RAIDERS OF THE SULU SEA An authority on the issue of Moro history, armed struggle and quest for self-
AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND: determination. Like many historians from the south, he shares the view that
CONTEXT
OAK3 FILMS:
- Founded by Zaihirat Banu Codelli (CEO) along with Lim Suat Yen (
COO) and Jason Lai (Director of Content) in 1996.
Entered the international market in 2003 with a documentary co-produced
with Discovery Asia named “The Gods Must Be Hungry”
Running Time: 48 minutes and 43 seconds
The Raiders of Sulu Sea is 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.
KEY INFORMANTS
ICELLE GLORIA B. ESTRADA
She was born in Zamboanga City
A 7th generation direct descendent of Vicente Alvarez, the hero of Zamboanga
City during the Spanish-American war.
She earned her first degree at the WMSU, BS HE and pursued her second
degree at the U.P College of Fine Arts, major in History.
- A collector of Art
Presently a researcher associate of the National Museum and for many years
as Curator of Art Museum Exhibits here and abroad.
DR. SAMUEL KONG TAN
He is a Sama-Tausug-Chinese Filipino born in Slasi, Sulu. He earned his MA
History Degree in U.P Diliman and his PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies in
Syrcuse University, New York, USA.
He is a published author and served as Chair of UPD Dept. Of History
the colonial depiction of Moro “slave-raiding” in Philippine coastal towns
were demonstration of armed resistance to colonial rule.
HALMAN ABUBAKAR
A Tausug and a town councilor of Jolo
He shares the sentiment of his people – the Tausug and the Moro community
in general who resents their characterization by Western colonial and Filipino
historiography as “pirates”; he asserts that the attacks on Spanish forces were
the Moro reaction to Spanish and American impositions on the Moro people.
He promotes the inidigenous martial arts of “Silat (Penkak Silat in Malay)” as
a form of self-defense and glorifies the historic and symbolic significance of
the Tausug bladed weapons – the barong and the kris (“kalis” in Tausug)
BARBARA WATSON ANDAYA
Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Hawaii and Director of the
Center for Southeast Asian Studies
MA in history at the University of Hawaii, she subsequently went on to study
for her PhD at Cornell University with a specialization in Southeast Asian
History.
JULIUS BAUTISTA
PhD In Australian National University’s Centre for Asian Societies and
Histories under the supervision of Reynaldo Ileto in 2004
MARGARITA COJUANCO
PhD in History, University of Santo Tomas(UST) where she researched on the
history of the Sama in Sulu Archipelago.
3 MUSLIM TRIBES
Warriors
TAU (man) SUG (current)
They are proud Muslims renowned for their fierce resistance in the face of
Spanish Conquerors, for 300 years the Tausug and the Spanish were engaged
in almost continuous warfare, which ended when the Spaniards left the
Philippines.
One old Tausug proverb says: “Hanggang maybuhay, may pag- asa”

Occupied the chain of Islands between Basilan and Sulu Island.
- Raiding Tribe
The Balangingi, also known Northern Sama or Northern Sinama, is an
ethnolinguistic group living on the Greater Sulu Archipelago and the southern
and western coastal regions of the Zamboanga peninsula in Mindanao.
- Raiding tribe/ skilled warriors
- they were portrayed as “merciless” in the documentary.
- they were a fierce marine force of the Sultanate of Sulu
- They were very important in piracy(Pirate) history
FORT PILAR
The Royal Fort of Our Virgin Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza, commonly
known as Fort Pilar, is a 17th century military defense fortress built by the
Spanish colonial government in Zamboanga City, Philippines.
Fort Pilar was built on June 23, 1635. It is a silent witness to many battles
fought by the Spaniards against the Moros.
40 meters high, 2 acres wide
Architects: Father McKhor de Vera, 8J (1635) Juan Sicarra (1718)
CONTENT: SYPNOSIS OF THE FILM
The documentary adresses Moro resistance versus Spanish and American
rules in Souther Philippines.
Moro raids on coastal areas demonstrated resistance versus Spanish rule.
The much-feared Dalasi attack in December 8, 1720 failed although
Zamboanga was under seige.
These raids were sanctioned by the Sultan for political and economic motives.
Spanish policy was to stop raids, participate and monopolize trade and
propagate Christianity.
Slavery had been practiced in some tribes in the Philippines
Colonial rule and armed conflicts in this region cause the impoverishment of
Muslim Areas.
SLAVE RAIDING VESSELS
- Garay were traditional native warships of the Banguingui people in the
Philippines. In the 18th and 19th centuries, they were commonly used for
piracy by the Banguingui and Iranun people against unarmed trading ships
and raids on coastal settlements in the regions surrounding the Sulu Sea. The
name means "scattered" or "wanderer" in the Sama language of the
Banguingui.
- Small boats used for coastal raids.
- When they leave the shore on skeleton force, they pass by other bases and
augment the labour into the ship. When they reach the coast, the usually hide
their big boats, because it can be seen from the shore. They use Salisipans to
row into the shoreline and pretend that they are fisherman and harmless
people.
MARITIME CIVILIZATION
Proof of a maritime civilization is based on 1977 archaeological findings from
Butuan.
Built sea worthy vessels navigated by adept sailors in a labor-intensive
economy that bartered birds’ nest,trpang, and pearls.
Slaves worked as gatherers, rowers, helpers.
Therefore, slave-raiding, sale and distribution was considered part of
international trade in Southeast Asia.
It was “legal” (Abubakar, 2008)
SULU IN SPANISH TIMES
Jolo was a “slave market” in the 18th-19th century
Panglima Taupan, a Balangungui was a notorious slave raider.
Spain wanted to control maritime trade in Sulu Sea in addition to its goal of
Christianizing the population: “Money and mission can go together”
WEAPONS
Used by the Tausug and Balanguingui especially relating to the issue with the Spratly Island wherein China and
Is cherished for its symbolic connection and continuity with ancestors’. Philippines are in feud for the rights of the island.
2. BARONG
Used by the Tausug and Balangingi
Valued for its steely strength in cutting into halves modern rifles like M-14 or
carbine.

Used by the Ilanun

-the long and sharp kampilan is used to decapitate his opponent and extract his
opponent’s head.

THE DESTRUCTION OF BALANGUINGUI SETTLEMENT, 1848

It was also seen as a struggle between freedom and preservation of identity vs.
Opression and subjugation.
In 1848, Spain with the acquisition of powerful steamships from Britain
succeeded in gradually ending slave-raiding before 1898. They destroyed
Balanguingui settlements in Tongkil Island (now Balanguingui municipality)
Panglima Taupan “eventually surrendered after his wife and kins were taken
captives by Spanish Forces; they were relocated to Zamboanga
ADVENT OF AMERICAN RULE
American rule adopted the same policy towards the Muslim communities.
Armed resistance to US Forces in Sulu and Mindanao were considered
banditry and lawlessness and were met with deadlier ferocity through the
“pacification” campaigns of US Generals Leonard Wood and John Pershing
who both served as Governors of the American-established Moro Province.
The Tausugs who dared like Jikiri and other local datus (chieftains) to
challenge US rule were relentlessly pursued and killed by the compositee
forces of US Army, Phil. Constabulary (PC) and Phil. Scouts.
RELEVANCE
With the growing number of foreign countries that claim territories in our
country, the raiders of the sulu sea is a great reminder of how the filipinos
strived for reclaiming our lands. The documentation is very relevant