Of bolo rush & bolomen

[migueldiaz]

Originally Posted by Dimasalang

One must keep in mind and make note, when Spain ruled the Philippines for +300 years, they DID NOT control the entire Philippine Islands(in reality it was close to 60%). If they did, the entire Moro population would of been wiped out and/or converted to Catholics ...

Thanks for your usual very informative comments!

I learn something new whenever you make those exhaustive comments, you see So keep them coming, too!

I definitely agree that the entire country was not controlled then. Aside from the prolonged armed resistance by some (e.g., by the Moros), some areas were not controlled by the colonizers for the simple reason that they were simply too far flung (e.g., the Cordilleras where the Igorots and other highlanders were staying, and the uplands [e.g., "lumad"] of Mindanao, etc.).

Even in the lowlands and coastal areas (i.e., the areas mostly controlled by the Spaniards), I think the Spanish friars and rulers then told the locals that if they don't want to be under their rule, then all they have to do is to live far enough such that they cannot hear that church bells and that's it -- live and let live. Now I still have to find the source (reference) of that ...

By the way, I found the diagram below from a Filipino Muslim professor's lecture, at the Yuchengco Museum website.

From said diagram it becomes even clearer why the Moros' blades continued to remain sharp and pointy!