Manipesto ng Creoles/Filipinos, Mestizos at Ilustrados, ika-1 ng Marso, 1888

...umaga, ika-1 ng Marso, 1888 mga creoles/Filipino, mestizos at ilang ilustrados ay nagmartsa patungo sa tinitirhan ng pansamantalang gobernador, Jose Centeno Garcia na isang mason, upang ibigay ang isang petisyong pagtangal sa Dominikanong Arsobispo Pedro Payo at pagtatangal din sa mga prayle at sa kanilang kapangyarihan sa ano man sanga ng Katolikong simbahan. Ang pagmartsa ay pinangunahan nila Doroteo Cortez na isang abogadong mestizo at Jose Ramos na hawak ang manipestong nagtataglay ng mga krimen, kasalanan at pangaabusong ginagawa ng mga prayle sa kolonyang "Filipinas," habang sila ay sumisigaw ng... "Viva España! Viva el Rey! Viva el Ejercito! Fuera los Frailes!" ("Mabuhay ang Espana! Mabuhay ang Hari! Mabuhay ang Hukbo! Ipatapon ang mga Prayle!").

Ang nasabing manipesto ay nilagdaan ng 810 na katao at ang kopya nito'y ipinadala sa Reyna Regente ng Espana. Hinihiling din sa manipesto ang pagtataguyod ng Sekular na mga paring Filipino at pagiging "Cura Parroco" ng mga ito sa iba't ibang parokya ng simbahan sa kapuloan. Binangit din na ang kahilingang Sekularisasyon ay matagal ng repormang kahilingan ni Padre Jose Burgos na naging sanhi ito ng kaniyang kamatayan sa garrote. Ang nakalagdang autor ng manipesto ay ang abogadong mestizo Doroteo Cortez, subalit ang tunay na nagsulat nito'y ang henyong Marcelo H.del Pilar.

Makaraan ang isang lingong pagsisiyasat sa naganap, napagalaman ng Kastilang Cortes na ang mga taong nakalagda sa dokumentong ito'y hindi alam ang mga kahilingang nasa manipestong kanilang pinirmahan at pinabulaan na hindi sila sangayon sa pagpapatangal sa Arsobispo Pedro Payo at pagpapatagal din sa mga prayle. Ang mga lider at mga namuno sa pagmartsang naganap ay biglang naglaho na parang bula at iba nama'y ipinatapon sa malayong lugar na tulad din sa pagkakatapon sa kapatid ni Marcelo del Pilar, Padre Toribio Hilario del Pilar sa Isla ng Marianas sa pagkakasangkot niya sa "Cavite Mutiny" na ibinintang din sa mga GOMBURZA. Ang pansamantalang gobernador na Jose Centeno Garcia ay nagbitaw ng kaniyang tungkulin at umuwi ng Espana, samantalang ang amo niyang Gobernador-Heneral Emilio Terrero ay natapos ang termino at tungkulin sa kolonyang Filipinas at pinalitan siya ng bagong Gobernador-Heneral Antonio Molto.

Ilang buwan pa lamang ang nakakalipas sa pagmartsang ginawa at sa subersibong manipestong sinulat, ay kumalat naman ang aklat ni Jose Rizal, "Noli me Tangere" sa kapuloan. Upang huwag maakit ang mga nakabasa at magbabasa ng subersibong aklat na Noli, ang Agostinong padre Jose Rodriguez ay nagsulat ng isang dokumentong... "¡Caiñgat Cayo!: Sa mañga masasamang libro't, casulatan" na nagsasaad na ang pagbabasa ng aklat ni Rizal ay isang mortal na kasalanan sa Diyos at simbahan. Bilang sagot naman sa dokumentong ginawa ni padre Rodriguez, si Del Pilar ay sumulat ng... "Caiigat Cayo" (Kadulas Kayo ng Igat") na kinagalit lalo ng mga pare at prayle kay Del Pilar. Kaya naman ang Kastilang Cortes ay inakusahan ng mapangganib na subersibo at paghuli kay Del Pilar, tuloy noong ika-28 ng Oktubre, 1888, si Marcelo H.del Pilar ay iniwan ang kaniyang mga mahal sa buhay at tumakas patungong Espana.
- ka tony
ika-1 ng Marso, '15 

Luzon Indios, Manila Men, Chinos at si Fray Junipero Serra

Ika-1 ng Hunyo 1565, nang ang galleon San Pedro sa ilalim ni Kapitan-Heneral Felipe Salcedo (apo ni Miguel Lopez de Legazpi), kasama si Fray Andres Urdaneta ay tumulak patungong Cabo Mendocino ng California, pagkatapos ay nagtungo sa porte ng Acapulco, Mexico. Ang mahaba, subalit iwas sa panganib na rutang ginamit ng galleon ito ng San Pedro na nagmula sa Cebu, ang naging huwarang padron na sinundan ng sumunod na mga galleon sa loob ng 300 taon ng Manila/Acapulco Galleon Trade.

Noon naman ika-18 ng Oktubre 1587, ang Manila galleon na Nuestra Senora de Esperanza sa ilalim ng Kapitan-Heneral Pedro de Unamuno kasama ang maraming tripolanteng Tagalog na kung tawagin ay "Luzon Indios" ay dumaong sa Morro Bay ng San Luis Obispo, California. Ang ginawang pagapak ng mga "Luzon Indios" sa Morro Bay ay tinawag ng mga Amerikano na... "the first landing of Filipinos in the continental United States." Sila ay nagtayo ng kuta sa Morro Bay at nagtirik ng malaking krus na gawa sa sanga ng punongkahoy, subalit dalawang araw palang sila sa lugar na ito'y sinalakay sila ng mga Native American Indians at isa sa mga Luzon Indios ang nasawi. Dahil sa nangyaring pagsalakay, hindi tinuloy ang pamamalagi ng mga tripolante upang halughugin ang kalawakan ng California. Ang pagdaong at pagtataguyod ng kuta ng mga Luzon Indios sa Morro Bay ay pinakauna sa kasaysayan ng Estados Unidos kaysa sa kinikilala at tinatawag sa kasaysayan ng Amerika... "the Landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims in 1620 at Plymouth, Massachusetts."

Ang sinimulan ng galleon San Pedro at ng galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza ay pinagpatuloy nila Francisco de Galli at Sebastian Cermeno, noong taon 1594 lulan sila ng galleon mula Manila upang halughugin ang kalawakan ng California at angkinin ito para sa bayang Espana. Sa kautusan ng Haring Felipe II ng Espana, taon 1606 sa Monterey, California ay itinirik ang bandila ng Espana ng mga Kastila sa tulong ng mga naglalakihang galleon mula Manila.

Ang dating hukom sa Manila, Pedro Enriquez Calderon ay nagmungkahi sa pamahalaang Madrid noong 1748, na magtayo ng permaneteng presidio at kuta sa Alta California, upang maiwasan ang pagtatangkang pagagaw ng kolonyang ito ng Espana ng mga Ingles at Ruso. Ibinigay ang tungkuling ito ng pamahalaang Madrid kay Jose de Galvez upang magpundar ng presidio, mga barrio, mga bukirin, pagpapalawak ng sakop na lupain at pagdadala ng maraming magsasakang Luzon Indios, mga butong pananim at punla mula Pilipinas sa pamamagitan ng galleon sa Alta California. Ang napili naman ni Jose de Galvez na mamuno ng lakas militar ay ang Kapitan Gaspar de Portola at para mangasiwa naman ng missiong Katoliko at "encomienda sistema" ay si Fray Junipero Serra.

Si Junipero Serra y Ferrer ay isinilang noong ika-24 ng Nobyembre, 1713 sa Majorca, Espana. Ngayon ay kinikilala si Jenipero Serra, isang pareng Pransiskano na nagpundar ng siyam na Katolikong mission mula Baja, San Diego hangang sa San Francisco ng Alta California, na noon ay sakop ng Nueva Espana (Mexico). Habang naglalakbay si Junipero Serra mula sa Vera Cruz, kasama ang dating kapitan na naging Gobernador Gaspar de Portola, upang sakupin ang kalawakan ng Alta California, si Serra ay napilayan na naging sanhi ng kaniyang pangagailangan ng gabay sa paglalakad habang buhay. Ang naging alipin, tagaakay, taga pag buhat at taga pangasiwa ni Serra ay isang Luzon Indio na nangagalang Narciso. Matapos makapagtayo ng siyam na mission si Serra ay namalagi na lamang siya sa mission ng Santiago de Queretaro bilang superbisor, tuloy natuto ng wika ng mga "Pame Indios" na ginagamit niya sa pagsulat ng dasal at gamit na wika para misa.

Pinalawak ni Serra ang mission mula Baja, San Diego, hangang San Francisco ng Alta California sa tulong ng mga Luzon Indios (kung tawagin ng mga Mexicano ay "Chinos" sapagkat sila ay sakay mula sa mga galleon na ang lulan ay kalakal na karamihan'y gawang Tsina) at Native American Indians pamamagitan ng "encomienda sistema" o "forced labor" na ang pangakong kapalit ay kaligtasan ng kanilang kaluluwa laban sa demonyo, sa pamamagitan ng bisa ng sakramentong binyag. Maraming Luzon Indios o Chinos na binigyan ng mataas na tungkulin sa mga mission, sapagkat sila ay maaasahan di tulad ng mga Native American Indians. Tulad ng Kapampangan na si Vicente Tallado at 20 na mga Luzon Indios na kasama, dating mga tripolante ng galleon San Jose, si Tallado ay tagapangasiwa sa mission ng Monterey.

Maraming Luzon Indios ang hindi makatiis sa mahigpit na pamamalakad ng encomienda sa Alta California, sila ay tumakas habang sila ay nasa Gulf of Mexico, na kung saan dinadala ang ibang kalakal ng Manila galleon upang ipadala sa Espania sa pamamagitan ng Dagat Atlantiko. Napadpad ang karamihan sa Louisiana at nanirahan sa tagong kasapaan ng Lake Borge, Saint Malo ng Louisiana at doon sila ay tinawag na "Manila Men."

Si Junipero Serra ay binawian ng buhay noong ika-28 ng Agosto 1784, na hanagang sa huling sandali ng kaniyang buhay ay nasa tabi niya ang tapat na tagaakay niyang Luzon Indio na si Narciso. Si Junipero Serra ay nilibing sa sangtuaryo ng Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, Carmel, Monterey California.
- ka tony
ika-19 ng Enero, 2015

Imus Assembly, the 31 of December, 1896 - day before the execution of Jose Rizal

Day before the execution of Jose Rizal Magdiwang and Magdalo leaders met to discuss how to settle differences in revolutionary struggle and also a plot to snatch Rizal on the eve of his execution scheduled by the Spanish colonial authorities, also exploration of unified leadership fails because of dispute over which leadership should prevail; Supremo Bonifacio asks Aguinaldo, secretary of the meeting to record a motion forwarded re-framing of a constitution, despite the fact that the Katipunan Government already had one, but Aguinaldo asks that the matter be deferred at the moment.

After the execution of Jose Rizal at Bagumbayan, Josephine Bracken with Paciano & Trinidad Rizal (her brother & sister-in-law, the latter a Katipunera & a Mason), according to Santiago Alvarez’s Memoirs, said that the Rizals came at past one o'clock in the afternoon of December 30, 1896 at San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias). Andres Bonifacio, the Katipunan supremo, received the Rizals himself at the house of Mrs. Estefania Potente where he was staying. Was requested by the Rizals to translate Rizal's poem ("Mi Ultimo Adios" originally untitled, unsigned and undated) to Tagalog. Supremo Bonifacio asked if he could keep for some time a copy of Rizal’s poem so that he could translate it into Tagalog with the assistance of Diego Mojica, President of the Popular Council Mapagtiis & local Cavite poet & writer in Tagalog. This Tagalog translation by the Supremo Bonifacio is now known as "Pahimakas."

The following day a meeting was held between the Magdalo and Magdiwang parties of the Katipunan at Imus, Cavite, December 31, to determine the leadership of Cavite in order to end the rivalry between the two factions. The issue of whether the current Katipunan Government should be replaced by a revolutionary government was brought up by the Magdalo, the Magdiwang favored the old Katipunan Government, though both factions agreed that Cavite should not be divided. Supremo Bonifacio and the Magdiwang contended that the Katipunan already functioned like a full-fledged and served as their revolutionary government since it had its own constitution, laws and provincial and municipal governments. Magdiwang is major Katipunan force in Cavite, with 3,400 guns compared to Magdalo's 2000 and had decidedly bigger territories covered.

In the same meeting, a Magdalo engineer and general named Edilberto Evangelista made a draft of a constitution. Aguinaldo himself publicly recommended Evangelista to head the revolutionary government that would be established in place of the Katipunan Government, according to Aquinaldo, Evangelista is "the most educated" in the organization and that Evangelista could "command the respect of the Spaniards." Evangelista presented his draft constitution for the proposed government to Supremo Bonifacio but this had earlier been rejected as too similar and finding it plagiarized from the Spanish "Maura Law" - the same law that laid the basic foundations for Spanish Municipal Government in the Philippines. It is named after its author, Antonio Maura y Montaner the Spanish Minister of Colonies at the time. The Maura Law established tribunales, municipales and juntas provinciales and these foundations laid by the Maura Law were later adopted, revised and strictly followed by the American and Filipino governments that succeeded Spanish rule in the country. Evangelista's constitution contradicts the objectives of the Katipunan Government; Liberty, Equality, Fraternity...

1) To advocate complete independence from Spain, to be achieved through armed struggle.
2) To take back lands, gold, personal savings, personal properties confiscated by the church and Spanish Cortes from the poor masses. They also saw it as their personal responsibility to help the poor, the oppressed and to teach them good manners, hygiene and morality.
3) To dismiss the elite society and social classes, instead create an equal social status.

The Imus Assembly presided by Supremo Andres Bonifacio, ended without a resolution of the conflict and issues. Upon the event of restructuring, according to Santiago Alvarez and Artemio Ricarte, the assembly agreed to appoint Supremo Bonifacio as the head of a legislative committee and was given the authority by both factions to appoint members he considers worthy in setting up a new government. The Supremo requested for the minutes of the meeting to establish this given authority, but these were never provided.
- ka tony
the 29th of December, 2013

Guillermo Tolentino's Supremo Bonifacio Monument

On February 23, 1918, an Act was passed to build a national monument for Supremo Andres Bonifacio, known as Father of Philippine Revolution for picking up his gun and bolo fighting for the total independence of Haring Bayang Katagalugan against the Spanish colonizers. Act No. 2760 was passed by the Philippine Legislature, of which former Katipuneros, specially Supremo's friend and comrade, Guillermo Masangkay led the move to build the national monument. Inaugurated on the 70th birth anniversary of Bonifacio (November 30, 1933), the monument demonstrates National Artist Guillermo Tolentino's philosophy that a megalith should be factual and symbolical. Tolentino painstakingly researched and interviewed people who had known Andres Bonifacio, going so far as to even consult a "espiritista" (spirit medium) to discern the true likeness and character of the Supremo.

Supremo Bonifacio wears a "Balintawak Costume" white camisa de chino and red pants, Tolentino basing it on the yearly fiesta of San Bartolome of Malabon, the patron saint of knives and bolos, the only time Tagalogs were allowed by the Spanish Cortes to carry knives and bolos to be bless during the fiesta wearing their "Balintawak" costume . And on this occasion the Supremo took advantage of the fiesta to stage the "First Cry of the Revolution" at Balintawak, the place where devotees passed on the way to Malabon.

The massive structure with figures and design symbolizing the causes of the Philippine Revolution:
# ...Supremo is facing Tondo the place of his birth
# ...octagonal base with an eight-rayed sun symbolized the first eight provinces placed under martial law for revolting against Spain
# ...45-foot tall pylon bearing the winged figure of Victory
# ...pylon or obelisk is composed of five parts corresponding to the five aspects of the society, Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan
# ...the base is an octagon, the eight sides standing for the first eight provinces to rise against Spain
# ...the base rises in three steps, each step alluding to each century of Spanish rule
# ...the very pools of water that surround the central obelisk were a nod to Rizal's comparison of the Filipino temper to water vital, its mien ever-changing, raging when provoked, an "elemental force," which was among the motifs used in his El Filibusterismo: "That water is very mild and can be drunk, but that it drowns out the wine and beer and puts out the fire, that heated it becomes steam, and that ruffled it is the ocean, that it once destroyed mankind and made the earth tremble to its foundations!"
...Tolentino modelled the figure's bone structure after Bonifacio's surviving younger sister Espiridiona. Tolentino's sacred classical realist aesthetic has, perhaps, given us a Bonifacio so unlike the volatile man of action that has bled into our collective psyche but was nonetheless the best approximation of the man so few could ever define so accurately.
- ka tony
- the 23 of November, '14

Kaunting Bato, Kaunting Semento Monumento at Ano Ang Sagisag Nito?

Nais kong bigyan ng pagpuna ang bantayog na dinesenyo ng maestro Guillermo Tolentino para sa Supremo Bonifacio na punong-puno ng kahulugan. Nais ko rin ihambing ang bantayog ng Supremo na ang tanging layunin ay para sa buong kalayaan ng Haring Bayang Katagalugan, sa monumento ni Rizal na ang hangarin ay reporma sa abusadong mga prayle ng simbahang Katoliko at sa pamamalakad ng Kastilang cortes.

# ...maestro Guillermo Tolentino, lokal na eskulptor ang siyang nagdesenyo ng bantayog ng Supremo Bonifacio. Isang naman istranhero Suwisong esculptor, Richard Kissing ang nagdesenyo sa monumento ng ilustradong Rizal.
# ...punong-puno ng kahulugan ang bawat sulok ang bantayog ng Supremo. Kompara naman sa wala ni ano mang kahulugan ang monumentong "“Motto Stella (Guiding Star) ni Rizal bukod sa tatlong tala na sumasagisag ng Luzon, Bisayas at Mindanao.
# ...ang imahen ng Supremo ay inihulma ng maestro Tolentino sa mukha ni Espiridiona Bonifacio, taging nabubuhay na kapatid ng Supremo noon. Bilang isang esperitista, si maestro Tolentino ay tinawag ang espirito ng Supremo upang bigyan siya ng pahintulot at maalinaw ang kaanyuhan ng bayani. Ang imahen ni Rizal ay itinulad ng eskulptor na Richard Kissing sa napakaraming mga larawan ng sikat na ilustradong Rizal.
# ...sa bantayog ng Supremo siya ay may hawak na baril at tabak na nagsasagisag na taging armadong himagsikan lamang matatamo ang kabuoang kalayaan ng ating bayan laban sa kolonyalismo. Si Rizal ay ipinakitang may hawak na dalawang aklat na kaniyang sinulat at ibinunyag ang pagaabusong at kalupitang ginawa ng mga prayle at pamahalang cortes.
# ...ang namuno upang maitayo ang bantayog ng Supremo ay ang kasamang Katipunero at tapat na kaibigan niyang Guillermo Masangkay. Ang humiling na magtayo ng monumento ni Rizal ay ang United States Philippine Commission at ginawa naman itong batas Act No. 243 ni Governor-General William Howard Taft.
# ...ang bantayog ng Supremo ay nasa masang lugar ng Balintawak na kung saan ang daanan araw-araw ng mga manggagawa na pumapasok sa kanikanilang pinagtatrabahuhan. Ang pinagtirikan ng bantayog ng Supremo sa Balintawak ay isa sa pinaniniwalaan na kung saan ginanap ang "Unang Sigaw" bilang simula ng armadong himagsikan para sa ating kabuoang kalayaan. Ang pinagtatayuan ng monumento ni Rizal ay isang parke na pangturista, na dati'y napakaraming makabayan, bayani ang pinatay at nagbuwis ng kanilang buhay, Bagumbayan o Luneta subalit ang lugar na ito'y ipinangalan na Rizal Park, alay sa pangunahing bayani na pinili ng mga kolonyalistang Amerikano para sa atin. Dito rin inilipat, inilibing ang labi ni Rizal at dito rin ginaganap ang taon-taong selebrasyon ng ating pekeng kalayaang deneklara ng taksil na Aquinaldo.
# ...ang imahen ng Supremo sa kaniyang bantayog ay nakatingin sa pinagmulan niyang masang Tondo, na tila naghihintay sa kung sino ang magpapatuloy sa kaniyang naputol na masang himagsikan. Ang imahen ni Rizal sa kaniyang monumento ay nakaharap at nakatingin sa malayong dagat na tila nais na muling maglakbay at iwanan, talikuran na muli ang bayang punong-puno ng suliranin, kaya siguro mayroong nagbabantay na sundalo sa kaniyang monumento.

...taong 2011 ang Rizal Park ay lalong pinaganda at muling binigyan ng panibagong pangaalaga ng National Parks Development Committee, tulad ng Dancing Fountain, Flower Clock, ang Noli Me Tangere Garden at ang Luzviminda Boardwalk, para sa ika-150 selebrasyon ng kapanganakan ni Jose Rizal. Kamakailan ay binigyan ng malaking pagpuna ng media at mga mamamayan tungkol sa isang mataas na gusaling itinatayo na nakakasira raw sa paningin sa monumento ni Rizal.

Ang bantayog ng Supremo Bonifacio sa Balintawak ay tila uling sa dumi dahil sa makakapal at malagis na usok ng mga nagdadaanang sasakyang pampubliko. Ito'y napapaligiran ng malalaswa at bayolenteng mga nagtataasang billboard ng mga sinehan. Natatakpan pa ito ng napakataas at napakaingay na LRT, tuloy hindi na makita ng Supremo ang kaniyang pinagmulang masang Tondo. Kaawa-awang Supremo, inagawan na ng liderato, pinatay ng pataksil ng mga mapulitikong Magdalo, inaagawan pa ng mga kabayanihang titolo! Subalit tulad mo, hihintayin namin ang susunod na "Bonifacio" upang ipagpatuloy ang naputol mong masang himagsikan na iyong sinimulan. Mabuhay ka aming Supremo Bonifacio!!!
- ka tony
ika-23 ng Nobiyembre '14
para sa ika-151 kaarawan ng Supremo Bonifacio 

The Virgin of Thousand Miracles and the Patroness of the Galleons

Every month of November an icon is borne across Manila Bay to honor this patroness of the galleons - "Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga" or commonly known as Our Lady of Porta Vaga, is the patroness of Cavite province. She is titled as "Reina de Cavite," "La Excelsa Patrona y La Celestial Guardiana y Protectora de la Provincia de Cavite y su Puerto" is one of the most reverent Marian images in the Philippines. She witnessed galleons built at Sangley Point and blessed hundreds of galleons sailed and returned of the 250 years of the infamous Manila/Acapulco Galleon Trade.

Her feast is celebrated every second Sunday of November in Cavite City, where She is honored as the Patroness of the entire city. Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga is also celebrated during Lenten rites as well as the customary observance of All Saints/All Souls Day, where she's referred to as "Inang Magkakandila," the image is given a Pontifical high mass at Binondo Church (Minor Basilica of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz). In 1892, the Philippine National Anthem composer Julian Felipe, composed a hymn called "Reina de Cavite" on her honor.

On March 16, 1984, the icon was stolen, after months of search it was recovered on August, 1984, the icon was stripped off all its original gold decorations and precious stones. Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga - the patroness of the galleons was re-enshrined in her altar by devotees include OFWs and other foreign nationals who flock Manila Bay and Cavite to join the Porta Vaga Festival.
- ka tony
**photo courtesy of our good friend Jing Lo Puertollano

"Nao Victoria" and the Basque Juan Sebastian Elcano

On the 6th of September, 1522, one of Magellan's ships "Nao Victoria" after the long circumnavigation returned in Sanlucar de Barrameda in Seville, Spain and was crewed by only 22 men out of the original 5 ships (Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Santiago and Victoria) and about 270 men that started the expedition in 1519. Only eighteen European survivors of the voyage and four Asians they had picked up en route. The rest had died, deserted, left behind as unworthy of sharing in the spoils of the rich cargo of spices. After traveling 42,000 miles, the ship was in terrible condition, with her sails torn and only kept afloat by continuous pumping out of water by the eighteen who returned to Seville in Victoria:

# ...Juan Sebastian Elcano - captain-general of Nao Victoria.
# ...Miguel de Rodas - petty officer of Nao Victoria.
# ...Francisco Albo - of Axio, boatswain of Nao Trinidad.
# ...Juan de Acurio - of Bermeo, petty officer of Nao Concepcion.
# ...Martino de Judicibus - of Italy, superintendent of Nao Concepcion.
# ...Hernando de Bustamante - of Alcantara, barber of Nao Concepcion.
# ...Juan de Zuvileta - of Baracaldo, page of Nao Victoria.
# ...Miguel Sanchez - of Rodas, seaman of Nao Victoria.
# ...Nicholas the Greek - of Italy, seaman of Nao Victoria.
# ...Diego Gallego - of Bayonne, seaman of Nao Victoria.
# ...Juan Rodriguez - of Seville, seaman of Nao Trinidad.
# ...Antonio Rodriguez - of Huelva, seaman of Nao Trinidad.
# ...Francisco Rodriguez - of Portugal, seaman of Nao Concepcion.
# ...Juan de Arratia - of Bilbao, seaman of Nao Victoria.
# ...Vasco Gomez Gallego - of Portugal, grumete of Nao Trinidad.
# ...Juan de Santandres - of Cueto, grumete of Nao Trinidad.
# ...Martin de Isaurraga - of Bermeo, grumete of Nao Concepcion.
# ...Chevalier Antonio Pigafetta - of Vicenza, Italy. passenger of Nao Trinidad.

On the 9th of September, 1522, three days after the eighteen gaunt men arrived, with candles in hand, walked barefooted to the shrine of Santa Maria de la Victoria in Seville to give thanks for their safe return. It was three years since they had commended themselves to the Virgin in that same shrine, on the eve of their departure as members of an expedition which was intended to reach the spice islands by sailing west, rather than east and somehow finding a way around or through the great landmass of America, sailed around the world on the remaining Nao Victoria that was built at a shipyard of Gipuzkoa, a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Basques being reputed shipbuilders like the Pilipinos and had good hardwood timbers as that of the Philippine hardwood that were used in the 300 years of the infamous Manila/Acapulco Galleon Trade.

Like the Nao Victoria, also from the Basque country Getaria, Gipuzkoa of Spain Juan Sebastian Elcano completed the first circumnavigation after Magellan and Duarte Barbosa's death in the Philippines, Elcano took command of the Nao Victoria from the Moluccas. At "Tierra del Fuego" the southernmost tip of South America, Elcano participated in a mutiny against Magellan before the armada discovered the passage through South America, now the "Strait of Magellan" before entering the Pacific Ocean. He was pardoned by Magellan after five months of hard labor in chains later was made captain of the galleon.

Juan Sebastian Elcano as the other crew after Magellan's death on April 27, 1521 at the Battle of Mactan, tried to recover their captain-general's body without success. Thereafter, Duarte Barbosa captain of "Victoria" and Juan Serrano of "Concepcion" were chosen leaders of the expedition, as Magellan wrote in his will that when he dies, his page Enrique de la Macca would be a freeman, both captain refused to give his freedom. Enrique sought out the disillusioned Raja Humabon and Datu Zula, convinced the two about his plot to get the Spanish goods and kill the crew, which the two leaders agreed. On the first of May, Magellan's crew were invited by Rajah Humabon for a banquet ashore to receive a gift for the king of Spain. During the dinner it appeared that a given signal, the native warriors attacked the guest, most were killed or poisoned, including Duarte Barbosa. Juan Serrano who was bleeding and his arms tied was dragged to the beach wanted to exchange him for weapons. Serrano pleaded to his friend pilot Joao Carvalho to ransom him. Fearing another treachery and perhaps thinking that he might be deprived of his command Carvalho refused to rescue Serrano, instead ordered the ships to to sail away. Serrano cursed Carvalho... "May God ask you for my soul on the day of judgement." Pilot Joao Carvalho, who had survived the trap, then became the captain of "Victoria." In August, near Borneo he was deposed and Juan Sebastian Elcano became captain for the remainder of the expedition.

After the successful first circumnavigation of Nao Victoria Juan Sebastian Elcano was awarded a coat of arms featuring a globe with the words expressing the spirit of his accomplishment... "Primus Circumdedisti Me" (Latin - "You went around me first") and a yearly pension, by King Charles I of Spain. In 1525, Elcano joined the Loaisa Expedition and was appointed Captain-General, commanded seven ships and was sent to claim the East Indies for Spain. Both Elcano and many other sailors died of malnutrition in the Pacific Ocean, few survivors reached their destination and a few of them managed to return to Spain. Elcano remained a bachelor but he had a natural son Domingo Elcano by Maria Hernandez Dernialde. In 1572 King Philip II of Spain awarded the male heirs of Elcano with the hereditary title of Marques de Buglas, Negros Island was originally called "Buglas" old Hiligaynon word thought to mean "cut off." To carry on the deliberation of the title of Marques de Buglas by King Philip II of Spain awarded the male heirs of Elcano, the current Marquis is the 17th in line and resides in Silay City, Negros Occidental.
- ka tony
the 5th of September '14