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Title: Lapu-Lapu Petmalu Author: Bas Umali Date: December 21, 2017 Language: en Topics: Philippines, analysis, anti-colonialism, anti-nationalism, indigeneity, indigenous anarchism, colonialism Source: https://onsiteinfoshopphilippines.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/lapu-lapu-petmalu-a-re-articulation-of-anti-colonial-struggle-in-the-archipelago/
Somebody asked: Who discovered the Philippines?
Someone answered: Magellan.
One could butt in: Who killed Magellan?
Typical answer: Lapu-Lapu
Follow-up question: Who killed Lapu-Lapu?
Typical answer: Kusinero (Cook)
I refer to this conversation as novelty. It is pop. Meaning, an ordinary
person whether they attended school or not could relate to it. Surely
people will have various interpretations, opinions and levels of
appreciation to this conversation – A conversation that could establish
a connection.
I am really curious to hear how exactly a Filipina/Filipino nationalist
will expound this novelty conversation in favor to their national idea
of national pride.
It has been five centuries since Magellan came to The Visayas. A distant
past that in the context of millennials, can be thought of as
irrelevant.
On the other hand, we could ask the opposite: despite of its antiquity,
why do people still ask such a silly question? Perhaps this event is
recognized by many as the precursor for extensive changes that has been
introduced to many communities within the imaginary boundary claimed by
the Republic of the Philippines. Our social setting would have been
different if King Philip rejected Magellan’s proposal.
---
Who discovered the Philippines?
This is a silly question. “Philippines” is not a thing to be discovered.
It is not a piece of artifact that you can apply the finder’s keeper
principle. It is absurd to believe that the Philippines is something
waiting to be found.
This novelty conversation has been with us for many decades. We keep
hearing this in different occasions, from household, to school, circle
of friends, in my work, in rural and urban communities.
Probably it is more appropriate to ask who founded the Philippines?
The “silly” question would want you answer a particular name – Magellan,
who represented the power of the Monarchy. Magellan will be killed by
Lapu-Lapu later on the follow-up question.
Whenever I hear people making fun out of the question “who discovered
the Philippines” I sense different meaning and a mischievous feeling.
Why ask such question? Is there any hidden intention?
---
Now a days, people’s sense of history revolve around the idea of Spanish
colonization and KKK uprising which led to the establishment of a
republic. A historical period that connected many communities in the
archipelago to the modern setting dominated by nation-states
characterized by centralized social relationships and absolute truth
along with poverty, hunger, injustice, discrimination and ecological
destruction.
Spain is perceived as the villain that brought sufferings to the people;
it is also considered as a “master” who introduced the idea of civilized
life. Since civilization is viewed as the benchmark of development; it
is plausible to think that we owed Spain of our progress.
Mainstream history is basically Eurocentric. It will inevitably treat
pre-Hispanic culture and lifestyle as underdeveloped. Savage and
retrogressive that needed to be changed according to the standards of
colonizers.
That is exactly what we are now. We challenge the negative attributes of
the society introduced by colonizers while invoking alternatives which
is also introduced by colonizers.
For instance, the KKK challenged the Spanish authority by asserting its
capacity to self-rule through the system introduced by colonizers.
Revolutionary ideas carried by anti-colonization are western in origin.
---
Why are we obsessed with European alternatives? Do we have no viable
alternatives of our own? Do we find local wisdom and practice as
obsolete and ineffective?
Except Lapu-Lapu, we rarely refer to the pre-KKK uprisings. Uprising
that challenged colonial rules by asserting indigenous systems and
re-instituting cultures handed down by our ancestors. Pre-KKK uprisings
were mostly community-based.
Most people respect Jose Rizal’s contribution to “Filipino” struggle for
freedom. But people rarely refer to his early works where he clearly
recognized our indigenous identity and described our ancestors systems
as prosperous, equitable and more perfect compared to colonial rule.
The systems of our ancestors were more humane and ecologically
sustainable that was brutally destroyed by modernity through the
nation-state. Ironically, we adopted nation-state framework to counter
colonial rule. With this framework we fail. After hundred years of
struggle, our communities continue to suffer in issues and problems
which are alien to us during pre-hispanic times. Despite of which, we
still hold on to the promise of nation-state that basically proved to be
a failure in terms of providing equity, sustainability and progress.
---
The novelty question is being asked constantly and spontaneously perhaps
because our history is haunting us. The terms Philippines and Filipino
are not ours. These are ideas being imposed and coercively used to
describe and define us by our colonizers. These are the very attributes
that reinforced disconnection to our indigenous self. These ideas made
us think we are more superior to other culture. What is the need of
superiority? Is it to defeat and out compete other people and to
undermine other’s cultural orientation?
Our own culture should be our guide in our search for
self-determination. Our self-determination is no justification to
control other. Our ancestors’ system displays no center. They do not
have uniformed conduct that exercise control. What they had were diverse
cultural orientations that cut across around the archipelago and in
Southeast Asia which the dynamics were facilitated by marriage, kinship,
trade and war (panggayaw).
---
We are not Filipinos. We are people raised by our diverse culture. Our
culture is a gift from our ancestors. It is no perfect but it has the
complete set of elements under the theme mutual-cooperation and respect.
There is no such thing as “perfect culture”. But ours is far more humane
and ecologically sound compared to the nation-state and capitalism that
introduced massive killing of people, destruction of culture and
destruction of the earth.
There is no one big formula that could provide a single solution to the
problems we currently confront, but at least we have the wisdom from our
ancestors that provides us a framework that is proven to be effective
and is currently utilized by existing indigenous cultures across the
archipelago.
---
Lapu-Lapu’s victory is iconic. The message it conveyed it not about
nation and sovereignty. It is about the defense of autonomy of Mactan
Island. It was the struggle that wase followed by numerous resistance
aimed to re-institute the indigenous set-up and to protect their
autonomy.
The fragmentation of cultural communities should not be viewed as
weakness. It represents freedom and autonomy. They have indigenous means
to connect and integrate; fragmentation will only become a weakness if
one has the intention to control and dominate.