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Most people I talk to are aware of the battle where Lapulapu repelled and
killed Magellan, together with some of his sailors.
I tried to dig up more information about Lapulapu and the more I read
the more I’m convinced that while he did represent the first anti-colonial
resistance, we might want to use an April 27 holiday to commemorate
many other anti-colonial revolts, against the Spaniards, the Americans,
and the Japanese.
In contrast, Ouano-Savellon notes that there are two other works, Gerry
Yaun Desabelle’s “Lapulapu City: Its Role in the Birth of the Filipino
Nation” and Lina Quimat’s “Cebu: Our Glimpses in History of Early
Cebu,” that literally glorify Lapulapu, giving him superhuman powers.
My concern is that all this focus on Lapulapu might obscure the many
other revolts during the Spanish era. In Bohol, just across from Cebu,
there were several major revolts against the Spaniards led by Sikatuna,
Tamblot, Handog, Guba-guba, Baylan Karyapa, and by Francisco
Dagohoy, who started a revolt against polo (forced labor), bandala
(taxes) and generally oppressive conditions. Dagohoy, a cabeza de
barangay, and an orasyonan (one who uses oraciones or prayers to heal)
led a revolt that outlived him, lasting from 1744 to 1828, a total of 85
years and 20 Spanish governor-generals.
So strong was the impact of Dagohoy’s revolt that in Bohol there are still
sukdan or local shamans (healers who go into trance states) whose
rituals of song and dance commemorate Dagohoy’s courage and
leadership. These are well documented by Boholano Ulysses Aparece, also
in the Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society (The journal is
published by the University of San Carlos, which is playing a pivotal role
in the Quincentennial commemorations.)
mtan@inquirer.com.ph