Chapter 7

First Filipinos who refuse to bow under Spanish yoke – Lapu-Lapu of Mactan and Dagami of Cebu

Categories of the Revolts:

1. Personal 3. Land Problems

2. Religious 4. Economic and Religious Institutions

A. Personal Motives (4) – led by former barangay datus and maharlikas as well as babaylans or katalonans who had
lost their power due to the arrival of the Spaniards, who supplanted them with new leaders and friars, but most
of all, to regain freedom they formerly enjoyed.

16th Century

Datus: Rajah Tupas of Cebu, Lakandula of Manila, Pedro Mojica of Cavite

Babaylans: Tamblot and Tapar

Lakandula of Manila – Baptized as “Carlos Lacandola”. He and his descendants (with Rajah Soliman) enjoyed privileges
like keeping their surnames, forced labor and tax exemptions however when Legazpi died and his successor, Lavezares,
took over, those enjoyed privileges were abolished and Lavezares abused the people.

“conspiracy of maharlikas” – led by Agustin de Legazpi, son of Lakandula, and his first cousin Martin de Pangan.
When they got caught they were dragged on hurdles, hanged, decapitated, and exposed in iron cages as warning for the
others. Minor datus were banished to Mexico when Spanish authorities received an information regarding their
conspiracy from a traitor, Antonio Susabao, who was then datu of Bay, Laguna.

17th Century

Tamblot of Bohol– a lot of shamans were Christianized but a few fled to the forests and faraway from reduccion because
they found out that living in it was irritating. Tamblot tried to persuade those who were Christianized by alluring them
through the use of magic and promised them wondrous things but then again a Spaniard by the name of Alcarazo
crushed him.

Bankaw of Leyte - Bankaw, datu of Limasawa, warmly received Legazpi and supplied the Spaniards with their needs.
Although baptized in his youth, revolted in his old age. Together with Pagali, a babaylan who used magic to attract
devotees, they had pressed six towns to drive away the Spaniards. Alcarazo checked the revolt in no time. Bankaw’s
head was impaled on a bamboo, his son was decapitated, others were shot and a babylan was burned.

18th – 19th Century

Francisco Dagohoy – a cabeza de barangay of bohol. He was eager to avenge his brother against Father Gaspar Morales
who refused to give his brother a proper burial. In fact, he was slain while carrying out the order of the same priest. This
led to the 85-year revolution (LONGEST REVOLT IN PH HISTORY) in Bohol not just for the said reason but also because of
unjust payments and forced labor. Other uprisings started to erupt in Laguna, Cagayan, Batangas, and Cavite because of
the exposition by the British invaders of the weak might of Spain.
 B. Religious Motives

17th Century

Miguel Lanab and Alababan of Apayao - beheaded a priest and a brother then compelled the Isnegs to go back to the
mountains with them and turn away from Christianity. The following year, they all surrendered because the Spaniards
destroyed their sources of food.

Tapar - is a former babaylan before being baptized under Christianity. He tried to establish his own religion but still
inspired by Catholic characters and terms. Tapar and his followers have slain a priest and burned a church then went to
the mountains. Not so long that they were caught and punished by feeding them to the crocodiles.

18th Century

Francisco Rivera – also called “Papa Rey” or Pope and King also tried to withdraw his townsmen in Tuguegarao but from
the time they attacked a seemingly weak-forced place of an alcalde mayor and lost, his believers became tired of his rule
that they even wanted to liquidate him. The people went to the mountains and forests.

19th Century

Ermano Apolinario’s revolt can be divided into 2 phases, first was the creation of Cofradia and his death, phase two was
its revival and the capture of Januario. The Cofradia movement members contributed fees and it also had position titles
such as hermano mayor which require a number of 4 votes. A vote is earned by bringing in 12 new recruits. Ermano Pule
was shot to death and the other members arrested. After some 29 years, the group reunited in Mt. Banahaw and
started operating again but with some changes. They proselytized by mentioning the appearance of the Virgin of the
Rosary, abolished the contribution, weddings are held not by a Catholic priest by Januario their Prophet and Pope.
However they too were captured and was sent to Palawan and or Mindoro and the confraternity died again.

C. Resistance to Spanish-Imposed Institutions

Taxation, Forced labor, galleon trade and monopolies were obviously the reasons

Magalat – As chief of Tuguegarao, he opposed the illicit tribute collection together with his brother and the Cagayanons.
He was killed when the Spaniards paid some hirelings from his own camp.

Juan Ponce Sumodoy – A son of a babaylan in Samar, and Pedr Caamug headed an uprising because of Gov. Diego
Fajardo’s order of shifting the recruitment to Visayas for the POLO Y SERVICIOS PERSONALES. However, the revolt that
has spread over regions of Visayas and northern Mindanao was contained by Christian Lutaws (Samal). They reached
Sumodoy’s camp, threw her mother over a precipice and presented his head to the alcalde mayor. h

“General” Luis Magtangaga – chief of Rizal, Cagayan mobilizing a force of 3,000 men to oust the hated alcade mayor,
failed. The mayor exploited onerous exaction of tribute and irritating recruitment.

Juan Caragay – revolted against the use of force for the Spaniards unlawful collection and draft labor in Pangasinan.
Caragay was able to slay the provincial governor but was killed later by loyal reinforcements from Dagupan.

Palaris – spearheaded a rebellion against Joaquin de Gamboa, alcalde mayor of Pangasinan because of the increase in
tribute and payment for choir singers. Palaris was betrayed by his own sister and eventually hanged.

Don Diego Silang – Due to the abuse of Antonio Zabala with th eindulto comercio, Silang headed the revolt which was
assured by man and firepower from the British. Fearing Silang’s threat to Spanish lives, Bishop Bernardo Ustariz
excommunicated Silang and ordered his execution. The alcalde mayor initiated the capture of the remaining rebels led
by Mrs Silang (1st woman to lead a revolt) who was executed last.
Lagutao revolt – The reason of Lagutao’s uprising was the monopoly of tobacco. He presented himself as his people’s
liberator but commander Mateo Cabal of Cagayan pursued him and killed all of them.

Samal mutiny – A mutiny that broke out led by Lt. Andres Magtanong and Sub-Lt. Francisco Malibiran, members of the
town militia, as reaction to estanco. They killed the teniente visitador and the tobaccp monopoly guards. As a revenge,
the rebels’ houses were torn down and the sites plowed strewn with salt.

Ambaristo revolt – Due to the oppressive monopoly of spirituous liquors.

D. Peasant Unrest

The maginoos of Cavite disputed fraudulent land surveys which usurped a late portion of communal lands in Carmona
and Lantic which were unjustly awarded to Chinese and mestizo tenants of the Dominican-owned friar estate. (land
grows each year). Principales of Silang Cavite assaulted the hacienda and razed the granaries and houses to the ground.
Another peasant revolt broke out again in Cavite headed by Juan Apay and Parang with 48 farmers (tagged as “reunion
of bandits”). Casimiro Camerino (El Tulisanes) started another peasant uprising with his followers. He was personally
granted amnesty at the Imus hacienda by Gov Carlos Maria de la Torre. Implicated in the Cavite Mutiny, he was
executed by garrote vil – death by strangulation using iron-collar.

E. The Moro Resistance

The “Moro Wars” started from the reestablishment of Fort Pilar in Zamboanga where the Spaniards failed miserably
to subjugate the moros. Thousands of Christians were captured during the Moro raids, resulting in the decimation of
population in Visayas. By 1876, Jolo had surrendered to Spain, and the “Moro Wars” were carried out mainly through
the jura-mentado or sabil allah ritual suicide attacks, commencing an open resistance to the unwanted Spanish
occupation of their ancestral islands.

F. Failure of the Revolts

The insular makeup of the Philippines, multitude of major and minor ethnolinguistic groups but no lingua franca,
much less a national language to communicate became the reasons why there was no sense of national unity thus,
the failure to put up a defense against the Spaniards.

Filipino Nationalism: Decelerators

The indios were not united in words and in deeds, as the Spanish church and state officials, divided and ruled
the natives.

Filipino Nationalism: Accelerators

A. The Philippines in world Commerce
B. Rise of the clase media
C. European Liberalism and Carlos Maria de la Torre
D. Racial Discrimination
E. Regular-Secular Conflicts
F. La Algarada Cavitena