TASK 3
CAUSAL
In the pre-Hispanic era, Filipinos had established beliefs in Spirits like Aswangs,
Tikbalangs, Diwatas, and many more. These are the many folklores our ancestors had
that has been passed from generation to generation. They are usually used to warn or
scare children from going too far from the house, those who passes deep into forests, or
to simply show the dangers the night can offer. The creatures in these folklores possess
a variety of powers and appearances and are mostly regarded as evil spirits. Things like
amulets, bawang, chains, and many others are advised to be used against them. The
tales of their blights also mostly come from remote areas or provinces and has spread its
stories from the cities.
This gives a rich history of our country’s unnerving but somewhat thrilling folktales,
they have caused a unique staple in today’s TV shows, films, and horror stories in the
Philippines where the hero uses magical amulets to save the day and rid of the evil forces!
I would say that the folktales and its adaptations were actually effective wherein most of
us would agree have also caused us to be wary of the night and the deep forest ourselves,
and even sometimes use it today to scare one another. These folktales became the
historical identity of the superstitions of our ancestors, pre-colonization. It has also served
as a lens to see their way of life and how they have built their creativity in shaping the
story of their lands; and how, in some way, provide us a cultural understanding of our
heritage which are now being used in our history, education, entertainment, and social
practices through giving it greater meaning and significance in our lives today.
NARRATIVE
The Coming of the Islam tells an account of their arrival starting from CE 700 to
1,500 and introduced the individuals who have spread the Islamic rule in Mindanao. The
narrative in the PowerPoint starts when the Islam arrived in Southeast Asia through Arab
traders, missionaries, and mystics known as Makhdumins. Tuan Masha’ika, an Arab
trader and founder of the first Muslim community in the Philippines, introduced Islam in
Sulu. In 1,380, upon arriving in Buwansa, Makhdum, a missionary-scholar, and his
followers spread Islam with great zeal. Moreover, a Muslim prince from Minangkabau,
Sumatra named Rajah Baguinda arrived in Jolo and persuaded the inhabitants to accept
him as their leader. He later married a local princess and extended his rule to the outlying
islands. In 1,450, an authority of Islamic jurisprudence and theology named Sayyid Abu
Bakr also arrived in Jolo. Abu Bakr taught the people of Jolo how to read and write in
Arabic and later established a government patterned after the sultanate of Arabia. In
1,475, Islam had spread to Mindanao with the arrival of Sharif Mohammed Kabungsuan,
the son of Sharif Ali Zainal Akadir, who was said to be a descendant of Mohammed, the
founder if the Islam religion. Oral traditions and records show that Kabungsuan was
preceded by two other pioneers, Sharif Awliya and Sharif Maraja, and was the founder of
the Cotabato. Moreover, Kabungsuan introduced firearms in Mindanao. With superior
weapons and diplomacy, Kabungsuan extended his rule to the Cotabato River valley
towards the interior of Mindanao and founded a sultanate which combined religious and
civil authority. Lastly, in 1,500, Manila had had a Muslim settlement with strong ties with
Sulu, Mindanao, and Borneo. The settlement was destroyed by the Spaniards in 1,571,
which led them to retreat to Mindanao and Sulu where they held out until the end of
Spanish rule. The rapid spread of Islam took only 191 years from the arrival of Makhdum
to the destruction of Rajah Soliman’s kingdom in Manila in 1,571. Islam centering the
supremacy of one god is not alien to the Filipino belief in Bathala or Abba who was also
believed as a supreme god.
The narrative succinctly tells the long incorporation of the Islamic community and
beliefs in our country, particularly its influence in Mindanao, wherein a short narrative
about the arrival of Islam religion is likely told by a Muslim, adding the fundamental
elements of time, experience, process, and change of the Islam community in the
Philippines.