Macabebe, Pampanga and the Macabebe Scouts

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