 He is regarded as a major icon of Philippine golden age of church music for his extensive contribution to religious music in the Philippines throughout his career.Adonay is the eldest of the 11 children born to farmers Mariano Adonay and Prudencia Quiteria in the town of Pakil, Laguna in the Philippines, then under the colonial rule of the Spanish Empire.The exact date of his birth is unknown but official documents indicated his baptismal date to be on February 6, 1848, and has been recognized as his "de facto" birth date.