By Jacqueline Yuan
Macario Pagdanganan Sr passed away on 30 November 2021 at the age of 90. His funeral was held on 8 December 2021.
Born on 10 March 1931 in the province of San Marcos Calumpit Bulacan, Macario was the firstborn of Moises Pagdanganan Sr and Margarita Pagdanganan.
Macario was the eldest of six siblings and the last to join them all in heaven.
Lovingly known as Tatay Mac by the growing Filipino-Melbourne community, Macario studied Marine Engineering in PSAT (Philippine School of Art & Trade) in Manila. He worked on a ship for less than a year before changing his career to become a high school teacher.
A hard-working kuya of the family, Tatay Mac met his wife Marina at Bulacan National Agricultural School, and after a short courting period, they eloped and married in 1956.
A devoted couple, Tatay Mac and Nanay Marina were inseparable. Tatay Mac and Nanay Marina had eight kids, Resy, Marissa, Daisy, Luisa, Pilar, Cursilita, Marie and Joel.
The Philippines’ Minister of Labour recommended Tatay Mac when the Australian Government requested a teacher for Mechanics and Electrical in the late ’60s and early ’70s. However, he did not want to leave his family for just six months. Tatay Mac eventually migrated to Australia in May 1989 when his son-in-law and daughter Marissa sponsored him.
Tatay Mac was a well-loved employee of Toyota, where he had many friends and was also an integral and well-respected member of the Melbourne Filipino community.
A dedicated officer of the Philippine Fiesta of Victoria Inc, Tatay Mac would volunteer to mow the extensive grounds at the Laverton venue in preparation for the annual fiesta. For two days, he would welcome fiesta-goers in the car park.
Tatay Mac was also an Adviser to the Philippine Australian Association of Victoria, the Pampangueño Club of Victoria, and various other organisations such as the Rotary Club.
My granddad, Tatay Mac, was loyal, fun-loving, and always present at community events. He was always on the dance floor dancing to his favourite cha-cha, lambada, and tango songs and supported the numerous dinner dance events along with his family. He was a valuable member of the Filipino community for years throughout the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s.
Tatay Mac’s legacy lives on through his eight children, twenty-three grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Tatay Mac will be dearly missed.
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