Chapter 15 : I – Juander of GMA 7 Features the last King of Tondo
I – Juander of GMA 7 Features the last King of Tondo
On September 8, 2017, a top rating public affair program of GMA 7 popularly known as "I – Juander" presented an episode on the last King of the Kingdom of Tondo Manila, Lakan Bunao Dula.
"I -Juander" is a local TV show in the Philippines which airs every Wednesday at 8:00PM to 9:00PM on GMA News TV Channel 11. Featuring trends in the society and interesting lifestyle topics, veteran GMA reporters Susan Enriquez and Cesar Apolinario try to answer what makes us Filipino by demystifying and investigating the origins of different aspects of Filipino culture. The show is both fun and informative, one that suits all ages. Susan is chiefly known for two things: her fast-paced yet meaty reporting (a skill she picked up from working in radio) and her down-to-earth, likeable personality. With her experience in radio and television reporting, six years of hosting the magazine program ‘Kay Susan Tayo!’ and her current stint as co-host of “I Juander,’ it’s hard to imagine she was ever disliked. But her success today is the product of hard work and determination in the face of immense difficulties. On the other hand, first-time director and GMA News reporter Cesar Apolinario beat the likes of Joey Reyes and Joel Lamangan for the Best Director award for his debut film Banal in the 2007 Metro Manila Film Festival Awards Night.
The interest shown by national media on the Kingdom of Tondo and its last King, Lakan Bunao Dula is an indication that the Filipinos wanted to dig more about its pre – Hispanic past. Lakan Bunao Dula (royal title: Lakan; first name: Bunao; surname: 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 was born on December 16, 1503 and died on March 21, 1589 of old age. 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 Dula was the regnal name of the last Lakan (king or paramount ruler) of the pre-colonial Kingdom of Tondo when the Spaniards first conquered the lands of the Pasig River delta in what is now the Philippines in the 1570s.
The firsthand account of Spanish Royal Notary Hernando Riquel says that he introduced himself to the Spanish as "Lakan Bunao Dula", indicating that his given name was "Bunao". He later converted to Christianity and was baptised Lakan Carlos Dula. Two among his children were bestowed to inherit the royal surname Dula, the eldest and heir apparent Batang Dula, and Martin Lakan Dula. The rest adopted different native sounding surnames. Another common variation of the name is Gat Dula (alternatively spelled as a single word, Gatdula). He is sometimes erroneously referred to as Rajah Lakandula, but the terms "Rajah" and "Lakan" have the same meaning, and in this domain the native Lakan title was used, making the use of both "Rajah" and "Lakandula" at the same time redundant and erroneous.
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.