Maragtas Legend
ANG MARAGTAS KANG MADYA-AS
The Maragtas legend explained that sometime between 1200-1250's; Ten (10) Malay Datus together with their families, households and subordinates fled the tyrannical rule of Makatunaw, the Shri-Vijaya Sultan of Bornay (Borneo).
Led by Datu Puti, the Sultanate Minister, they landed in the Island of "Aninipay" or Panay. They bartered their gold and jewelries with the local Ati Chieftain Marikudo for the lowlands, plains and valleys of the Island they called "Madya-as" or Paradise. The land where time began; the birth of the Ilonggo Nation and the cradle of ancient Filipino civilization.
For about 300 years before the coming of the Spaniards, the Ilonggos lived in comparative prosperity and peace under an organized government, the "Katiringban et Madia-as" or the Confederation of Madya-as and with such laws as the Code of Kalantiaw.
Nota Bene: Period of emigration was later confirmed to be during the early part of the 1400's as recorded in the ancient Chinese Ming Dynasty Chronicles. (See article below)
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The Maragtas Legend and the Chinese Ming Dynasty:
(By: dinggol a.divinagracia- Sept.25,2006)
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The inclusion in the ancient Chronology of the "Chinese Ming Dynasty and Islamic Influences" by Guo Zhongli about the saga of Bornean Datu Putih, Code of Kalantiaw and the Maragtas Code of Sumakwel, are like drops of rain on a hot summer day.
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Likewise, this is a shot in the arm to believers of their glorious past & noble heritage.
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According to Ming Chroniclers:
"...1372 AD -Sabah Journal reported a Ming envoy, Prince Sahib ul-Kahar Ong Sum-ping to have sailed through the Sulu Archipelago to Kinabatangan in North Borneo and established a permanent Chinese foothold in that vast uninhabited island...."
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"...1390 AD - Srivijayan Raja Baguinda, a minor ruler of Minangkabau, arrived in Sulu from Swarna Dwipa and founded the town of Bwansa in Jolo Island;...."
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Hypothetical analysis:
With the passage of time, inter-marriages and the relationships between neighboring islanders brought about the contemporaries of Sri-Vijayan Ruler Sultan Makatunaw (or whoever his name), Datu Putih and the Bornean datus who later fled Bornay and landed in Panay in the early 1400's. (Not between 1214-1250 as earlier believed)
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We noted the following in contradiction viz-a-viz our contentions:
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According to Ming Chroniclers:
"...1433 AD - A Seven-Datu-Council codified the Code of Kalantiaw (by Kalantiaw) and the Maragtas Code (by Sumakwel) for the people of Panay Island; Three Adatus from the original ten who came to Panay left for Batangas and Mindoro; Datu Putih was one of them but eventually returned to North Borneo from where no trace of him was found...."
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Our Contentions:----------- --------- ------ Ming Dynasty Chroniclers:
1) The name: Datu Puti ------------ --------- ---------Datu Putih
2) Landed in Panay: middle 13th Century----- -Early 15th century
2) 3-datus remained 7 left for luzon------- --------7-datus remained 3 left for luzon
4) Reached Batangas & explored luzon------- -Reached Mindoro, Batangas & explored Luzon
5) from Batangas, settled & died in Sulu-------Back to Borneo with no trace thereafter
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"Astana Putih" - present seat of the Royal Sulu Sultanate at Umbal Duwa in Indanan, Jolo Island in the Tausog Region of Sulu could have been named after Datu Putih.
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We are inclined to believe the ancient Chinese Ming Dynasty recorded chronicles because of the confirmed two points early emigration to the Philippine archipelago, also above-cited.
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Be that as it may, Pedro A. Monteclaro painstakingly created a legacy to all his "Kasimanwa"--- a guide for future generations; notwithstanding attempts of distortions by others to discredit his efforts.
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The "Maragtas Legend" shall forever be in the minds and enshrined in the hearts of Ilonggos, wherever they may be...a nostalgic memory...of a perceived myth that became a legend ...and the legend that turned out to be the history of a proud and noble People...of the once great Ilonggo Nation!
Left behind to explore Luzon and the remaing islands were the six bornean tribes of Datu Dumansil, Dumalugdog, Balkasusa, Paduhinog, Balinsusa, and Lubay. Many great Filipino Patriots and Heroes descended from these equally great ancestors. Among them, Dr. Jose P. Rizal considered "The Pride of the Malayan Race" . . . .”
(By: dinggol a. divinagracia - september 15, 2006)
Preface:
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Likewise, this article is written with malice towards none but with due respect to the following to wit:
a) William Henry Scott -an American Historian who in 1968 started it all.
b) Fr. Horacio de la Costa,S.J.-first Filipino Provincial General of the Jesuits.
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( http://www.mts.net/~pmorrow/marag_f.htm )
The stories known as the Maragtas are legends that may have been based on actual events in the remote past. They are about the ten datus or chiefs who escaped the tyranny of Datu Makatunaw of Borneo and emigrated to the island of Panay..."
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Pedro Monteclaro's Maragtas:
Even though these legends have been known for generations, the word maragtas itself was unknown until it was used as the title of a book by Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro in 1907...
Monteclaro regarded legends as an important part of Visayan heritage so he collected the various stories of the elderly of Panay and published them in his Maragtas..."
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Dr. Henry Otley Beyer:
The misconceptions surrounding Maragtas were further reinforced when even the highly respected historian, Dr. Henry Otley Beyer called it a prehispanic document. In Philippine Saga which he wrote with Jaime C. de Veyra in 1947, he mentioned a manuscript from Panay known as Maragtas and "the ancient writing in which it was originally inscribed". M7 Then in his Outline Review of Philippine Archaeology of 1949 he wrote the following:
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Remarks: Surely--- findings and opinions of the more credible and highly respected world renowned historian and archaeologist with the caliber of Dr. Henry Otley Beyer holds more ground.
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The Verdict on Maragtas:
Maragtas was finally placed in its proper perspective as a book of legends rather than historical fact in 1968 by William Henry Scott. For his doctoral dissertation at the University of Santo Tomas, Scott made a painstaking investigation into all the sources of information about the Philippines before the coming of the Spaniards.
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Reference:
by Joel R. Dizon
EDITORIAL [Gold Ore, Oct. ?, 1993]
William Henry Scott, renowned historian who authoried 15 books in Philippine history including The Discovery of the Igorots, is dead. He was 72 years old....
In it, Scott capsulized 18 years of work, faithfully following a cold trail of yellowed parchment records in some of the most obscure dustbins of history in the world: the Dominican Province, the Augustinian archives in Villadolid, Spain, the archives of the Indies in Seville and the Archivo Historico Nacional in Madrid..."
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Panel of Filipino Historians:
Horacio de la Costa -member of the Jesuitic heirarchy
Gregorio Zaide -continued to include information from Maragtas in his works.
But who are these three supposedly eminent Filipino historians. Will somebody tell me please! Marcelino Forondo; Mercedes Grau Santamaria; Nicholas Zafra
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The Result of Scott's Discoveries:
To this day ignorance and misunderstanding of the true nature of Maragtas is still prevalent throughout Philippine society even among its highest institutions and organizations. Evidence of this can be seen in the following list of web sites:
Department of Education, Republic of the Philippines
Governor's Office, Province of Antique
Mayor's Office, City of Iloilo
Madya-as Heritage Foundation Inc.
Save Madya-as, Save Panay.
Akaenon.Com
Confederation of Madyaas.
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Remarks:
Not only the highest Court of the land and the Philippine Educational heirachy ignore this misconcepcion propagated by Henry William Scott; but still many, many more respectable institutions, groups and enlightened citizenry.
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The Indolence of the Filipinos
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Part-IV
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Remarks:
Evidently, descendants of these early Malay Datus abounded in "Araut" or Dumangas in Iloilo and "Taal" in Batangas as contained in my article---The Descendants of "Datu Puti" which is in contradiction to Mr. Scott's theory but conforms with Dr. Jose Rizal' essay.
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Epilogue:
I wonder how this retired lay missionary of the Episcopal Church from New Jersey USA, in a short span of only nine (9) years since his 1954 arrival in the Philippines was able to twist the minds thereafter, of some people to forget their glorious past and noble heritage.
(By: dinggol a. divinagracia - October 18, 2006)
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More on the Maragtas in Kinaray-a
Ang guwa nga sila pa karon ang balasulon kay ginsulat nila ang mga ila nabati-an nga kasaysayang sang isa ka pumuluyo kag pungsod. Katulad ni Fra. Pavon kay sagi tana ka abay-abay nga magsulat parte sa anang bungang-isip lamang kag parte sa "blue" nga si "Kalantiaw."
Kahapos lang ang maghambal nga "sunugon" ang mga libro kon sikwahe sa aton nga palamatin-an kag igdulongog kon ang imo nga mga katigulangan naanad ron karan nga pangginawi. Ginhimo ran nanda sa South America kag sa Europa kag rugyan man sa Pilipinas nga ginpanunog ang mga libro nga hindi nanda mauyunan.Kang matak-an ron sanda ka lantaw ka aso kang nagadababa nga mga libro, ang mga nagsulat kang among mga libro ruman ang andang ginlitson. Panahon kang Inquisition nga sa diin ang mga katsila amo ang masupog nga magpalapta halin kay Fra. Domingo Aguilar paadto sa mga Jesuito.
Si Inday Sonia tungod nga nahadlok nga masunog ang kalag 'ya sa impierno nagbaliskad kang sinulatan kang anang Tatay kay tungod sa posting ni Toto Kenneth. 'Gakurog atay ko, Pareng Dinggol!
Aber, Toto Kenneth, ipabalhag man ang bag-o nga revision kang kasaysayan kang Pilipinas, word for word, nga nagustohan mo. Atong gin-cite ko sang 1999 gin-imprenta, 7 pa lang ka tuig nga nagligad kag ginabalhag para sa mga kabataan sang kalibutan. May isa pa ako diri nga kompilyasyon sang mga kasaysayan sang mga marinero printed and published by Barnes and Noble in 1994, ISBN 0 88029 907 X, copyright in 1988 by Brandt Aymar, "Men at Sea, The Best Sea Stories of All Time" waay labot ka ana ni Pareng Goyo kag ni Inday Sonia.
Ang URC nga gingamit ni Pareng Eking high tech tana ran kag amo ran ang gin-usar sa pelikula nga "Click" kag maskin ano mo ka pitik ang rewind amo man angud nga eksena ang nagabalikbalik sa imo Plasma TV o TiVO screen. Ang akon napanubli ko kay Lolo Indo Monteclaro kag kay Lolo ko Don Diego Tamook, mga isganan kang primer distrito kang Iloilo. Amo ran ang kinahanglan kang SOLFED agud nga masalbar nanda ang lenguahe kang Ilonggo, Binisaya kag Kinaray-a kang sa sagad nanda ka esplika sa in-English kag Kinatsila kag masanagan sanda sa mga dapat nanda nga orobrahon. Ugaring kay naanad tinyo nga kon daw mapierde gani kamo sa tinuba nga sugilanon kag sa seryoso man nga pagbanggi-anay kang mga tinaga, dayon ninyo kuot ka posporo o Zippo.
Daw sa mga ladrones nga mga pari katong una nga amo man ang gina-obra kang andang mga initi tulad sa sagad suspende kang mga nagakontra kananda halin kay Agurang Toto Roding Ganzon kang tana ang Alkalde sa Iloilo tubtob kay Heneral Jojo Binay ka Makati.
Samtang ang taytay sa Barangay Songsongon sa Igbaras hindi gali mapatindug pa kay naghambal si Inday Janet Garin nga wara masulod sa General Appropriations Act o Budget. Agurang Dinggol, hindi timo kakita ka diputada nga parehas kaguwapa kang amon sa 1st District, umagad ni Toto Oca, kag maaram pa. Pero, kon kis-a nagalipat man kita nga may ginatawag nga Supplementary Budget man nga ginapasar. Basi puwede tana nga ma-supplementary ta lang, Inday Janet? Kay man ang hinablos lo nga si Mayor James Esmeralda day nadabukan ron ang anang buli kag atat-na-atat ron nga mapatindugon kang taytay ang suba.
Labay man takon, Pareng Dinggol, rugyan sa suba kang Songsongon, ang Tangyan River, nagatimpasaw si Lolo Indo kag marigos kang una kay marayo ron 'to ang pito ka bubon nga ginpakutkot ni Datu Sumakwel para sa pito na ka asawa sa suba kang bukid kang Bukari sa Leon boundary kang Cabatuan marapit sa bukid kang Agua Colonia sa Barangay Kamandag. Man, Pareng Dinggol, waay man ta nagasugid pero nakaparigos man takon 'to kang-una sa isara ka bubon kag ayawan takon ka salom kag pangita lang daad maskin isara lang katong 7 ka asawa ni Datu Sumakwel.
Ang natingalahan ko lang nga kon paano maka-asawa kang pito ang tauo nga suno sa mga kaigsoonan ta sa SOLFED waay gani mag-exister. Nakita ko ang isara ka anang asawa nga nagahalay kang anang 2-piece bathing suit sa sanga kang pine tree katong 1975 kang magtukad takon rugto. Ginpa SLO-MO ko pa gani ang akon URC agud nga masaboran ko gawa ang maayad-ayad nga scenery. Ugaring kay ti hambal ni Inday Sonia Zaide kag ni Pareng Iscott mo bungang isip lang 'to. Seguro murto lang 'to o epekto kang biti-biti. Parehas seguro ni Wakik kag ni Pareng Eking.
Sa liwan naton nga pagbalik, Pareng Dinggol! Kabay nga ang mga babaylan kang Isla kang Panay magbugay kanaton kang maayad-ayad nga adlaw!
Apoy Amin ron ang akon ngaran agud nga hindi masal-an nga tirorista! (Ang nagapaniro bala ka maya!)
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