History – Political Science Department

College of Arts & Sciences

Silliman University
General Education 2
Readings in Philippine History

Reporters:
Agravante, Rachel Lynn
Estolloso, Francis Robert
Kimura, Shoko
Pineda, Kazhan

GE2-C
 Background of the Document
The History channel showed a documentary about what was claimed then as pirates of the
Sulu seas from Mindanao, Philippines. The documentary was on how these raiders were actually
plying their trade before and during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. This bit of history
would not have been taught and learned from Philippine history subjects in school.

I. Background of the Authors

The documentary was aired on History Channel, a history-based digital cable and
satellite television network that is owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between the
Hearst Communications and the Disney–ABC Television Group division of the Walt
Disney Company.

Art Historian Icelle Gloria D. Borja together with Dr. Samuel Tan and Margarita
Cojuangco and other International Asian Historians contributed to the success of this film
as they were interviewed. They provided details of the narrative of the documentary.

1. Icelle Gloria D. Borja

 She is the president of the Mindanao Association of Museums; executive council
member of National Commission on for Culture and the Arts(NCCA).
 Besides being a museum and cultural worker,
 Icelle is also a researcher, painter and registered nurse.
2. Dr. Samuel Tan
 Author of the book “a history of the Philippines”
 Historian, national historical institute
3. Dr. Margarita Cojuangco
 Margarita "Tingting" Manzano de los Reyes-Cojuangco is a columnist,
philantropist and socialite. She served as the Governor of Tarlac from 1992 to
1998.
 Author of “Kris of valor”
4. Directed by: Idzwan Othman
 II. Historical Context
1. SOCIAL
 During the 18th century. Social status of the Sulu people were not the same as of today.
They were raiders. In the documentary it delves more on the maritime lives of the
raiders. Three groups of Muslims in the Colonial Sources were identified:
1. Balangingi or Samal
o Occupied the chain islands of Basilan and Sulu
o Seafaring group
2. Illanuns
o They were very important in Philippine Piracy (As described by Dr. Samuel
Tan)
o Used compasses, brass telescopes, and the stars to navigate. They were
knowledgeable of the tempestuous monsoon of the region and used to travel
in the months of August and October (Pirate Season).
3. Taosug
o No maritime experience
o Fierce warriors and widespread political power
o Controlled the Sulu Sultanate of the South with lineage of Tausug and High
Ranking officials (15th century)

 Fort Pilar Attack (December 8, 1720)

The most celebrated attack headed by Rajah Dalasi of Maguindanao together with
the Sulu Sultanate aggressed as Dalasi’s men were relentless and fought with
vengeance having within them the drive to return Zamboanga City. The raiders were
skilled fighters, deadly swordsmen, skilled sailors, and attacked strategically who did
not fear canons and guns of the Spanish Soldiers.
 During the attack of the steamships by the Spaniards has outnumbered the slave raiders
of Bangingi Islands that resorted to killing one another. The men killed the women and
the women killed the children. They would rather kill themselves than be taken captive
of the Spaniards.
 The sense of hopelessness began to enter into the Muslim’s consciousness wherein they
had to decide whether they follow the rest of the country and become a subjugated
people or they can continue to resist.

2. RELIGIOUS
 Islam reached in the shores of the Southern Philippines in 1380 and began to spread in the
North.
  In line with dominating the trade of India and China, their agenda was to Christianity
conversion and Colonization of the Islands.
 The presence of Spaniards in Visayas and Luzon prevented the spread of Islam from the
southern region
 Christianity displaced Islam and indigenous beliefs in Luzon and Visayas
According to Dr. Julius Bautista (Historian, Asia Research Institute, National University
Singapore),
 There was a great pressure to prevent Islam in Minadanao. The presence of the Spanish in
the Visayas and southern Luzon disrupted the spread of Islam.
 The Spanish colonial Administrators assumed the responsibility to prevent the spread of
Islam in the South of the Philippines to the Christianized population of the North.
 The Spaniards undermine their commercial interest in the South. The Spanish took over
the power of the Sultanates that they wanted to maintain. Both used their religion to further
their influence.

3. ECONOMIC
 The Tausug economy, which really depended heavily and gained a great deal of
income from buying and selling slaves in their own economy for revenue. When
the market for slaves dried up in 1870s, their economy was marked in decline.
 Small raids within the archipelago reached the straits of Malacca. Which resulted in
the increase of slaves and the demand for them by the mid 18TH century when
something unprecedented happened in the Malacca straits region and this was the
arrival of a very large number of raiders from the south.
 Filipino sea voyagers were not limited in the Sulu Sea. In the 1977 archeological
excavation in Butuan, they found artifacts from China that were evidence that
families of the Sulu sultanates had themselves visited resource rich regions in china
for commerce. They indulged in trading activities. Some visited China for
commerce.
 Trade was already flourishing before Europeans came.
 When the Moros were defeated in the raiding of bases in Balangingi island. Taosug
economy declined. Their economy was dependent on the buying and selling of
slaves.
 India and China established trade patterns that the Spanish wanted to take full
control.
 The sultanates lost their economic hold in Sulu.

4. POLITICAL
  Muslim groups in the south established a political form of government wherein
power is given to the Rajah.
 The sultanates lost their economic and political hold in Sulu and was gradually
assimilated in the jurisdiction of the Philippine Government but retained its
Autonomy.

Analysis On The Important Information Found In The Document

The film depicted the history of the Southern region of the Philippines that we do not know
about. Raiders of the Sulu Sea were not only foreigners, but also our fellow Filipinos. The film
first introduced us to Rajah Dalasi, the king of Maguindanao and the Sulu Sultanate (nameless).
Sulu and Maguindanao were the 2 main kingdoms that controlled the Muslim colonies.
On December 8, 1720, the battle in Fort Pilar happened. Rajah Dalasi attacked Zamboanga
and began war against the Spaniards in the fort. The Spaniards were outnumbered, their last option
to fighting the raiders were throwing rocks and boiling water. Due to the colonization of the
Spaniards, the raiders fought for the freedom of not losing their own identity. During these times,
slave raiding was legal. The slaves that were caught served as rowers of the oars in the huge boats
of the Raiders. The Raiders were later then called Moros by the Spanish, 75 years later. For every
raid, there were 3 tribes involved, namely: Balangingi Tribe/Samal, Illanuns (the raiding tribe) and
the Tausogs. The Raiders were questioned for being called pirates, because Historians were not
sure if the raids were for personal gain or serving the masters. They would do an act of retaliation
against foreign oppressors as sanctioned by the sultanate.
The main purpose of the slave raiding by the Illanuns was to preserve the Islam colony.
However, the Spaniards also had the same mindset: prevent the spread of Islamization and
propagate Christianity. The Illanuns or raiders used huge boats that had 34 oars on each side and
could carry 100-150 men. The small raids within the Philippines eventually spread to the Straits
of Malacca. This was a seasonal raid every August and October.
In 1830, the raiders developed a smaller and faster maneuvering boat. These were the fast
attack boats. The Spaniards could not keep up with the raiders because their Galleons were too
slow. It was then later discovered that before the Europeans colonized the Philippines, there were
already trading relationships between China and India. Europe forced itself to be part of this
partnership because they wanted to control it. Jolo was the seat of power of the Sulu sultanate.
Spain wanted to Christianize Jolo, however, the people felt like they were oppressed, so they
brought war. They fought for freedom of not losing their true identity.
The film introduced a few weapons such as the Barong (a deadly weapon used to cut
firearms), Kalis or Kris (a weapon for war or ceremony), and Kampilan (a heavy single edged
sword). The raiders wore armors that were made from carabao horns and steel plate. The Spaniards
had the musket, which contributed to their numerous failures of colonizing Mindanao. The Musket
was 90 meters long but it was inaccurate and took several steps to reload. Even the best musketeers
could only manage 3 shots per minute.
 Due to the desperation of the Spaniards, they ordered steamships from England namely
Magallanes, El cano and Reyna Castilla. With these steamships they were finally able to catch and
hold captive the raiders. However, the raiders would rather choose to kill themselves rather than
surrendering to the Spaniards. Panglimang Tuan, the leader of Samal, surrendered in 1858 after
his pregnant wife and family were captured; along with the 350 Samal men and women.
After the Spanish-American war in the 19th century, the Philippines shifted from one
colonial power to another. However, the Americans still faced the same problems with the
Spaniards-- the raiders. The thorn on the American side was a Tausog raider called Jikiri. He and
his men killed Americans but unfortunately, they were ruthlessly hunted and killed. Jikiri then had
the same fate with his ancestors, Rajah Dalasi and Panglimang Tuan.After Jikiri's death, the days
of raiding the Philippines were over.

The Main Points are:

• We were raided by our fellow Filipinos.
• These raiders only brought war to fight for their freedom and to preserve the Islam colony.
• No matter who would try to colonize them, they would still try to fight back,.
• History only showed that foreign colonizers were the raiders of the sulu sea, however,
what we do not know was, they were the real raiders of the sulu sea
• they were not recognized as much as other foreign raiders

Contribution of the document in understanding the grand narrative in Philippine History

1. Resolved the Terminology Barrier Between Historians
 The film was able to explain the appropriate terminology of using the word
“raiders” rather than “pirates” which is a common misconceptualization
 According to Barbara Watson Andaya (Historian of the National University of
Singapore)
o There is a problem in the usage of “piracy” among history books because
in some respects piracy does not cover raiders and people who act on
behalf on the state.
o Filipino Moros raided and was considered an act of retaliation against the
Spaniards who were foreign occupiers.
o Most of the raids were sanctioned by Sultanates in the name of even
higher course – Islam.
2. Traced the narrative of western colonization in the southern region and its effect to
the totality of the Philippines and present situation of the Tausugs.
 A. Provided a clear narrative of December 8, 1720 most celebrated attack of King
Dalasi of Maguindanao

B. Explained the disruption of Islamization in the Philippines and the conversion of

Christianity in the southern Region
3. Traced where the sense of hopelessness began to enter into the Muslim’s
consciousness
 After the bombing of the Balingingi, slave raiders had to decide whether they
should follow the rest of the country and become a subjugated people or they can
continue to resist depriving them to claim and live their own identity.

4. Presented archeological evidences that explain the life of the Slave raiders.
 1977, an archaeological dig discovered an ancient maritime civilization was found
in Butuan. Carbon dating of artifacts found that it existed in the 4th century. Asian
Marinist traversed in the Philippines ling before the arrival of Western Colonist.
The people who built the ships were depth sailors with an intimate knowledge of
the sea and knew how to navigate them.
 Preserved swords like Halman Abubakar, a Tausug descendant, such as the
following:
o Barong – leaf-shaped blade, 1 m, used in hand-to-hand battle
o Kris or Kalis- 1.2 m, carried by slave raiders and high ranking sultantes,
smooth or wavy (curves are for easy slashing and can pull the sword faster)
o Kampina – with hair for intimidation, Longest swords (used by Illanuns),
have two horns at the end of the blade
o Armors-used by wealth raiders, made from carabao horn

Relevance Of The Document In Contemporary Time

 The film raiders of the Sulu Sea showcased the rich cultural heritage we have as Filipinos
even before western colonization
 Discrimination among indigenous tribes such as the Taosugs are prevalent in society.
Through educating and showcasing the benevolent stories of their forefathers recalibrates
the common perception of viewing them as less in our society.
 Ends the stereotype perception of Moros as pirates, bandits, and freedom warriors--- rather,
raiders.
 Alleviates the mentality among indigenous tribes from the southern part of the Philippines.
 Exhibits and inspires the heroic values such as dignity, bravery, patriotism, & diligence
 Breed citizens that promote the preservation of cultural heritage.
 It rekindles the identity of Filipinos through depicting the sacrifices of their forefathers.
 Celebrates unity in diversity wherein the film enables us to enhance our understanding to
their cultural heritage.