On
June 20, 1899, the Japanese vessel Nonubiki Maru left Nagasaki for the
Philippines loaded with 10,000 rifles, 5,000,000 rounds of ammunition
and other war supplies purchased by Mariano Ponce.
Ponce with
the aid of the Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, in his mission
to Japan, obtained sufficient support from the
Japanese military and a few Japanese politicians to enter into
agreement to purchase arms and ammunition in the Spring of 1899. At the
same time, arrangements were made for retired Japanese officers to go to
the Philippines as advisers to the Filipino army against the Americans.
These officers actually served with the Filipino forces but the attempt
to ship arms to the islands was a complete failure.
Several
Filipino intellectuals who immigrated to Japan like General Artemio
"Vivora" Ricarte, became naturalized subjects of the Meiji government
and were vying the Japanese government to sell surplus rifles left from
the war in Korea to the growing Filipino rebels in the Philippines. But
the Meji Government simply do not want to commit anything, as it feared
retaliation from Europeans.
Mariano Ponce went to Japan days
after Spanish started arresting propaganda leaders, succeeded in buying
two shiploads of arms and ammunition from the Japanese government. The
first shipment was loaded on the ship Nunobiki-maru, along with 10,000
arms, 5 million ammunition, accompanied with Japanese officers and
volunteer soldiers who want to serve in the Filipino Rebel Army.
Unfortunately, a typhoon sunk the ship off the coast of Formosa and the
second shipment was not delivered until the capture of Aguinaldo by the
Americans, which prompted Ponce to donate it to Sun Yat-sen, a close
friend and a revolutionary against the Manchu rulers of China.
Tagawa Moritaro, a carpenter from Nagasaki, has become a successful
businessman in the Philippines. It appears in June 1895 that Supremo
Andres Bonifacio asked him to establish a trading company that exports
hemp, tobacco, sugar and other products (produced by Katipuneros) on
which the income would be used to buy Murata rifles in Japan. Bonifacio
remarked that the Katipunan will pay all the expenses if Moritaro will
go to Japan to arrange the purchase. Moritaro agreed to Bonifacio's
deal, established the Moritaro Trading Company, went to Japan and
persuaded the Meiji government to sell arms to the revolutionaries.
However, nothing came out of the deal.
It is not well known
that Supremo Andres Bonifacio had a secret meeting with the Japanese
consul in Manila and some visiting Japanese naval officers in May 1896
and sought Japanese support for the Philippine revolution.
The
man who arranged the meeting and acted as interpreter was a certain
"Jose Moritaro Tagawa" (the same Tagawa Moritaro), a resident of Bocaue
town, north of Manila, married to a Filipina, who was introduced to the
Supremo by Pio Valenzuela. Moritaro is one of the many veterans of the
Sino-Japanese War who fought on our side during the Filipino-American
War. To name some of these veterans; Lieutenant Sintetu Nishiuchi,
Lieutenant Asahiro Inatomi, Lieutenant Keizo Miyai, Lieutenant Kesakichi
Mizumati, Sergeant Major Saburo Nakamori and Sergeant Shinobu Masuda.
More research is still undertaken not only to trace the background of
these men, but also to find out their motivation. Did they sympathized
with our struggle for independence or were they gun for hire
mercenaries?
Whatever their reasons some were highly regarded,
like Captain Chizuno Iwamoto, who served as flag officer of Emilio
Aguinaldo during the Filipino-American War. These men arrived in Manila
toward the end of June 1899 and were met by a Japanese businessman based
in Manila Moritaro Tagawa who arranged their passage by sailboat across
Manila Bay to Orani town in Bataan province, west of Manila and from
there by land to the headquarters of Emilio Aguinaldo in the province of
Tarlac, North of Manila, they were led by a certain Captain Tei Hara.
Captain Tei Hara was born in 1864 in Ina, Nagano, he studied in the
Imperial Military Academy and eventually rose to the rank of captain of
the Imperial Bodyguard Division. Captain Hara fought under General Tomas
Mascardo in the provinces of Zambales and Bataan and was even cited for
gallantry in action. He returned to Japan and fought in the
Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
He died in 1933. What makes Hara stand out is that his deathbed request
was for his sister or her heir to watch and wait for the independence of
the Philippines. As soon as the Philippines was independent this news
should be reported to him at his grave.
- ka tony
the 19th of June '13
Thailand’s
capital city, Bangkok is called the "Venice of Asia" because of its
canals, so as China's Suzhou is often dubbed the "Venice of the East."
In fact The City of Manila should be called "Venice of Asia" for the
city has more canals or esteros than Bangkok and Suzhou. Perhaps the
title Venice of Asia was not given to Manila because Intramuros, then
was the Manila they knew, minus the districts that are now part of Metro
Manila.
Old Manila had many inlet rivers, which during the
Spanish time we called "esteros" which are the seaward end or extension
of a river. They contain a mixture of fresh water from the river, salt
water from the sea and their water levels rise and fall with the tide.
Throughout Manila's history, some thirty-five esteros flowing into or
have been associated with Pasig River, Manila Bay and Laguna be Bay.
Estero de Binondo is one of two estuaries bounding the island of
Binondo, Manila's famous Chinese district. The Bridge of Spain was then
called "Fuente Espana" (now Jones Bridge) was built in 1632 to allow
easier access for the exclusive "peninsulares" living in Intramuros (Manila
walled city) via it's Puerta de Isabel II, then driven to Binondo from
the foot of the bridge of calle Escolta - (the Spanish word "escortar" to escort, where Escolta got
it's name) to be escorted by carruajes, also to cross San Fernando Bridge to go
shopping in San Nicolas district. Before 1570 "Ysla de
Binondo" as Binondo was originally known during the Manila/Acapulco
Galleon Trade, was the center of Chinese
trade. In 1594 the Chinese "Parian" or market place on Mejan Garden was
moved to Binondo on calle "Sacrista" now Ongpin street, it was given
free to the Chinese, also tax free by the Spanish Cortes for as long
they were willing
to be baptized Catholic.
Binondo and San Nicolas has Estero
de Binondo which extends to Estero de la Reina, Ongpin, Gandara,Estero de
la Industria, crosses Soler street ends at Reina Regente. Estero de
Binondo was the setting of Rizal's "Noli me Tangere," which was the back of the
house of Capitan Tiago. Binondo's waterways as Rizal mentioned in his
book had different roles of bath, sewer, laundry, fishery,
transportation and drinking water.
Tondo has the wide Estero
de Vitas, Ampioco, Patria, Estero Sunog Apog that drains water from
Manila, dumps water to Manila Bay via Estero de Vitas, Herbosa,
Moriones, Estero Teneria, Abukay, Molave, Bambang, Estero de San Lazaro
and Estero de Magdalena. Estero near Tondo's "Pritil Bridge" in 1866 was
called "Canal de la Reina" named after Queen Isabel II of Spain, drains
water
from Manila as far as Tayuman Street, Claro M. Recto Avenue and ends in
Binondo, where there's a floodgate or pumping station in that end
at Muelle de Binondo and dumps water into Pasig River at its southern
tip.
Dumps water into Manila Bay via Estero de Vitas in its northern tip,
where "casqueros" or boatmen transported goods from northern provinces
like Pampanga & Bulacan via Pasig River to Divisoria market.
Pandacan has Estero de Pandacan drains Paco and leads to Pasig River.
It was immortalized by the poet Balagtas, "Ilog Beata" his tender lyrics
"Kay Selya." That is why streets by Estero de Pandacan were named after
characters of Balagtas; Florante, Laura, Aladin, Adolfo, Flerida,
Antenor and of course "Selya" who was Maria Asuncion Rivera, the first
love of Francisco "Balagtas" Baltazar.
Ermita and Malate has
Estero San Antonio Abad and Estero Balete, while Quiapo has Estero de
Quiapo and Estero de San Sebastian. Sampaloc's San Juan River and
Estero de Valencia. San Miquel, where the Malacanang Palace is located
is surrounded by the Pasig River. Paco has Estero de Paco, Estero
Concordia, Estero Balete and Estero Provisor, while Santa Cruz has Estero de
la Reina and Estero de San Lazaro.
Santa Ana the first and the
oldest of the three kingdoms of "Namayan" (the now City of Manila), also
called Kingdom of Sapa later be called "Maysapan" and Christianized
into "Santa Ana de Sapa" now simply as Santa Ana, has
Estero de Santa Clara and the longest Estero Tripa de Gallina. This long estero wasthe main
reason why Maysapan or Santa Ana was easily reached by Chinese mechant's
Junk boats bartering their Chinese goods with the locals. "Tripa de
Gallina" (chicken intestine), drains water from Manila, Paco, San
Andres, Makati as far as Forbes Park, Fort Bonifacio and then
through Buendia Avenue in Makati and Pasay (including Bangkal and Don Bosco
Makati) and then in Paranaque. Dumps water into Manila Bay via the
Paranaque River at an intersection near western side of the NAIA runway.
These canals or esteros, I mentioned are located in the old
City of Manila, not counting the rivers, esteros and canals of the now
Metro Manila. Basically Manila is surrounded by water, which flows to
the main artery of Pasig River, that meets Laguna de Bay and Manila Bay.
...so, where have all these esteros gone? They're gone to be a garbage
dump by the Manilenos, some were claimed by illegal buildings, streets
and barong-barong. But they reappear once again as "one wide estero"
during monsoon season reclaiming almost the whole city of Manila. Where
have all the esteros gone? have a "circular answer" like the Latin
phrase... "Ubi sunt qui ante nos fuerunt?" meaning "Where are those who
were before us?"
- - ka tony
the 29th of July, '13
