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SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
GEC 103 READINGS IN THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY (W/ IP STUDIES) EVAN P. TAJA-ON
(Course Code) (Course Title) (Name of Instructor)
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I. Learning Module 14 Brief History on Mindanao Island 15

(Module Number) (Topic) (Week) (Dates)

II. Introduction
Lesson 1 of this chapter discusses about the definition as well as the value, and goals
of local and oral history. The discussions will enable the students to have better
understanding Toeing local and oral history. It will lead them to comprehend that local
and oral history a primary source material obtained to capture and preserve first-hand
information of life series or events that would otherwise be lost. Valuable information
on a particular area site/feature can often only be obtained through the use of local
and oral history interviews. The use of oral testimony is strongly encouraged in most
research projects. Hence, the students will also learn to ensure that information is
collected from a variety of sources, and during interviews, from a variety of interviewees
so that potential biases can be recognized An example of local history is also presented
in Lesson 1.

Lesson 2 of this chapter deals about the Museums and historical shrines that serve as
institutions that tell the story of man and how humanity has survived in its environment
over the years. It houses and displays things created by nature and lived by man in the
past. It also the houses the cultural soul of the nation for it holds the cultural wealth
for all generations and by its function and unique position, it has become the cultural
conscience of the nation. Museums and historical shrines play a fundamental part in
research programs. In general, museums provide a wealth information, resources, trained
scholars and highly qualified professionals about any project that people whose interest
is to find an answer about the past. Museums and historical shrines which present some
of the artifacts, potteries and tools are very significant to students to appreciate the
civilization that started by generations ahead of them. There are types and examples of
Museums as well as historical shrines presented in Lesson 2.

Lesson 3 discusses about the Mindanao's indigenous Peoples and their rituals. Mindanao
is full of diversity when it comes to cultures and traditions. The varieties in languages
indigenous crafts, traditions and cultures point out to the rich heritage that can only
be found in particular places. Important fact to note is that it is our joint
responsibility to ensure that we preserve our cultures and heritages just as those before
us did so that we can allow the generations to come to also benefit from them. Lesson 4
presents the life of the different tribes of Lumads and Muslims in Mindanao. Students
are expected to appreciate their contributions to the island and that they would also
become instruments to alleviate the conditions of these indigenous who are considered
the historical sources of development in the island of Mindanao.

III. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

1. Create a concept map on the history of Mindanao.
IV. Stimulating Recall
1. What local history do you know about the history of Mindanao?
V. Presentation of the Topic/Learning Material
MINDANAO ISLAND, the second largest (after Luzon) in the Philippines, in the southern
part of the archipelago, surrounded by the Bohol, Philippine, Celebes, and Sulu was
trregularly shaped, it measures 293 miles (471 km) north to south and 324 miles 21 km) east
to west. The island is marked by peninsulas and is heavily indented by the Davao and Moro
gults in the south and by Iligan Bay in the north. The long, semicircular Zamboanga Peninsula
(west) extends southwesterly toward the Sulu Archipelago and Borneo, and the Cotabato and
Surigao peninsulas extend south and north, respectively.

Rugged, faulted mountains and volcanoes occur in many areas. Mount Apo, at 9,692 feet
(2.954 meters), is an active volcano in the southern part of the central highlands; at is
the highest peak in the Philippines. The island has narrow coastal plains, and the Mindanao
and Agusan river systems form broad, fertile basins and extensive swamps. Lake Lanao (Lake
Sultan Alonto), created by a lava dam, has an area of 134 square miles (347 square km). The
island has a marsh-game refuge and bird sanctuary. The rare Philippine eagle is found on
Mindanao.

Mindanao has been considered the country's "pioneer frontier" because of its large
expanse of undeveloped fertile lands. It did not experience substantial population increase
until migration was promoted, particularly in the mid-20th century. The chief crops are
corn (maize), rice, abaca, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, and coconuts. Cotton, ramie (a
fiber plant), coffee, and cacao are also grown. The timber industry is important, and there
are gold, nickel, iron, and coal deposits. Chartered cities include Zamboanga City, Cotabato
City, Davao City, Cagayan de Oro, and Butuan. Area 36,537 square miles (94,630 square km).
Pop. (2007) 16,939,967 (Gorlinski, 2012).

Mindanao also has the largest concentration of ethnic minorities in the Philippines.
They include the Maguindanao, Maranao, Ilanun, and Sangil. These are all Muslim groups
sometimes collectively called the Moro, Groups usually found in the uplands include the
Tboli, Subanon, Bukidnon, Bagobo, Mandaya, and Manobo. Another significant group is the
Tiruray, whose religion is a mixture of Christian, Muslim, and local beliefs.

Mindanao is a Muslim outpost in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines. Although

Muslims are no longer a majority, Islamic culture is evident; there are many mosques, and
unique brassware, including the kris or dagger. The autonomous reg of Muslim Mindanao-
consisting of territory in western and southwestern Mindanao along with some nearby islands,
including Tawi Tawi and Jolo-was established in 199 Mindanao derived its name from the
Maguindanaons who constituted the larges Sultanate. Maps made during the 17th and 18th
centuries suggest that the name was used to refer to the island by natives at the time.
Evidence of human occupation in Mindana dates back to tens of thousands of years. In
prehistoric times the Negrito people arrived. Sometime around 1500 BC Austronesian peoples
spread throughout the Philippines and far beyond. Native people of the Maluku Islands refer
to the island as Maluku Besar (Great Moluccas).

Upon the Spaniards' arrival in the Philippines, they were dismayed to find such a
strong Muslim presence on the island, having just expelled the Moors from Spain after
centuries of fighting. In fact, the name Moros (the Spanish word for "Moors") was given to
the Muslim inhabitants by the Spanish. Caesarea Caroli was the name given by Villalobos to
the island of Mindanao when he reached the sea near it. Caesarea Caroli referred to Charles
V of the Holy Roman Empire (and I of Spain.)

Moro Wars (1901-1913), in Philippine history, was a series of scattered campaigns

involving American troops and Muslim bands on Mindanao, Philippines. The Moro fought for
religious rather than political reasons, and their actions were unconnected with those of
the Filipino revolutionaries who conducted the Philippine-American War (1899-1902).

Before the colonization, migrants from the neighboring Asian countries also occupied
Zamboanga, like any other islands of the Philippines. The Subanons, from the Malay origin,
was known to be the early people of the peninsula. Throughout the Spanish regime, Zamboanga
became the capital and seat of the Gobierno-politico-militar for the entire Mindanao.
Zamboanga also became the Spanish garrison because of its strategic location. Hence,
Zamboanga had opened its port to international maritime trading with the rest of the European
countries during the 18th century which resulted in better economic opportunities.

The beginnings of Davao as a distinct geopolitical entity started during the last fifty
years of Spanish rule in the country. The conquest of the Davao Gulf area in 1848 paved the
way for the establishment of a Spanish de facto government in Davao. Although as early as
1620, Spanish sovereignty already reigned in the north-eastern coasts of Mindanao down to
Bislig.

In 1848, Don Jose Cruz de Oyanguren, a native of Vergara, Guipuzcoa, Spain, received
a special grant from Don Narciso Claveria, the Governor-General of the Archipelago. He was
ordered to conquer and subdue the entire gulf district, expel or pacify the Moros, and
establish the Christian religion. Oyanguren arrived in Davao as head of a colonizing
expedition comprising 70 men and women. They found an ally in Datu Daupan, chief he Samal
Mandayas, who saw in Oyanguren's colonizing venture a chance to get n with Datu Bago, a
Muslim head of Davao Gulf, who had treated the Mandayas as sals. Oyanguren's initial attack
against Datu Bago's fortified settlement at the mouth Davao River proved futile. His ships
could not maneuver in the narrow channel of Davao River bend (where Bolton Bridge is now
located) and were forced to retreat. erected a barrier at Piapi for his defense and
constructed a causeway across nipa amps to the dry section of the meadows (now at Claveria
Street junction), to bring canons within range to Datu Bago's settlement. In the three
months that he devoted constructing the causeway, Oyanguren had also to fend off Datu Bago's
harassing acks against the workers.
Finally, late in June help came from Zamboanga. Don Manuel Quesada, Navy mmanding General,
arrived with a company of infantry and joined in the attack against tu Bago's settlement.
The out-gunned defenders, despite their tenacious resistance, ally fled to the different
Muslim communities in the hope of carrying on the fight me other day. Oyanguren was reported
to have peaceful possession of the Davao Gulf ritory at the end of 1849, despite the lack
of support from the government in Manila d his principals in the venture. He campaigned
hard among the different tribes like e Mandayas, Manobos, etc. urging them to live in
settlements or reducciones to reach em for trade and commerce, but to no avail. The Moros
continued to threaten those ho collaborated with the Spaniards. There was a little economic
development of the ulf region (Corcino, 1998).

The Spaniards also conquered Cotabato in the 17th Century. Settlements grew in the
outh of Rio Grande de Mindanao that proved the growth of civilization in the area. rading
of basic commodities, industrial raw materials, agricultural and aquaculture roducts became
the center of economic activities in the area. As time passed by, the conomic potentials of
Cotabato grew that made it independent from the rest of the slands. Cotabato became a
chartered city on June 20, 1959, by Republic Act No. 2364. Datu Mandu U. Sinsuat, Sr. became
the first elected city mayor. In the early 19th century, mericans started to penetrate
Cotabato and eventually made the place as the capital own of the Cotabato province. When
the United States reigned over the Philippines after the Spanish-American War in 1898, the
United States initiated a policy designed o assimilate the Moro into the Philippine nation
and to curb some feudal practices such s slave trading. The attempt of the Americans to
alter the traditional ways of the Moro esulted in intransigence and rebellion.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Lumads controlled an area which now covers
17 of Mindanao's 24 provinces, but by the 1980 census, they constituted less than 6% of the
population of Mindanao and Sulu. Heavy migration to Mindanao of Visayans, spurred by
government-sponsored resettlement programs, turned the indigenous Lumads and Moros into
minorities.

Sporadie fighting took place in 1901 and 1903. Moros attacked the American troops
near Lake Lanao, in Mindanao. The best known of the American Moro battles occurred in March
1906 at the top of Mount Dajo on the island of Jolo, Six hundred Moro who had taken refuge
inside a massive volcanic crater were killed by troops under Gen. Leonard Wood. Many women
and children were killed in the fight. Wood came under severe criticism in the U.S. Congress
because of that. He was later absolved of any wrongdoing by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt Renewed
hostilities occurred in September 1911 and June 1913. Fighting ceased after that, although
Moro separatist movements continued into the 21st century.

The Americana continued the colonization program on Mindanao. In the 1930s, the US
authorities encouraged Christians to migrate to the southern region of Mindanao, which was
mostly populated by Muslims. On February 27, 1939. The 62 pioneers (primarily agricultural
and trade graduates) were the first big batch of settlers to land in GenSan with the mission
to industriously cultivate GenSan's fertile expanse of land. After this first influx of
pioneers, thousands more from Luzon and the Visayas have subsequently migrated into the
area. This movement started the displacement of some native B'laan tribe to the mountains
and lost their livelihood (Hall, 2010).

The migrants were on the advantaged side in legally securing lands. The migrants made
it difficult for the indigenous people and Muslims to own their farmlands because they did
not have land titles to prove ownership. So, the migrant Christians usually won over land
disputes that tremendously increased both their properties and their population as years
passed. The Americans used their control over property and land laws to let American
corporations and Christian settlers take over native resources. They deprived the More
Sultanates in the west of self-governance, and independence. Ilokanos, Cebuanos, and
Illongos streamed into Moro territories in the western and central portions of Mindanao
These resulted in armed struggles. The natives, especially those who refused to convert to
Christianity, became victims of land-grabbing by the migrants who were promised vast and
fertile lands by the government.

Massive Filipino Christian settlements continued after the Philippines became

independent from America. The Americans passed the rule to the Christian Filipinos Land
disputes between the Christian settlers and the Muslims and the tribal natives broke out
into violence. Then, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was formed. and the Moro
armed insurgency against the Philippine rule happened. Because of this strife between the
two groups, the Philippine government encouraged Filipino Christians in Mindanao to form
militias called flaga to counter the Moro insurgency. The llaga was responsible for the
killings and other atrocities in Mindanao. They were responsible for the Manili massacre in
June 1971, which killed 65 Muslim civilians in a Mosque

Davao in Mindanao had a sizable population of Japanese immigrants. The migration of

the Japanese plantation workers flourished in Davao even in the early period of 1900's.
They controlled the entire abaca industry under the American regime. Davao became the
biggest producer of abaca in the whole country during the period. Substantial commercial
interests such as copra, timber, fishing, import, and export trading prospered (Cantal et
al., 2014). The Moros hated these Japanese immigrants and fought the Japanese invaders when
they landed at Davao in Mindanao.

In the 1950s, there was an unprecedented influx of migrants from other parts of the
Philippines to Mindanao particularly to Davao due to the economic opportunities it offered.
In the 1960's, the banana and pineapple plantation industries became the source of
development. However, social unrest was also prevalent (Cantal et al., 2014).

In 1969, Muslim scholar Nur Misuari established the Moro National Liberation Front
(MNLF), which begins an armed campaign to put up a separate Islamic state in the southern
third of the country. Between the years 1972-1976, the fighting raged between government
forces and the MNLF, which is supported by some Muslim nations. Thousands were killed, with
whole towns destroyed in the violence. In 1976, under a deal brokered by the Organization
Islamic ference the MNLF signed an agre the Marcos administration to end hostilities in
exchange for the government working to grant greater autonomy in Muslim-populated areas. In
the year 1977, Misuari's deputy. ment with Hashim Salamat, led a group of key commanders in
splitting from the MNLF. They were unhappy with Misuari's compromise and vowed to continue
fighting for independence. Salamat later officially formed the MILF. During the presidency
of Marcos in the 70's, tourism was promoted particularly in Mindanao. Unfortunately, it
failed to attract investors to come because of the peace and order situations of the region.

In 1978, one of the MNLF's fiercest ideologues, Salamat Hashim, split from the MNLF
and vowed to press ahead with the fight for an independent Islamic state. Salamat and Murad
Ebrahim, another prominent rebel commander, formed the MILF in 1981.

After the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution that ousted Marcos, the Aquino administration
launched peace talks with the MNLF. In 1989, the Organic Act for theAutonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was signed into law.

In 1996, Misuari, on behalf of the MNLF, signed a final peace agreement with the Ramos
government. That year, the MILF, which had long broken away from the MNLF. also entered
informal talks with the Ramos government. But the MILF peace project was put on the back
burner, allowing the organization to recruit, establish big camps in Central Mindanao, and
become the most significant Muslim rebel movement.

Former president Joseph Estrada mobilized the entire armed forces to crush the MILF
and bring down its seat of power in Camp Abubakar, Central Mindanao in 2000. Former President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo resumed negotiations with the MILF, taking a bold step in crafting
a draft agreement that triggered widespread opposition from lawmakers and various sectors
and which the Supreme Court, later on, declared as unconstitutional. In response, two MILF
commanders led attacks across Christian areas of Mindanao.

In October 2012, the Aquino administration and the MILF signed a peace agreement in
Malacañang. It marked the first time the rebel group stepped into the country's seat of
power. In March 2014, both parties signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro
(CAB).

The Bangsamoro is home to most the country's Muslim or Moro populations, composed of
many ethnic groups such as the Maranao and the Tausug, the Banguingui (users of the vinta),
as well as the collective group of indigenous tribes known as the Lumad.

VI. Activities or Exercise

Encircle the letter of your choice in each item.

1. The island of Mindanao is marked by

a. coasts c. mountains
b. peninsulas d. plains
2. Which among the ethnic minorities in Mindanao is from the Muslim group?
a. Bagobo c. Bukidnon
b. Tiduray d. Sangil
3. The Islamization of Mindanao started during this century.

a. 12th C. 13th

b. 14th d. 15Tth

4. Upon the Spaniards' arrival to the Philippines, they were dismayed because of
this reason.

a. The transportation is so poor.

b. The island is underdeveloped.

 c. The people were so unfriendly.

d. The strong presence of Muslims on the island.

5. It is the reason of the Moro Wars involving the American troops and Muslim
bands in Mindanao.

a. economic c. political

b. religious d. social

6. Which of the following was done by the American to Mindanao particularly to the
Muslims during their Sovereignty in the country?

a. Provided a democratic policy of governance

b. Retained the system of sultanate government.

C. Instituted a government to be run by the Muslim rulers.

d. Initiated a policy designed to assimilate the Moro into the Philippine

nation.

7. It is the best known American-Moro battles that occurred in March 1906 on the
island of Jolo.

a. Battle of Bayan c. Battle of Bud Dajo

b. Battle of Bud Bagsak d. Battle of Kawing

8. It is a place in Mindanao that had a sizable population of Japanese immigrants,

welcoming the Japanese invaders during WWII.

a. Cagayan de Oro C. Cotabato

b. Davao d. Zamboanga

9. It was in this year that the Organic Act for the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM) was signed into law.

a. 1989 c. 1992

b. 1996 d. 2001

10. It is an acronym of the organization that was organized by Nur Misuari.

a. MILF C. MNLF

b. NIPH d. PCIP

VII. Assessment
Assessment will be given together with the next module.

VIII. Other Reading Materials or Sources

 Ligan, V.O. et al (2018). Readings in the Philippine History. Mutya Publishing
House, Inc. Malabon City, Philippines