Not all who lived in our archipelago meekly
surrendered to foreign invaders or happily collaborated with
their rule. The nobility, indomitability, and untarnished pride
of Maguindanao royalty are still evident in century-old
photographs mounted on approximately 30 panels now on exhibit at
the atrium of the SM Mall of Asia.
Entitled A Photo Exhibit of the Inundated
Plain (Maguindanao), it is part of a series of cultural
activities and events held in celebration of the Filipino
Heritage Festival this whole month of May.
Performance festivals, symposia and
conferences, culinary feasts, tours of heritage sites and
exhibits held in various regions in the Philippines comprise
FHF’s pot-potpourri of events.
The people of Maguindanao have been known for
their fierce independence and refusal to submit to outside
aggression and invasion. It is a theme that has resonated even
in modern cultural icons touching on this subject such as
Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s film, Bagong Buwan. The personalities
captured in this particular Maguindanao photo exhibit, however,
are not fictional, but actual historical figures who championed
their people’s fight for autonomy against the Spaniards and the
Americans.
The Bangsa Moro leaders immortalized in these
photographs taken from 1902-1906 launched their campaigns in
Mindanao in various ways. Datu Piang was a Chinese mestizo who
did it the traditional way – by leading raids against the last
Spanish strongholds. Datu Uto resorted to skillful diplomacy and
a keen sense of political organization to save Muslim areas from
Spanish encroachment. Sultan Mastura Kudarat’s establishment of
a league of datus was the main barrier that stopped the
Spaniards from gaining a foothold in Mindanao.
Knowledge of this aspect of Philippine
history should hopefully lead people into a greater appreciation
of Bangsa Moro culture and a deeper understanding of its
relevance in modern Filipino life. This was among the
motivations behind the reproduction of the photographs from the
US National Archives in Washington, D.C. by former Congressman
Michael Mastura (who happens to be Sultan Mastura Kudarat’s
descendant), and his wife Lourdes.
The Maguindanao royalty’s values were also
reflected in their fashion sense. Even after three centuries of
Spanish rule in Luzon and the Visayas up to the 20th century
when the Americans were literally camping outside their door,
the Bangsa Moro celebrated their Islamic-Malayan heritage and
recognized the influences of other cultures with whom they had
interacted peaceably for some time.
Diadems and designs woven into their wardrobe
were derived from textiles from Arabia, China, and other regions
in Southeast Asia. Industry continued to be homegrown as
Maguindanao weavers crafted their own mosquito nets (kulambo),
bed covers (balod), and tubular blankets or garments (malong).
Interestingly, then US Army medical corps
Captain Dr. William S. Eastman Jr., the American photographer
who was attracted by the dignity and pride of the Maguindanao
royalty, would himself become a captain of US industry by
establishing the photograph and film conglomerate now known as
Kodak.
Complementing the 24-strong photo display is
an actual exhibit that will showcase Maguindanao royalty’s
heirlooms representing the best of their arts and crafts.
The Philippine Ballet Theater’s presentation
of Vinta! started off the opening of the exhibit with a bang.
The Bangsa Moro exhibit and the photo display
was first mounted in the National Capital Region in 2007 and
since then has toured various parts of the archipelago,
including Davao. The exhibit will also be displayed in SM Cebu
on May 22 with a Darangen performance.
The Filipino Heritage Festival’s partners and sponsors are
the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Department
of Tourism, Security Bank Corp., and the local governments
involved.
