The Raider of the Sulu Sea: (Reflection paper) PDF

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Reflection The documentary film “Raider of the Sulu Sea,” features how the Spaniards defended the Fort Pillar found in Zamboanga city to all the likely invaders, especially to the raiders in the Philippines. Those indigenous people, compared to barbaric outlaws of pirates, are known for being skilled fighters, deadly swordsman, expert sailor and builder of formidable vessels in warspace, and familiar as placing a string on the palm of their captured and a type of people who pretending to be a fishermen to take the people for them to sold off as slave. These raiders are consist of three tribes under the Filipino-Muslim: the Illanuns, Tausug and the Balangingi Samal. However as the documentary plays along, it stated that they shouldn't be compared to pirates who look for a ship to raid off, instead they were a type of people who were merely a indigenous people defending their way of life against a foreign oppressor. The Spaniards then look for tactics on how they can capture these people, where they end up purchasing a steamboat that can be easy and faster to navigate from the land of England. Regardless of all the losses of the two kingdom the Maguindanao and Sulu against the Spaniard, these tribes don't show any fear to fight in opposition to a better armored technologically superior colonial forces, rather they manifest the courage and will by striking a bloody attacks in the Fort Pillar which built a Ten meter high fortress that sprawled over two acres defenses under the control of Spanish colonizar.

Furthermore this documentary was discussed by the experts in the field who are considered as credible and reliable sources of information who have a specialized knowledge of the history in Moro. The film also presented all the historians such as Icelle Gloria D. Borja, an art historian in Zamboanga Del Norte, Dr. Samuel Tan from National Historical Institute, Dr. Julius Bautista from the Asia Research Institute of National University of Singapore, Margarita Conjuangco, and some other specialists in Asian history who contributed in the film to import significant knowledge to all the viewers. All the details given by the authority, made with an impressive outcome to enlighten the audience with the facts and the goals are met by giving a clearer picture of the history without any falsification because of such evidence they provided. In terms of the consistency of their arguments, they do not contradict each other. Relatively, as a viewer, I notice the alignment of statements of each speaker that delivered a deeper understanding about the history of the Raider of the Sulu Sea. One of the stated key points is that we are being raided by our countryman. Somewhat our previous professors' teaching contradicts

the narration of the film. That fed the students with the idea that the only occupants are from outside the country and not locals, though it’s a good part for the speaker to point out the said issue.

In addition, according to the statement of those experts, raiding of slaves was legal among the tribes in our country mainly prior to the Western invaders. However when the Spaniards arrived in our land, their eagerness to participate in the trading in our region suddenly increased mostly in the slave raiding. Which led me to think that the country’s ability in the trading market appeals to conquerors. Yet, for some reason, for those who are not accustomed to such practice, they will have a hard time to adapt or understand those kinds of behaviour. Which I apply to myself. In my case, I had a culture shock that led to disagreeing with our ancient people, with their practice that caused too much brutality. As I have a different perspective that everyone has the ability to do what they want in their life without any force.

On the other hand I definitely agree with what the authority in the field claimed, that those raiders in the part of Mindanao, primarily the Zamboanga region shouldn't be compared to bandits or pirates as it was too subjective. In reality they are simply indigenous people who sacrifice their life not only for personal gain but for the benefit of all Filipino who have a common goal of freedom for our island. It was a miscept to portray them as pirates because what they have done is to counter attack. As stated by Barbara Watsons, all the works related to piracy deal with such issues for the terminology. In some ways, making use of the English term for pirate is deceptive as it excludes the raiders especially if they perform on behalf of the nation.

Moreover this documentary takes a significant part in the grand narrative of Philippine history. Because for a century of having a bad blood between the Spaniard and the southern part of the country, the raider of the sulu plays an important role, besides from the fact of gathering the affluence and those slavery, they also contributed to the anti-colonial movement. Moreover the documentary film provided all the struggles of the Filipino people under the conqueror to regain the land that was stolen from us from the very beginning for us to achieve the desire of having freedom.

The overall satisfaction of the documentary film is quite impressive, as it was not only about the learnings, that the topic gave, but also an eye opening experience for all the audience who viewed the documentary that shows how badly the previous century, the Philippines had. As a student, it hooked me up to see how motivating this narrative film was. In spite of the fact that it did not end well, still our fellow-men stood up to fight for the oppressor, even if it was in exchange for their life. As long as we regain our independence, they will take the battle until the last breath. Which makes me appreciate our own story, the heritage itself, even more....