Daet, Camarines Norte, Philippines

Overview

Daet is the capital of Camarines Norte province in the Bicol region of the Philippines, where Betty Chan (Jovita Lo Kuchiam) was born on September 13, 1935 and spent her early childhood. The city was home to her father’s successful copra export business and the site of a dramatic wartime escape when the family fled Japanese invasion in 1940.

Geographic Context

Location

Capital of Camarines Norte province
Bicol Region (southeastern Luzon)
Coastal area on Pacific side of Luzon
Strategic location for copra export (coconut industry)

Regional Characteristics

Bicol region known for:
- Coconut production (copra)
- Agriculture
- Fishing industry
- Distinct language (Bicolano)
- Catholic heritage
- Volcanic landscape (Mayon volcano nearby)

Chinese Community

Established Chinese business community in Daet
Benito Lo Kuchiam was President of Chinese Chamber of Commerce
Chinese families in import/export, retail, agriculture
Integration with Filipino community
Chinese-Filipino intermarriage (Benito married Ines)

The Lo Kuchiam Family Home (1935-1940)

Two-Story House

Structure:

Living quarters on second floor with large open sala (living room)
Father’s office on ground floor
Huge warehouse behind office for copra storage
Chinese cook who prepared meals for family and employees

Community:

Family lived above the business
Employees and family integrated
Chinese cook served both family and workers
Traditional Chinese-Filipino business household

Betty’s Childhood Home

From Betty’s account:

Born September 13, 1935 in this house
Lived there ages 0-5 (approximately 1935-1940)
Toys filled a whole bookcase (Betty specifically remembers)
Large enough for extended family, employees
Center of copra business operations

Loss of Home

When family fled Japanese (1940):

“One thing I remember from during this time, is that I was very unhappy that I had to leave all my toys, which filled a whole bookcase. My toys. I loved my toys, but I was not allowed to take them. I remember this clearly.”

Aftermath:

Japanese took over the house
Warehouse used to house Japanese soldiers
Family never returned to live there
Property lost to occupation

Benito Lo Kuchiam’s Business

Copra Export Business

Operations:

Copra (dried coconut meat) exported to United States
Major agricultural product of region
Labor-intensive processing
International trade connections
Warehouse storage crucial

Scale:

“Huge warehouse” for copra storage
Chinese cook for family and employees (suggests staff)
Office on ground floor (professional operation)
Export to United States (international business)

Success:

Benito was President of Chinese Chamber of Commerce
Leadership position in business community
Two-story house indicates prosperity
Able to support family and employees

Chinese Chamber of Commerce

Benito’s Leadership:

President of Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Daet
Prominent business leader
Represented Chinese business community
Made him target when Japanese invaded

Why Targeted:

Japanese-Chinese animosity (Japan invaded China 1937)
Chinese business leaders seen as resistance potential
Wealth made attractive target
Community leadership role meant influence

Japanese Invasion (1940)

The Night of Refusal

Japanese Commander’s Request: When Japanese soldiers invaded Daet:

No resistance from local government (Daet fell quickly)
Japanese Commander asked Benito to collaborate
Benito’s Chamber of Commerce position made him valuable
Would have been easier/safer to agree

Benito’s Refusal:

Refused to collaborate
Secretly fled that same evening with family
No time to pack properly (toys left behind)
Desperate nighttime escape
Extraordinary courage and principle

Occupation of Property

After family fled:

Japanese took over the house and warehouse
Japanese soldiers housed in the copra warehouse
Entire operation occupied by enemy forces
Business destroyed
Family lost everything material

Never Returned

After fleeing Daet:

Family went to island refuge → mother’s village → Manila
Never lived in Daet again as family unit
Property presumably lost or sold
Childhood home gone forever

Betty’s Memories of Daet

Positive Memories (Before War)

Birth and first 5 years
Large family home
Toys filling bookcase (happy childhood)
Father’s successful business
Chinese cook’s meals
Extended family and employees around

Traumatic Memory

Having to leave toys behind (most vivid memory)
Nighttime escape (terror)
Never seeing home again
Father’s business destroyed
Childhood ended abruptly

Later Connection

After war, Betty attended:

Chinese school in Daet (1st-6th grade, returned after war)
Learned Chinese in morning, English in afternoon
Girl Scout activities
Dance programs (including embarrassing Moro dance with shoes)
Childhood friend Frances Hsu (reconnected in Los Angeles decades later)

Timeline suggests:

Fled Daet 1940 (age 5)
Returned after liberation 1945 (age 10)
Attended Chinese school ages 10-16
Then to St. Scholastica’s in Manila for high school

Cultural Context

Chinese-Filipino Community in Daet

Integration:

Benito: Chinese (from Lo Choo village, Fujian province)
Ines: Chinese-Filipino (father Chinese, mother Filipino)
Betty: Bicultural identity (Chinese-Filipino)
Business ties to both communities
Chamber of Commerce bridged cultures

Copra Trade:

Chinese often controlled export businesses
Connection to international trade (United States)
Wealth generated by agricultural exports
Chinese business networks crucial

Bicol Region Identity

Mother’s Side:

Ines from Tuliw, Malinao, Albay province (also Bicol)
Betty has Bicol regional roots
Devout Catholic (Bicol Catholic heritage)
Filipino side of identity

Cultural Mix:

Chinese father (Lo Kuchiam)
Filipino mother (Chavez)
Bicol regional identity
Catholic faith
Business family
Multiple languages (Chinese, Bicolano, Tagalog)

Post-War Daet

Betty’s Return (1945-1951)

After liberation, Betty returned for education:

Chinese school (grades 1-6, ages 10-16)
Bilingual education (Chinese morning, English afternoon)
Girl Scout activities
Dance performances
Childhood friend Frances Hsu

But family didn’t live there:

Father died 1956 (after Betty’s college graduation)
Mother lived elsewhere (Manila?)
Betty attended St. Scholastica’s boarding school in Manila for high school
Family had moved on from Daet

What Happened to Property?

Unknown:

Was house/warehouse returned after war?
Was property sold or abandoned?
Could Benito have restarted business?
Or was everything lost permanently?

Connection to Family History

Birthplace Significance

Betty Chan (Lola) born here:

September 13, 1935
Later married Jesse Chan
Mother of Rose Chan Loui, Meg Chan Feitelberg, John Louis Chan, Michelle Chan Ng
Grandmother of Nicholas Loui, Ryan Loui, Samantha Loui and 5 other grandchildren

Origin point for branch of family tree.

WWII Displacement

Daet represents:

Childhood before war (Betty ages 0-5)
Loss and displacement (fleeing Japanese)
Trauma (toys left behind, never home again)
Father’s sacrifice (refused collaboration)
Resilience (family rebuilt elsewhere)

Father’s Legacy

Benito’s refusal to collaborate:

Principle over safety
Lost everything material
Saved family’s honor
Example of courage
Shaped Betty’s values (faith, courage, principle)

Present Day (2024)

Current Status

Daet remains capital of Camarines Norte
Population approximately 100,000+
Still agricultural region (coconut, rice)
Tourism developing
Modern small city

Family Connections

No immediate family currently living there (to be confirmed)
Historical birthplace for Betty
Part of family heritage
Bicol regional identity
Chinese-Filipino community continues

Research Questions

Daet, Camarines Norte represents Betty Chan’s birthplace and the site of her family’s dramatic wartime escape, where her father chose principle over safety and the family lost their home but preserved their honor. This small Bicol city is the origin point of the Chan maternal line in the Loui family tree.

Loui Family

Explorer