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By Go Bon Juan
Editor’s note: The Sixth Dr. Jose P. Rizal
Awards for Excellence awarding ceremony will be held at 7 p.m., June
14, 2008, at the Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center on Anda and
Cabildo streets, Intramuros, Manila.
As early as the 17th century, there were already
“OFWs” in China. No kidding. According to Volume 4 of Ming Xi
Zong Shi Lu (actual record of Ming Emperor Xi Zhong) in 1621 or the
first year of Tian Qi, the minister of criminal justice, Huang Ke
Zhan, reported to the emperor, “When I assisted in defense
matters, I recruited big brass cannon makers from Luzon to the
capital, and fabricated 28 units of big cannons. Seven units were
delivered to Liao Yang [in northeastern China], the one that weighed
more than three thousand jin [equal to half a kilo] went to Li Bing
Cheng. With one shot at Fong Ji, it killed more than 700 Manchurians
of Jianzhou, including two officers.”
This historical record is important. It tells us
that as early as 1621, Filipinos from Luzon were already being
recruited to Peking (today’s Beijing) to work there as cannon
makers. It also shows that Filipinos were good at manufacturing big
brass cannons that their skill had attracted Chinese officials in
Peking. The cannons that they fashioned for the Ming court were used
for defense against the Manchurians in northeastern China.
The Filipinos were producing cannons that
weighed about 1,500 kilos. The cannons appeared to be of high
quality, as shown by the incident in which more than 700 enemies
were killed by just one cannon shot.
The account does not say how many cannon makers
of Luzon were recruited by the Ming high official. But considering
the size of the cannons and the fact that 28 of them were
fabricated, it is safe to speculate that quite a few must have been
recruited then. Certainly, more than one “OFW,” or “overseas
Filipino worker” was hired.
Our own historical records show that Filipinos
already had artillery they used to defend themselves against their
enemies even before the Spaniards came. Raja Baginda, Muslim Prince
from Sumatra, supposedly brought the first firearms to Sulu in 1390,
or 141 years before Ferdinand Magellan arrived on Philippine shores.
It is not known, however, when Filipinos began
making cannons and who introduced them to cannon making. But
accounts show that Panday Pira set up a cannon-forging shop on the
north bank of Pasig River, now San Nicolas district, when he and his
relatives moved from southern Philippines to Manila. He was then 20.
On Rajah Soliman’s order, Panday Pira forged
several pieces of cannon that were mounted on the palisades
surrounding the kingdom and on the seaside portion of the wooden
kuta or fort guarding the mouth of Pasig River. As large as the
largest Malaga cannons that the Spaniards used, Panday Pira’s
cannons defended Maynilad (today’s Manila).
The Chinese already had extensive trade with the
Philippines long before Magellan landed on the islands. Since Pasig
River was the main mode of transporting trade wares at the time, it
is highly plausible to think that these traders must have seen
Panday Pira’s cannons at the fort there. News of the Filipinos’
cannon-making prowess could have then spread to the Peking high
officials in the Ming court through these traders.
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