Chapter 14 : GMA 7 Features Kingdom of Tondo Manila (Kaharian ng Tondo Manila) in I - Witness
GMA 7 Features Kingdom of Tondo Manila (Kaharian ng Tondo Manila) in I - Witness
GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a major commercial broadcast television and radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961, GMA Network (formerly known as RBS TV Channel 7, GMA Radio-Television Arts then GMA Rainbow Satellite Network) is commonly signified to as the "Kapuso Network" in reference to the outline of the company’s logo.
The full episodes of 'I-Witness' are aired every Saturday night on GMA Network. These award-winning documentaries are hosted and presented by the most trusted broadcast journalists in the country: Sandra Aguinaldo, Kara David, Howie Severino, Jay Taruc, and Atom Araullo. On January 20, 2018, a Sandra Aguinaldo – hosted documentary entitled: I-Witness: 'Kaharian ng Tundo,' dokumentaryo ni Sandra Aguinaldo was aired nationwide through GMA Network and in a matter of 2 months, it already have more than half million views in You Tube and more than 500 comments. This viewership is a sign that the Filipinos are all craving for information about their pre –Hispanic past. One of the highlights of the documentary was a plan to interview a living high ranking descendant of Lakan Bunao Dula, the last King of the Kingdom of Tondo Manila and asks for his views about the kingdom. The search led to the Dulay Mendoza House in Marikina Valley where the 5th Hereditary
Leader of the Dulay Mendoza Clan of Marikina Valley resides. The clan leader initially declined the interview because they have a scheduled “Dine with the Ancestor Ritual” among Arnis gurus lead by Samuel Bambit Dulay on that day but it was agreed that the ritual will never be disturbed but will be part of the episode. The other resource persons in the episode was Prof. Nancy Kimwell - Gabriel, a UP Historian; and Dr. Robby Tangtinco, Executive Director of the Center for Kapampangan Studies. There are several comments on the episode. Some Muslims took notice that it was never emphasized in the show that Lakan Bunao Dula, being the grandson of Bolkiah, is a Muslim. Others are taking issues on what is Tondo today, including the fact that the head of the Dulay Mendoza Clan of Marikina Valley, a Lakan Dula descendant who was featured, is not residing anymore in Tondo, signifying that the Kingdom of Tondo has long been abandoned. The interview of the UP historian in the episode pointed out the fact that Tondo is the oldest Kingdom of the Philippines, older than any among Muslim, Spanish, American and Japanese rule and it is also the cradle of national heroes like Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio and Macario Sakay.
The Pre Hispanic Native Royal Houses and Principalia Families of the Republic of the Philippines
The Principalia families of the Philippines are the descendants of the prehispanic lakan, sultan, datu, rajah, hadi of the different ancient prosperous native settlements all over the country that were eventually recognized by the Kingdom of Spain as part of the their royal administration in the country.
This could be a result of the informal alliance between Lakan Bunao Dula of the Lakanate of Tondo with the Kingdom of Spain. Among the agreement of the Lakanate of Tondo and the Kingdom of Spain are : there will be no more armed conflict between the two kingdoms, the native hereditary leaders will be allowed to use their ancient surnames, they will be free from paying taxes, and they will be appointed as gobernadorcillos of their own settlements. As a gesture of this diplomatic alliance between the Kingdom of Spain and the Lakanate of Tondo, Batang Dula, the eldest son and heir apparent of Lakan Bunao Dula and Senorita Goiti were betrothed and the palace of Lakan Bunao Dula, will be under the protection and maintenance of the Kingdom of Spain. Later, the palace was converted into a dormitory and eventually, a church was built on it.
It is now known as the Sto. Nino Church of Tondo. According Rev. Fr. Lito Villegas of the Church of Sto. Nino de Tondo, with the death of Lakan Bunao Dula, the Sto. Nino became the "Lakan of the Kingdom Tondo with children of Lakan Bunao led by his eldest son and heir apparent Batang Dula acting as the regents of the native kingdom. In the later part of the nation’s history, the Philippine Revolution against the Kingdom of Spain will eventually be led by natives of Tondo, Andres Bonifacio and Macario Sakay. When the Philippine Revolutionary Government was hoodwinked by both the Americans and the Kingdom of Spain through the Treaty of Paris, the revolutionary government led by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo filed a formal protest against the treaty and in their protest letter, they mentioned that the sovereignty and mandate of the revolutionary government was derived from the Lakanate of Tondo's mandate of Lakan Bunao Dula.
The recognition of the rights and privileges of the Filipino Principalía as equivalent to those of the Hidalgos of Castile appears to facilitate entrance of Filipino nobles into institutions under the Spanish Crown, either civil or religious, which required proofs of nobility. However, such approximation may not be entirely correct since in reality, although the principales were vassals of the Spanish Crown, their rights as sovereign in their former dominions were guaranteed by the Laws of the Indies, more particularly the Royal Decree of Philip II of 11 June 1594, which Charles II confirmed for the purpose stated above, in order to satisfy the requirements of the existing laws in the Peninsula.
The descendants of Lakan Dula has been spearheaded by the lineage of Batang Dula, through the cadet line of David Dula y Goiti where the Dulay Tribe all over the country emerged. They are recognized by the organizations of indigenous Filipinos headed by Rajah Julian Canonoy and other datu as well as principalia families, royal families from Sarawak, articles, blogs, heritage websites, and historians - - as the cadet line of the Lakanate of Tondo. The descendants of Lakan Dula which is headed by the 5th hereditary leader of the Dulay Mendoza Clan of Marikina, through their foundation, Ceferino Dulay Memorial Foundation, Inc. (CDM Foundation) has been doing advocacies and projects such as 1. Animal Shelter, 2. Marikina News, 3. Pro - Poor Projects (Feeding Program, Outreach, and Gift Giving), 4. Baybayin, Arnis and Kundiman Revival, 5. Lakanate of Tondo, Royal Houses and Principalia Families, 6. Descendants of Lakan Dula, 7. Sumpa ni Lakan Dula, 8. Indigenous tribal groups in the Philippines and 9. Dine with the Ancestors. The CDM Foundation was organized by the elders of the Dulay Tribe among them was Simon Dulay Sr. of Laoang, Northern Samar in honor of the lineage of the eldest son Ceferino Rivas Dulay, the 4th hereditary leader of Dulay Mendoza Clan of Marikina Valley. The Presidency of the foundation is now with the eldest son and legal heir of Ceferino who is known as the 5th hereditary leader of the clan.
A circle of advocates on specialized fields were involved in the projects: Pastor Jay Enage, founder of Baybayin Buhayin, Inc., Samuel Bambit Dulay for arnis, Arjhay Laurea for Kundiman and the family of the late national artist Lang Dulay for tinalak. The leader of the descendants of Lakan Dula had been interviewed by bloggers, I - Juander of GMA, different students and I -Witness of GMA; and the House of Dulay Mendoza has been a favorite venue for films and documentaries. One of those who took notice of the activities of the descendants of Lakan Dula was a Fil American from New York representing the Wangdom of Ma-I in Bulalacao Mindoro. He wrote a letter to the head of the House of Dula and an informal alliance between the Lakanate of Tondo and Wangdom of Ma-I was discussed in principle to support the existing projects and advocacies. The alliance embarked on a US Mission to Recover Doctrina Cristiana now kept by the US Library of Congress which was coordinated with the Office of the President, National Historical Commission and the Department of Foreign Affairs. The people behind the God's Culture in YouTube visited the House of Dula for a Dine with the Ancestors Ritual Havilah Version. A principalia who is a high ranking Filipino priest and papal official based in Vatican City in Rome later participated in the visioning of an organization of the principalia families in the Philippines which in essence became the foundation of the council. In a meeting between the patriarch of the House of Dula and the parish priest of the Sto. Nino de Tondo, a pilgrimage of Lakan Dula descendants to Tondo was discussed and the necessity of formalizing the Principalia Council was deemed as historical priority.
The Descendants of Lakan Dula of Tondo are secretly united
Their unassuming secretive patriarch of the modern times does not rule, he reigns privately with circle of personal advisers, the personal leadership style he inherited from the earlier traditional leaders of the descendancy, a reaction from the centuries of Spanish persecutions. He might even deny his hereditary and historical role and designation; or he might point to somebody else when talking to a non descendant. Descendants who are close to the patriarch will not point directly to him as their patriarch but if needed, they will only indirectly identify him as the one who has been very active in coordinating the present Lakanate of Tondo. He refuses to be under the control of the Philippine President because the principalia think that the president as a person is only temporary but the Lakanate is historical, hereditary and permanent. His allegiance is with the Sto. Nino de Tondo, the seat of the ancient palace of Lakan Dula and directly to the residents of Tondo, some of them are his close relatives.
Juancho Bong Sempio wrote this article on the KAANAK NG MGA BAYANI, KATIPUNERO AT REBOLUSYONARYO last March 13, 2016
"Our new member bro Toti Dulay is a descendant of Lakan Dula or Lakandula to some...
Lakan Dula was a native muslim king of Tundun (a large area covering most of what is now present-day Metro Manila), when the Spanish colonization of the Philippine Islands had begun. He ruled a community of Muslim people who lived north of the Pasig River.Lakan Dula was one of three Muslim chieftains in the Manila during the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors led by Martín de Goiti, and Juan de Salcedo in 1570. Lakan is his official title meaning King and later baptized Lakan Carlos Dula (it was found later by the National Historical Commission that he was not actually baptized and did not changed his name), was the Lakan paramount ruler of the pre-colonial Philippine Kingdom of Tondo when the Spaniards first conquered the lands of the Pasig River delta in the 1570's. His father is Rajah Salalila (Sulayman I) and his mother is Ysmeria. His beloved wife is Mutya and they are blessed with several children. His grandparents are Dayang (Lady) Kalangitan and Gat (Lord) Lontok and his brother is Rajah Matanda (Sulayman II). Rajah Mura or Muda (Sulayman III) and Lakan Banao Dula led a revolt known as the Sulayman Revolt of 1574 in the villages of Navotas, taking advantage of the confusion brought about by the attacks of Chinese pirate Limahong. This is also often referred to as the "Manila revolt" but is sometimes referred to as the "Sulayman Revolt" and the "Lakan Dula Revolt."