Little Known Truths About The Battle Of Mactán
Filed under: True History
This will be brief.
It’s indeed sad that hundreds of years ago today, Fernando Magallanes, aka Ferdinand Magellan (hailed so inaccurately by careless historians as the first man to circumnavigate the globe), was killed by a mere “fish” now considered as a Filipino bayani (hero).
Lapu-lapu, as all Pinoys are aware of, is the name of a tasty fish, a local variety of the red grouper. The Mactán chieftain’s real name was Cali Pulaco (some say it’s Kaliph Pulaka). Cali was a local title that is, as far as we know, no longer in use. It’s a royal title like that of a datu or a rajáh, but of a much lower rank.
Naming a high-ranking chief with the name of an edible animal, especially of a fish dish –then as now– is disrespectful. The reason why the Mactán “hero” is now known by the name of a fish was a mistranslation by some careless historians (Blair and Robertson?).
And Fish King wasn’t the real chieftain of Mactán. The island was actually under the jurisdiction of Cebú’s Rajáh Humabon. Pulaco was just a subrogate (and belligerent) ruler of Mactán, together with Datu Zula. Since by that time Humabon was already baptized into the Christian faith, Magallanes thought it best to support an ally of Spain. But that doesn’t mean that Magallanes wasn’t eager to show-off European superiority of arms. He did the unthinkable, sailing straight to enemy grounds without the usual reconnoitering done my military experts. He thought that his cannons and European firepower (which were, of course, modern at that time) will overcome mere bolos and spears and arrows.
He was mistaken: the Portuguese and his malnourished men (they encountered unimaginable hunger during their voyage from Spain to the Philippines) was met with not a hundred men – he was met with more than a thousand island warriors. And the rest, you already know.
What is not known –or what is not emphasized– is what in the world were those Mactán warriors thinking of while they were battling the white men. What should be taught in local schools is that Mr. Big Fish and his school of spear-wielding island fellas have never heard of Europe, nor of Spain and the Spaniards. And most important of all, educators should teach THE TRUTH and nothing but the TRUTH that Lapu-lapu never thought of “defending the Philippines from foreign invaders.” For all we know, those islanders thought that they were defending themselves from Chinese pirates who were known to have marauded some local tribes and brought with them prisoners whom they have sold in the thriving slave market.
So why teach that Lapu-lapu was the ”first Filipino” to defend the Philippines from colonization? There was no Philippines during that time. The concept of a country wasn’t extant back then. What was in existence were hundreds of warring tribal kingdoms, each thinking that they were –and should be– independent from the other. In short, they were not united (the Philippines is on the verge of reverting back to this kind of setup once federalists gain the upper hand in the government).
Lapu-lapu was defending the island of Mactán, not the “whole” Philippines. Actually, he was defending an island which wasn’t really his in the first place; he was in bad terms with Humabon and Zula.
Going back to Magellan, we should be made aware that prior to the 1898 American invasion of the Philippines, the Filipinos considered Magallanes, not the Grouper King, to be the hero of Mactán! Lapu-lapu was even derided in a poem (written way back in 1614 in honor of Magallanes) by a Filipino bard by the name of Carlos Calao. It was only during the American occupation that Lapu-lapu (like Andrés Bonifacio) was invented as a hero.
Now, Filipinos in Metro Manila adore a huge eye sore with a bolo shamelessly standing in Rizal Park (defile it defile it DEFILE IT!!!). It was a very INNOCENT gift from the Korean Freedom League, for they know not about Lapu-lapu.
In the US, Americans celebrate annually the date Christopher Columbus discovered their country. In the Philippines, Magellan’s discovery of the country is a disgusting chapter in Filipino history.
By the way, the photo you see on this blog is a monument in honor of Magallanes. It is found in miles-away Chile. Filipinos, think about it.
That’s all for now.
Was this brief, or what?
Well, Lapu-lapu’s wearing a funny lookin’ “brief” at the Luneta… Go check the fish out, and enjoy Dick Gordon’s folly!
Stumble it!
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April 27th, 2007 at 6:15 am
“In the Philippines, Magellan’s discovery of the country is a disgusting chapter in Filipino history.”
So I suppose us “indios” should celebrate almost 400 years of injustice and abuse then?
April 27th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
First of all, prove to everyone the “almost 400 years of injustice and abuse” that you’re talking about. The “injustice and abuse” should encompass ALMOST 400 YEARS, OK? If you are able to prove it, then you can argue.
May 15th, 2007 at 8:35 am
As much as I’d love to waste time with an idiot like you but I’d rather not. I do have 3 words for you – Gomez, Burgos and Zamora. If you don’t know them Google them.
And oh, about that Magellan statue/monument you claim lacking in the Philippines? Try looking for a little ornate hut in Cebu that houses the “Magellan’s Cross” and a huge monument “The Heritage of Cebu” featuring Magellan, and others in Parian, Cebu.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you then go say the Holocaust never happend…
May 15th, 2007 at 8:41 am
I only have 3 words for you – Gomez, Burgos and Zamora.
And by the way there are 2 monuments in the Philippines that honour Magellan. First is the “Magellan’s Cross” and “The Heritage of Cebu”. You might want to do more research…
May 15th, 2007 at 9:17 am
magellan in place of lapulapu? my firend says its irreverent
May 19th, 2007 at 2:52 am
Finally! The Rock has come back to shit out salami!
Dude, do you even know Gómez’s background? Do you have an inkling of how “Filipino” Burgos was? What can you say about the innocence of Zamora?
Let me answer that for you — Nada. If you don’t know what nada is, Google it.
And is GOMBURZA even equivalent to the “almost 400 years of injustice and abuse” you’re babbling about?
And oh, about that Magellan statue and other Magellanic monuments you’re talking about (Magellan’s Cross, The Heritage of Cebú, etc), they were erected not to honor Magellan. It just happens to bear his name. For example, there’s that funny street somewhere Manila named Hormiga. Hormiga in Spanish means “ants”. Certainly, that street was not named in honor of ants, parekoy.
That cross in Cebú was erected to commemorate the coming of Christianity to the Philippines. But because it was Magellan who led the Spanish expedition, the cross was named after him. Those who had a hand in the naming of that cross claiming that it was erected to honor Magellan are dishonest.
So, dude, you might want to do MORE research yourself.
Tsk. Look who’s calling me an idiot. =)
May 19th, 2007 at 2:55 am
Hi, Jagat!
Considering the continuous rise of poverty and political unrest in this country, maybe you’re right. But maybe you’re wrong, also. Yes, it is necessary that we discuss other things that will concretely change our country’s course. However, we should always look into past errors in order to straighten up our course.
¡Qué tenga buen día!
May 19th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Tsk. You write well enough. But let me quote one of my favorite poets for you to think about:
“to escape writing of the worst thing of all –
not the crimes of others, not even our own death,
but the failure to want our own freedom passionately enough
so that blighted elms, sick rivers, massacres would seem
mere emblems of that desecration of ourselves?”
–Adrienne Rich, VII
May 21st, 2007 at 4:31 am
whatever, dude.
May 22nd, 2007 at 4:30 am
Kei, Adrienne Rich lived in a different milieu, and she would have written a totally different poem if she had lived in the Philippines.
Sin duda, she could have written more patriotic verses based on these following words…
“To accuse the Spanish, over and over again, of having brought us all sorts of things, mostly evil, among which we can usually remember nothing very valuable, ‘except, perhaps,’ religion and national unity, is equivalent to saying of a not very model mother, that she has given her child nothing except life, for in the profoundest possible sense, Spain did give birth to us — as a nation, as an historical people. This geographical unit of numberless islands called the Philippines –this mystical unit of numberless tongues, bloods and cultures called a Filipino– was begotten of Spain, is a Spanish creation. The content of our national destiny is ours to create, but the basic form, the temper, the physiognomy, Spain has created for us.
Towards our Spanish past, especially, it is time we became more friendly, bitterness but inhibits us; those years cry for a fresher appraisal.
(NICK JOAQUÍN, La Naval de Manila, October 1943)
December 4th, 2007 at 4:55 am
Some people really wanted their ignorance shown to the entire world. Well, for the real history written by Figafetta, not by some charlatans, Lapulapu knew exactly who he was fighting against, because Magellan already told Humabon and the rest of his neighbours including Lapulapu that he was the representative of his Most Catholic Majesty King Charles I of Spain (Charles V Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire). Lapulapu did not mistake these white skinned aquiline-nosed foreigners as Chinese marauders.
Sure, at that time there was no Philippines as we know it now, but let’s face it Mactan later became part of the Philippines. What happened in Mactan hundreds of years ago should be part of the history of the country it later became part of. When the Romans teach their children that Rome started in the Lupercal, are we going to argue that that is false because at that time the area was still a forest, and Romulus was not the first king of Rome because there was no Rome at that time?
In 1898 when Aguinaldo declared the Philippines as a country, he was lying. He only “won” the eight provinces of the Tagalog region, so how can that be the beginning of the Philippines? In fact ascribing him the win against the Spaniards is quite an exaggeration. He never won against anybody, or any of the revolutionary generals of the Philippine revolution. On the other hand, it was only Lapulapu who had defeated the Spaniards and expelled them out of our shores. He was the only successful warrior the Philippines ever had, ancient or current. For that he deserves to be standing on the Luneta.
And no ignoramus can deny that fact.
February 2nd, 2008 at 7:35 pm
there’s a lot of “google it” in here. like I also found myself googling it.. ha! ha! thanks guys for arguing.. close na kami nina GOMBURZA and magellans’ and lapulapus’… by the way, i kinda liked the way ROCK says US ‘INDIOS’. it is a proclamation that we’re this tiny. so humble. pero dude if you quoted US instead of INDIOS.. that “almost 400 years of injustice and abuse” could’ve been a forgotten phrase. anyway, it is your disagreement, not mine.. all i can say is: let there be peace on earth! we doesn’t want another “battle of mactan” to happen in here, don’t we?
February 2nd, 2008 at 8:05 pm
para walang away. everybody’s a hero. be it aguinaldo, lapulapu, or rizal. well, in terms of successful warriors.. do not single out lapulapu as the sole succesful warrior. let us not forget his troops that helped him in the battle of mactan. otherwise, his head was hanged instead of magellan’s. i am not good in history, but when aguinaldo won eight provinces.. that would be really something. i cant even win a badminton or a chess game. so that i may say is successful step. he WON anyway. not completely the whole of this island but he won. yes, that is not the beginning of the pilippines, but that could be a start of the filipino government. and that is another arguement. if i’m an ignorant upon this, i wouldn’t care. who’s to blame now? that we’re suffering from poverty? aguinaldo? charge that to history and the japanese who organized a second philippine rebublic. correct me if i’m wrong, i told you im not good in history.
pero clap! clap! you are all good in history.. hats off.. bagsak kasi ako sa subject na yan ehehe.. pero dont tell me na galing lang lahat ng info sa google hehe.. coz i would really be pissed of.. i mean sa sarili ko na napaniwala ninyo ako..
March 19th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
to the idiot who wrote this, the philippines were exploited by the spanish since day 1 of their occupation, the betrayal of rajah solayman is already testament of spanish treachery. ofcourse gomburza was a good example equivalent enough of just that, being just one of a thousand cases that was one of the most popular ones still unforgotten. im sorry but us MELAYU or MALAYS do not subject to western occupation for too long, the filipino bloodline is that of the Malay warrior, we will fight even beyond 400 years. magellan deserved what he got and everyone should remember how he got finished off in the phils despite him havin weapons. im sorry why we would we even bother with pigafettas account? the white man cant stand being whipped by “fishes”, sir your an internet warrior venting out on filipinos, mabuhay ang pinoy, fight the occupation, we should fight as our brother moros have fought ! never to be conquered by the white man! the struggle goes on!
October 25th, 2008 at 1:15 am
Sayang, ngayón co lang nabasa itó…
Mr. Manny Bade, I sent you an e-mail. But it won’t contain any praise for you that has been ostentatiously displayed in your website.
And to bangsamoro, you are not a Filipino — eres un piojo. =)
Pepe Alass last blog post..Una Crítica Literaria de la Srª Gemma Cruz Araneta
October 25th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Pepe,
He visto su Blog, y me gusta mucho. En todo el mundo, no hay muchos blogs en espanol sobre las Filipinas.
Gracias tambien por visitar mi website. Ya hace casi 20 anos que habia dado mis talentos en servicio de la
comunidad filipina aqui en Toronto. Pero despues de ese tiempo la comunidad ha olvidado todas las
conribuciones de tiempo, talentos, y emociones y aun a veces con mal enformaciones de algunas gentes me
mira en mal humor, suspenchando que mis intenciones son malas. Por eso se construye el website para que
no me olvide la comunidad de mi.
Gracias,
Manny Bade
October 26th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
No te comprendo, Señor Bade. Primero, me atacaste. La segunda vez, intentas ser amable. ¿Qué pasa?
Pepe Alass last blog post..Una Crítica Literaria de la Srª Gemma Cruz Araneta
October 26th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Senor Alas,
No te conozco, y por eso no tengo nada personal contra te. Me gusta tu blog por razon que es el unico sobre nuestro pais y el pueblo filipino que aun no habla espanol sino ingles. Si no te gusta la amistad que ofresco, no importa.
Manny Bade
October 26th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
No realmente. Si no me conoces, pienso que no sabes nada sobre el comentario arriba de los nuestros (lee arriba “tu” comentario de 4 de diciembre de 2007 (16:55). Tal vez, alguién usó tu nombre cuando él o ella escribió aquellas malas palabras. Si no me equivoqué con mi teoría, pues yo pido perdón, Señor Bade. Por supuesto, quiero hacer muchos amigos, no enemigos. No te preocupes, pues. Voy a visitar frecuentemente tu websitio y te voy a comunicar.
Pepe Alass last blog post..Una Crítica Literaria de la Srª Gemma Cruz Araneta
October 26th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Una cosa más: cuando yo mandaba un correo electrónico para tí, no estaba funcionando; aparece que tuyo está roto o algo así. Pues, ¿cómo recibiste mío?
Realmente, ¿Manny Bade eres o alguién más?
Y me sorprendes que estás monitorizando este blog. Que raro…
No me respuestes más. No tengo confianza en tí.
Pepe Alass last blog post..Una Crítica Literaria de la Srª Gemma Cruz Araneta
October 27th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Senor Alas,
Tanta tonteria. Si no tienes confianza en mi, vamos a acabar esto. No tengo tiempo para alguien que no cree en mi.
Manny Bade
P.S. Cuando tento responder a ti, por alguna razon mi email no me permite hacerlo directamente.
October 27th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
De veras. Como he dicho, me atacaste con malas palabras en tu primer comentario. Y de repente querrías hacer amistad conmigo. No soy loco, chico. Está documentado ya tus viles palabras, y no puedes rechazarlas.
Por favor, para ahorrar tu tiempo, no me contestes más. Pero si es verdad que tienes hacer cosas para promover, difundir, y enaltecer mi lengua aquí en Filipinas, hazlo sólo, y déjame en paz. Y buena suerte.
Esto es mi última respuesta.
Adiós para siempre, Señor Bade.
Pepe Alass last blog post..Una Crítica Literaria de la Srª Gemma Cruz Araneta
November 20th, 2008 at 3:40 am
[...] Little known Truths about the battle of mactanPhoto: Portray of the Kadaugan Sa [...]
June 18th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
sa lahat na nagsasalita o nagsusulat ng banyagang wika, isalin nyo sa Filipino para mas maintindihan ng mga nakakabasa.
salamat.
August 2nd, 2009 at 7:55 am
Phili,
Tama ka kaibigang Phili. Ang iyong sagot lang ang talagang taga isla. Please forgive me if my Pilipino is not very good. I am a Filipino born in America. My Pilipino comes from taking 4 years of Pilipino in high school (San Diego, CA). So it’s limited lang sa tinuro ni Ginoong Kalapus who was my Pilipino teacher for 4 years. Speaking Kapangpangan at home didn’t do much help. Lumaki ako sa bansa ng America noong 70’s. Being brown and growing in Puting America ay napakahirap. I don’t hate white people. Let me rephrase, I don’t hate THIS generation of white people. Having experienced racism as a little kid, it pains me to read that some of you Filipinos say that it was okay for the white people (Spaniards) to claim the Islands as their own. Para sa inyo walang mali sa ginawa nila? I feel like we have noting to claim as our own. Much of quirks and beliefs are of spanish origination – sa inyo tama ba ito? Nakakakita ba kayo ng Malay sa TFC (I don’t what channel that is over there)… Most people praise light skin colored people and make fun of MY Malay Brown Skin and sa ilong na pango ko – Tama ba ito sa inyo? Please be proud of being Pinoy! Even Pinoy is derived from the name these puting tao gave our islands. You have to recognize what Lapu Lapu did? If you don’t, you can not call yourself Pinoy. History with a little twist is still not too far away from the truth.
August 2nd, 2009 at 7:59 am
Phili,
Tama ka kaibigang Phili. Ang iyong sagot lang ang talagang taga isla. Please forgive me if my Pilipino is not very good. I am a Filipino born in America. My Pilipino comes from taking 4 years of Pilipino in high school (San Diego, CA). So it’s limited lang sa tinuro ni Ginoong Kalapus who was my Pilipino teacher for 4 years. Speaking Kapangpangan at home didn’t do much help. Lumaki ako sa bansa ng America noong 70’s. Being brown and growing in Puting America ay napakahirap. I don’t hate white people. Let me rephrase, I don’t hate THIS generation of white people. Having experienced racism as a little kid, it pains me to read that some of you Filipinos say that it was okay for the white people (Spaniards) to claim the Islands as their own. Para sa inyo walang mali sa ginawa nila? I feel like we have noting to claim as our own. Much of quirks and beliefs are of spanish origination – sa inyo tama ba ito? Nakakakita ba kayo ng Malay sa TFC (I don’t what channel that is over there)… Most people praise light skin colored people and make fun of MY Malay Brown Skin and sa ilong na pango ko – Tama ba ito sa inyo? Please be proud of being Pinoy! Even Pinoy is derived from the name these puting tao gave our islands. You have to recognize what Lapu Lapu did? If you don’t, you can not call yourself Pinoy. History with a little twist is still not too far away from the truth. Dapat keka panamulis takla keng buldit!!!