MANILA, Philippines - For nearly five decades, Mary Ann Hernandez Mullen believed that she was the natural child of her Canadian parents. But recently, she found documents that led her to the truth: she was adopted and her real mother is a Filipina.
Mullen, who was born in the Philippines in the late 1950s, was already 49 years old when she discovered that she was an adoptee. She obtained her original birth certificate, adoption papers, and various documents from both the Philippine and Canadian governments.
"Everyone in my adoptive family knew, but I was the last to find out," Mullen said in a website (constanciatibayonhernandez.com) she created for her search for her biological mother, Constancia Tibayon Hernandez, who still lives in the Philippines as the Fil-Canadian believes.
Mullen also learned that she has an older brother and sister named Jose and Normina Hernandez, who was born in 1939.
"I would dearly love to find them and meet them," she said.
Born in Pasay, raised by Canadians
Mullen was born at the De Ocampo Memorial Medical Center in Pasay City in January 1959.
Her father, Frank Mullen, worked for Mobil Oil and was a supervisor of the company's Pandacan Terminal while her adoptive mother, Lydia Mullen, was a Russian émigré and a housewife, "who played mahjong with the other ladies in her neighbourhood."
Mullen said they lived first in Pasay City and then moved later to Forbes Park and Belair.
Constancia lived with the two Canadians at 245 Loring Street in Pasay City, according to Mullen.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, Mullen also attended the International School (American School) in Manila. During those years, several people would repeatedly ask her if she had an identical "sister," which she would "vehemently" deny.
"I was brought up as an only child and believed that I did not have any siblings. I had asked my adoptive mother several times if I was adopted, but was always told that I wasn't," Mullen said.
Allice also has a godmother, Allice T. Warren, who is a friend of her adopted mother Lydia.
"Allice also knew my natural mother quite well. I have heard that she kept in touch with Constancia long after my family left Manila," Mullen said of Warren, who moved to Hong Kong in the 1970s.
No hatred towards Constancia
Mullen said she wants to find out what happened to her mother and siblings even if they don't wish to meet her.
"She doesn’t know I am looking for her, and her other family members may not even know I exist," Mullen admitted.
"I understand they may have emigrated to the United States or another country. Or they may have remained in the Philippines," she added.
But as she searches for Constancia, Mullen confessed that she holds no hatred towards her biological mother.
"Rest assured, I have no hard feelings towards Constancia. I only want to know the woman who brought me into this world," Mullen said.
Search for Constancia: Woman, 54, wants to see Filipina mom
Mary Ann Hernandez Mullen, possibly a week after her birth in this photo, lived almost 50 years believing that her real parents are Frank and Lydia Mullen. She is now searching for real mother, Constancia Tibayon Hernandez.