A civilization can
be prosperous with the growth of the population of its inhabitants, by birth or
migration, and by the idealism of its people. Biological life from the ocean
started to evolve in what Darwin
described as a “pond of life”-- a complex interplay of ocean water, sea, bay,
cove, big river, lagoon, luscious
forest, stream, spring, beaches, islands, caves, mountain hills, plateau – all are found in the homeland of the Polynesians called in its ancient name as Lawan. Today,
Lawan is estimated to be in the area of Laoang – Catubig – Palapag of Samar,
island towns in the Philippines in the Pacific. The natives described the place
as “kabubuhian san ilo” (translation:
even orphans can survive here). The area is marked today by an old lighthouse
guiding big ships from the Pacific entering the Philippine archipelago to
Manila. With the diggings of early human and ancient treasures surrounding Lawan in the Pacific coast of the
Philippine archipelago like the 65,000
year old Callao man, the ancient shipyard in Palapag, the treasures
in Surigao, the balangays in Butuan and the ancient plates, martabana
(burial jar) and jewelries in Sawang (part of modern Lawan now called Laoang), and
with siday and kandu (local historical epic), legends (sigbin, Araw City) , ancient relics, the fortified main settlement,
the Catubig being the old capital of Samar, and historical accounts of the Spaniards --
some historians conclude that Lawan is indeed an ancient civilization in the
pacific ocean.
The natives of Lawan,
even today, are adventurous people found in different parts of the world but
wherever they are, they are always dreaming of their homeland that they even celebrate
their fiesta in Manila, in the US and in different parts of the world. The
cohesiveness, culture, familial bonds, legends, folklore, the homey feeling,
oral kandu, and the siday (epic) of
its people are like the centrifugal force that evolve into a civilization and
attracts the adventurers and migrants all over the world.
Otley Beyer Theory of Philippine Migration Supports the
Existence of the Lakanate of Lawan
The most widely known version of the peopling of the Philippines during the prehistoric times is the theory of Prof. H. Otley Beyer. The theories of Prof. Beyer about Philippine prehistory on the waves of migration are now under attack by the new breeds of historians and anthropologists. Indeed the migration of ancient Filipinos cannot now be held tenable due to many questions about the manner in which this theory was postulated, and the be archaeological evidence which challenge many of Dr. Beyer’s hypotheses . Beyer basically postulated 4 levels of migration, namely, the dawn man (250,000 years ago), Negritoes from Borneo (25,000 – 30,000 years ago), Indonesian (5,000 - 6,000 years ago), and Malaysians (2, 500 years ago) (Zaide). Artifacts from the French Museum of Natural History on May 2, 2018 shows an archaeologist at work at the site of an archaeological dig in the Philippines. Were early humans living in East Asia more than half-a-million years ago clever enough to build sea-faring watercraft and curious enough to cross a vast expanse of open sea? This and other questions arise from a treasure trove of tools and a nearly intact skeleton from a butchered rhinoceros, found on the Philippine island that pushes back the emergence of the first homo species on the country ten-fold to 700,000 years ago (way earlier than the dawn man of Beyer), according to a study published on May 2, 2018. The study also shows that these ancient people developed a semblance of organized settlement like an ancient government somewhere in the Pacific side of the Philippines that make them develop a carefree and adventurous “Viking – like” (waray waray in their native terms) character that send people to different islands in the Pacific like in Indonesia and in the other islands within the Philippines (Thomas Ingicco. MNHN. AFP)
One of the defects
of Beyer’s theory is it did not elaborate the dawn man or even the possibility
of an indigenous man resulting from natural evolution of life coming from the
pacific ocean to a fertile topography of say, Lawan, an island in Samar facing the Pacipic. As it turned out, callao
man found in the cave near the pacific ocean coast estimated to be 65,000 years
old, which is describe as probable home grown since it has still the seemingly
characteristics of “lesser than man”, is probable one of some other evidences
that life started from the pacific ocean and evolved from lower form of animals
into human, right here in the Pacific coast of the Philippine archipelago. The
dawn man that Beyer was mentioning could be the ancestors of the callao man
that had evolved from the life form of the pacific ocean maybe 500,000 years ago (Beyer estimated it
250,000 years ago). This will conflict with the “out of Africa” theory – that
human being all came from Africa. Is it possible that human being evolved
simultaneously from different oceans to a fertile luscious topography then
found each other in some part of early beginning and their intermarriages
resulted into the human form of today? This could be a possible theory much
logical than “one source went into different directions” theory through
connected land mass that later on disconnected. The out of Africa theory seem
to imply that other oceans and other vegetation’s in any part of the earth are
not capable of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Did Africa bought the franchise? Why
only Africa when in fact, Pacific Ocean and the luscious and fertile vegetation
of Lawan for instance, can sustain a life form better than Africa. Migration
patterns of any civilization should start with the plausible explanation on the
evolution of biological life in the area. Scientists like Darwin believes that
life evolve from the ocean and into the shores, river and inlands. Then the
human being evolved and populated a settlement after another. The human
population grow and a system of protecting itself from nature and fellow men
emerged through time and eventually flourished into some kind government
,culture, economics and civilization (https://www.popsci.com).
So human life in the
Pacific Ocean side of the Philippines could be way earlier than those who
migrated into the Philippines, even the dawn man of Otley Beyer. In fact, mass the
migration of different sets of people to the direction of Lawan is an evidence
of an existence of a civilization from where the migrants want to be part of
and enjoy their prosperity. The natives of Lawan has this adage: diri makanhi kun diri nahibarui, (migrants
will not go here if they have not heard about us.) The Negritoes and the ten
datus from Borneo must have heard of a prosperous civilization somewhere in the
Pacific so they sailed into that direction, unfortunately, they only reached
Panay Islands and not the Lawan of the Pacific. Same thing with the Indonesian
and the Malaysians – they seem to have missed the dreamy Lawan civilization
with all its tale of prosperity, grandeur and beautiful women. Even up to this
day, the native of Samar and Leyte still talks of an imaginary hidden
civilization of Araw City somewhere near the shoreline of the Pacific with
prosperous, kind, good looking and enchanted people. It is in this kind of
imagery confounded by exaggerated tales of seafaring Polynesians, traders and
pirates based in the Pacific Oceans that have feed the imaginations of the
adventurous migrants into the direction of Lawan and ended up somewhere else.
Even the Hindus attempted to get in touch with the Lawan civilization in the
Pacific but they only ended up in Butuan. The western start to look for that
much - talked – about- civilization in the Pacific with full of spices, gold,
beautiful women, kind people, and luscious vegetation as described in the Bible
as Ophir but Magellan was killed by Lapu Lapu on his process of searching. Some
European and maybe Asian expeditions may have managed to find Lawan, but may
have avoided confrontation with the seat of the ancient civilization. One of
such instance is the following: historian William Henry Scott wrote that a Samar
datu by the name of Iberein was rowed out to a Spanish vessel anchored in his
harbor in 1543 by oarsmen collared in gold; while wearing on his own person
earrings and chains. History would tell that the Spaniards avoided Samar as a
result of that incident. The Philippines hosts a bounty of natural resources,
such as minerals, metals and gold. It just so happens that gold used to be so
prevalent in the Philippines. Metals and other minerals were used for ornaments
such as earring and necklaces, while other uses included bladed weaponry like
the famous Kampilan and Kris. In
addition to iron extracted from ores in our land, Chinese cauldrons were also
converted to raw iron and shaped into new tools or implements. A lot of
peaceful adventurers settled in Lawan, mostly Asians, Hebrews and Polynesian
people, either as stop over for another destination or to raise a family. Even
Batang Dula, the eldest son and heir apparent of Lakan Bunao Dula, King of the
Lakanate of Tondo, entrusted his eldest son and heir apparent David Dula y
Goiti to the protection of the Lakanate of Lawan. But the bad guys like pirates,
and invaders prefer to avoid confrontations with the seat of Lawan. Another
proof that powers tried to avoid confrontation with Lawan civilization is the
“Epic of Bingi” where a ruler from Albay brought 100 ships to attack Lawan and
marry Bingi but ended up going home peacefully without Bingi. In Lawan (it’s
called Laoang now), one can still see what the Spaniards call as the Almuraya
Fortress ruins, a cobblestone wall and a watchtower that served as a defense of
the town against the moro pirates. Historians dates it as during Spanish era
but the arrangement seem to have been existed during the time of pre-Hispanic Hadi (the native term for chief) of the
Lawan civilization, occupied by the Spaniard during their 300 years of
occupation in the country and slowly erased the traces of the ancient
civilization.
The Lawan
Civilization Recorded in Siday (native
epic)
“Bingi of Lawan”
There lived in this
place a chief called Karagrag, who was its lord and ruler. He was married to a
lady of his rank called Bingi, a name which had been bestowed on her because of
her chastity, as we shall see. (I was not able to find out if she came from the
same town; most probably she was from upstream on the Catubig River, where she
was the daughter of the chief there.) This lady, according to what they
recount, was endowed with many fine virtues and gready celebrated for her
beauty among these natives, so much so that, moved by the fame of her beauty,
the Datu, or ruler, of Albay got ready a hundred ships. This chief was called
Dumaraug, which means the victor, and with all those ships he weighed anchor in
his land, and within a short time came in view of the [Lawan Island] town of
Makarato.
His unexpected
arrival excited the town, but since itwas well-fortified by its natural
location and it was the season of the Vendavales (the best time for going there
from Albay) when the force of the sea and its waves were strong and turbulent,
he did not venture to go straight in but took shelter instead near the beac h
which Rawis Point makes with very fine sand and free of shoals, where, became
of an islet across the entrance from the sea, the surf is less obstructive and
the sea milder and calm. From there he sent a small boat with a sign of peace
to announce the purpose of his coming, which was simply to carry Bingi away as
his wife, the fame of whose beauty alone had left him lovestruck and with only
this would he then return to his land without making any attack and always
afterward remain their friend and protector, since being more powerful than
they, he could do it to their advantage. Karagrag, rather than making reply,
showed them how well prepared he was by entertaining them, and when his wife
was informed of Dumaraug’s intentions, she responded at once that she was
greatly surprised that for something of such little worth he: had made such a
demonstration and launched so many ships, that she was content with the husband
she had and did not care to exchange him for any other, even one much more
powerful, and that so long as he was alive, she could not think of leaving him;
and if it should be her unlucky fate to fall into his hands captive, he should
understand that though he might carry her off and command her as his slave,
that to make her his wife, she would never consent and was ready to give her
life first. Encouraged by so bold a response, her husband Karagrag simply added
that he was there waiting with his men deployed, and that although they were
not many, they were very good men, and that the place where they were was very
secure, and if he came to try his arms in battle, they would do their duty; and
if he should defeat them, he would be lord of his wife and property, but if
not, he would return to his land empty-handed, if indeed he escaped from there
with his life.
With this reply, and
in view of the strength and impregnability of the place for them, with no more
arms than spears and shields or at most some arrows, the chief reconsidered and
hesitated a bit but not for long, and without attempting anything more and
risking his men, he returned home just as he had come, leaving both the chief
and his wife Bingi happy.
This happened a few
years before the Spaniards came, and is still fresh in the memory of the
natives of the Lawan town, who today are their descendants. Not many years ago,
I buried a chief of the said island, who was more than seventy years old, whose
parent had been alive when this raid took place; and a son of his who had heard
it many times, related it to me with all the aforesaid details (Alcina 1668a,
4:20-23).
A bingi or bingil
was a virgin or a woman who had been faithful to one man all her life. It must
therefore have been bestowed on the heroine of this romance sometime after the
Albay raid, the first step in an historic events becoming a legend. The
quotation of her and her husband’s noble words indicates that the poetic
process had already had its effect by the time Father Alcina heard the story.
Perhaps with retelling over the centuries and the accumulation of apocryphal
embellishments, the tale might have grown into a full-fledged kandu. Indeed,
had ancient Visayan culture not succumbed to colonial acculturation, some Waray
bard might now be singing the Epic of Bingi (William Henry Scott).
“Laoang Twilight: The Lost Garden of Glory”
The cradles of the Filipino civilization.
The place of light, charm, beauty and harmony with its proud, insightful people
stemming from enlightened culture originated before the chronicles of the Garden
of Eden.
I have looked back on my life and recorded
everything about my place, hence, I would like to share the wonder, glory and
majesty of my beloved town—Laoang. Just imagine what it looks like before our
time. The glorious name Laoang, the nature, lands, brackish and sea waters,
legends, mythology's, epic of heroism and the first people in their quest
through the epochs of time. This is my personal journey through my candid
readings and research. I will not twist its history but I will carve up an
expedition to its grandeur.
We must leave two things to our descendants
when we die. One is tradition and culture and, the other is our golden history.
A person without tradition and culture will fail—it is a soul that guides us to
wonder in this world, our survival and the practices of our civilization.
Through our history, people acquire knowledge and wisdom for living. To open up
new future, we need, on the other hand, to pass on to our descendants the
tradition, culture and history that has been handed down to us over thousands
of years. Colorful as it is, we must continue to educate our successors
especially the love for their native land, heroism, harmony and Glory.
Before our time, our ancestors worked for
peace, harmony and love of our native land. People these days are raised by the
picture of a hopeless society that they could not stop and suspend the perils
of the forthcoming "human calamity". The present practices of
"denial" to our good ancient culture, and tradition of love and
harmony would lead us to our destruction, thus, developing sensitivities for
our past communities and 'silvery-water history' can truly revive the resonance
of a true character and proud Nortehanon-Laoanganon--the tribe of
pintados-Lawagnon. Our ancestors, shed their blood and tears to make us free
and happy, they didn't even fight each other rather shared their everything for
'common good', for their families, neighbors, and love of their native land.
In my expedition, in prehispanic centuries,
my town was garlanded with so many names; 'Garden of Eden', 'Dawn of the
Traders', 'Haven of Sailors', 'Land of Princess and Harmony', 'Gems of the
East', 'Shining Islet of the Pacific', 'Port of Gold', 'Twilight of the
Fishermen', 'City of Angels' and 'Land of Mystics and Miracles'. Spending time
to recall its beauty will gives me pleasure and a smile. Ah, the splendor of my
hometown! At bedtime, I would close my eyes, saying… I wish I have been there
to see and observe the real story far from the current books of history where
interest’s people were eluded inclined to their respected dimensions but not
its true accounts. I could not sleep with the sounds of leaves rustling in the
wind, the sound of the blowing wind through the reeds that keeps my imagination
alive.
I have immersed myself in understanding the
questions and finding their answers. Where did i came from? My ancestors? As I
went through, my town was once known as the 'great port' of the Far
East—"Pantalan-Sinirakan". The whole island was called
"Sirac-an" popularly known as "Lawagan" which means
"crystal torch" or something that can be associated with a fishing
boat that uses light as a bait to catch fish. Sirac-an was named and called by
the people living in hinterlands while Lawagan named by the people living in
the plains and sea shores. Native people were known as "Lawagnon",
"Lawodnon", "Sirakan", "Batacnon",
"Anoron", and "Rawisnon" but most of the natives were
called Lawagnon. They spoke four major dialects; Kawi, Waray, Lao and Baybayin.
Batag Island used Kawi due to David Dula's influence; Waray was the native
dialect of most Lawagnon and Sirakan while Lao and Baybayin were used for trading
and business with the other people.
According to legend, without the crystal
torch you could not find the island. Native people are 'naturists', they
believed in the power of nature and spirits, they can heal wounds, they can
summon good spirits to protect their land and hide them with a glow of a
'crystal torch' that evaded them from the attack of different pirates,
calamities and evil spirits.
So majestic is Laoang before, native people
in the different areas of the Lawagan land pray to good spirits. One day, their
faith was challenged by a "great tidal wave", as tall as a 50-story
building but it was easily subsided when a good spirits rubble the wave with
his mighty shield and sword. Native people, young and old, saw this picture
with their eyes and believed the power of their prayer. It was not Saint
Michael the Archangel, not until the Spaniards and Jesuits established its
mission in the area. Our ancestors believed that they be can be saved by their
faith and prayer to the good spirits. This is also the light when people
celebrate its feast to the good spirits that save their lives that eventually
evolved to the Fiesta Celebration of St Michael the Archangel on the 29th day
of September but before it was celebrated on the 8th day of August following
the 'animists calendar'--It is the Feast of thanksgiving where people solemnly
pray for their lives and fortune.
The land was once inhabited by the
"Great Chieftains"," Princesses" and "Warriors of
Virtues" whose majesty, beauty and charm were known to the world.
Neighboring tribes would always visit the land; for friendship and trade, to
marry their lovely women, to train as "spirit warriors" against
invaders and pirates enlightened by good spirits.
The land was divided into three territories
and constituencies but harmony existed in every person living in the land, they
were united by one blood and honor to their sole ancestor—pintados-Lawagnon—a
great family of Lawagan land who stand 15 feet tall who defended Lawagnon
people many times against invaders and pirates. According to
"surmatanons" (epic of Lawagnon) Pintados-Lawagnon family threw big
stones to invaders that echoed Lawagnon and earned the description of "the
unconquered land". Since then, people will come for trade not for war and
invasions. This was our hallmark that we should remember day by day. Our
hospitality has reached to the whole islands of the country then to Spain then
to mexico and other parts of the world.
Moreover, the first territory was under
Dato Karawton and his consort Princess Bangipa , he ruled and managed the
"region of Anadanod" now the "poblacion of the town"
extending Baybay to Mualbual then to Calomotan. These areas were also known as
the "golden port of the pacific". The "port of Baybay" was
used by different wealthy foreign citizens and Spanish royal blood who were
honorable by the kingdom of Spain. They stayed in the area for a month to rest
and treasured the island. The "port of Calomotan" was used by Spanish
friars, officers and soldiers while the "port of Mualbual" was used
to shuttle slaves going to other areas under Spain colony to perform "polo
y servicio".
In other reign, the second territory was
under Dato Sankayon who has lovely Princesses named Rawis and Talisay who were
abducted by moro pirates in the fiercest battles in the shore of Rawis (now
Titong beach). Dato Sankayon was a bitter brother of the Palapag ruler. He
ruled the "Region of Rayang" extending from Rawis to Vigo to Oleras
up to Pambujan (now Pambujan municipality). Dato Sankayon named the two
barangays after his daughter's name. The port of Rawis was used as the Spanish
elite trading capital of the pacific and "the great indies" route
together with the galleon trade from Mexico then Rawis before going to Manila
and Cavite.
The last kingdom, the third territory was
under Dato Batac with his consort Princess Rayandayan, the land is presently
named the Batag Island. He rules the "Region of Lawod" where most of
his people were fishermen. People from different places in Asia, Europe and
Oceania went to the place for "fish business" that's the reason why
the "port of Kahagyan" now Brgy Cahayagan was made for fish market.
Most people called themselves Lawodnon and Batacnon. Batacnon believed with the
"Lady of the sea" (Senora de Salvacion) a good spirit who performs
miracles for sick people from fishing, voyage and expeditions. The Lawodnon
people were once lead by "David Dula" grandson of Lakan Dula, the
great king of Tondo, Manila. When Lakan Dula's forces were defeated by the
Spaniards, he sent a mission to keep his bloodline thus, his grandson David
Dula was hidden at Kandawid, now Brgy Candawid in the Island of Batag, in the
decree of Spanish high officials that all of Lakan Dula's heir and bloodline
would be killed if found out by the Spanish soldiers. David rose to power and
led "Lawagnon" side by side with a Palapag hero Juan Ponce Sumuroy against
the Spanish conquistadors.
The old Lawagan regions were God's creation
and His gift to presently Laoanganons. I intend to introduce the details of the
history and the accounts of great men who contributed much in building Laoang.
In these venues people would rather ask for a copy of its book rather than
reading here. This is just a short story that is inclined to the forgotten
jewel of the east but not as a complete elements of history but just to remind
other about our past glories and true character.
To my constituents, we must work together
to awaken our fellow Laoanganon of the preciousness of our true character,
history, tradition, culture and, the urgent need to regain them the rich minds
of our generation which can offer lessons from our true identity from the time
of the "crystal torch" up today. We cannot allow our rich past to
saddle in vain and to be damaged any further.
Laoang or Lawagan is one of humanity's
treasure troves, where majesty and wonderful people and its colorful history
live. The flora and fauna seem to exist as they might have on the first morning
of Creation.The riverbanks used to have pineapples, banana and mango trees.
Rice grows so well that it is possible to have three harvests in a year, even
without irrigated fields. That's how rich the soil was. Crops such as corn and
US beans could be grown just by spreading the seeds over the valley. Very
little human labor is need. Farmer who lived there did not experience to be
hungry; they went into the fields and dug up sweet potato and
"agikway". Potatoes could be harvested without annual planting which
can feed even the barrio folks. Laoang provides plenty of economic benefits
just in its agricultural lands and marine wealth. The area has vast tracts of virgin
hardwood forest. But now? Why?
Laoang provides a perfect environment for a
Garden of Eden by its people's glory. It is not just birds and fish that are
plentiful in the area but our true identity of love, harmony and glory.
Lawagnon people must lead the way in the effort to save our precious nature,
culture, tradition and history.
Simple words such as beautiful, wonderful and
fantastic can begin to describe its value.We were once great people who lived
in the "Garden of Eden".Sirac Laoang!!! (Mongas).
The Migration Pattern of the Polynesians out of their Lawan
Homeland
Polynesians,
including Samoans, Tongans, Niueans, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian Mā'ohi,
Hawaiian Māoli, Marquesans and New Zealand Māori, are a subset of the
Austronesian peoples. They share the same origins as the indigenous peoples of
maritime Southeast Asia, Madagascar, and Taiwan. This is supported by genetic,
linguistic, and archaeological evidence.
Historian Otley Beyer said that the “dawn man”,
the aborigines of the Philippines, existed 250,000 years ago, although the
callao man fossils have been dated as 65,000 years ago – in both cases, they
are much earlier than the cro magnun man of Europe. Darwin believes that life
started in the ocean, so, it possible that the Pacific Ocean have bred life
into the shores of Samar million years ago, but as to what year those life forms
evolved into human form could still be a subject of scientific and
archeological researches, but the possibility that it is earlier than 250,000
years ago is very strong. The possibility that Lawan in Samar Island in an
important part of the Polynesian civilization was confirmed somehow by a
finding in an Australian study that the Pacific Island Philippines could be the
homeland of Polynesians in the pacific oceans. The migration of the Filipinos
to different pacific islands who are identified today as Polynesians and
inwards into the Philippine islands happened slowly in thousand years and is
evidenced by an existence of an ancient shipping industry based in Palapag
which was later converted into the shipping repair stations of the Galeon Trade
(http://www.ancient-origins.net).
Several diggings of Balangay (native ship) were
also found in Butuan within the Pacific islands and the ships are so sturdy. In
place called Sawang in Laoang Island, diggings of jewelries, antique plates and
burial urns which the native called martabana shows sign of a prosperous
ancient civilization. In a chronicle of the Spanish conquistadores as narrated
by a British Scholar, 100 ships from a chieftain of Albay in the Pacific coast
of Bicol headed by Chieftain Dumaraog attacked the Makarato settlement of Hadi
Iberein of Lawan (now Laoang) but the Hebrew - blooded settlement repulsed the
attack and the Albay warriors returned home.
No doubt, the ancestors of the Tagalogs reached
Tondo and other places in boats, but it is hardly likely that Tagalog
communities could have maintained their discrete boatload identities across
centuries and millennia. But the choice of the term balangay (which is the
origin of barangay, describing a settlement), and the explanation for it, would
have reinforced the perception of each community as historically distinct from
all others, and legitimized its captain’s claim to personal allegiance. With
the exception of sparse populations inhabiting the interior mountain ranges,
all sixteenth-century Filipinos lived on the seacoast or the banks of navigable
lakes and streams. Their only means of transportation were boats: there is no
evidence of wheeled vehicles or draft animals. Traders and raiders, friends and
foes crossed from one side of a river to the other by boat, from island to
island, and between distant ports on the same island. Communities were
connected, not separated, by water: it was by water that they exchanged
foodstuffs, manufactured wares, and foreign imports (Scott). The reign and intermigration
of the Hebrew – influenced Lawan (suspected to be the Ophir) civilization went into
different directions slowly over thousands of years reaching inward as far as Surigao,
Butuan, Mactan, Albay, Tondo Manila, Quezon
Province, Cagayan Valley, Palawan, Taiwan, and outward as far as Madagascar,
and Marquesas Islands.
The Hebrew
connection of the ancient Philippine civilization is again confirmed by the
Biblical stories about Ophir that traded with the Israelites in the ancient
times. The mapping of the exact naval
location of Ophir points to the Philippines. A British scholar on the ancient
Philippine civilization identified a Hebrew chieftain in Laoang, Samar in his
studies as Datu Iberein who was responsible in naming the island as Samar, in
memory of his homeland Samaria. The Spaniards attempted to rename the island as
Filipinas (from where the Philippines came from) but the natives continue to
call it Samar. A recent US study which was presented also in You Tube
identified with certainty that the Philippines is the Biblical Ophir. This
study was triangulated by the fact that that the Tagalog language is so near to
the language of the Hebrews, our mountains and other important islands are named
with Hebrew terms like Mt. Pulag, Mt. Canlaon, Batag Islands, etc (Solomon's
Gold Series - Part 1: Introduction: Where is Ophir? Is it Philippines?).
A foreign study of
the Tagalog dialect spoken in the Kingdom of Tondo reveals that Tagalog came
from the dialect spoken in the hinterlands of Samar. This was confirmed by the
Calatagan Jar found in the deeply Tagalog Region of Batangas. The jar is an
ancient burial jar being used in the ancient settlements within the influence
of the Kingdom of Tondo. The ancient markings in the Calatagan Jar is written
in Waray dialect of Samar. The Samar - Hebrew connections was again confirmed
in the recent times when Sephardi Jews escaping Spanish persecution in the
Ibarian Peninsula decided to settle in Samar. One of those families is the
Mendoza family of Lawan (Laoang) who up to the present, some of their relatives
in the US are attending Jewish congregations.
British scholars pointed out that the Bisayans are practicing circumcision
in the ancient times, a tradition that came from the Hebrews. But because the
Hebrews of Samar are in the influence of the Samaritan culture, the natives of
Samar did not follow the strict Jewish rituals just like the native Samaritans
of Israel. Quite recently, Philippine President Manuel Quezon of the Pacific
town of Baler accepted Jewish refugees from Europe into the Philippines during
WW ll. It seems that President Quezon is aware of the Hebrew ancestry of a
civilization of Hadi Iberein of the Pacific Islands of Samar. It seems that the
Pacific islander’s ancient Philippine
civilization of chieftain Iberein which the natives called Hadi, slowly spread through time into the pacific
islands and inward into the Philippine islands like in Mactan, Surigao, Butuan,
Albay and eventually Tondo where it finally prospered into a full blown Kingdom
headed by a dynasty of Lakans (paramount ruler). The respect of the Lakans of
Tondo to their ancestral homeland of Hadi Iberein in the Pacific island of
Lawan, Samar was shown during the height of Spanish persecutionof the native
nobility when Batang Dula (eldest son of the King of Tondo) and Senorita de
Goiti, his Spanish wife, decided to hide their children from the possible harm
from the Spanish Guardia Civil. They entrusted their eldest son, David Dula y
Goiti to the care of a local chieftain of their allies in Lawan Island in
Samar. The other children, Daba was entrusted to an uncle in Candada and Dola,
the youngest was entrusted to a tribe in Candola San Luis, Pampanga.
Some historians
estimated the Lakanate of Lawan (forebear of Kaharian ng Tondo), to have
existed on their ancient reign as around circa 70,000 years BC to 1,600 AD. The
estimated seat of the epoch is estimated by the historians to be somewhere in
the pacific islands of the Philippines, notably the third biggest island of the
archipelago in the pacific called Samar -- somewhere in the present “Catubig – Laoang – Palapag” topography.
Based on historical records of the Philippines and on recorded siday (the native oral historical epic)
or oral Kandu of the people of Samar
Island, some names of hadi (indigenous term for Lakan or paramount rulers)
mentioned include Lakan Laon, Kerak, Lakan Timamanukum, Lakan Arao, Lakan
Matayon, Lakan Apula, Lapiton, Patuki, Kalyaw, Makarato, Karagrag, Bingil,
Dumaraog, Wihano, Karawton, Lakan Malagas, Taboon, Sangkayon, Waraytanggi, Bathaq,
Uhabi, and Hadi Iberein. In the book by
historian William Henry Scott, it was said that a “Samar datu by the name of
Iberein was rowed out to a Spanish vessel anchored in his harbor in 1543 by
oarsmen collared in gold; while wearing on his own person earrings and chains
”, a sign of a long prosperous civilization long before the Spaniards came. In
the latest study published in the American journal Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, an international team of researchers led by Alan Cooper,
director of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD), at the University of
Adelaide used ancient DNA to study the origins and dispersal of ancestral
Polynesian chickens. They found that
Polynesian chickens had their genetic roots in the Philippines, making that
region a candidate for the homeland of the mysterious Lapita people who
transported the domesticated birds to the Pacific islands. The estimated dates
of the reign of the above mentioned lakans or hadis are still subject of
anthropological researches. For so many thousand long years, the Lakanate of
Lawan slowly initiated what could be an migration of inhabitants or expansion
of their reign to different Polynesian islands in the pacific and inward into
the Philippine archipelago that gave rise to the emergence of several
prosperous settlements in most part of the country and pacific islands, like
the Kingdom of Tondo in Manila.
The Warays of
the Lakanate of Lawan and the Vikings of Northern Europe are both Adventurous
There is something in
the nature of the Warays in the Lakanate of Lawan that made them capable of sending
people to faraway places over thousand years, namely: their Hebrew - influenced
civilization, their personal adventurous character and the closeness of the bonds
of their people.
Recent findings would
point to the Lakanate of Lawan as the center of biblical Ophir that became the
ancestral homeland of the Polynesians. This is evidenced by the Almuraya Ruins
of Laoang, the Hebrew – blooded Datu Iberein, the Dragon Jar of Laoang, their siday (local epic) such as the Bingi of Lawan and the name of the territory itself, Samar, which was named
after the ancestral homeland of the ruling Lakans (paramount rulers) of the
Lakanate, Samaria in the ancient Israel..
The personal
characteristics of Warays have a great influence on their tendency to sail to faraway
places. The ancient Waray tribal folk of Samar, Leyte, and Pintuyan Island were
masters of the sea. Many of whom became pirates who attacked and raided coastal
villages of present day Bohol, Bool, Cebu, the Luzon coasts and Mindanao. They
utilized a form of indentured servitude to those who they captured in their raids
and forced them in agricultural slavery even in forming ranks of their war
parties. The ancient Waray tribal folk hold similar semblance to the Vikings of
Northern Europe (Visayas: Remaining Treasures of the Indigenous People). Warays
are also describe even today as brave and principled. The Waray-speaking people of Leyte (Leyteños) and Samar
(Samareños) are a strong and proud group (Ethnic Groups of the
Philippines). Waray are known in the country for their suicidal courage. The
Balangiga victory is done by Warays, so with Catubig Siege victory. The Sumuroy
Revolt has sparked the early efforts of the natives against the Spain. The
Waray descendants who were transported from Palapag to Cavite shipyards became
the main forces of the Cavite rebellion which bloomed into the Philippine
Republic.
The ancient songs of
the Lakanate of Lawan will show their mastery and feeling at ease with sea as
well as their propensity to settle in different places while being faithful to their
homeland. One of the songs you can still hear today in the Isla de Batag in the
ancient Lawan is this folk song (portion):
Makapira
ka na, makapira ka na
Balentong
baliskad,
Sini
nga baloto, nga ginsasakyan mo.
(How many times, how
many times
Have you fall and
capsize
In this boat that you
are riding now)
One of their songs
speaks of the slaves enjoying too much their stay in the Lakanate and are reluctant
to leave even if they are already freemen:
Diri
ko gad ginhuhunaan an pagbaya dinhi
Kay naaawil man ak, san iyo
kustombre
Labi na gud an sipyat ngan hiyum….
(well sorry, forgotten the next line,
(well sorry, forgotten the next line,
future researchers may just complete it)
Baman, an akon hugugma, tyempo in
mamingaw,
Matangis na man la.
(Never in my mind would I think of
leaving this place
Because I really enjoy your
customs
Specially those fleeting glances
and stolen smiles
But whatever happens, if this flaming
love
Becomes so lonesome
I will just cry)
This next folk song
is mysteriously in Tagalog, but is being sung in Candawid in Batag Island even
today, especially among old folks. Efforts have been made to search for the
origin of the song in Manila and in the Tagalog provinces but to no avail. Local
historians are saying that this song is the favorite of the widow of David
Dulay. The widow is the granddaughter of Datu Iberein while the David is the
son of David Dula y Goiti, a grandson of Lakan Dula of Tondo. The widow thought
that David has left her to go back to Tondo. Years later, she came to know that
David was executed by the Spaniards in Palapag.
Giliw
ko, nasaan ang awa mo.
Ang
puso, na sadyang nagmamahal sa yo.
Walang
bukas, at walang anu ano.
Nilimot
mo ang lahat, nang kaligayahan.
Mamahalin
din kita kahit nilisan mo hirang.
Susuyuin
din kita magpahanggang libing tunay.
Mamahalin
din kita ikaw lang ang tanging mahal.
Nilimot
mo ang lahat.
Ng
kaligayahan.
(My love, where is
you mercy
This heart of mine which
is loving you truly
No warning, no signs --
you have left.
Forgetting all the
happiness we shared
I will still love you
even though you have left me
This love of mine I will
carry through my grave.
I will love you and
you will always be my one and only love)
Even if you have forgotten
all the happy moments we shared together.)
This closeness of people
in the prosperous civilization, the natural tendency to sail and their feeling
homey to the sea made this Hebrew – blooded natives, over thousand years, send
people through boats in the different islands in the Pacific.
References:
Center of Center of
the World "The Philippines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4efhXRP6qc.
Retrieved April 4, 2018.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misliya_cave.
Retrieved April 4, 2018.
Thomas Ingicco. MNHN. AFP. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/05/03/1811785/early-humans-philippines-700000-years-ago-study#c5tTHUecmbK9cV1y.99. Retrieve May 20, 2018.
Thomas Ingicco. MNHN. AFP. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/05/03/1811785/early-humans-philippines-700000-years-ago-study#c5tTHUecmbK9cV1y.99. Retrieve May 20, 2018.
Ethnic Groups of the Philippines. http://www.ethnicgroupsphilippines.com/people/ethnic-groups-in-the-philippines/waray/..
Retrieved May 26, 2018.
http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-evolution-human-origins/new-study-suggests-philippines-ancestral-homeland-polynesians-001463.
Retrieved April 4, 2018.
https://www.popsci.com/where-and-when-did-life-begin#page-4.
Retrieved April 4, 2018.
Noel Acedera Mongas.
Tribute to Laoang Fiesta 2013: First Edition
Solomon's Gold Series
- Part 1: Introduction: Where is Ophir? Is it Philippines?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL2eltMMK0U&t=118s. Retrieved April 4,
2018.
Visayas: Remaining Treasures of the Indigenous
People. https://sites.google.com/site/humanities2visayas2015/home/c-eastern-visayas/waray.
Retrieved May 26, 2018.
William Henry Scott.
https://archive.org/stream/BarangaySixteenthCenturyPhilippineCultureAndSociety/Barangay++Sixteenth+Century+Philippine+Culture+and+Society_djvu.txt.
Retrieved April 4, 2018.
Zaide, Sonia M. The
Philippines: A Unique Nation: With Dr. Gregorio Zaide History of the Republic
of the Philippines. All Nations Publishing Co. Inc. 1994, p.32
No comments:
Post a Comment