# My Genealogy Projects and Ancestry I started searching for my ancestors in 1999, when I was still in grade school, but I didn't take this hobby seriously until 2004, when I asked for a scanned obituary of my great-grandparents (my maternal grandmother's parents), who died in California. I did not commit to genealogy seriously until 2009, though. I wonder why most Filipinos are reluctant to post their family history online, unlike people with European ancestry, in which they take pride in their roots in their respective countries, be it the U.K. or Ireland, Germany or Italy. Content and data related to family history in the Philippines is not that comprehensive, still sparse and far between. ## My Current Surnames I Research As with all genealogy databases, these are works in progress, and some information is based on oral records, so these may be inaccurate. [Here is my ancestral story](../ancestry). ### Paternal Surnames * [Villarta (originally of Victoria, Tarlac and later of Piat, Cagayan and San Mateo, Isabela)](../villarta/index.htm) * [Oñate (of Piat, Cagayan)](../onate/index.htm) * [Lacsamana (of Sexmoan/Sasmuan, San Simon and Mexico, Pampanga)](../lacsamana/index.htm) * [Valdez (of Victoria, Tarlac)](../valdez/index.htm) * [Buncag (of Piat, Cagayan)](../buncag/index.htm) ### Maternal Surnames * [Paraso (of Gerona, Tarlac)](../paraso/index.htm) * [Ortiz (of Gerona, Tarlac and Guimba, Nueva Ecija)](../ortiz/index.htm) * [Simeon (of Gerona, Tarlac)](../simeon/index.htm) * [Acob (of Bacarra, Ilocos Norte and Gerona, Tarlac)](../acob/index.htm) [Download my database without dates of living individuals](../villarta.ged) [View my genealogy database](/genealogy/genealogy-database) ## Find A Grave I have been an active member of Find A Grave since 2001, and I maintain virtually all records of my family members whose burial information I know of. [My virtual cemetery of family members on Find A Grave](https://www.findagrave.com/virtual-cemetery/2436) [My contributor page on Find A Grave](https://www.findagrave.com/user/profile/46508670)