At
the height of the Luzon Empire's importance in the China trade in the
16th century, maritime trading and even piracy, became the main source
of profit. As one of the "Lucues" (people of Luzon), many Tondenos and
Kapampangans worked as mercenaries for the various states and kingdoms
in Southeast Asia. Tundo was a province of Pampanga or Ka-Pampang
(meaning of the same river), Kapampangan was the second dialect of Tundo
back then. The kingdom had diplomatic ties with China during the Ming
Dynasty. Before the arrival of the Spaniards in the late 16th century,
the Kapampangan people made up the bulk of the population of what the
Ming Dynasty texts referred to as the Luzon Empire or "Lusong Guo" in
Chinese.
Fray Casimiro Diaz, a historian of the Augustinian
order, referred to the Pampangos as... "the most warlike and prominent
people of these islands. Their rebellion was all the worse because these
people had been trained in the military art in our own schools, in the
fortified posts of Ternate, Zamboanga, Jolo, Caraga and other places
where their valor was well known."
In 1565, Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi, led an expedition to the Philippines to enslave the natives. At
first he established his capital in Cebu, but in 1571 using the Cebuano
natives, he attacked Maynilad and Tundo in Luzon, two of the three
settlements by the Pasig River, the great maritime empire of Sri Vijaya
barter partners of the Chinese traders. Raja Soliman called on the
chieftains of Pampanga to join him in driving the foreign colonialist
away, since Rajah Lakandula made peace with Legaspi. A fleet of 40
warboats was assembled, each equipped with local "lantaka" cannon. Down
Pampanga River sailed some 2,000 troops, led by Lakan of Macabebe
himself. Unfortunately the Lakan of Macabebe (historian Zaide referred
to as "Tarik Soliman") was killed in the Battle of Bangkusay on June 3,
1571.
Legazpi captured the settlement, renamed it Manila and
made it the capital of the Philippines, thus, the colonization of the
Philippines started. Legazpi served as the governor-general of the new
colony. For 250 years -- from 1565 to 1815 -- the Philippines was ruled
by the Viceroy of Nueva Espana (Mexico) for the Spanish Crown. Those who
succeeded Legazpi as governor-general were all Mexicans until 1815 when
Spain took direct control of the Philippines. While the Pampango
warriors, known for their courage and skill in battle first to defy
Spain, later on fought side-by-side with the Spaniards as mercenaries.
They fought against the Chinese pirate Limahong, the Moros, the Dutch
and the British.
Mexican immigration to the Philippines mainly
occurred during the Spanish colonial period. Between 1565-1821 the
Philippines were in fact administered from the Vice royalty of New
Spain's capital, Mexico City. During this period trans-Pacific trade
brought many Mexicans and Spaniards to the Philippines as sailors, crew,
prisoners, slaves, adventurers and soldiers in the Manila-Acapulco
Galleons which was the main form of communication between the two
Spanish colonies.
During the Spanish Colonial period of the
Philippines, Macabebe (meaning: "bordering the river banks") was the
oldest and most important communities of Pampanga and Macabebes were the
first known Kapampangans. When the Philippine Revolution erupted in
1896, a Spanish Colonel named Eugenio Blanco who had large estates near
the town of Macabebe in Pampanga organized a regiment from among his
clients. The Macabebes were called as "mga Pilipinong traydor" (Filipino
traitors) in Philippine history. In Fairness to our Macabebe brothers,
many didn't understand or know that the original "Macabebes Scouts" were
Mexican soldiers and their descendants, serving under the Spanish flag
in the Philippines. They were called "Guachinangos," a Nahuatl term
meaning "an inhabitant of a forest" and Guachinangos are Mexican
Indians. They were brought in the Philippines as "balance" for the empty
ships coming from Acapulco of the infamous Acapulco/Manila galleon
trade. To avoid expenses of sending back to their native Sonora, the
Spanish authorities settled them in Macabebe, Pampanga. Their salary
from the Spaniards - few pesos, rice and a can of sardines...hence "ang
kasabihan"..."taksil na Macabebe, bakit ipinagpalit ang Pilipinas sa
lata ng sardinas?" They look like Filipinos because of their dark skin,
facial feature, height and wore long hair. When Spain lost the war to
the Americans, the Macabebes, served the Americans with the same salary
and "deal."
At the conclusion of the Spanish-American War 270
men of this 72nd Macabebe Regiment found themselves stranded in Manila.
Many shipped out to join a Spanish garrison in the Caroline Islands and
the remainder slipped back into Macabebe after it was occupied by the
Americans. Some of these offered to serve as native guides for U.S.
forces commanded by General Henry Lawton and after authorization by
General Elwell Otis, a company of "Macabebe Scouts" was formed under
Lieutenant Matthew A. Batson. Macabebes won lasting notability in the
operation under General Frederick Funston to capture General Aguinaldo.
Many so called "Filipino historians" defy the story of the "Guachinango
Mexican Indians" but of the 250 years existence of galleon trade,
hundreds of Manila galleons traveled from present-day Mexico to the
Philippines, the exchanged of slaves, culture, language, culinary art,
fruits, spirit drinks, etc... it's like denying the diaspora of the
"Manila Men" of New Orleans in Louisiana. On the sidestreets of Acapulco
the "tuba fresca" heady brew is sold, together with "ceviche" Filipino
seafood "kinilaw" and "Manila Mango." Legazpi was a Basque, he had spent
20 years of his life in Mexico City, while his grandsons, Felipe and
Juan de Salcedo were born in Mexico. After subduing the native groups in
Luzon and thwarting the Chinese pirate Limahong from capturing Manila,
died of a malignant fever in his encomienda in Vigan on March 11, 1576.
More than half of Legazpi's crew was composed of Mexicans: creoles like
the Salcedos, mestizos and Aztec indios, who stayed in the Philippines.
- - ka tony
the 19th of January, '13
