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The Ten Datus
The story of the ten datus is widely known across the islands of the western Visayas, especially Panay, Guimaras, and Negros. Outside these few islands though you’d be hard pressed to find anybody that knows the story, which is astonishing considering how important it is to Filipino history. The datus’ arrival on Panay and their…
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Reflections on ‘Writing’ the Maragtas
Ethel Martinez will be finishing the final illustrations for Maragtas over the next couple weeks and I’ve just completed a final edit of the text. I’ve carried the vision for this book in my head for over a decade and have spent the last 16 months actively working on it. Seeing it so close to…
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Character Spotlight: Raja Makatunao
Great villains make memorable stories, and the tale of the ten datus is no exception. Unique among the people mentioned in the maragtas tradition, Raja Makatunao is known from historical records to have been a real person. Chinese records dating from February, 1082 A.D., list attendees at a diplomatic meeting. Among those noted as being…
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Character Spotlight: Datu Puti
Of all the characters mentioned in the Maragtas tradition, by far the best-known is unquestionably Datu Puti, if for no other reason than the popular condiment line named after him. What many people don’t realize however, is that he was an actual person long before he became a mascot. What do we know about the…