Chapter 37 : The Looks and Image of Lakan Dula Descendants
The appearance of Lakan Dula, can be described through the standard methods that well known historians around the world usually resort to, by describing his known closest descendant, in this case, David Dula y Goiti, and by asking old folks about it. Lakan Dula is taller than the average native of his times, maybe 5'6 to 5'8 in height. He is not very dark, he is "kayumangging kaligatan", which is slightly fairer than the average native. Due to his fondness to the sea and rivers (Tagalog came from Taga - ilog, from the river), he has a dry skin on his legs which appeared to be some sort of "scales", which is like the skin of some Europeans during winter (scally), a characteristics which some of his descendants at present are still carrying. He has a high cheek bone, a protruding forehead and a nose which is "pugilist" - high, but the bridge is not well pronounced. He has a straight hair, but appears to be a wavy on his slightly longer hair. His eyes is deep set, slightly brown, and not too chinky. His eyebrows are not thick. His teeth are well arranged. He appears to be lanky and not very mascular but he is not overweight. He is a silent type but very passionate. He is extremely bright in mannerisms, and smart and wise in battles. He is a little bit hairy on his legs and arms, just enough hair, and has a well shaven and not thick "bigote". Although, commercial artists renditions of his appearance in the postcards sold in popular bookstores in the Philippines illustrates him as clean shaven.
Image of Lakan Dula descendants
Lakan Dula descendants are self sustaining, independent, sometimes secretive and clannish and are turning out to be mestizo looking because they usually are married to mestizo or pure Chinese or Spanish from generation to generation, a marriage tradition which they are still practicing even today. For instance, if you survey the wives and husbands of the Dulay Clan of Northern Samar, most of them are married to Chinese mestizos and Mestizas. One of the examples is Governor Madeleine Mendoza (who herself is Spanish looking) and who is a direct descendant of Petre Dulay of Candawid (Kan David, or David Dula y Goiti). She is married to Mayor Hector Ong, brother of Congressman Emil Ong. Another example is the present leader of the Dulay Clan of Marikina who is married to a Chinese mestiza... which explained the fact that the immediate reigning family of the Dulay Clan of Marikina that stays in the clan ancestral house in the poblacion are all chinitos and chinitas. The future generations of the descendants of Lakan Dula may appear to look very different from the description of Lakan Dula as based on the accounts of the earlier descendants. These future descendants, as time passes by, may even look more Caucasians and Chinese than natives, due to their tradition of marriage, but they have to look back to the appearance of Lakan Dula as described above, and feel proud that this is the way the aboriginal native Filipinos look once upon a time. Lakan Dula has a French and British blood but his descendants may have a varying appearance. History would talk of the three Lakan Dula grandchildren with Spanish mother: David, Daba and Dola.
Due to intense Spanish prosecution of the native aristocracy, Lakan Dula decided to send these three grandchildren to safe places where the Lakan Dula settlement are very strong. David was send to an entry point to the Kingdom of Manila in the galleon trade route - Candawid, Isla de Batag, Laoang Northern Samar. Daba was sent to Candaba in Pampanga and Dola was sent to Candola, San Luis, Pampanga. David was given a big tract of coconut plantation with households and armed followers. Daba was given a big tract of land and Dola was given large farmland. Daba and Dola were given also households but without armed followers, because they are girls and because their sanctuaries are near Tondo.
The descendants of David Dula y Goiti are more Hispanic and Chinese looking because of its ability to marry into rich Hispanic and Chinese families in the Laoang - Catubig - Palapag towns in Northern Samar through time, were the old Spanish ships repair establishments catering to ships from galleon trade was located (Palapag), as well as the government capital (Catubig) and commercial capital (Laoang) of Samar Island were found. An example of the descendants of David Dula y Goiti are former Northern Samar Governor Madeilene Mendoza Ong who has a white Spanish complexion, and San Roque, Marikina SK Kagawad Sofronio Corral Dulay ll who has a tall, white and Hispanic - Chinese looks.
The descendants of Daba Dula y Goiti are found mostly in Candaba , Pampanga, the original farmland given by Lakan Dula to Daba. To describe the descendants of Daba is to look at the appearance of the Capulongs, the direct descendants. Because Daba is a girl, the Dula surname was totally erased through time and replaced with descendants with totally different surnames. The Daba descendants, described through the Capulongs, have high noses but not so white skin.The descendants of Dola Dula y Goiti are found in Candola, San Luis, Pampanga, the big tract of land inherited by Dola from the Kingdom of Lakan Dula. But because Dola is a girl, her descendants carried different surnames like Macapagal, etc. A lot of them moved out of Candola and settled in other towns, like in Lubao. To describe the appearance of the descendants of Dola is to see former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo: short, dark but with nice nose.
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 united, their unassuming secretive patriarch does not rule, he reigns privately and oftentimes incognito
"My deepest gratitude to Hrh Prince Omar Kiram and His Majesty Sultan Fuad A. Kiram I of the Royal Hashemite Sultanate of Sulu and Sabah for this conferment as one of the Datu(k) of the Royal Dominion."
Message of Hrh Prince Omar Kiram:
"The Hon. Datuk Sir Delmar Topinio Taclibon, KRSS, we wish you and your family and all our beloved members a blessed and prosperous joyful new year. Let us continue our resolve, commitment, dedication, true faith and allegiance to our beloved anointed Sultan Fuad A. Kiram I, to realize our advocacy of Sabah and Spratlys against Malaysia's land grabbing for the benefits of the Tausugs and the Filipinos. God Defend the Right!"
Toti Dulay : "congrats insan Delmar Topinio Taclibon and mabuhay ang Magat Salamat lineage ni Lakan Dula ng Tondo..."
Delmar Topinio Taclibon : "Thank you too Modern Day Grand Patriarch of the Lakan Dula Clan Sir Toti Dulay!"
Roderick Alain Alvarez : 9th cousin's husband's 9th great uncle's wife's 6th great aunt's husband's 16th great grandson we're that related, insan Toti, pero hindi pa tapos ang Lakan Dula genealogy: please add as many relatives coz, as head of the Royal House, you know them better :)
Toti Dulay: today at 2:36 AM
Thank you insan Roderick, in the Geni. Com genealogy, we saw na lumabas na yung name nung Juan Reyes Macapagal..ang main concern na lang natin is paano na connect si Diosdado Macapagal kay Juan Macapagal?
Suijul Tasorre : Dear Sir Toti, I am very happy to know that you were able to protect the continuity of the Dula lineage....... how I wish na makilala ko kayo....... I'm a fan royalties specially ancient filipino royalty.... the missing link of our history as a nation.......
Sam Jezrel Moran kamahalan.. pinag mamalaki ko po na akoy pilipino.. kau po pala ang prinsipe ng tondo si Prince. Sofronio Cerbito Dulay I.
LikeShow more reactions · Reply · 7h · Edited
References:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Image_of_Lakan_Dula_descendant#ixzz1ukLhsSjS
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_rajah_lakandula_look_like