Battlegrounds

This page contains photos of the vestiges of the Moro wars that spread throughout the Visayan coastal villages from the early 16th century to the late 19th century.  After the administration of Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera, the Spanish fortress in Zamboanga and the rest of the Visayan coastal towns from Cebu, Negros, Siquijor and Panay were abandoned to beef up the Spanish forces and Macabebe warriors in preparation for an imminent assault in Manila and Central Luzon by the Chinese pirate Koxinga.  The Moro raids intensified in the Visayan coastal villages and the Christian natives sans colonial firepower had to fend off the invaders with their eskrima skills.  The town center of modern day Oslob was a blacksmithing center during the height of the Moro wars.  It wasn't until 200 years later that these bastions were reoccupied once again by the Spanish colonial authorities.

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Spanish garrison at the gate of Oslob church

Sattellite photo of Fort Pilar in Zamboanga City. Built by Creole Spanish speaking Cebuanos in 1635, this bastion was the scene of ferocious hand to hand combat between the Sulu Warriors against Spanish regulars and Bisaya conscripts for almost 200 years.
Our Lady of the Pillar is a Patroness of the district of Santa Cruz, Manila, whose people observe October 12 with social get-together, concluding the celebration with a religious procession in the afternoon. In Zamboanga City, this day calls for double celebrations, namely: in observance of the Feast of Our Lady of the pillar, and the birth of "The Charter of the City of Zamboanga" as the bill creating it into its present status and sponsored in the National Assembly by Assemblyman Juan S. Alano was signed into law on October 12, 1936, by President Manuel l. Quezon of the then Commonwealth of the Philippines, and came to be known as Commonwealth Act No. 39. "The Sultans of Mindanao and Jolo made extensive raids with their fleets, burning villages, firing churches, destroying images and capturing many Indians (referring to the natives of the Islands, called "Indios" by the Spaniards), and on appeal by the Jesuit Fathers," compelled Governor Don Juan Cerezo Salamanca to build the stone fort, now known as Fort Pilar, in 1635. Its construction was placed under the supervision of Father Melchor de Vera, a Jesuit priest-engineer, who laid the cornerstone on June 23, 1635, which also marked the founding of Zamboanga that was originally known since pre-Spanish times to Muslims and Subanons as "Samboangan". The fort was originally named "Real Fuerza de San Jose", renamed the "Real Fuerza de Nuestra Seņora del Pilar de Zaragoza" in 1719, and finally named simply "Fort Pilar" after its capture by the American forces in November, 1899. The fort was attacked by the Dutch in 1646, abandoned by the Spanish troops who concentrated in Manila with their comrades-in-arms to help drive the Chinese pirate, Kui Seng or Co Seng, in 1663; reconstructed, after more pirates had destroyed it, by the Jesuit Fathers in 1669; rebuilt, when again destroyed by the Moros, by Juan Sicarra in 1719; stormed by Dalasi, king of Bulig and 3,000 Moros in 1720; bombarded by the British in 1798; the scene of mutiny of some 70 prisoners in 1872; abandoned by the Spaniards in 1898; captured by U.S. expeditionary forces on November 16, 1899; captured by the Japanese forces in 1942; recaptured by the Americans in March, 1945; turned over to the government of the Republic of the Philippines on July 4, 1946

From this vantage point, Spanish soldiers kept watch of Oslob beach for Moro raiders with the help of native eskrimadors.  On a clear day,  western Bohol coastline can be seen on the horizon.

Government neglect, corruption and insensitivity to the historical value of this spot has left the Oslob balwarte in a sad state of deterioration.The centrist government in Manila have long ignored the contributions of Cebuano heroes in Philippine history. While we may argue that Lapulapu may not be an eskrimador, nonetheless his defiance against Spanish conquistadors and being the FIRST Asian to repel foreigners, the "Battle of Mactan" should precede all other significant events in Philippine history. Sadly, it is not even declared a national holiday by the Manila governent and Lapulapu's image is found only in a ten centavo coin.

LAST YEAR THE NATIONAL HISTORICAL COMMISSION TORE DOWN 40 FT. BRONZE MONUMENT OF LAPULAPU IN LUNETA, MANILA.  THEY DECLARED IT WAS OUT OF PLACE!  THE MONUMENT WAS DONATED BY SOUTH KOREAN EXPATS.  Other heroes of the North with questionable background like the wife killer Juan Luna and the traitor / murderer Emilio Aguinaldo the first President who sold out to the Americans have earned a more prominent niche.

During World War II, Australia was spared from an imminent Japanese invasion with the capture of General Koga in the town of Minglanilla by Cebuano guerillas.  The Japanese general brought with him the blueprints for the invasion of Australia. More than 1,500 civilians paid for their lives to pressure the guerillas to release Koga.  Col. James Cushing the leader of Cebu guerillas personally took the captured documents to Gen. Douglas McArthur in Australia. You can't find this story in our history books!

The Daang Lungsod (Old Town) is reminiscent of the walled city of Intramuros in Manila. It is located roughly 3 kms. from the present poblacion (town center) of Oslob.  This old bastion has an area of roughly two hectares fortified by hard coral stones about 35 feet in height.  Baltazar "Iti" Gumapon an eskrimador in his seventies lives just outside the perimeter of the Daang Lungsod walls.  For some unexplained reasons the other eskrimadors living nearby like Tonee Lozada refused to be interviewed.

Long ago, amidst the frantic cries of innocent women and children bloody hand-to-hand combat was fought on this place between Moro raiders and Cebuano / Spanish defenders. 

In similar coastal villages such as Daang Lungsod from Guindulman, Baclayon, Lila, Loay in Bohol, from Dumaguete, Bayawan, Bacong, Cadiz, Silay in Negros and from Iloilo, Roxas, Kalibo in Panay and the rest of the Visayas, the same pattern of Moro pirate attacks took place.

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..Boljoon's history presents proof of Spanish Warrior priests training Cebuano natives and engaging Moro raiders in hand to hand combat. We can further surmise that the early techniques of Eskrima such as the "fraille", "florete", "crossada" were coined by these warrior priests. Erlinda Kintanar Alburo recounts in her book Sumad which is a collection of essays on the Cebuano insurrection that a Spanish priest Fr. Angel Maestro taught Cebuano revolutionary hero Leon Kilat the fundamentals of Eskrima. Here are more excerpts from Evangeline Lavilles de Paula's book CEBU IN HISTORY AND LEGEND: "Boljoon is one of the oldest towns in the South. And it is also the most quaint and picturesque. Its narrow coastal plains are bordered by cliffs and luxuriant hills which has a commanding view of Bohol Strait. According to Marin Morales, the town was created in 1598. The parish was established a year later. But this was disputed by Fr. Blanco, asserting that the parish was founded in 1600. The church of Boljoon was started by Fr. Manuel Cordero and completed by Fr. Julian Bermejo, who also built the convent that was finished in 1841. The convent is L-shaped like a monastery surrounded by walls and tile roof. Boljoon church is a veritable showcase of old and intricate carvings and bass relief. It still has the Spanish churchyard beside it. According to Tamayo, of all Cebu's churches, the Boljoon church best gives one a sense of the Philippine colonial past. J.T Newman describes the church: It is relatively well preserved, except for its communion rail with ornate silverwork, which has been stolen. It is pseudo-baroque-rococo. Its tower is unusual because it is Islamic in character, it is square, rather than curved, making it look more like a fortress than anything. Its rectangular belfry, built in 1701, has fort windows used to show cannons to defend against Moro pirates. The sound of its silver bells reached Oslob and Alcoy. But in 1802, they were stolen by Muslim hordes led by Datu Orendain. Because of their weight, the Moro vinta sunk. Fray Antonio Maglano, OSA, was the warrior-priest who led the Boljoon militiamen. One of the parish priests who worked hard to repulse the Muslim pirates was Fr. Julian Bermejo. A chain of watchtowers was constructed under his direction. This chain ran along the shoreline from Punta Tanon (Santander) to Manhage. It was later extended up to Carcar, for a total length of 96 kms. He built a large quadrangular house made of masonry and its walls were at least a meter thick; its four corners were reinforced wit loopholes. The townspeople called it dakung balay. The Governor-general, impressed, sent to the necessary artillery equipment for this fortress. Fr, Bermejo also installed a telegraphic system for the purpose of constant communication among towns in cases of impending raids. Old Boljoon had four dependents: Mambaje, Ivisan, and Tanon. The first three were situated near the beach, while Tanon was perched high up in the mountains serving as an observation post for the marauding Moros."

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St. Catherine Church in Carcar, was not spared by intermittent Moro raids throughout Cebu province.

This edifice is typical of old Roman Catholic churches in the countryside, such as Carcar, in the province of Cebu, one of the many islands comprising the Visayas, Philippines. But there is something special about it. This church, known as St. Catherine Church, was named after the town's patron saint, St. Catherine of Alexandria, in whose honor the people of Carcar celebrate the yearly fiesta every 25th of November. St. Catherine's Church is the second oldest church in Cebu. Fr. Antonio Maglano, the parish priest of Carcar at the time, started building the church in 1859. However, it took six years before it was finished. Another priest, Fr. Manuel Fernandez took the credit for the present design of the church, admired for its byzantine architecture, Greco-Roman altar, and twin- bell towers having a minaret shape similar to Muslim mosques.

Like most old Spanish churches in the Philippines, the St. Catherine's Church is fronted by the town plaza, a well-maintained place for community gathering, celebration and other social functions.

Carcar is also an old town in the province of Cebu, built in 1599, at the time when the Roman Catholic religion was spearheaded by the Agustinian friars.

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