N A T I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y D A S M A R I Ñ A S

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READINGS I N P H I L I P P I N E HISTORY

W EEK 0 3

RAIDERS OF THE SULU SEA

DOCUMENTARY FILM
 AFTER READING THIS PART OF THE MODULE
THE LEARNERS WILL BE ABLE TO:

Determine the different points presented in the

documentary in understanding the long-standing
peace problem in Southern Philippines;

Identify the possible causes of the persisting

cultural and religious issues that contribute to the
W EEK 0 3 tension between Islam and Christianity in the
Philippines;
RAIDERS OF THE SULU SEA
DOCUMENTARY FILM
Explain the importance of the Raiders of the Sulu
Sea to the grand narrative of Philippine history

Evaluate the relevance of the document to

present time.
RAIDERS OF THE SULU SEA | DOCUMENTARY FILM

This section focuses on the documentary, Raiders of the Sulu Sea,

produced by Oak3 films. The documentary depicts how the raiders, known
as pirates of the Sulu seas, went along with their trade before the arrival of
the Spaniards in Zamboanga. It narrates how slave raiding was done by
indigenous peoples of the region to retaliate against the colonizers.

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differences & similarities
I SL A M & C H RI ST I A N I T Y

ISLAM CHRISTIANITY

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KEY TERMS

Raider(s) — a person or a group of persons who attacks an enemy in the

enemy's territory; a marauder.
Slave-raiding — is a military raid for the purpose of capturing people and bringing
them from the raid area to serve as slaves.
Free Trading — international trade left to its natural course without tariffs, quotas, or
other restrictions.
Pirate — a person who attacks and robs ships at sea.
Spaniard — a native or inhabitant of Spain, or a person of Spanish descent.
Indigenous peoples — inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of
relating to people and the environment. They have retained social, cultural, economic
and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in
which they live.
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KEY TERMS

Moro Crater Massacre (The First Battle of Bud Dajo)

-was a counterinsurgency action fought by the United States Army against
Moros in March 1906, during the Moro Rebellion in the southwestern
Philippines.
The Moro conflict
-an insurgency in the Mindanao region of the Philippines, ongoing since
March 1968. In the 1960s, political tensions and open hostilities developed
between the Philippine government and Moro Muslim rebel groups.

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RAIDERS OF THE SULU SEA
BACKGROUND OF THE PRODUCER

Raiders of the Sulu Sea is a historical documentary produced by Oak3 Films.

Established in 1996, Oak3 Films was founded by Zaihirat Banu Codelli (CEO) along
with Lim Suat Yen (COO) and Jason Lai (Director of Content). It became popular
because they co-produced a documentary with Discovery Asia titled "The Gods
Must Be Hungry," which earned Discovery Asia's highest viewership in 10 years.
The documentary was the product of a co-production agreement between the
Media Authority of Singapore and the Korean Broadcasting Commission in 2007
for Q Channel Korea. It was distributed internationally by Looking Glass
International through Discovery Channel and History Channel (for Asia) in 2008. It
was directed by Idzwan Othman.

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RAIDERS OF THE SULU SEA
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE DOCUMENTARY

“Raiders of the Sulu Sea” A Historiography

Documentary film focusing on Zamboanga
City depicting how the Spaniards defended
the city with the Fort Pilar as Spain’s last
stronghold and bastion of defense and
economic expansion in the South of the
Philippines . It depicts the Southeast Asian
flourishing free trading in the area and the
adverse effects and repercussions when
Europeans such as the English, Dutch and
Spanish who wanted to control the economy
as well to colonize and Christianize.

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RAIDERS OF THE SULU SEA
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE DOCUMENTARY

The film focuses on the slave raiding activities done in

Christian communities as retaliation on colonizers -
perpetrated by the seafaring communities of Balangingi
Samal and the Ilanun people, along with the Taosugs under
the command of the Sultanate of Sulu. It depicts the
sophisticated ancient maritime vessels such as the Lanong,
Garay and the Salisipan and tools of war such as the
Barong, Kris, and the Kampilan and the well organized
forces that is launched for slave raiding the coasts of
Mindanao Visayas, and Luzon, between July to October
called as the Pirate wind “ Pirate monsoon”.

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RAIDERS OF THE SULU SEA
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE DOCUMENTARY

Raiders from these different tribes, were

described as “pirates” by the colonial
powers. On the other hand, the raiding
activities could be seen as retaliatory attacks
or show of resistance for the colonizers.
“Using the English word “pirates” is actually
misleading in summer specs because it
doesn't cover raiders, it doesn't cover
people who act on behalf of the state”,
Professor Barbara Watson Andaya said on
the documentary.

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RAIDERS OF THE SULU SEA
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE DOCUMENTARY

Throughout the hundreds of years that the Philippines was ruled by colonizers, the
armed struggle against the Spanish, American, and Japanese colonial
governments are considered by Moro leaders as part of the four-century long
"national liberation movement." The long-standing Moro-conflict is rooted in the
Spanish and American wars against the Moros. Under the Spanish rule, the
propagation of Christianity heightened the prejudice against the Moros and their
Islamic belief. In addition, Spain's efforts to control maritime trade caused Moros to
lose sources of livelihood, putting many of them in poverty. Under the American
rule, thousands of Moros were killed by American soldiers in the Moro Crater
Massacre.
Raiders of the Sulu Sea (2008) key informants were Icelle D. Borja; Samuel K. Tan, PhD; Barbara W. Andaya,
PhD; Julius Bautista, PhD; Margarita D. Cojuangco, PhD; and Halman Abubakar (Councilor, Jolo, Sulu).

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SELF PACED ACTIVITY

WATCH:
Raiders of the Sulu Sea — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEtJ1mZdX10

ACTIVITY: Identify five (5) examples of material culture of Moros as presented

in the documentary, and explain their significance to the Moro population.

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 REFERENCES
Abinales, P. N. (2004) "The good imperialist? American military presence in
the Southern Philippines in historical perspective. Philippine studies, 52(2),
N A T I O N A L U N I V E RS I T Y D A SM A RI Ñ A S
pp. 179-207. Retrieved from https://www.eastwestcenter.org/system/tdf/

GERPH01X
READINGS I N PHILIPPIN E HISTO RY
private /PSwp007.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=32021

Borja, I. G. (n.d.). IcelleARTicles: Raiders of the Sulu Sea. Retrieved from

http://www.zamboanga.com/arts_and_culture/Icelle_raiders_of_sulu.htm

Concepcion, H. A. (2016). Southern Philippines under Spanish rule. In

Reexamining the history of Philippine-Spanish relations. Manila, Philippines:
National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
W EEK 0 3
Majul, C. A. (1973). Muslims in the Philippines (3rd ed.). Quezon City,
RAIDERS OF THE SULU SEA Philippines: University of the Philippines Press.
DOCUMENTARY FILM Non, D. (1993). Moro piracy during the Spanish period and its impact.
Southeast Asian studies, 4(4). Retrieved from https://repository.kulib.kyoto-
u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2433/56477/1/KJ00000131731.pdf Singapore
Government Press Center. (2008, December 10).Retrieved from http://
www.news.gov.sg/public/sgpc/ en/media_releases/agencies/mda/
press_release/P-2008 12102/AttachmentPar/0/file/KIICA-MDA%20MOU%20
Press%20Release_101208.pdf

Warren, J. F. (1985). The Sulu zone, 1768-1898. Quezon City, Philippines:

New Day Publishers.