Group 9:

James Loreto C. Piscos (San Beda College)

Edwin Cabanero (Central Colleges of the Philippines,
Quezon City)
Sagira Kuhutan (Centro Escolar University, Manila)
“Raiders of the Sulu Sea”
Historiography documentary
Aims of the document:
to raise awareness about slave trading prevalent in
Sulu archipelago during the Spanish period in the 18th
century
(http://www.zamboanga.com/arts_and_culture/Icelle_raiders_of_sulu.htm)
Background
Produced by Oakfilms3 based
on Singapore for Q channel,
Discovery Channel and the
National Geographic for
International Release

First release for Q Channel

Korea in 2007

In 2008, it was distributed

internationally by Looking Glass
International through Discovery
Channel and History Channel
  Oak3 Films was established
during 1996
 Oak3 Films is Singapore’s
leading production house in
independent films
It was founded in 1996 and the
Oak3 Films founders are Zaihirat
Banu Codelli (CEO) along with
Lim Suat Yen ( COO) and Jason
Lai (Director of Content)
The company is into multi-
media platforms
(http://www.oak3films.com/)
Oral narrative and
commentaries of the
documentary
contributors are: Art
Historian Icelle Gloria D.
Borja- Estrada together
with Dr. Samuel Tan and
Dr. Margarita Cojuangco
and other International
Asian Historians
Art Historian Icelle Gloria D. Borja-
Estrada
(http://www.zamboanga.com/arts_and_culture/IcelleARTicles_Mainpage.htm

Art historian
Working as executive assistant in the city of
Zamboanga
Graduate from Ateneo de Zamboanga
Wrote a number of articles in local history
including Raiders of the Sulu Sea,
Restoration of the City Hall, Mirror of the
Past, The Liberation of Zamboanga among
others)
Dr. Samuel Tan
a native of Siasi, Sulu and born of Tausug-Sama-Chinese parentage

Bachelor of Theology at Ebenezer Bible College where he taught and served as Dean of Men;

M.A. in History at the University of the Philippines

Ph.D. in Social Science Interdisciplinary at Maxwell School, Syracuse University, New York

Convenor and advocate of Mindanao Peace

Wrote books and articles:

The History of the Philippines (2009)
The Muslim South and Beyond (2011)
Surat Sug (Letters of the Sultanate of Sulu Volume 1, (2005)
Surat Sug (Letters of the Sultanate of Sulu Volume 2, (2005)
Selected Essays o n the Filipino Muslims (1982)
Tawi-Tawi: The Philippines Southernmost Frontier (2001)
The Filipino-American War, 1899-1913 (2002)

(https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&text=Samuel+K.+Tan&search-alias=books&field-
author=Samuel+K.+Tan&sort=relevancerank)

Bachelor of Theology at Ebenezer Bible College where he taught and served

as Dean of Men;
 M.A. in History at the University of the Philippines; and a Ph.D. in Social Science Interdisciplinary at Maxwell School, Syracuse University, New York. 
Setting of the Narrative: Context
(National Historical Institute, Surat Sug, Letters of the Sultanate of Sulu Vol 1
Kasultahan, Manila: NHI, 2005))
Sulu
Located in the Southern Philippines that lies
approximately between Basilan and Tawi-
Tawi.

It is surrounded by the Mindanao and Sulu

seas in the North and the West, and the
Celebes Sea in the East.
 (https://web.archive.org/web/20110226001309/http://www.sulu
.gov.ph/Profile.asp?)
Sulu is composed of 157 islands and islets which are divied
into four groups: Jolo, Pangutaran, Tongkil-Balaguigui and Siasi-
Tapul (https://web.archive.org/web/20110226001309/http://www.sulu.gov.ph)
Main Storyline:
Muslim raiders of the
Sulu Sea territory,
namely the Ilanuns,
Balangingi Samals,
and the Tausugs,
and how they
protected their
business (slave
trade), religion, culture
and power during the
Spanish colonization.
Examining the Raiders of the Sulu Sea
Historiography Documentary: Content
Analysis
Approximately 49 minutes running time
Re-enactment of some scenes
Alternately inserting interviews of credible
local historians and experts in the field
including a number of Southeast Asian
scholars
Reconstruction of the description of their
boats
Re-appropriating some of its lessons in
today’s context
Focal Themes in the
Historiographical Documentary
1. Slave-holding was a primary form of
investment in Sulu
2. Slave raiding as retaliation to colonizers
3. organized structures in slave raiding
usually done between July to October called
as the Pirate wind “ Pirate monsoon”
4. Showing how the Spaniards defended the
Fort Pilar in Zamboanga City as Spain’s last
bastion of defense and economic expansion
Southern Philippines
Narrative Content and
Theme
Focal Themes
5. The flourishing free trade in Southeast with the influx
of Europeans (English, Dutch, Spanish) that push to
the periphery the tribal groups and their status.
6. A showcase of the indigenous sophisticated maritime
vessels: Lanong, Garay and the Salisipan
7. Craftsmanship and ingenuity in tools of war such as
the Barong, Kris and the Kampilan
8. “fate of the Captured Balangingi Leader called Panglima
Taupan and his family who eventually was exiled to the
north of Luzon in Cagayan, and was made to work in the
Tobacco Plantation”
(http://www.zamboanga.com/arts_and_culture/Icelle_raiders_of_sulu.htm)
1. Slave-holding was a primary
form of investment in Sulu
It was a source of
livelihood because
there was high
demand of slaves
by the European
traders
 Illanuns bore a hole
through the palm
and put a string
through the palm of
each person they
have captured
1. Slave-holding was a primary
form of investment in Sulu

 Selling rate: PHP 10-100

 Tao Pang
 Tribal leader
 Provider of slaves for
Southern Sultanates

(https://gadflyketch.files.wordpress.co
m/2011/11/12b.jpg)
 2. Slave raiding as retaliation
to colonizers
Slave raiders will disguise as
helpless fishermen in the coastlines
of Christian territories in Luzon and
Visayas to get their prey.
Act is justified in the battle
between them and the infidels
Trace its roots in the Crusades or
Jihad in Islamic term
Crusades in the Middle Ages and Spain’s
Siglo de Oro in the 16th Century
Wage war in the name of
God
Spain – protector of
the Catholic Church
The crusade forced
the European
traders who used
the Silk Road to
travel by sea and
paved way for the
invention of galleon
vessel and later
steam boats.
Different Perspectives Converged
In the documentary Dr. Julius
Bautista cited that Spaniards
should
 Prevent Islam in spreading up
to the Northern part of the
country;
 And Propagate Christianity in
the Southern territory
“PIRATES?”
According to Dr. Samuel Tan, the term “pirates”
 Need to Deconstruct since
 - These people (the Illanun) retaliated against
the Spaniards
 Attacked the converted local Christians located
at the Northern part of the country
 To stop in the continual spread of Christianity
throughout the country or eventually eliminate
it
3. Organized structures in slave raiding usually
done between July to October called as the Pirate
wind “ Pirate monsoon”
4. Showing how the Spaniards defended
the Fort Pilar in Zamboanga City as Spain’s
last bastion of defense and economic
expansion Southern Philippines
Fortification Defense of the
Spaniards
5. The flourishing free trade in Southeast with the influx
of Europeans (English, Dutch, Spanish) that push to the
periphery the tribal groups and their status.
6. A showcase of the indigenous sophisticated
maritime vessels: Jungas, Garay and the
Salisipan

JUNGAS (Warships)
34 Rowers on each side
Canons
Compass
Telescopes
for navigation
Garay
Fastest vessel
Less than 100 sailors
can fit
30-40 rowers per side
Composed of bamboo,
nipa, and wood.
Salisipan
Raiders disguised
as hungry,
homeless
fishermen
Small maritime
vessel
It used to hide the
Garay
7. Craftsmanship and ingenuity in tools of war such
as the Barong, Kris and the Kampilan
Kris
8. “fate of the Captured Balangingi Leader called
Panglima Taupan and his family who eventually was
exiled to the north of Luzon in Cagayan, and was
made to work in the Tobacco Plantation”
Secret weapon of Gov. Gen
Claveria
Steamboats
 Ordered "steamships" from England
(1848)
 3 steamships
Reyna Castella
Magallanes
Mercado
Steamboat Magallanes
Major Corroborating Study on Slave Holding and Slave Raiding
in Sulu

James Francis Warren, The Sulu Zone 1768-1898.

The Dynamics of external trade, Slavery and Ethnicity in
the Transformation of a Southeast Asian Maritime State
(1981))
His dissertation research had the following findings:
Slave Holding and Slave Raiding in Sulu played a major
role in the economy both as a unit of production and as
medium of exchange
The accumulation of wealth and the transmission of
power and privilege in the Tausug state was facilitated
by the ownership of slaves
In Sulu, the price of slaves varies depending on sex, age,
ethnicity and personal condition, as well as demand.
Slave Holding and Slave Raiding
in Sulu
Target
The highest price was for young women.
Sometimes it is influenced by cultural characteristics of
their group for Tagalog or Manila men had a great
endurance a good rowers, skilful helmsmen and boat
builders.
Visayan divers and sailors
Visayan women were superior in weaving
The slaves were taken 65% from Luzon and Visayas. The
rest were from the great majority from Celebes and
Moluccas.
 (James Francis Warren, The Sulu Zone 1768-1898. The Dynamics of external trade,
Slavery and Ethnicity in the Transformation of a Southeast Asian Maritime State
(1981))
Patterns of Raiding 1768-1898

 From the end of eighteenth century to the middle

of the nineteenth, the southeast Asia felt the full
force of slave raiders of Sulu Zone. They navigated
along the west coast of Borneo andcrossed the south
the South China Sea to the straits of Malacca and the
Bay of Bengal. In the south, their raiding vessels
through the Makassar Strait and fanned out over the
Indonesian World. They crossed the Banda Sea to
New Guinea, made raid along the coast of Java and
circumnavigated Borneo. (James Francis Warren, The Sulu Zone
1768-1898. The Dynamics of external trade, Slavery and Ethnicity in the
Transformation of a Southeast Asian Maritime State (1981))


Patterns of Raiding Slave
In pursuits of the captives, Iranun and
Balanguingui terrorized the Philippine
archipelago. They preyed on the poorly
defended lowland coastal villages and towns of
southern Luzon and Visayan Islands. They
earned reputation as daring, fierce murderers
who jeopardized the maritime trade
routes of Southeast Asia and dominated
the capture and transport of slaves to the
Sulu Sultanate.
 (James Francis Warren, The Sulu Zone 1768-1898. The Dynamics of external
trade, Slavery and Ethnicity in the Transformation of a Southeast Asian
Maritime State (1981))
Corroborating Discovery in Archaeology

1977 discovery of balangay in

Butuan affirming that tnearby
places in Mindanao have great
knowledge in boat making
The Plan to Put a Stop to Tao
Pang’s reign
Gov. Gen. Narciso
Claveria planned to
attack (1848)
Steam boats were
used
Overpowered the
communities
CONTENT

Aftermath of the Attack in

Basilan
350++ Muslim Men and Women
 were captured
Tao Pang made a clemency that
he would surrender
 Spaniards captured his
pregnant wife-- named Noila.
The Raiders of Sulu Sea were
outnumbered by the Spaniards
Analysis of the Document
Emphasize the negative cultural practice
but not giving the bigger picture of the
culture of the people in Sulu
Media scoop technique and has the
tendency to sensationalize to have an
appealing attraction to its viewers
The historiography documentary did not
emphasize the social structures behind the
practice of slave raiding.
There is a problem of coherence in the
document. As an example it used the
Butuan artifacts but did not relate it well to
the Sulu raiders. Another case is they were
Analysis
Sulu might have a different context with
Butuan. More studies should be done to
establish its link.
Need to examine closer the narrative and
make a reference to other researches
related to Sulu as corroborating supporting
evidence or as a critique to its position
Contribution and
Relevance of the
Document in
Understanding the
Grand Narrative in
Philippine History
Contribution…

Raiders of the Sulu Sea

Raising the consciousness of the readers
and learners about the cultural context of
the narrative
As an undercurrent of history narrative
(ordinary people, raiders etc), the
document reveals the cultural practices
that shape their society
Enrich the discourse within the realm of
Mindanao Studies
Contribution…

Raiders of the Sulu Sea

Slave trading is a status symbol in the Tausug
culture and a source of income.
 It is embedded in their culture at that time
and became a source of power
According to Tausug descendant, Halman
Abubakar. The Balangingi Samal, Tausugs and
Illanuns are freedom fighters
History to be holistic in approach should be
viewed in various perspectives to see the
complete picture of the narrative.
Learning Experiences
The need to promote intercultural
dialogue
Giving importance to local history
including the undercurrent narratives
such as the story of ordinary people in
the fight for freedom and equality
Regardless of religion, the call for
nationalism should begin with a
respect for diversity in all its members
Learning Experiences
Give importance to each culture as
contributory to the whole forming an
identity who we are as a people
Biases can be eliminated if there is a
listening ear to see from the heart and
understand each other as co-citizens of
the country
We can work together for peace, justice
and rights regardless of our cultural
background and religious beliefs
The Challenge: Develop
Inclusive History
Awaken the
Filipino
historians to
include the
history and
story of
Mindanao and
Sulu
References
Raiders of the Sulu Sea Historiography
Documentary, Oakfilms, Singapore, 2007.
Majul, Cesar. Muslims in the Philippines.
Quezon City: UP Press, 1973.
Warren, James Francis . The Sulu Zone
1768-1898. The Dynamics of external trade,
Slavery and Ethnicity in the Transformation
of a Southeast Asian Maritime State (1981))
National Historical Institute, Surat Sug,
Letters of the Sultanate of Sulu Vol 1
Kasultahan, Manila: NHI, 2005.
On-Line References

http://www.zamboanga.com/arts_and_
culture/Icelle_raiders_of_sulu.htm
http://www.zamboanga.com/arts_and
_culture/IcelleARTicles_Mainpage.
htm
http://www.oak3films.com/
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_
byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&text=Sa
muel+K.+Tan&search-alias=books&f
ield-author=Samuel+K.+Tan&sort=r
elevancerank