Norvelyn Nacion

HIS030 A31-2

Article Review

January 2023

SANGIL DIASPORA: FOOTPRINTS OF THE SOUTH

Sangil people had spread in different parts of Mindanao and established authority on

their own settled areas. -DOMINGO M. NON

Non, Domingo M. "The Odyssey of Sangil in Mindanao." The Journal of History 57,

(2011): 81-93.

During the period of Islamization of Southeast Asia, the arrival of the Sangil in

Mindanao had been transpired and its lineage was a product of intermarriages. The

Sangil is among the thirteen ethno-linguistic group in Mindanao which is claimed as

migrants from Sangihe Island of Indonesia. The main factor that resulted their massive

migration is to preserve and maintain their own identity. The article has been summarized

in this paper, shows the strength and weakness of it, as well as provides evaluation and

conclusion at the end. Mindanao studies indeed provides a wide scope for understanding

our land’s history, people, culture, and traditions that shapes what we are today.

The Odyssey of Sangil in Mindanao is an article published in the book “The

Journal of History” volume LVII. The paper mainly focuses on how Sangir people arrived

on the island of Mindanao, the propagation of their lineage from the different parts of the

archipelago, and the factor(s) of their evasion from Sangihe Island of Indonesia (part of

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Kingdom of Ternate in 1700s) where they originally came from. It started when Muhamad

Takumang and his daughter named Putri Saribo Bombaseng went to Parang, Mindanao

and married Prince Burhaman, the Rajahmuda of Maguindanao. The other sibling of Putri

went next to their sister and get settled on as advised by their father. Their youngest

sibling begot four children and he also advised them to go in Mindanao to make their

selves safe from the conflict Spanish and Portuguese in the Kingdom of Ternate.

Supported in the work already cited by Danny Salisipan in the 15th citation that can be

found in the article, Spaniard’s objective was to convert the occupants into Christians. In

order to freely stand, practice, and promulgate their religion, they chose to leave the area

and move into Mindanao, however, there are some who stayed and later on became

Christians.

The author, Domingo M. Non, studied and finished AB History at Jose Rizal

College, MA in History at the University of Manila, and Ph.D. Philippine Studies at the

University of the Philippines-Diliman. First employed as a teacher at Ramon Magsaysay

Memorial Colleges, he later transferred to Kings College of Marbel. Soon after, he joined

Notre Dame of Marbel College. Later, he joined the rooster of faculty till retirement at

Mindanao State University General Santos City. A researcher and a writer, having

published locally and internationally research papers on the History and culture of IPs

and Muslims in Mindanao, local History of Southern Mindanao, and HIV-AIDS incidence

in General Santos City.

The historical methodologies used by the author in this article are Ethnology and

Genealogy. The author’s expertise in Mindanao studies has been used accordingly and

fairly to this article. The thesis statement is well supported by various sources that are

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based from genealogists of prominent Sangil and popular lore from among elders. This

would make the paper reliable when the supporting evidences are from a primary source.

Other than that, the claimed statement in the article that can be found in the first

paragraph which tells that Sangil people migrated in Mindanao some time in the year

1700’s came from an interview of the author with Colano descendants.

In addition, the article does not only present a description and narration of how

people of Sangil migrated in Mindanao. The contextualization of events is also presented

so that the readers will find out the factors of their migration and their desired purpose in

the area. The benefit of reading this article is the understanding the concept of Mindanao

settlements and the cognizance of how these people contribute to the opulence of

Mindanao culture and traditions.

Conversely, the information gathered by the author is just enough to present a

single side of the study wherein, there is no other source to compare and contrast with. It

will be a driving force of the readers to discover and be more interested of other

information about the coming of Sangil people in Mindanao, if there is also another study

presented in the article that contradicts it.

In conclusion, the article is recommended to be read especially to those who are

into Mindanao studies. It will give enough and detailed data to be use as a reference

studying the history of Sangil people. The author’s methodology is such a good choice to

help understand the Sangil settlement which created history that made impact to the

development of the place. Indeed, our history shapes our identity and injects us

knowledge. It should be inculcated in us in such a way that we must not allow any other

foreign country will govern us again.

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Norvelyn Nacion

HIS030 A31-2

Article Review

January 2023

SULU: THE LAST KINGDOM STANDING

Moro piracy during the Spanish period was a Moro reaction against the Spaniards, who

had displaced them from the political and economic dominance they once enjoyed in

the region. -DOMINGO M. NON

Non, Domingo M. "Moro Piracy during the Spanish Period and its Impact." Southeast

Asian Studies 30, no.4 (1993): 401-419.

The common line of thinking people has about Moro piracy during the Spanish

colonial period in the Philippines is plainly religious motivations. As to that, many writers

do tolerate this kind of thinking as it was seen obviously that it is a conflict between Muslim

and Christians. However, this article presents the reason why Moros reacted that way

and the impact it has been made. This article review presents the summarization of the

article, the identifiable strengths and weaknesses, the evaluation of the data that has

been written as well as the sources, methodology, and a quite conclusion.

Moro Piracy during the Spanish Period and its Impact is an article written by Dr.

Domingo Morato Non. It was published in a book journal entitled “Southeast Asian

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Studies” volume 30, no. 4, pages 401-19. Before the arrival of Spaniards, Philippines was

divided into multiple kingdoms and sultanates. Wherein, they have their own sovereignty,

traditions and beliefs. One of the existed sultanates was the Sultanate of Sulu that is

resided by Moros, a term that Spaniards use to anyone who is Muslim. The term became

synonymous to pirates and raiders due to their act of pillaging in the Christian

communities. The article re-examines the history of Moro piracy and attempts to prove

that is not the religious motivations of Moros triggered them to raid different parts of the

archipelago but of their concern in their social, political, and economic dominance. It was

also emphasized that slavery was not the consequence of piratical raids of Moros. It is

just that by chance, during their period, slave trade is a high demand that can be an

excessive source of wealth of the traders. However, it was a part of pre-Hispanic activities

of the people in the region. Consequently, in the present time, the mutual distrust between

the relationship of Christians and Muslim Filipinos are still felt since the victimized people

were Christians. Thus, this historical event shaped the Muslim-Christian relations today.

The author, Domingo M. Non, always emphasizes the power of education to

improve one’s life and see the good in every person. He studied and finished AB History

at Jose Rizal College, MA in History at the University of Manila, and Ph.D. Philippine

Studies at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He was so passionate about History,

culture, and people in general that it led him to travel to different parts of the country and

abroad to conduct research and lectures. Importantly, his contribution to the academic

community includes being an ardent professor of History. His expertise in Mindanao

studies paved the opportunity for a one-year stint as visiting professor at Kyoto University

in Japan in 1993.

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 As I observed, the wholeness of the article about the history of Moro piracy was

written in a descriptive-analytical manner. Wherein, it presents facts that focuses only

about Moro Piracy in Spanish period and its impact thus, concerns to its detailed narrative

structure which includes the reconstruction and the interpretation of various data coming

from different sources about Moro Piracy. The author successfully abstracted the factors

in explaining the causes and consequences that revolves around this historical event.

Along with how the article was written, it was also presented academically

wherein, the data that the author has been gathered was just presented in a way as it is.

It presents data explaining why Christian-Muslim relationship has been viewed in a way

that they are rival from each other given the occurrence of Moro piracy during the Spanish

Colonial.

The author used both author-date system and notes-bibliography in citing of

sources. Chosen datum from books, journals, theses, and other periodicals were used a

reference of the author in presenting his facts after interpreting, verifying, and

corroborating it with other sources. Nevertheless, there are paragraphs in the article that

used too many citations which looks messy in the eyes of the readers.

In conclusion, the article is such a great help to better understand Christians and

Moro relations. It was written accordingly as a good history as it corrects the misleading

analogies and lessons that other writers’ and people’s common line of thinking about

Moro piracy motives and factors. After all, the evidences gathered were utilized by this

historian to have a quite hypothetical explanation. It is an article that is worth the time to

read and it gives readers a wide view and open-mindedness towards Moro people.

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Norvelyn Nacion

Bachelor of Arts in History

Book Review

January 2022

THE UNTOLD INDUSTRY

STD/HIV/AIDs may be prevented by raising level of awareness not only of the sex

workers and their clients but also the community and the local officials. – NON & BIDAD

Non, Domingo, and Wilfred Bidad. Sex in Gensan. General Santos City: Print Concepts,

1997.

Sex as a work is prominent especially when an area is booming economically. Sex

industry operates in the city of General Santos with an estimated number of 3,000 sex

workers as of 1997. This book review examines the book “Sex in Gensan” written by

Domingo M. Non Sr. and Dr. Wilfred Bidad. This paper presents the summarization of the

book from chapters 1-5, the important highlights of the book with regards to its purpose,

the identifiable strength and weaknesses, and lastly, the evaluation of how it was written

including of how the author presents their analysis and results.

The book is divided into 5 chapters: The 1st chapter is the Sex Industry in Gensan.

It presents the background study of sex industry in the city that includes the areas in

downtown that are active during night time, Lion Beach which is considered the poor

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man’s place, and in other areas such as video-k bars and discotheques. It was also

presented in the book, the age bracketing of sex workers. Almost half of the population

of the sex workers are in the age bracketing of 19-25. Some are single, students, and

married. Further on the chapter 2, it gives information about the respondent with their

educational status, their values in life, their contraceptive usage, and their knowledge

about STD/HIV/AIDs. Next, on the chapter 3, it focuses on what the wives says since

some of the customers are married. It presents the views of their wives as the author

conducted a Focus Group Discussion with them. Followed by chapter 4, which discusses

the STD/HIV/AIDs situation. The agency that leads in monitoring STD/HIV situations in

the area is the Social Hygiene Clinic. As of 1996, there are 390 registered commercial

sex workers in the place. They undergo cervical smear examinations with a fee of 15

pesos per week. As a result, as of 1997, it yielded two HIV-positive in Gensan. Due to the

low condom usage of the respondents, it is indeed risky and vulnerable to have such

viruses. Thus, chapter 5 includes the talking points of the author in their study.

Domingo M. Non obtained his Ph.D in Philippine Studies at the University of the

Philippines and later his postgraduate studies at Kyoto University, Japan where he

studied the lives of the Japayuki (Filipina entertainers in Japan). He has been doing

research and intervention work on STD/HIV/AIDs prevention in Gensan for the last two

years. While Wilfred Bidad has been involved in STD/HIV/AIDs research in General

Santos City. He obtained his MSs in Development Administration specializing in

Information Management at Birmingham University, West Midlands, England. He also

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has a Masters Degree in Teaching English at Notre Dame of Dadiangas College General

Santos.

The book is obviously a study at the same time, a research which was participated

by sex workers as the respondents. As I observed, the book is quite written in a way that,

its purpose, to let the readers know the scenes in the night life of Gensan, and the

STD/HIV concern behind it, was accordingly achieved. It is a good book to be read since

STD/HIV is prominent worldwide. Through this book, it will give context of why some

people tend to take sex as a job, the reason why they chose it as a job, and especially

their attitude when it comes to the risk brought by STD/HIV/AIDs.

However, since the research was done some time in the year 1997, this book can

not be a reliable reference when a reader wants to know the current STD/HIV/AIDs

situation in General Santos City. Rather, it is a sufficient reference to be used when the

future study tends to trace the historical origin of the sex industry that operates around

the City of General Santos.

In conclusion, the book is effective to raise awareness to the people in the

community not only to the sex workers themselves. On the last part, it was presented the

important lessons learned by the researchers which are a good strength of the book. This

particular research is such a huge help to contribute to the future researchers with regards

to the topic of STD/HIV/AIDs condition in General Santos City. Aside from that, this book

can be a good start in understanding a particular sex industry, by that, as such concerns

in STD/HIV/AIDs can be resolved, if not, at least prevented by conducting measures.

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