This chapter discusses the various revolts against Spanish rule in the Philippines from 1574 to 1840. It outlines 14 major revolts led by figures such as Lakandula, Magat Salamat, Francisco Sumoroy, Francisco Dagohoy, Diego and Gabriela Silang, and Herman Pule. The causes of the revolts included refusal of reforms, religious intolerance, imposition of taxes and services, and land grabbing. However, most revolts failed due to lack of national consciousness, divide and conquer tactics, geographical barriers, and superior Spanish military forces. The Muslims of Mindanao offered more sustained resistance to Spanish colonization through the Moro Wars from 1578 to 1898.

1. Chapter 6: Resistance Against the Spanish Rule
Reasons for the Revolts
1. Refusal of Spanish authorities to grant reforms
2. Policy of the Spanish government not allowing the natives to learn the Spanish
language
3. Religious intolerance of the friars
4. Imposition of the Polo, tribute and taxes
5. Monopolies and the Galleon Trade
6. Agrarian injustices and cases of land grabbing
7. Greed, cruelty and abuses committed by Spanish authorities
The Filipino Revolts
A. Lakandula and Sulayman Revolt
Date: 1574
Setting: Tondo, Manila
Leaders: Lakandula and Sulayman
Cause(s): Gov. Guido de Lavezares refused to exempt Lakandula and his kin from
payment of tributes and the confiscation of the natives’ patrimonial
land awarded to them by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi as a token of
friendship.
Result(s): The natives launched a revolt that coincided with Limahong’s attacks.
Through the intervention of Legazpi’s grandson Juan de Salcedo,
the natives and their leaders were pacified with the condition that their
lands would be retained and that they be exempted from payment of
tributes. After the reconciliation, the natives helped the Spaniards in
crushing the force of Limahong.
B. Magat Salamat Conspiracy a.k.a. Tondo Conspiracy
Date: 1587
Setting: Tondo, Manila
Leaders: Magat Salamat, Agustin de Legazpi, Juan Banal (chieftain of Tondo) and
Pedro Balingit (chieftain of Pandacan)
Cause(s): The desire of the natives to regain the lost freedom of their forefathers
Result(s): The conspiracy failed after one of the recruits squealed the information to
Spanish authorities which resulted to the arrest of its leaders and
their execution.

2. C. Magalat Revolt
Date: 1596
Setting: Cagayan Valley
Leaders: Magalat
Cause(s): Resentment of the natives in the payment of tribute and the
implementation of the polo y servcio
Result(s): The revolt for quite some time gave headaches to Spanish authorities;
unfortunately, it was quelled after Magalat was assassinated. This
is considered as the first authorized political assassination in
Philippine history
D. Sumoroy Revolt
Date: 1649 to 1650
Setting: Palapag, Samar
Leaders: Francisco Sumoroy
Cause(s): The governor general ordered the alcalde mayors of Visayas to send able-
bodied men to Cavite shipyards to build and repair galleons. The
natives resented this for it also meant separation from their
families.
Result(s): The uprising spread throughout Samar and nearby provinces of Cebu,
Masbate and as far as Northern Mindanao. But in July 1650, the
revolt was crushed after Sumoroy and his men were enrouted in their fort.
Sumoroy and his followers were arrested and executed.
E. Revolt of the Irrayas
Date: Date not mentioned
Setting: Northern Isabela
Leaders: Felix Cutabay and Gabriel Dayag
Cause(s): Oppression committed by the Spanish authorities and the encomienderos
Result(s): At first, the uprising was bloody and killed oppressive encomienderos and
abusive officials. However, reconciliation took place through the
intervention of Fray Pedro de Santo Tomas. As a result, two
additional towns were founded—Maquila and Cabagan—two new
settlements of the Irrayas.
F. Igorot Revolt
Date: 1601
Setting: Cordillera region
Leader(s): Igorot chieftain
Cause(s): Resistance to Christianity

3. Result(s): The natives executed Farther Esteban Marin, the curate of Batac Ilocos.
Afterwards, Capitan Mateo Aranda sent a punitive expeditionary
force to crush the revolt and punish the killer of his curate friend.
The Igorot revolt was easily quelled
G. Tamblot Revolt
Date: 1621
Setting: Bohol
Leader(s): A babaylan named Tamblot
Cause(s): Religious intolerance of the Catholic authorities after the natives opted to
return to their ancestral religion.
Result(s): Tamblot revolt was crushed by he combined force of 1,000 Cebuano and
50 Spanish soldiers.
H. Bankaw Uprising
Date: 1621
Setting: Leyte
Leader(s): Bankaw
Cause(s): Religious intolerance of the Catholic authorities after the natives opted to
return to their ancestral religion.
Result(s): Bankaw uprising was crushed by he combined force of 1,000 Cebuano and
50 Spanish soldiers. Bankaw and his sons perished in the battle
I. Tapar Revolt
Date: 1663
Setting: Oton, Panay
Leader(s): Sorcerer named Tapar
Cause(s): Establishment of a religious cult with fanatic peasants as members.
Result(s): After Fray Francisco de Mesa rejected the cult, and was killed by Tapar’s
men, the authorities sent punitive expeditions and launched bloody
encounters. This uprising was quelled after Tapar and his
aides were killed. Their bodies were mutilated and publicly
humiliated.
J. Maniago Revolt
Date: 1660
Setting: Pampanga
Leader(s): Francisco Maniago
Cause(s):

4. • Maniago and his followers resented the frequent recruitment of men to
cut timbers in the mountains for the construction of galleons.
• Opposition to the exaction of bandala that highly contributed to the
miserable plight of the natives.
Result(s): The revolt spread almost in the entire province and could have spread all
over Central Luzon had Makapagal; a Macabebe leader cooperated
and fought with Maniago. Governor Manrique de Lara bribed
Macapagal to remain loyal with the Spanish authorities. Through the
intervention Fray Andres Salazar, Maniago vowed to surrender after
making known his demands such as the following:
1. General amnesty to rebels
2. Payment of 200,000 reales to the rebels as what the
government owed them.
3. Cutting of timber could be continued provided that the natives
be given time to attend to their other respective affairs.
Reconciliation was achieved.
K. Malong Revolt
Date: 1660 to 1661
Setting: Binalatongan or San Carlos Pangasinan
Leader(s): Andres Malong
Cause(s): Freedom from Spanish colonizer and the founding of a kingdom with
himself as King.
Result(s): The rebels killed several Spanish authorities and Malong proclaimed
himself as King of Pangasinan. He appointed Pedro Gumapos as
his count and Melchor de Vera as the General of his army. Malong enticed
thousands of followers whom he sent beyond the borders of
Pangasinan. This was a blunder on the part of Malong, for what he did
was a tactical error, after a minimal force was left to the seat of his
government in Pangasinan. When the Spaniards sent their troops
to Pangasinan, Malong’s men were defeated and he
retreated to the mountains but was persistently pursued. He was
captured and executed in 1661.
L. Ilocos Uprising
Date: 1661
Setting: Ilocos province
Leader(s): Pedro Almazan
Cause(s): Freedom from Spanish colonizer and the founding of a kingdom with
himself as King
Result(s): The uprising failed when its leaders were captured and execution.

5. M. Dagohoy Rebellion
Date: 1744 to 1829
Setting: Bohol
Leader(s): Francisco Dagohoy
Cause(s): Refusal of Fray Gaspar Morales to give a Christian and decent burial to
Dagohoy’s brother who died in the line of duty.
Result(s): This was successful among all the rebellions and lasted for about 85 years
N. Silang Rebellion
Date: 1762 to 1763
Setting: Ilocos Province
Leader(s): Diego and Gabriela Silang
Cause(s): People’s demand to the abolition of the hated bandala and the ousting of
their abusive alcalde mayor, Antonio Zabala
Result(s): Silang and his followers were able to expel Spaniards out of Vigan and
tried to negotiate with the British to seek their help in totally
expelling the Spaniards out the county. Unfortunately, Silang was
assassinated by his own men in exchange to a handsome price. His fight was
continued by Gabriela with but Gabriela due to her limitations was also captured
and executed by the Spaniards
O. Ibanag Revolt
Date: 1763
Setting: Isabela and Cagayan
Leader(s): Juan Marayag and Dabo
Cause(s): Natives declared their independence and refused to pay tributes
Result(s): It did not last long after Lt. Governor Manuel de Arza ordered is Filipino
mercenaries to suppress it.
P. Herman Pule Rebellion
Date: 1840 to 1841
Setting: Lukban, Quezon
Leader(s): Apolinario de la Cruz a.ka. Herman Pule
Cause(s): Religious intolerance of the Catholic authorities on the establishment of
the Cofradia de San Jose, a religious brotherhood, fostering
Christianity open only to he natives.

6. Result(s): Spanish authorities ordered the persecution of Hermano Pule and his
followers. Defenseless men, women and children were massacred.
Pule was executed and his corpse was put into public display.
Failure of the Revolts
1. Absence of national consciousness
2. Divide and conquer policy that was applied by he Spaniards
3. The archipelagic nature of the Philippines which hindered communications and
simultaneous actions.
4. Absence of a national leader
5. Superiority of Spanish arms.
6. Betrayals and Assassination.
Muslim Response to Spanish Rule
• The Muslims challenged the power of Spain
• They were not practically subdued by the Spaniards because they were
unified under one religion and a systematic form of government.
• Muslim Wars (1578-1898) were periodic expeditions to Mindanao and
Sulu attempting to colonize the islands and the pole.
• The Muslims launched counter raids against the Spaniards. Its initial
raid was headed by Rajah Sirongan and Datu Sali of Maguinadanao
consisting of about 50 war vessels and 3, 000 warriors targeting Luzon
and Vises.
• Due to the failure of the Spanish expeditions in Mindanao, Gov. Juan
Crezo de Salamanca decided to establish a military bas in Zamboanga
in 1636. A year after its construction, a brother of Sultan Kudarat
named Tagal raided the Visayas for a year when he sailed home he
was pursued and executed by Spanish soldiers.
• Sultan Kudarat became the sultan of Maguindanao in 1620, at first,
Kudarat established friendly relations with the Spaniards as how he
treated the Dutch, but hostilities broke out after Spaniards took away
the gold possession of the traders of Maguinadanao.
• On 24 June 1645, a treaty was signed by Kudarat and Francisco
Atienza, Commandant of Zamboanga, recognizing Kudarat’s lordship
over Pulangi from the Sibuguey River to the Davao Gulf. The treaty
also allowed the coming of the missionaries.
• Kudarat was the first Filipino Muslim leader who called for “jihad”
• Gov. Corcuera targeted Maranao and Jolo. Jolo was captured on April
1638 and while the Maranaos annihilated the expedition sent to their
land.
• Decline of the Moro Raids

7.  Establishment of more Spanish forts and watchtowers
along the coasts of Mindanao, Visayas and Western
Luzon.
 Acquisition by the Spaniards of several steamships
• Lease of Sabah
 The capture of Jolo forced Sultan Jamalul A’lam
(Kiram) to sue for peace and relocate his capital to
Maimbung. In need of funds, he leased on January
1878 his territory, known as North Borneo (now called
Sabah) to Baron Gustav Von Overbeck and Alfred Dent
of the British East India Company. North Borneo or
Sabah was previously owned by the Sultan of Brunei
who ceded it to the Sultan of Jolo as a sign of gratitude
for the aid given b the Jolo warriors in quelling z
rebellion in Brunei. The deed of lease provided that the
Jolo sultan leased the territory permanently for annual
rentals of 5,000 Malayan dollars.
• Significance of the Moro Wars
 The wars proved that even Muslim were defeated in
some occasion; they were still able to consolidate their
forces and retaliated. It also proved that the Muslims in
Mindanao preferred to die a free man in a battle than to
live under subjugation