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Lantakas: Pure Artillery of the Filipinos

Lantakas: Pure Artillery of the Filipinos

New year is some kind of noisy requirement for enjoyment and tradition purposes. Filipino are usually used Lantakas more likely for noisy and merrymaking. An oldest and easiest kind of "powder gong," which I called colorful, in New Years since then. But who would put wondering that Lantaka was an ancient artillery for warfare? Exactly, a Filipino pride's artillery pieces long before the Spaniards came to our country.

By the way, what is a Lantaka? Differently, which I compare here, the ancient Lantaka were originated from the Southeast Asia - Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. So, this root word came from the Malay, Rentaka. In Tagalog word, it's called Kanyon. In Wikipedia, they were a type of bronze swivel gun (small cannon mounted on a swiveling stand or any stand that allows for arc movement) mounted on boat or shipping vessels (Filipino-made). These guns were used to defend certain enemies such as the pirates to the waterways of Malay archipelago.

Lantakas were suitable unspeakable fighting force by the Filipino long resistance against the invaders, the Spaniards, the Chinese corsairs, the Dutch, British, and the American rule. No matter how big or small or even the bamboo lantakas had been called it, Filipinos are "maparaan" or resourceful despite of there lackness of military capabilities epecially in artillery support. It's been genuine improvised credited from the Borneans or Chinese (maybe).

Even before the Spanish colonial rule, the solidarity native fort of Maynila (future Fort Santiago) at the mouth of the Pasig River under Raja Soliman was fully equipped with brass lantakas and a kind of artillery with larger caliber. This was according to the Antonio de Morga's "Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (1609), the said fort had its ramparts reenforced with thick hardwood posts such as the Tagalogs used for their houses and called "harigues," or "haligui."

Later on, Maynila was subjected to the Spaniards and used as military stronghold and a suitable city. A stone house for the bishop was built before starting on the Governor-General's residence.

"(Gov. Santiago de Vera) built the stone fortress of Our Lady of the Way, inside the city of Manila on the land side, and for its defense, he had set up a foundry for the making of artillery under the hands of an old Indio (native) called Pandapira (Panday Pira), a native of the province of Pampanga. He and his sons served in this line of work until their deaths many years later."

How Pandapira became a "cannon-maker" can only be traced to José Rizal through his annotations to Antonio de Morga's Sucesos because Morga made a brief detail and reference to the Indio artillery-maker. Rizal elaborated this way:

"That is an Indio who already knew how to found (create) cannons even before the arrival of the Spaniards, hence the epithet 'old.' In this difficult branch of metallurgy, as in others, the present-day Filipinos or the new Indios are very much behind the old Indios."

After the death of Panday Pira, there were no Spaniards who knew how to do what he did. No one skilled enough to take his place, nor his sons as expert as he.

The Moros or the Muslim freedom fighters in Mindanao had been used the Lantakas as artillery power in variety sizes and caliber since the Americans conquering them. During the Serenaya expedition led by Leonard Wood in March 1904, there was a fortress captured and with artillery pieces like "59 mouted cannons, 34 brass or bronze lantakas of Moro manufacture, and various calibers. The guns are nearly buried in the moats surrounding the fort or in the ground.

Lantakas are memories of gone past but they still be viewed to our accessible public historical spots like museums. These are such a warriors putting its cost to protect our Fatherland. All of these Filipino-made artillery in variety pieces and this topic or subject in history has yet to be emphasized to our school textbooks.

@aboywhodreams