Lakan Dula: The Pre-Hispanic King of Manila

LAKAN DULA (actually Lakan Dula, "Lakan" being the Kapampangan equivalent of Rajah) was a native ruler of Tondo (or Tondok, now a part of) Manila, Philippines during the early part of the Spanish colonization of the country. He ruled a community of Muslim Kapampangan peoples in the north of the Pasig River. He was one of three Muslim rulers in the Manila area during the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors led by Martín de Goiti and Juan de Salcedo in 1570. He fought the Spaniards for control of land and was defeated and captured. In 1571, he made a peace pact with Miguel López de Legazpi and handed over his throne to the Spanish.In 1587 Magat Salamat, one of the children of Lakan Dula, and Augustin de Legazpi, Lakan Dula's nephew and the chiefs of the neighboring areas of Tondo, Pandacan, Marikina, Candaba, Navotas and Bulacan were executed for secretly conspiring to overthrow the Spanish colonizers. Another incident happened in Pampanga during the famine. The Pampangos sought the help of the Borneans for their plan to enter Manila one dark night to massacre all the Spaniards. Unfortunately, a native woman married to a Spanish soldier betrayed the plan. Many Pampangos were arrested and executed. In Northern Mindanao, Governor Fajardo executed the chieftain of the Manobos named Dabao, after he accepted Fajardo's offer of amnesty. David Dula y Goiti, a grandson of Lakan Dula with a Spanish mother escaped the persecution of the descendants of Lakan Dula by settling in Isla de Batag, Northern Samar and settled in the placed now called Candawid (Kan David). Due to hatred to the Spaniards, he dropped the Goiti in his surname and adopted a new name David Dulay. He was eventually caught by the Guardia Civil based in Palapag and was executed together with seven followers. They were charged with planning to attack the the Spanish detachment. In 1762, Palaris led a revolt of Pangasinan and waged war that last for two years. This rebellion was crushed in 1765 and Palaris was hanged. Apolinario de la Cruz or popularly known as Hermano Pule revolted caught and after a hasty trial was executed and his body was dismembered and exhibited in the town of Tayabas. The execution of local priests Gomez, Burgos and Zamora, in February 17 1872, maliciously charged by the friars gained sympathy among the natives that led to numerous uprisings. However these uprisings unfortunately ended up in the execution of leaders and sympathizers. For instance, the 13 martyrs of Cavite, leaders in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija but the most gruesome and well remembered of all these executions was the execution of Jose Rizal on Dec. 30, 1896. (Source:Answers.Com)

DULAY CLAN OF MARIKINA VALLEY "The National Historical Institute of the Philippines says that Dulay came from David Dula y Goiti, descendant of Lakan Dula, pre hispanic king of Manila. Because of Hispanic prosecution, the clan sent their offsprings to different parts of the country and of the world using the Galleon Trade route and the chinese traders to places within sea routes. Dula y Goiti , because of hatred to the Spaniards,removed the goiti part and therefore Dula y or Dulay remained. Today, you can see Dulay all over the world, France, India, England, US, Europe and in the Philippines. In the Philippines being the root, you can see Dulay in Manila (Tondo, Manila was the seat of the kingdom of Lakan Dula), Marikina, Northern Samar, La Union, Pangasinan, Quirino, Pampanga, Bulacan, Mindanao,etc. All people carrying the surname Dulay all over the world are related. In the Philippines, President Diosdado Macapagal and President Gloria Arroyo are descendant of Lakan Dula.In fact you can feel the closeness of the Dulay to each other because if you meet a fellow Dulay, you can feel a surge of blood affinity right there and there According to local Marikina Valley historian Servando de los Angeles, the first settlers of Marikina came from Tondo and settled in what is now known as Jesus de la Pena where the oldest church in the city can be found. The first recognized leader of the Dulay Clan of Marikina Valley is Ceferino Dulay, a guerilla leader who retired as trusted "katiwala" of the Tuazon and Cacho - the clan that owned and developed a large portion of the city. The tomb of Ceferino was later discovered in the Chapel of Eternal Repose of the San Roque Roman Catholic Church in Marikina's poblacion."(Source:Ancestry.Com) .

THE DESCENDANTS OF LAKAN DULA In 1587 Magat Salamat, one of the the son of Lakan Dula, and Augustin de Legazpi, Lakan Dula's nephew and the chiefs of the neighboring areas of Tondo, Pandacan, Marikina, Candaba, Navotas and Bulacan were executed for secretly conspiring to overthrow the Spanish colonizers. Another incident happened in Pampanga during the famine. The Pampangos sought the help of the Borneans for their plan to enter Manila one dark night to massacre all the Spaniards. Unfortunately, a native woman married to a Spanish soldier betrayed the plan. Many Pampangos were arrested and executed. In Northern Mindanao, Governor Fajardo executed the chieftain of the Manobos named Dabao, after he accepted Fajardo's offer of amnesty. David Dula y Goiti, a grandson of Lakan Dula with a Spanish mother escaped the persecution of the descendants of Lakan Dula by settling in Isla de Batag, Northern Samar and settled in the placed now called Candawid (Kan David). Due to hatred to the Spaniards, he dropped the Goiti in his surname and adopted a new name David Dulay. He was eventually caught by the Guardia Civil based in Palapag and was executed together with seven followers. They were charged with planning to attack the the Spanish detachment. In 1762, Palaris led a revolt of Pangasinan and waged war that last for two years. This rebellion was crushed in 1765 and Palaris was hanged. Apolinario de la Cruz or popularly known as Hermano Pule revolted caught and after a hasty trial was executed and his body was dismembered and exhibited in the town of Tayabas. The execution of local priests Gomez, Burgos and Zamora, in February 17 1872, maliciously charged by the friars gained sympathy among the natives that led to numerous uprisings. However these uprisings unfortunately ended up in the execution of leaders and sympathizers. For instance, the 13 martyrs of Cavite, leaders in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija but the most gruesome and well remembered of all these executions was the execution of Jose Rizal on Dec. 30, 1896.The dying wish of Lakan Dula is for one his descendants to lead the Philippine archiepalago to greatness someday, long after the Spaniards had been driven out. So far, two of his descendants had already become the President of the Philippines: Diosdado Macapagal and Gloria Arroyo, but the Filipino people are still waiting for that deliverant envisioned by Lakan Dula. Rep. Mikey Macapagal Arroyo might try to become the third Philippine president from among the descendants. Is he finally the deliberant? Or, is it possible that the real deliberant will be coming from an obscure branch of Lakan Dula bloodline? Some historians interpret as abandonment of the Kingdom when Lakan Dula sent his heir apparent and several trusted warriors as well as members of his clan to different places of the archipelago using the galleon trade and river routes. But, there are historians who say that this is a brilliant tactical move to mass up forces form different part of the Philippine Island, regroup, consolidate and drive away the Spaniards in the proper time. This could also be a way to preserve his bloodline - by sending his eldest son and heir apparent, and some children and relatives to far away land. He fears that his bloodlines will be slowly murdered by the Spaniards to totally erase the native aristocracy. This tactical move proved to be long term and had gone beyond his lifetime. This explains why there are Lakan Dula descendants in Pampanga, La Union, Marikina, Northern Samar, Sorsogon, Quezon Province, Quirino, Davao, Zamboanga, Panay Islands, Cebu and in many other far flung places of the country. The descendants are usually carrying native sounding or non-Hispanic surnames like lakandula, dula, dulay, gatdula, dulatre, duldulao, dulayba, lakandola, lacandula and many others revolving around the root world “dula”. During the intense persecution of the Spaniard on the native aristocracy, some descendants even disregarded the “dula” root words and adopted totally different native sounding surnames like magsaysay, agbayani, salonga, bacani, macapagal, salalima, soliman, pagdanganan, datumanong, katigbak, kasilag, salamat, karingal, pangandaman, sumuroy, silang, makalintal, gatmaitan, capinpin, etc. There are those who actually embraced Spanish surnames like guevarra, legaspi, mendoza, delapaz, santos, etc. There are historians and descendants of Lakan Dula, specifically those associated with the blog of Ellen Tordisillas who claim that the macapagals are not really descendants of Lakan Dula. For one, the macapagals are not really from Lubao , but from Candaba ,Pampanga. They say that the claim of the macapagal to the Lakan Dula heritage is based on the tall tales concocted by the father of President Diosdado Macapagal who can write stories. These tales seem to have shaped the formative years of young Diosdado which planted the seeds for his presidential ambition. He sustained the tale during his term and at present, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo seem to be sustaining the same tale. A website [1] owned by the Dulay Clan of Marikina Valley and Northern Samar wishes to appeal to fellow descendants of Lakan Dula to be inclusive rather than exclusive. It argues that: " even God is against exclusivity that is why He warned the humanity against the evil of 666. In short, let us welcome any family or clan who has a long cherished family legend or tales that in one way or another is linked to the old Manila Kingdom of Lakan Dula. The Jewish people have their own myths, legends, practices and tales. And they believe them to the point that they are willing to die for them. In the face of the present day Filipino Diaspora, if the history, legends, myths and tales around Lakan Dula will give us our lasting identity and unity, then, by all means let us continue to make family tales and myths around Lakan Dula, the Old Manila Kingdom, the pre-Hispanic grandeur of native aristocracy, the dying wish of Lakan Dula, the legend of the “lineage of the first born son”, the “descendant” Philippine deliberant, etc. And let them flourish into culture, religion, cult, drama, literature and even civilization. This could be the start of the Philippine greatness that Lakan Dula has wished for." (Source: Wikipedia/Pablo Z.Agoncillo)