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Remembering When the Spaniards Fought

Japanese Samurai and Pirates in Cagayan
In 1582, the Japanese invaded the Philippines. It’s not what you think.

By JUSTIN UMALI   |   5 days ago

IMAGE WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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The Japanese have always been important neighbors of the Philippines. In pre-
colonial times, Japanese traders made the journey south to places like Cagayan,
Pangasinan, and Manila to conduct trade deals. This continued into the age of MOST POPULAR
Spanish colonization, with Japanese Christians even settling in the country.

But there was also another side to the Japanese-Filipino relationship, one
driven by violence and war, one that pre-dates the Second World War. In the
1580s, the Japanese almost invaded the Philippines.

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Spanish colonization was at its infancy at the time. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi 2 Everything You Need to
had just landed 20 years before in Cebu to establish Spain’s claim to the Know About Jamaican Rum
archipelago, and things were still highly precarious to the colonists. They were
outnumbered by native Filipinos 10 to one. They were a six-month voyage away 3 The 12 Best Sling Bags for
from the nearest colony in Mexico. Worst of all, they faced the threat of Carrying Your Daily
invasion almost every day; if not from the Filipinos, then from external forces. Essentials

One episode was in 1574 when the Chinese corsair Limahong almost burned 4 New Bill May Give Separate
Manila to the ground before being fended off by a combined force of Spanish Parking Slots for PWDs,
and Filipino forces. Limahong was said to have enlisted the help of Japanese Senior Citizens
mercenaries in his attempted conquest. Governor-General Guido de Lavezaris
noted in a letter to the King that Limahong’s best men were Japanese. 5 This Fledgling Local Gym is
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Their martial quality manifested itself more clearly in 1580 when Japanese Industry Heavyweights
Wokou pirates began raiding the Cagayan Valley. Cagayan was, and still is, CONNECT WITH US
noted for its fertile land and ample resources. The Cagayan River ran from the
Chico and Magat rivers in Cordillera all the way to the Strait of Luzon.    
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The pirates were a ragtag bunch. They were composed of bandits, smugglers, Working In the
Insurance Industry
and some ronin, masterless samurai. Their numbers and tactics overwhelmed Can Be Rewarding
both the colonists and the native Ibanag people, allowing them to establish a —One Man Speaks
Out
foothold in the province. 

Governor-General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa described the pirates as such:

“The Japanese are the most warlike people in this part of the world. They have
artillery and many arquebuses and lances. They use defensive armor for the
body, made of iron, which they have owing to the subtlety of the Portuguese,
who have displayed that trait to the injury of their own souls.”

Juan Pablo de Carrion PHOTO BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.

In 1582, Peñalosa sent Juan Pablo de Carrion to deal with the Japanese
incursion. De Carrion immediately sailed from Ilocos with six ships and 40 men;
he himself was aboard the Sant Jusepe. Their voyage to the Cagayan River took
roughly 34 days.
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Upon reaching Cape Borgador, de Carrion encountered a Japanese pirate ship
and decided to engage. They began by using their artillery, which killed several    
men and damaged the ship’s mainmast. The Japanese countered by using their
grappling irons to latch onto the Sant Jusepe for boarding.

Two hundred pirates poured onto the deck of the galley and engaged in combat
against de Carrion’s men, while 60 arquebusiers opened re from a distance.
The galley became a small battle eld as the Spaniards held their lines against
waves of pirates. Slowly they were pushed back until they were cornered near
the mainmast.

Somehow, superior tactics and arms managed to win the day, and the small
force was able to beat back the pirates, who began to retreat. De Carrion
decided to pursue and boarded their ship. They managed to beat the pirates
until only 18 remained, who then surrendered.

Entering the river, de Carrion encountered a fort and at least 11 to 18 ships

waiting for them. Panic set in when a soldier aboard a frigata shouted, “Return,
return to Manila! Set the whole eet to return, because there are a thousand
Japanese on the river with a great deal of artillery, and we are few.” Their
captain, Luys de Callejo, began to turn back, but de Carrion managed to rally.
They attacked the fort but their numerical disadvantage didn’t deal any real
damage. 

Left with a few options, the Spanish troops entrenched themselves in a

defensible position up the river. They then began shelling the Japanese position
until the pirates were forced to surrender. As part of the terms, de Carrion
ordered the pirates to leave Luzon, which they did.
 CONNECT WITH US
   

PHOTO BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.

Except they didn’t. The pirates instead elected to launch one last assault; this
time by land. Six hundred Japanese pirates launched themselves against 30
Spanish soldiers dug in a trench. The Japanese attacked recklessly in multiple
banzai-like charges while Spanish arms managed to repulse them time and
again. By their third charge, the pirates almost managed to breach the Spanish
defenses, but they were nonetheless repulsed.

Seeing the opportunity, de Carrion ordered his men to attack. Though

outnumbered and almost out of gunpowder, they managed to break the pirates’
morale and rout their enemy, securing victory for the day. The Spaniards kept
the katanas left on the battle eld as trophies, and the region was rmly in
colonial hands since then.

The 1582 Cagayan battles were signi cant because they represent a time of
history largely forgotten in regular discussion about the Spanish colonial
period. It’s easy to skip from Lapu-Lapu to the Katipunan and ignore the
minutia of our history. However, it is not individuals like Lapu-Lapu or
Bonifacio who create our stories but the small episodes of people living their
lives. History is not about dates and great gures, but mass movements and
actions. Stories like this remind us of that.

Sources: CONNECT WITH US

Blair, E. and Robertson, J. (1910) The Philippine Islands, 1493 – 1898. Volume III.    
University of the Philippines.

Blair, E. and Robertson, J. (1910) The Philippine Islands, 1493 – 1898. Volume V.
University of the Philippines.

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About The Author

Justin Umali

Justin is left-handed, left-leaning, and best left in a cool, damp place. He

listens to Vampire Weekend when he's down and Car Seat Headrest when

he's not. He usually writes about Philippine history and politics, and

believes that you cannot change the world without understanding it rst.

View Other Articles From Justin

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