pitongcelis

Agapito Celis Ybardolaza (1905-1974) - Band Leader / Educator

Agapito Celis Ybardolaza born in Pakil, Laguna, March 24 1905. Eldest child

and only son of Francisco Ybardolaza and Oliva de Celis. At the young age 0f 14

in 1919 he left Pakil to seek his place in the world. As a musician, he found work

with many bands and orchestras and also found himself working on Passenger

ships crossing the oceans as a musicians and his travels took him around the world

especially to America and Asia.

In the late 1920's he settled in Shanghai and changed his name legally to Agapito Y.

Celis as Ybardolaza was hard to pronounce and spell especially for foreigners.

In Shanghai, he became a well known and established musician and was band leader

of several orchestras and for many years was president of the Filipino Musicians Union.

He also organized the Travellers Orchestra in Shangai composed of musicians from Pakil.

As president, he did not only take care of the Filipino Musicians welfare and jobs, he even

organized sporting events for the Musicians to participate in during weekends. Most

successful was the Filipino Musicians Softball League, where almost all night clubs and

ballrooms participated. The FMU also had an allstar team which participated in the Major

Shanghai Softball League and they were a team to be contended with.

Aside from this, the Filipinos in Shanghai, musician or not, volunteered into the mililtary by

forming the Philippine Battalion, Shanghai Volunteer Corp, attached to the U.S. Marines.

During the Chinese-Japanese war of 1932 and 1937 the Philippine Battalian was ordered to

protect the International Settlement.

During this period, Agapito Y. Celis, earned himself many trophies as a sharpshooter

with pistol, rifle and Lewis sub-machine gun. He also rose to the rank of Captain and commander

of the Philippine Battalian.

When war broke out in the Philippines in 1941-42, Capt. Agapito Y. Celis offered his Battallion

to President Manuel L. Quezon but was ordered to disband and let the members lead a civilian

life with their families.

In 1948 after World War II ended and the Communist began overruning China, Agapito Y. Celis and

family finally returned home to Pakil, after an absence of 30 years.While in Pakil he instructed the

Baybay Academy Band and the Preparatory Military Training (PMT). He also instructed Banda 2

in Pakil and was able to promote the band and its excellence to many towns and provinces.

In the early 1950's, he moved the family to Manila because three of his children were in college,

but because of his age he found it difficult to find work as nightclubs wanted only young musicians

and/or combos. So he enrolled in Abad Santos University to get a degree and to support himself
he instructed the band at the university.

After Graduation, he taught at the Rizal Institute in Canlubang, Laguna and returned to some

activities in Pakil. He was also Barrio Captain of Burgos at one time.

In 1970 he had a heart attack and had to slow down in his activities. He had several more

heart attacks and finally passed away on March 23, 1974, 0ne day before his 70th birthday.