up many researchers.
Spanish & American Colonial Records
Spanish-era parish registers of baptism, marriage, and burial; American-period civil registration, residence certificates (cédulas), and notarial deeds—read in their original legal language.
FamilySearch Full Text Search
Using new full-text technology to surface records that name-based indexes miss entirely—names buried inside property descriptions, witness lists, and legal documents.
The Immigration Bridge
For families with relatives in America, U.S. immigration, Social Security, and public records often provide the documented bridge back to Philippine origins—a proven starting point when local records have gone cold.
How the Research Works
Inquiry & Assessment
You share what you know through a short written intake. Within five business days, you receive a written preliminary assessment of what may be possible.
A Clear Proposal
Before any work begins, you receive a formal proposal—scope, approach, and expectations—so you know exactly what the research will involve.
Research to Story
Findings are traced to primary sources and assembled into a documented narrative—not just names and dates, but the family story behind them.
Featured Philippine Work
A sample of recent research from the Storyline Genealogy archive.
The Tamayo Family
A classic Philippine brick wall, broken open: six primary documents spanning 1936–1962, recovered from rural Aklan once Full Text Search could read the words inside them—with full evidence analysis.
View the Case Study →Mamerto Morales & Agtawagon Hill
How one family's wartime tragedy connects to the sweeping currents of Philippine history—a notary public who died in 1942, his story preserved by his sons for over seventy years.
Read the Story →From Aklan to America
A multi-generational documentary biography following the Morales and Tamayo families from Spanish colonial Aklan to the United States—episodes, companion pieces, and case studies in one place.
Explore the Series →Explore More
Start Your Family Story
If you have been told your Filipino heritage is too difficult to trace, it may be worth a second look. The work begins with a simple written inquiry—no obligation, just an honest assessment of what might be possible.
Share what you know through the intake questionnaire.
Receive a written assessment within five business days.
A formal proposal before any work begins.