The Raiders of the Sulu Sea

The Contributors:

1. Icelle Gloria B. Estrada

- She is one of Zamboanga City’s premiere artist
- A true Filipina painter and sculptor
- She is currently working as an executive assistant in the Office of the City Mayor, and
is overlooking the City Hall restoration.
- She writes a weekly arts column
- She does extensive research in the arts and culture of Zamboanga
2. Dr. Samuel Tan
- Historian National Historical Institute
3. Prof. Barbara Watson Andaya
- Historian National University of Singapore
4. Dr. Julius Bautista
- Historian Asia Research Institue National University of Singapore
5. Dr. Margarita Cojuangco
- Author Kris of Valor

A short history: Raiders of the Sulu Sea

- A historiography documentary film depicting the Southeast Asia flourishing free

trading in the area.
- Adverse effects/ retaliation when Spaniards wanted to control the economy as well
as to colonize and Christianize
- Depicting how the Spaniards defended the city with the Fort Pilar
- Showed what was claimed then as pirates of the Sulu sea from Mindanao,
Philippines
- How these raiders were actually plying their trade before and during the Spanish
colonization of the Philippines

Three Muslim Tribes

1. Samal Balangingi
2. Illanun
3. Taosug

The three tribes are not really pirates during the times they were plying their trade of
capturing people and selling them as slaves. Slave trading was a business then and they were
not raiding ships in high seas. What they did was go and land in different shores posing as
fishermen. Without any warning, draw their 1-meter long swords and take as many slaves as
they can. Once captured, the slaves’ palms are punctured and tied to each other.

Ancient Maritime Vessels

Lanong

- large outrigger warships used by the Iranun and the Banguingui people
- specialized for naval battles
- were prominently used for piracy and slave raids from the mid-18th century to the
early 19th century in most of Southeast Asia

Garay

- traditional native warships of the Banguingui people in the Philippines.

- used for piracy by the Banguingui and Iranun people against unarmed trading ships
and raids on coastal settlements in the regions surrounding the Sulu Sea.
- the name means "scattered" or "wanderer" in the Sama language of the Banguingui.
- were smaller, faster, and more maneuverable than the Iranun lanong warships

Salisipan

- auxiliary vessels
- usually part of fleets with larger motherships like pangajava, garay, or lanong
warships. Among Malays, this type of boat is used as a boat of war or passenger
boat
- often used by the Iranun and Banguingui people of the Philippines for piracy and for
raids on coastal areas.

Ancient Weapon of the Moro People

 Moro Kris
- A weapon of warfare and ceremony
- This are not only carried by slave raiders into battles but also by nobles and high ranking
officials of the Southern Sultanate
- Double edged with either smooth or wavy blades
- The curving is for easily slashing- it would penetrate the bone and would stick making it hard
to pull
 Kampilan
- longest the sword , used by the Illanuns
 - heavy single edged sword often adorned with hair to make it look even intimidating
- at the tip of the blade, a projecting blunt side was used to pick up the head of a decapitated
body
 Barong
- Deadly weapon sword used by the Taosug warriors with single-edged leaf blade made of
thick tempered steel
- Used to enclose hand-to-hand battle to cut Spanish firearms down

Spanish firearm: Musket

- Had limitations and inaccurate

- Took several steps to reload and only 3 shots per minute