Chapter 3: The Children of Lakan Bunao Dula of the Kingdom of Tondo

AI stands for artificial intelligence, which is a technology that allows machines to learn and improve from experience. AI can be categorized into four main types based on functionality: reactive, limited memory machines, theory of mind, and self-aware. Gemini is a multimodal AI model, meaning it can understand and respond to a range of content types, including text, video, audio, and programming code. Gemini uses natural language processing (NLP) to interpret and respond to user inputs. In historical research, AI can do research without any bias nor agenda and come up with purely straight historical facts based on the research of credible historians worldwide published on reputable international publications. Unlike, say in Wikipedia where anyone, even those in grade school,  can edit any article. Article in Wikipedia can be controlled by a group of biased, conniving,  self editing busy bodies with hidden agenda, AI has the discipline and objectivity of an internationally renowned credible historian. AI may indeed make Wikipedia obsolete sooner. Prestigious academic institutions do not accept article taken from Wikipedia.

Here is the research of Google’s Gemini AI about the children of Lakan Bunao Dula of the House of Dula, Kingdom of Tondo with the question “Who are the children of Lakan Bunao Dula?”, and here is the answer of AI:

“According to historical accounts, Lakan Dula had several children, including:

• Magat Salamat: A prominent figure who, along with his cousin Agustin de Legazpi, briefly ruled Tondo after Lakan Dula's death.

• Batang Dula: Another son of Lakan Dula.

• Don Dionisio Capulong: The Datu of Candaba, the eldest son of Lakandula.

• Don Felipe Salonga: The Datu of Pulu.

• Doña Maria Poloin: Lakan Dula's only historically recorded daughter.

• Don Martin Lakandula: Entered the Augustinian Order as a lay brother.

• Luis Taclocmao: Another son of Lakan Dula.”

This information is based on historical records and may not be entirely comprehensive.

Source: https://g.co/gemini/share/f6c94ee3c5e0 Created with Gemini December 25, 2024 at 08:53 AM Published December 25, 2024 at 08:56 AM

Don Dionisio Capulong may not be a son of Lakan Dula

Since AI is still evolving, we can still expect improvements on their research,  specially on cross examinations of dates. For instance, some historians, after comparing the dates when Lakan Dula died and when his  supposed to be child was born, have concluded that Don Dionisio Capulong may not be one of the children of Lakan Dula. Capulong maybe one of the children of Luis Taclocmao. This historical conclusion is based on the following:

According to the Mormons Church records, Lakan Dula was born in 1503 and died in 1575 at the age of 72. On the other hand, based on the journal article  “Dionisio Capulong and the elite in early Spanish Manila (c. 1570–1620)”. JOHN N. CROSSLEY. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society.THIRD SERIES, Vol. 28, No. 4 (OCTOBER 2018), pp. 697-715 (19 pages). Published By: Cambridge University Press, Capulong was born in 1570 when Mutya, his supposed to be mother and the wife of Lakan Dula, was already in menopause  and his supposed to be father,Lakan Dula was already bedridden. Another artifact that triangulated the finding that Capulong may not be a son of Lakan Dula is from the UST archives Libro 22, as published by Alberto Santamaría in his article El “Baybayin” en el Archivo de Santo Tomas, in Unitas Vol. XVI No. 8, February 1938. Courtesy of Christopher Ray Miller, Ph.D., 2011. Lakan Dula died 1575. Signature of Don Dionisio Capulong (c. 1594-1607), ruler of Candaba, was born in 1594.  It is impossible for a dead man, Lakan Bunao Dula, to have another baby because he was already dead.
These obvious historical facts based on dates of birth and death may not have been captured by the present state of AI yet.

President Diosdado Macapagal is indeed a Descendant of Lakan Bunao Dula

There are accusations from the  political enemies of the Macapagal family that they are not descendants of Lakan Dula, the first Patriarch of the House of the Dula and the King of the Kingdom of Tondo. The accusations are base on the facts that historically, the attempt of the Macapagal to link with Lakan Dula was through Gatbunton who turned out to be a high ranking official of the Kingdom but only a distant relative of Lakan Dula. Their next attempt is through Dionisio Capulong who later turned out to be not a son of Lakan Dula because his birthday is not within the reproductive age of Lakan Dula and his wife Mutya. But with the advent of AI, particularly the Google's Gemini, it is now with certainty that the Macapagal lineage indeed came from the bloodline of Lakan Dula. The first research questions asked from Gemini was "From which Lakan Dula child the Macapagal descended from?". The Gemini answered with this: "The Macapagal family descends from Don Juan Macapagal, who was a prince of Tondo and a great - grandson of Lakan Dula. Lakan Dula was the last reigning lakan of Tondo". Then, a more detailed questions was asked, as follows: "But from the seven children of Lakan Dula, which one Juan Macapagal descended from?". The AI Gemini of Google has this answer: "The Macapagal family descends from Dola de Goiti Dula, one of the children of Batang Dula, who was the eldest son of Lakan Dula. It's important to note that the historical records on pre-colonial lineages can be incomplete or have varying interpretations." 

Source: https://g.co/gemini/share/13c3c237dc28 Created with Gemini January 21, 2025 at 11:51 AM Published January 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

Royal Houses Related to Lakan Dula 

House of Dula

This is the royal house of Lakan Dula children that revolves around the regnal Dula surname, namely, Batang Dula and Don Martin Lakandula who entered the Augustinian Order as a lay brother. The present descendants of this royal house carry the names of Dula, Gatdula, Dulay, Lacandola, Lakandula, Lacandula, etc and other native sounding names and few common Spanish surnames that were used by the descendants to hide from the Spanish persecution. The regnal surname Dula descendants have more of those who changed surnames because they are the most persecuted.

House of Magat Salamat

This is the royal house of Magat Salamat. The descendants of this royal house carry the surnames Magat, Taclibon, Salamat, etc and can be found in Tondo, NCR, Bulacan and in the north. The current  patriarch of this royal house is Datuk Delmar Taclibon, a PhD holder and an executive.

House of Poloin

This is the royal house of Maria Poloin, the only daughter of Lakan Dula. The family of national hero Jose Rizal and former President Rodrigo Duterte is connected with this royal house. Baron Rjhay Laurea is the  Patriarch of this royal house. He is a trusted ally of Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City.

House of Capulong

Despite the official findings that Don Dionisio Capulong may not be a son of Lakan Dula, the United Royal Houses of the Philippines believes that the Capulongs are descendants of Lakan Dula through other Lakan Dula children, maybe through Luis Taclucmao. The present matriarch of the House of Capulong is Dr.Cecille Cayetano, who owns a hospital in Batangas and a descendant of Petronila Capulong of Paombong Bulacan and Central Luzon. Based on Wikipedia article, the Macapagals descended from Dionisio Capulong. Other fellow Capangpangan believes that Macapagal descended from Gatbunton. Other researches, preferably not from Wikipeda, are needed about the link of Macapagal to Lakan Bunao Dula, the last King of the Kingdom of Tondo.

House of Salonga and House of Taclucmao

As of this writing, the United Royal Houses of the Philippines headed by the Patriarch of the House of Dula are still searching for the leaders of the House of Salonga and House of Taclucmao. There are those who think that they are descendants of these two royal houses but the United Royal Houses still have to find somebody with “lukso ng dugo” towards other descendants. This concept of “lukso ng dugo” is an ancient way of finding relatives.