Had Magellan first seen Zamal, Mindanao on March 16, 1521?!

This is a continuation of the first blog that, with the advent of the information Age, will further challenge the conventionality of mainstream history that may had misled and kept in the dark generations and partly cause the lack of foundation, a dysfunctional state this country seemed to be manifesting, far too long.

Mainstream history had always taught that on 16^th March, 1521 Ferdinand Magellan first landed in Samar in the Maharlikan lands eventually known as Philippines. This will be contested.  In the first place it would be highly improbable for Magellan’s Fleet to had landed in Samar in Eastern Visayas as the wooden galleons before reaching the island, would had to hurdle the treacherous waters of the Philippine Trench, so deep that the waters continually twisted and churned due to its ocean currents (deeper than Mt. Everest), virtually rendering any 16^th Century wooden ship less likely to survive the treacherous waves wrought by its depth.

Yet, Magellan’s voyage of ten days from the Ladrones Islands i.e. Guam to the island of “Zamal” was so peacefully uneventful that it least likely encountered the twisting currents of the Philippine Deep. Even the ocean Magellan had named as “Pacifico” due to the relative calmness of the waters. The said “Zamal” island that Pigafetta described could not be Samar in Eastern Visayas that had to be traversed from the deepest ocean trench and its treacherous currents, but on tranquil seas towards Samal island in Davao Gulf, Mindanao.

Pigafetta’s description of the vicinities of Zamal so eerily described exactly as the Davao Gulf area would be witnessed, replete with the nearby island (present day Talikod island) with its refreshing spring, a visible highland (Mt. Apo), and surrounded with circumjacent islands (Davao Gulf).

courtesy of RandyHi.com

Even the then uninhabited nearby island beside Zamal that Magellan’s fleet docked fitted accurately with Pigafetta’s description, for gratefully they found springs of very fresh water on the island and thus called it the “Watering Place of Good Signs”. In nearby Talikod island, water was a scarce resource for its lack of rivers and creeks except for the spring of fine water, gushing forth even to this day and presently located in the modern town proper.

Disregarding the mediocre mainstream belief that Magellan’s wooden super-galleons miraculously survived after crossing the deep and treacherous currents of the Philippine Trench as easily as his crew eating cochi nuts and drinking tuba with the natives; Magellan’s galleon fleet were, in a more realistic scenario, admirably swift as to be able to traverse from Guam to Samal Island in Mindanao for mere 10 days. It would not be surprising afterwards then, owing to the favourable windy characteristic of the area, that the fleet enabled to travel from Samal of Davao Gulf, to travel along the Eastern edges of Mindanao island with present day Davao Oriental, Surigao del Sur, del Norte and on towards the tip of present day Surigao City- in just a single day.

Hence originating from Davao Gulf, Pigafetta dutifully recorded sightings of the four islands.  Had Pigafetta’s fellow crew travelled from Samar and not Samal, the islands were a no-show. And so in a single day, from the tip of Surigao the fleet proceeded “west and southwest” not to Limasawa, but towards Masao, Butuan and still in Mindanao. Masao centuries ago would had been formed as an “islet” that not unusually accumulated especially along the wide river deltas as it approached the seas, and Butuan River was not an exception. Masao then was once an islet that formed from the delta of the mighty Butuan River.

Speaking of Limasawa, yet another ridiculous twist of blunder centuries in scale seemed to had been played upon this country’s history. Upon analyzing the preposterousness of a faraway island once thought of as Pigafetta’s Mazzaua, someone must had exclaimed in vernacular, “Dili Masaua!” (not Masaua!). As mediocre as picking an island as well as picking vernacular words, mainstream  historians therefore sang in unison, out of tune definitely, and thus declared the misrepresented island officially as, er, Limasawa. And the rest was bungled history.

Preposterous indeed, and anybody inquisitive enough may be excused for the initial hysterics. For how could the king brothers Rajah Siagu and Rajah Kulambu from the kingdoms of Masao and Butuan, and Caraga, went on regular leisure hunting trips from the Mindanao kingdoms to the alleged faraway Limasawa island but to ride some 16^th Century high speed ferry, not to mention Pigafetta and Magellan’s crew regularly traversing from the island to the Rajah’s kingdom, unless on ancient speed boats. What epic bungees.

Furthermore, the names assigned to the islands by who knows who that surrounded “Limasawa” in Samar seemed to sound like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Unfit, unfortunately. There were the islands of Homonhon, Dinagat, Sarangani. However, when placed in the context of Samal Island these names would immediately align and make sense like a seafarer’s compass would to the North pole.

As the native inhabitants were appropriately described, Pigafetta specifically mentioned of already civilized natives, respectful and hospitable, with “very good manners and gracefulness,” and with some of the “more showy,” elaborately dressed as well. The inhabitants of Samal Island were a very ancient race, so ancient that their olden history had recorded the existence of giants called the DINAGAT whose skeletal remains had been discreetly found even to this day (for more information on the Samal giants refer to links here and here).

The other ancient name of Samal Island was PU, because accordingly the earliest tribes (Maharlikhan) prior to its diaspora or scattering to the various corners of the World, encountered Samal as the very first island, or “pulo” that they had seen. This further vindicated the belief of the Bagobo Peoples in the nearby Davao mainland, which narrated that the source of all tribes of the World originated from Cibolan in the foothills of the Grand Old Man, Mt. Apo (link here).  From the creation myth of the Bagobo Tribe the first man and woman Toglai and Toglibon bore their very first children who eventually separated and scattered throughout the World. It was then prophesied that in the distant future the offsprings of these separated children shall return back to their land of origin, to the land of the Maharlikhas. It needed also to be mentioned that the Bagobo’s of mainland Davao were famous for their elaborate costumes that a foreign explorer once referred to them as “the most handsomely dressed” among tribes, and such impression was similarly witnessed by Pigafetta.

(By further resarch, the ancient Egyptians preserved in hieroglyph that portrayed the ancient "Habirus" with intricate weavings, known locally as "habi.") 

By the time of Magellan’s arrival the island of Samal would considerably be populated by then as now, for on the other island Samar it was otherwise sparsely populated even today that made the possibility of his galleon fleet’s first landing there ludicrous still.

The Sama people were accustomed to hospitable interaction as the fame of the ancient island with its rich history that dated even since the ancient era of giants then known as the Dinagat, and its cosmopolitan culture attested of a place already renowned in this part of the ancient World, for even Magellan knew of its mystery, so spectacular and fantastic as it turned out to be known only by elite members of European knights and monarchy and whose fame may had been dated since the legendary heroic journeys of ancient Greeks, which this blogger will soon discuss.

This writer also had the privilege to hear from the very words uttered by the governor of the country’s Indigenous Tribes, in an air of mysterious, metaphysical phenomenon that mirrored a living culture spanning thousands of years, of 5 languages that he claimed to speak. With these languages he had amazing and profound communication with the Tibetans, with Muslims who could understand the Aramaic language of Mohammed, and the more mysterious of tongue I had heard, the ancient language of the giant race. From what this writer recalled the intonations of this ancient language somewhat produced characteristic sounds of something deep, guttural, heavy. Pigafetta mentioned of the island beside Samal as “Humunu,” and eventually, HOMONHON. Could this deep, heavily accented word be remnant of the ancient language of the Dinagats of Samal, the giant race?

Pigafetta also narrated about the interesting reaction, not to mention the generous hospitality of the natives upon their encounter “with demonstrations of being very joyous with our arrival”. The inhabitants of Zamal indeed had reasons to be very joyous, for as the prophecy of the Bagobo elders foretold that the children of their once separated brethren would soon return, the offsprings, paler in skin, had now arrived.  The prophecy was finally fulfilled.

It comes as a boggling mystery why mainstream history would deliberately divert the real places that occurred in history.  As the cliché goes, histories are written by victors.  But what if the real events that occurred did not necessarily follow the tale of the “victors”, but actually led instead to its humiliation?

By these accounts, rewritten, the mystery would then unfold. And reveal.

Magellan, on a specific mission in search of the “isles of gold” as tasked by the Spanish royalty, ultimately found the fabled “Zamal” island of whose legends enthralled since the ancient Greeks, ultimately found on the edge of the once unknown Pacific seas, in the presently known Davao Gulf, in Mindanao of the Maharlika lands. From Samal island he sailed to Zugbu, eventually to Mactan and encountered formidable Maharlikan warriors, leading them the son of Rajah Luisong Tagean of whose name Luzon island was christened. Like ancient heroes in a tragic tale, with the Maharlikan Rajah Lapulapu and his warriors, Ferdinand Magellan ultimately met his fate.

The Spanish Empire in its quest of subduing and colonizing foreign lands and in particular the legendary isles profuse with gold, despite the tragic loss of the great explorer, deemed it valuable to send a second fleet known as the Loaisa Expedition. Tracing still the original route of Magellan the next Spanish fleet arrived not in Sangir, Indonesia nor Sarangani, Leyte but expectedly back to Davao Gulf, this time in SARANGANI island, Mindanao.

The ancient Sarangani natives, with its rich history dated as old as 3000 years, already sensed the ulterior motive of the pale skinned foreigners with such hearts borne from greed and covetousness that deemed more alien than brethren. The Sarangani inhabitants pretended to welcome the intruders as their Samal brethren otherwise genuinely did. This time however, from behind the offerings of vials and drinks, bladed weapons stealthily hidden behind the warriors’ backs awaited the intruders. By the time the bloody rampage ended, only four survivors were left, found floating in the seas by a passing galleon of the rival Portuguese, and promptly arrested.

Magellan had crossed the unknown Pacific seas as commissioned by the Spanish royalty in the grand quest to find the fabled islands of gold. He eventually discovered the illustrious Samal island in Davao Gulf. But his defeat borne from arrogance at underestimating the Maharlikan Rajah Lapulapu and his determined men, ultimately proved fatal and dealt a slap to Western imperial face. The second expedition with a crew that betrayed covetousness travelled on the same route and found itself again in Davao Gulf, this time in Sarangani island, where a second costly defeat in the hands of Sarangani Maharlikans proved too much for the Castillan imperial ego to bear. It seemed the true history of the land had to be twisted and re-written, not due to victory, but humiliation.

And so there would be need to clamour for the rightful quest to seek for what had indeed transpired, for in its light will surely reveal answers to long held questions, and in finding the real treasures of Truth long hidden, victory finally prevails.



(Continuation of the topic in:
of Magellan, Zamal Island, and the Golden Fleece) 

repost on the Samal People and Giants

Samal Island, or PU located in Davao Gulf  indeed had a very long history. In the ancient of times it had been said (partly read from researches by UP Prof. Fe Mangahas)  the island was once inhabited by giants called the Dinagat. These giants were abusive for they would raid villages (most likely along mainland Davao) and steal, vandalize (like defecating on their kitchen), and kidnap women and made sex slaves. Babies out of such abuse that were born giants were assimilated, those that remained human-size were rejected and separated with the kidnapped women to be their slaves.

The humans, fed up with the abusive giants, gathered together to device ways on how to get rid of them. They decided to deceive the giants by sending them delectable foods laden on a small boat. the giants upon seeing the boat, surmised it as offering of submission by the tiny humans and that the humans had finally conceded to their "superiority." The food however, was laced with poison.



The Dinagats only allowed all their fellow giants to partake of the food and prohibited human-sized slaves and the kinapped women to partake of the feast whom they treated as inferior class. All the giants were ultimately killed, except for the human-sized slaves, now Free. Thus the survivors called themselves "Samal," which said to be meant as dregs, or left-over.

However, there were indeed accounts of first-hand witnesses (local inhabitants, construction workers, treasure hunters) who discovered skeletal remains in Samal. Most of these discovered remains were stolen and unaccounted for. Even foreign scientists investigated the phenomenon. but mediocre nartional historical authorities (as they had, until recently, ignored the role of Mindanao legacy in mainstream history lessons ) outrightly dismissed these priceless gems of local history that could otherwise spell the difference to the dysfunctional state of this oligarch-dominated state and society.

Even the Sama's creation myth is very old, and eerily similar with the myths of the ancient Sumerians (Abraham's father was a Sumerian priest) supposedly the oldest civilization in the World, according to western historians that is. It was also intriguing that the bible mentioned about such giants most probably borrowed from Sumerian accounts, known as Nephilims, borne of angel (read: Extraterrestrial) and human parents.

Did the Nation's ancient history originate from Southern Mindanao?

The country's mainstream history lessons vaguely narrate about its people's ancestry dated to as far as 50,000 BC. The remains of a skull cap was discovered however, in the Tabon caves of Palawan and was carbon dated at about 22,000 BC. Centuries later, waves of migrants with their swift wooden boats called 'balangays' (from which came the basic government unit termed as "barangay") then settled in the archipelagic islands where they established small towns and colonies. But informations relative to these were not as preserved, owing to the fact that most of the legacies were destroyed due to religious bigotry exhibited by Spanish colonizers who arrived by the 16th century.

More extensive informations however, were made available primarily from documents by the colonizers and from whose sources most of the country's conscious history had based itself. In the Filipino psyche the making of the nation's history were mostly dependent on Spanish documents, and conventional national consciousness dictated that the nation's extensive history began in the islands of Visayas and Luzon (although some historians argue that first mass held between the locals and the Spanish explorers began somewhere in Masau, Butuan in Mindanao and not in Limasaua, Leyte in the Visayas).

Still, the country's pre-colonial history remained vague. However, there were research that among the earliest migrants, a wave of settlers had arrived in the southern shores of Mindanao, in present day Palembang, Sultan Kudarat (ironically, Palembang was also the name of ancient Sri-Vijayan Empire's capital city based in Sumatra, Indonesia) from as early as 500 AD. From there the early peoples spread towards the whole of the island. It was only later that other waves of migrants arrived in other parts of Visayas and Luzon during the 11th and 13th century by small groups that resisted the Islam faith and political systems of the mainlands, or seeking freedom and better sustenance.

However, the history of Southern Mindanao may even be much older than that. As if plucked out from myths and legends, old tales narrate of ancient tribes of giants known as Dinagats that once lived in Samal island that now faces the modern city of Davao, south of Mindanao. Except that these enigmatic, extinct race were neither myths or legends, for archeological evidences and skeletal excavations were documented even by foreign French and German scientists, and local resarchers as well, and even by construction workers. Despite an otherwise gem of history that any self-respecting nation would have treasured, these did not register much to the national consciousness, probably because some mediocre Filipino historians and closeminded academicians bluntly stifled it off.

The giants were eventually eliminated through poisoning by neighboring groups (they drifted a raft filled with delectable food) in retaliation for their misdeeds (which the giants mistook as offerings in submission to their 'superiority'), for the giants would often raid and steal from these villages, and kidnap their women. Some children borne out of it retained the gargantuan features and they were assimilated with the tribe, while those borne of small stature were given less attention and segregated with the women. These however, proved fatal for the giants as they were the only ones allowed to feast on the poisoned food. Eventually the giants died, leaving only the smaller people as survivors. To differentiate from the giant Dinagats, they called themselves Samal, meaning "leftovers" or "dregs."

These giant races had been mentioned in Biblical passages and known as "Nephilims," or by more historical sources, from the documents of the Sumerians, the most ancient of civilizations in Post-Deluvian human history that were once based in present day Iraq and dated to as far as 6000 BC but mysteriously vanished about 2000 BC. It should also be noted that the creation mythology of the Samals was intriguingly similar with that of the ancient Sumerians.

The giants were known to be hybrid offsprings, being borne out from the union of "gods" and humans. there were also other giant skeletal remains excavated in many parts of the world such as the Euphrates Valleys and in Europe.



("Human" skeletal femur found in Turkey and exhibited in Texas)




(A part of my personal research about the Samal giants were sourced from a narrative by Maria F. Mangahas, the others were from actual accounts narrated by an acquaintance who met with the natives of Samal, but both accounts confirmed similarities)