THE REVOLUTION IN BOHOL

1622

TAMBLOT,  THE “BABAYLAN”

The Uprising

These two bolos, which are reclining respectively towards the left and right, depict the Dagohoy and Tamblot revolts, symbolizing that a true Boholano will rise and fight if supervening factors embroil them into something beyond reason or tolerance.

Information on Tamblot

babaylan native of Bohol led an uprising to stop the spread of

Christianity in their area

Tamblot’s Challenge

Tamblot issued a challenge to the Spanish priest as to whose God was more powerful.

He cuts two bamboo stalks from a groove, water came out and the other was filled with rice.

He ordered the people to build a chapel at the center of the woods

The chapel serves as a hiding place so that the Spaniards can’t disturb them

And his followers increases, in which he picked people who would be his ‘apostoles’

These ‘apostoles’ preached about the native faith in the whole island which resulted to the further increase of tamblot’s followers

Because spaniards stole food such as rice, imposed unreasonable taxes and had implemented ‘polo’ which is the force labor without salary, many people sided to Tamblot to fight them off

Who sided to Tamblot?

People from Inabangan (now called Inabanga)

People from Malabago People from Malabohoc (now called

Maribujoc)

Tamblot’s underlings sum up to more than 2000 and the jesuits who ruled Bohol didn’t knew about this

The jesuits sense the revolution only when Tamblot’s teachings had reach the two main villages: Loboc and Baclayon

even though they had prevent the seize of the two main villages the other villages already started their revolution

People who revolted set churches to fire and they destroyed the statues of the saints

The friars from cebu complain this to Juan Alcarazo , the alcalde mayor of Cebu

But Juan alcarazo has only the Cebuanos and he still waits for Pampangos from manila

Because the friars were desperate Alcarazo gathered:

1000 sialo Outcasts found deep in the

mountains of cebu 50 spanish nomads in cebu 100 kapampangan soldiers

In January 1 ,1622

With the friars in the Caracoa, a big boat in the Philippines they set sail to Bohol

4 days of travel in forest In the fifth day a sialo was killed by a

person from bohol

In January 6, 1622

In the invasion of Alcarazo’s army they were ambush by 1500 underlings of Tamblot

16 spaniards, 300 sialo were hurt

The spaniards fired guns to Tamblot’s army which resulted to their retreat

The spaniards pursued the retreating army

But it rained so Tamblot’s army fight back in the middle of the forest because they thought the spaniards can’t use their gun but still they were fired by guns because of so many trees so the guns were not that soaked

1000 huts were around the ‘simbahan ng diwata’, the church that Tamblot had built

Tamblot’s group flee to the mountain

Some people fleeing died because of hunger and thirst because all the food and water are all in the village

Alcarazo’s army stayed in the village for 2 weeks where they consumed the food that Tamblot’s group had left

They looted gold, silver, and jewelries

Kutang Bato or Rock fortress

Tamblot’s group was cornered in their Rock fortress in the mountain with no good weapons just a few ‘bolos’ and ‘spears’

In the end only the stones where used as weapons

Many of tamblot’s companions were killed in that attack before the fortress was captured

The remaining of Tamblot’s group flee to the forest and mountain

After 2 weeks Alcarazo’s army returned to Loboc where some captives were killed, some were pardoned and released

Alcarazo set a spaniard and kapampangan garrison before returning to Cebu to celebrate their victory

Because of Alcarazo’s victory the friars were very happy

After six months they heard that Tamblot was still alive and had a new rock fortress at the mountain and still with many underlings

Alcarazo only have 40 spaniards so he used the cebuanos to fight

Alcarazo’s army suffered because of traps that were laid down in the trails of the mountain

With some injuries they’ve reached Tamblot’s new fortress

After they ate and rested they attack tamblot’s fortress

Many were killed by guns but no one surrendered

They said they rather die than being under the catholic church

It rained but still by using the cebuanos’ shield as umbrellas for the guns, the spaniards continued attacking

Tamblot’s forces were injure but even so they still continue fighting and because of that the friars compared them to a fierce beast

After tamblot’s weapons (arrows and spears) were use up they just throw stones and even mud and woods were thrown

In the end Tamblot’s army was defeated Some survived and run to the forest But still many were killed Those who survived were enslaved even

the King of Spain and the Pope of Rome forbids slavery the friars didn’t object in doing so

It was unsure of what happened to Tamblot during the attack of the Spanish forces.

It was said that he died while trying to escape the Spanish or someone killed him before the attack.

And because the leader was gone Bohol was easily captured

Abuel, Franz Joseph A. Mercado, Veronica M. Canas, Aljhon A. Nocedo, John Paul Angelo G. Tetangco, Jon Elijah Miguel C. Cabral, Jayson S. Reyes, John Christopher De Guzman, Clarissa A. Ramos, Eduardo Paolo A. Husmillo, Jose Carlo G.

Group members

Reference Historia Dela Provincia de Philipinas

dela compania de Jesus 1616-1716, by Pedro Murillo Velarde, SJ, Manila,

1747, and Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas,

covering 1616-1694, by Casimiro Diaz, OSA, Valladolid, 1890,

translated and published in The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, edited

by Emma Helen Blair and James A. Robertson, 1903-1909,

Bank of the Philippine Islands commemorative CD re-issue, 1998

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/80127 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamblot