Thank you Ian!
Well noted on the drop down quillon and its presence in many Chinese sword types, including the hudiedao (often in pairs) and used by river 'pirates'. The Chinese influences in the Philippines and archipelagos definitely found some degree of diffusion in vessels returning from their trade missions.
We know the espada ancha itself evolved from hangers often used on these vessels, so it does not seem surprising that this feature might have been absorbed into many of them. It is very difficult to fully comprehend the dynamics of these kinds of diffusion through trade networks, but the outcome can be seen in these kinds of similarities.
It is interesting on the panabas, as Ian has well noted, the dual purpose of edged weapons as both tool and weapon is not only common, but often inevitable.
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