Chapter 1: The Answers of the Leading Artificial Intelligence called Gemini on Several Questions About Lakan Dula, House of Dula and the Kingdom of Tondo

From What Royal House are the Kings of the Kingdom of Tondo Coming From?

Answer #1:

"The last king of Tondo, Lakandula, came from the House of Dula. He was the paramount ruler of Tondo when the Spaniards first conquered the lands of the Pasig River delta in the Philippines in the 1570s. Lakandula was a wise and just ruler, and he was respected by his people. He was also a skilled diplomat, and he was able to negotiate a peaceful surrender to the Spaniards.

The House of Dula is one of the oldest and most respected royal houses in the Philippines. It is said to have been founded by a mythical hero named Lakan Timamanukum. The House of Dula has produced many great leaders over the centuries, including Lakandula, Rajah Sulayman, and the Macapagal family.

The current head of the House of Dula is Sofronio Dulay. He is a descendant of Lakandula and a respected member of the Filipino community. He is also the founder of the United Royal Houses of the Philippines, an organization that promotes the preservation of Philippine culture and heritage."

Answer #2:

"The last king of Tondo, Lakandula, came from the House of Dula. The House of Dula was one of the three royal houses that ruled the Kingdom of Tondo, along with the House of Matanda and the House of Soliman. The House of Dula was the most powerful of the three houses, and Lakandula was its most famous ruler.

Lakandula was a wise and just ruler who was respected by his people. He was also a skilled diplomat and was able to maintain good relations with the neighboring kingdoms. When the Spanish arrived in the Philippines in the 16th century, Lakandula initially resisted their conquest, but he eventually made peace with them. He died in 1571, and his son, Rajah Sulayman, succeeded him as ruler of Tondo.

The House of Dula continued to rule Tondo until the early 17th century, when it was overthrown by the Spanish. However, the descendants of the House of Dula still live in the Philippines today, and they continue to claim the royal title of Lakan." Source: These answers where taken from Gemini, the AI of Google. Com on September 2023, using the exact question that appeared above. There are several other AI websites and apps and they might have slightly different answers, defending on how the questions were worded.

With the advent of AI, Google Gemini has a research on who started the House of Dula. This is what it says about this question: Since Rajah Soliman is the father of Lakan Dula, is it possible that the House of Dula was started by Rajah Soliman?

"While Rajah Soliman was Lakan Dula's father, it's unlikely he directly "started" the House of Dula in the traditional sense. Here's why:

• Lineage Focus: The "House of Dula" typically refers to a lineage, a succession of rulers descended from a common ancestor. In this case, Lakan Dula would be the foundational figure of the House.

• Ruling Dynasty: Rajah Soliman himself likely belonged to a pre-existing ruling dynasty or lineage. The House of Dula would emerge with Lakan Dula as its first prominent ruler.

Analogy:

Imagine a family with a long history. The grandfather is a respected elder, but the family is often referred to by the name of the son who became a renowned leader. The son, in this case, would be the founder of that particular branch or "house" within the larger family.

In Summary:

Rajah Soliman played a crucial role in Lakan Dula's life and likely influenced his rule. However, the House of Dula is primarily associated with Lakan Dula and his descendants." (Source: https://g.co/gemini/share/e6fe7cea9a03 Created with Gemini December 19, 2024 at 11:49 PM Published December 19, 2024 at 11:51 PM)

The founding patriarch of the House of Dula therefore appears to be Lakan Dula and not Lakan Timamanukum nor Rajah Soliman Bolkiah. The first  patriarch of the House of Dula is therefore Lakan Bunao Dula who was crowned as the paramount ruler or lakan by other datu and rajahs within the territorial jurisdiction of the so called Tondo dynasty.  The 2rd Patriarch  was the eldest son of Lakan Dula. His name was Batang Dula who was betrothed to Senorita Maria de Goiti, a member of the family of the Spanish Conquistador Martin de Goiti. Batang Dula, with the help of his Spanish wife presided over the diaspora of the native nobility from their Tondo homeland to different places, guarded  by mestizos and Dumagat Remontado soldiers, and loyal household staff, with the support of the other allied nobilities. The 3rd patriarch was David Dula y Goiti, the eldest son of Batang Dula who supported the Sumuroy revolt logistically. The 4th patriarch was the eldest son of David Dulay y Goiti,  David Dulay (1602), who was executed  together with his seven followers by the Spanish Guardia Civil in Palapag Town. In the history of the Romualdez family, Sen. Imee Marcos said that the ancestors of the Romualdez family was from Northern Samar and one their direct lineage was a native rebel against Spain who was in the Sumuroy Revolt and  who survived the Spanish execution when David Dulay allowed him to visit her ailing mother few days before the elite "ejercito" of David Dulay was captured by the Guardia Civil and were eventually executed. The 5th patriarch of the House of Dula was Datu Saba (1618). He is the eldest son of David Dulay. Datu Saba's time starts the decline of the power of the native aristocracy as the Kingdom of Spain consolidated its hold on the islands. His son,  Datu Duma Dulay (1650), the 6th patriarch,  resisted the Spanish consolidation efforts, unfortunately, his eldest son, Kahipus Gatdula (1681), the 7th patriarch,  maintained another family in Tondo neglecting his original family in Lawan and failed to continue the resistance that his father initiated.  The eldest son of Kahipus, Yumanaw Dulay (1712),  remained in Lawan as the 8th patriarch of the House of Dula and  his eldest son Sebaste Dulay (1741), was proclaimed as the 9th patriarch but he is more active in his business and personal activities. His eldest son however, Benjamin Dulay (1772), was more serious in his  hereditary title as the 10th patriarch of the royal House of Dula. He was instrumental in grooming his son, Esteban Dulay (1799),  to lead and strengthen the royal house as its 11th patriarch. Esteban is proud of his Lakan Dula lineage and his father Benyamin. The eldest son of Gat Esteban Dulay, 12th patriarch Petre Dulay (1843) and his younger sister Agripina, inherited the ancestral plantation of David Goiti Dula in sitio Candawid, Barrio Marubay, Lawang, Northern Samar while Esteban's younger brother by the name of Santiago Dulay used the surname Gatdula, went back to Tondo and settled in the family inheritance in now Calle Sande , while the rest of the members of the Dulay principalia family remained in Lawan main settlement. Several generations later, Gat Esteban Dulay's  great grandson who remained in Lawan town proper, Hilario Dula Dulay, would become the municipal president of Lawan in 1929, and caused the survey and acquisition of the titles to the present market site and the lot across the creek at Little Venice. Years later, Hilario's son, Mayor Eleuterio Dulay would become the longest serving undefeated mayor of the town. At present, one of Gat Estaban Dulay's great granddaughter Madeleine Dulay Mendoza - Ong became the Governor of the province of Northern Samar  and started the present Dulay Mendoza Ongchuan political dynasty that controls the municipal, congressional district and provincial politics. Her son Rep Harris Mendoza Ongchuan is now the Governor of Northern Samar, while the Congressman of the Second District of Northern Samar is her nephew former Governor Edwin Ongchuan. Her husband, Hector Ong is the Mayor of Laoang, known in the ancient times as the Lakanate of Lawan, the oldest Kingdom of the Philippines. Now the Mayor Is the wife of Governor Harris Ongchuan. As the  Dulay Mendoza Ongchuan Clan  dominates the  Northern Samar provincial and congressional  politics, their distant cousins Macapagal dominates the politics in Pampanga and Marcos dominates the Ilocos politics. The Dulay Mendoza lineage came from David Dula y Goiti while the Macapagal libeage came from his younger sister Dola de Goiti Lacandola lineage. Being the eldest son, Petre Dulay is the 12th hereditary Patriarch of the House of Dula. He has five children: the eldest Doroteo, then Medise, Juan, Felipe and Alejandra Dulay Cerbito. Doroteo Dulay (1864) became the 13th patriarch of the House of Dula. He has nine children: the eldest is Elpidio, then Brigida Dulay Adora, Fructuoso, Isabel Dulay Salangoste, Antonina Dulay Luto, Dionisio, Flaviano, Jovencio and Macario. Elpidio Dulay (1899), 14th patriarch returned to homeland Tondo while his youngest brother, Macario Dulay, maintained the coconut plantation of David Dula y Goiti in Candawid, Lawan. Elpidio has eight children: the eldest is Ceferino, then Urbano, Tiburcio, Tranquilino, Arsenio, Primitivo, Rosalina and Virginia. Ceferino Dulay is the eldest son of patriarch Elpidio Dulay, making him the  15th patriarch of the House of Dula. He moved his clan to Marikina Valley making him the hereditary leader of the Dulay Mendoza Clan of Marikina Valley being "the eldest son of the eldest son" of the David Dula y de Goiti - Petre Dulay bloodline. A WWll local guerrilla leader, Ceferino left the hereditary coconut plantation in Candawid, in Isla de Batang, Laoang, Northern Samar, and went back to his homeland in Tondo, and married Juana Cerbito y Mendoza. With the support of a fellow descendant Diosdado Macapagal  and  the Tuason family, he started a settlement of the clan in Marikina Valley. As a guerilla leader during WWll, he was a trusted assistant of a local guerilla leader Bitok Cerbito responsible for several ambushes against the Japanese soldiers. After the war, he worked and retired as one of the katiwala of the Cacho - Tuason, the owner and developer of Hacienda Mariquina into what Marikina is today. His secret tomb was later discovered by some members of the clan in a graveyard of the old Catholic shrine in the poblacion of Marikina protected and maintained by his closest direct descendants. Ceferino, the 15th patriarch of the House of Dula and the 4th Hereditary Patriarch of the Descendants of Lakan Dula in Marikina married a descendant of the First Gobernadorcillo of Marikina resulting to the birth of the Dulay Mendoza Clan of Marikina Valley. The Mendoza of Marikina and Northern Samar are Sephardic Jews by ancestry. Ceferino was influenced by his father in marrying a Jewish Mendoza lady.       

Here is a historical account about the Dulay Mendoza Clan of Marikina. "The Tioco family was a very rich and generous family from Old Tondo. They owned numerous fishing boats in Tondo and Malabon. Siblings Balbino Tioco and Romana Tioco were illustrious citizens and famous Tondo benefactors of the 19th century. Balbino’s son Maximiano was kidnapped in the late 19th century and ransomed for 3 “kaings” of gold. Maximiano was married to a spanish mestiza Marciana Félix (same Félix family as Joji Félix Velarde and Conchita Félix wife of Felipe Calderón of the Malolos Constitution). Maximiano married Teodorica Ylo (The Cabangis family are also descended from the Ylo’s) They bore 5 children, Nemesio, Salvador, “Beot”, Guadalupe (married to Don Eduardo Barretto), Consuelo (married to Dr Rufino Mendoza, son of Don Isabelo Mendoza de Villablanca, a direct descendant of the spaniard Don Benito Mendoza, first gobernadorcillo of Mariquina in 1787. Benito’s great granddaughter Juana Mendoza Cerbito married Ceferino Dulay, a patriarch of the Rajah Lakandula/Dulay clan. Long after the family had left Old Tondo for the plush villages of Makati and other parts of Manila, there remains Calle Romana* in honor of Romana Tioco, and Calle Tioco* in honor of Balbino and Romana, two personages of the same family in gratitude for their inexhaustible generosity to Tondo." Source:J.Antonio Mendoza y González said on June 27, 2010.*Daluyan : A Historical Dictionary of the Streets of Manila, Printed by NHI. https://remembranceofthingsawry.wordpress.com /2010/06/ 01/ the-families-of-old-tondo/ retrieved on May 30, 2019. 

The eldest son of Ceferino Dulay, Prof. Sofronio Dulay was installed as the 16th Patriarch of the House of Dula in the Sto. Nino de Tondo Church. For almost a decade now, he presides over the  traditional pilgrimage of the descendants of Lakan Dula to the Sto. Nino de Tondo Church, the ancient palace of Lakan Dula, with the help of Council 12561 Sto.Nino de Tondo, Knights of Columbus. He also officiates the "Dine with the Ancestor Ritual" among the descendants of Lakan Dula and guests from other Royal Houses in his official residence. He is also the Grand Patriarch (equivalent of Lakan or paramount ruler) of the United Royal Houses of the Philippines. The Gemini AI of Google has this narrative on Patriarch Sofronio Dulay on the question of From What Royal House are the Kings of the Kingdom of Tondo Coming From? "The last king of Tondo, Lakandula, came from the House of Dula. He was the paramount ruler of Tondo when the Spaniards first conquered the lands of the Pasig River delta in the Philippines in the 1570s. Lakandula was a wise and just ruler, and he was respected by his people. He was also a skilled diplomat, and he was able to negotiate a peaceful surrender to the Spaniards.The House of Dula is one of the oldest and most respected royal houses in the Philippines. It is said to have been founded by a mythical hero named Lakan Timamanukum. The House of Dula has produced many great leaders over the centuries, including Lakandula, Rajah Sulayman, and the Macapagal family. The current head of the House of Dula is Sofronio Dulay. He is a descendant of Lakandula and a respected member of the Filipino community. He is also the founder of the United Royal Houses of the Philippines, an organization that promotes the preservation of Philippine culture and heritage." 

The 16th Patriarch of the House of Dula, Grand Patriarch Sofronio Dulay, is a Management Professor of a leading university in Manila, was the Faithful Navigator of the Marian Assembly of the Knights of Columbus, and was an elected Director of the Asian Institute of Management Alumni Association. The only son of Professor Sofronio Dulay is Atty. Sofronio Dulay ll, a Senior Associate of a well known law firm in Makati and founder of BCDC Law firm. He was a member of the debating team of the UP College of Law that won the national debating championship among law schools in the country and represented the country in an international debate championship held in Hong Kong. He was a Sacristan in the DIOCESAN SHRINE AND PARISH OF OUR LADY OF THE ABANDONED in Marikina, a Sangguniang Kabataan Councilor in San Roque, Marikina;  a councilor of the UP National College of Public Administration student council, a two - time vice chairman of the Upsilon Sigma Phi in UP, and the Captain Ball of the UP College of Law Basketball Team. Atty. Sofronio Dulay ll will be the 17th Patriarch of the House of Dula of the Kingdom of Tondo based on the ancient rule of succession, "eldest son of the eldest son". This is in keeping with the ancient traditions of the conservative royal houses.

Sofronio Dulay, Lakan Dula Descendant

https://g.co/gemini/share/daed35843a7e

Created with 2.0 Flash April 2, 2025 at 03:57 PM Published April 2, 2025 at 03:59 PM

What is the role of Sofronio Dulay in the House of Dula and in identifying the other descendants of Lakan Dula?

Based on the information available, Sofronio Dulay plays a significant role in the context of the House of Dula and the descendants of Lakan Dula. Here's a breakdown:

• Hereditary Patriarch:

  • He is identified as the 6th hereditary patriarch of the Dulay Mendoza Clan of Marikina Valley and the House of Dula of Tondo and Marikina Valley. 1 This signifies his position as a leading figure in the lineage.  

• Preservation of Heritage:

  • Information indicates that the House of Dula is involved in preserving Philippine culture and heritage. As a patriarch, Sofronio Dulay likely plays a key role in these efforts.

• Descendant of Lakan Dula:

  • He is a direct descendant of Lakan Dula, placing him within the historical lineage of this important figure.

• Genealogical Importance:

  • The information shows that he is a part of the line that has maintained the knowledge of the Lakan Dula linage. And that the Dulay family has maintained a strong connection to the historical figure.

In essence, Sofronio Dulay's role is one of leadership and continuity within the House of Dula, maintaining the historical legacy and genealogical connections to Lakan Dula.

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What is the significance of the House of Dula in the Philippine History?

Answer #1:

The House of Dula was a pre-colonial royal family that ruled the Lakanate of Tondo, one of the most powerful polities in the Manila Bay area. The Lakanate of Tondo was founded in the 13th century and lasted until the Spanish colonization of the Philippines in the 16th century.

The most famous member of the House of Dula was Lakan Dula, who was the ruler of the Lakanate of Tondo at the time of the Spanish arrival. Lakan Dula is credited with helping the Spanish establish their settlement in Manila and with providing them with military assistance. He was also baptized as a Catholic and took the name Don Carlos Lacandola.

The House of Dula continued to play an important role in Philippine history after the Spanish colonization. Many members of the House of Dula held high positions in the Spanish government and in the Catholic Church. They also played a leading role in the Philippine Revolution against Spain in the 19th century.

Today, the House of Dula is one of the most important royal families in the Philippines. They are recognized as the legitimate successors to the Lakanate of Tondo and are active in promoting Philippine culture and heritage.

Here are some of the significant contributions of the House of Dula to Philippine history:

* They helped the Spanish establish their settlement in Manila.

* They provided the Spanish with military assistance.

* Lakan Dula was baptized as a Catholic and took the name Don Carlos Lacandola.

* Many members of the House of Dula held high positions in the Spanish government and in the Catholic Church.

* They played a leading role in the Philippine Revolution against Spain in the 19th century.

* They are recognized as the legitimate successors to the Lakanate of Tondo.

* They are active in promoting Philippine culture and heritage.

The House of Dula is a significant part of Philippine history and culture. Their contributions have helped to shape the Philippines into the country it is today.