Magat Salamat

Datu Magat Salamat (1550–1595) was one of the four sons of Lakan Dula.^[1] Salamat was the crown prince of the Kingdom of Tondo prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. His eldest brother, Batang Dula, was betrothed to the younger sister of Martin de Goiti to symbolize the alliance of the Kingdom of Tondo and the Spanish government. The marriage bore three children: David, Daba and Dola. Magat Salamat participated in the Tondo Conspiracy (1587–1588) against the Spaniards.^[2]

The Magat Salamat Elementary School was named after Salamat in his honor. The school is located in the 1st District, (in the corners of Sta. Maria, Pavia and Perla Streets) of Tondo, Manila in the Philippines.

The Ancestors of Magat Salamat

The Ancestors of Magat Salamat and David Dulay (David Dula y Goiti) are as follows:

• Batang Dula: Father of David Dula y Goiti,Son of Lakan Dula and Mutya,Brother of Magat Salamat, Felipe Salonga, Dionisio Capulong;
• Lakan Dula (1503–1589): David's grandfather, Husband of Mutya, Son of Rajah Sulaiman I and Ysmeria, Father of Batang Dula, Magat Salamat, Felipe Salonga, Dionisio Capulong;
• Mutya: David's grandmother, Wife of Lakan Dula, Mother of Batang Dula, Felipe Salonga, Magat Salamat, Dionisio Capulong;
• Rajah Sulaiman I: David's great grandfather, Son of Rajah Lontok and Dayang Kalangitan, Husband of Ysmeria, Father of Lakan Dula and Rajah Sulaiman II, Brother of Dayang Panginoan, Dayang Lahat and Gat Kahiya;
• Ysmeria: David's great grandmother, Wife of Rajah Sulaiman I, Mother of Lakan Dula and Rajah Sulaiman II;
• Rajah Lontok: David's second great grandfather, Son of Sultan Bolkiah and Lela Mechanai, Husband of Dayang Kalangitan, Father of Dayang Panginoan, Dayang Lahat, Rajah Sulaiman I and Gat Kahiya, Brother of Rajah Gappandan;
• Dayang Kalangitan: David's second great grandmother, Wife of Rajah Lontok,Mother of Dayang Panginoan, Dayang Lahat, Rajah Sulaiman I and Gat Kahiya;
• Sultan Bolkiah: David's third great grandfather, Son of Sultan Sulaiman, Husband of Lela Mechanai, Father of Rajah Lontok and Rajah Gappandan;
• Lela Mechanai: David's third great grandmother, Daughter of Sultan Amir Ul-Ombra, Wife of Sultan Bolkiah, Mother of Rajah Lontok and Rajah Gappandan;
• Rajah Gambang: David's third great grandfather, Father of Dayang Kalangitan;Sultan Sulaiman: David's fourth great grandfather, Father of Sultan Bolkiah;
• Sultan Amir Ul-Ombra: David's fourth great grandfather, Father of Lela Mechanai;
• Rajah Alon: David's fifth great grandfather, Son of Lakan Timamanukum;Lakan Timamanukum: David's 6th great grandfather, Father of Rajah Alon.^[3]

The Descendants of Lakan Dula and Magat Salamat

The descendants of Lakan Dula were hidden in different parts of the country along sea and river routes to keep them safe during the intense Spanish persecution of the native aristocracy. There are five main branches of the direct descendants of Lakan Dula. These are the branches of the five children of Lakan Dula:

• Batang Dula, the eldest. He has three children:
  • David was hidden in Candawid, Isla de Batag, Northern Samar;
  • Daba settled in Candaba, Pampanga;
  • Dola was given a big tract of land in Candola, San Luis, Pampanga.
• Magat Salamat, the martyr. History is unclear on the question of who Magat Salamat's children were, but most of his descendants of today are situated in Central Luzon, particularly in Hagonoy, Bulacan and Mindanao.
• Maria Poloin, the only girl, married Alonso Talabos and it is still unclear up to now if they have children.
• Dionisio Capulong. Current resaearch has not discovered any children of Dionisio Capulong. But some historians are saying that Dionisio was hidden in Candaba, Pampanga together with his young niece Daba.
• Felipe Salonga was described as the lord of Polo. The exact names of his children are still the subject of research.

The Macapagal family, which is actively claiming their links with Lakandula and has their own family version of their claim has still to ascertain from which Lakan Dula children they came from. The Capulongs of Candaba are objecting that the Macapagal came from the Dionisio Capulong branch. The Gatbontons are also objecting, in fact, they said that they have proofs that the Macapagals are not descendants of Lakan Dula. The reasons for objections are that the Macapagals have always been identified with the traitors, and the former President Gloria Macapagal is facing six counts of plunder cases. The Lakan Dula descendants are just protecting the name of Lakan Dula. The Spanish persecutions of the descendants of Lakan Dula continued and intensified, but a lot of descendants maintained their native surnames like Salamat, lakandula, dula, dulay, gatdula, dulayan, abdullah, rebadulla, dulatre, duldulao, dulayba, lakandola, lacandalo, lacandola, lacandula, dula – torre and many others revolving around the root word “dula”.

Native Nobility's response to coming of the Spaniards

The pro-Magat camp:

The most well known patriot among the Lakan Dula descendants is his second son, Magat Salamat who died as a martyr fighting for his people. In November 1588, Magat was in Calamianes with Don Agustin Manungit and Juan Banal. They met with the paincipals of the island of Cuyo, Sumaclob pledged to help in their plans and would give 2000 warriors. Before Magat and his men could launch an offensive, a traitor disclosed their plot to the authorities and leading to the arrest of Magat. All of them were captured and was put on trial, 32 of them were proven guilty of treason and rebellion. Magat and seven others were hanged to death while the rest were put into exile in Mexico. Another martyr from among the descendants of Lakan Dula is his grandson, David Dula y Goiti or more popularly known as David Dulay. Dulay is the only son of Batang Dula. Northern Samar is where the Sumuroy Rebellion of 1649–1650 led by the Waray hero Juan Ponce Sumuroy first began. One of the trusted co conspirators of Sumuroy, David Dulay, sustained the Filipino quest for motherland in a greater vigor after the death of Sumuroy. Dulay was however wounded in a battle, was captured and later was executed in Palapag, Northern Samar by the Guardia Civil together with his seven key lieutenants. They were accused of masterminding several attacks on Spanish detachments. They were buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in Palapag, together with the big and loyal hunting dog of Dulay named sigbin which was also killed. Later, the name sigbin would became part of a local folklore which eventually is used by parents to scare children even up to now.In 1643, Don Pedro Ladia of Borneo who claimed to be a descendant of Rajah Matanda started a revolt and called himself the king of the Tagalog. He was executed in Manila. On 3 June 1571, the Spanish forces embarked in search for native warriors in Bangkusay Channel, which the natives from different provinces used to get through Manila. An intense battle followed after several members of the family of Lakan Dula who led the natives on the attack on the Spanish defense were killed or wounded, forcing the natives to escape and flee. This event signaled the series of persecutions of the native aristocracy which forced the descendants of Lakan Dula to escaped into different places within river and sea routes and changed their surnames to avoid capture and liquidation. The wealthy Spanish wife of Batang Dula secretly provided the safety, influence and logistics needed by the escaping relatives and allies of the Lakan Dula family.

The pro-Spaniard camp:

Before Magat Salamat and his men could launch an offensive against the Spaniards, a traitor disclosed their plot to the authorities and leading to the arrest of Magat. The name of the traitor is still the subject of research. Juan Macapagal aided the Spanish authorities in suppressing the 1660 Kapampangan revolt of Francisco Maniago and the Pangasinan revolt of Andrés Malong and the 1661 Ilocano revolt. The Ilocano revolt was headed by warrior tribes, the Nozuelo and Moreno clans from Bacag Villasis in Eastern Pangasinan. There are two Macapagals: from Candaba, and from Candola, San Luis, Pampanga. The one coming from Candola seem to be the traitor side. Lazaro Macapagal was one of those who shot Andres Bonifacio. The Macabebe elements of “D” Company, 1st Battalion of the Philippine Scouts, and other Filipino guerillas who were earlier captured by or had surrendered to the US forces as participants in the capture of Aguinaldo. The Macabebe Scouts from Pampanga helped the Americans by deceiving President Aguinaldo’s boys into letting them into his hideout by pretending that the American Col. Frederick Funston was their prisoner. There are theories why the Macapagals are inclined to be traitors. The Gatbonton Clan, in their family history, identified the Macapagals as their aliping namamahay. This is probably one of the reasons why the Macapagal hates the Filipino aristocracy or the Philippine society so much. Their relationship to Gatbonton clan is one of basis of their earlier claim to Lakan Dula lineage. Later, they are now basing their claim from one of the descendants of one grand daughters of Lakan Dula named Dola Goiti Dula who married a Macapagal.

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