The Philosophy of the Filipino Kali Men
Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje, Jr.
Before the 1521, the islands were called the Maharlikas with a set of government in the island of Panay in a special land territory called Kalibo. Kalibo is a unique name because it signifies the group of tribes of Kali and the place of gathering was called Kalibohan. Today, Kalibo is on of the provinces of Panay Island to include Capiz, Iloilo, Antique and Guimaras Island, which was part of the territory of Datu Kalantiao. When the ten Datus fled from Borneo who belong to the Sri Visayan Empire which was replaced by the Majapahit Empire under King Maja Gada with their Kingdom in Java Indonesia. These ten datus settled in Panay. They settled in this place called Kalibo. From here they established the government with their constitution, the Code of Kalantiao which Datu Kalantiao of Kalibo ruled the Province for several years up to 1520 one year before the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in Cebu. The ten Datus spread to several islands and spread different influences, which was noted in the practices of their culture, tradition and customs. The Code of Maragtas was the law of marriage as the superior law of the land, where one can have as many woman provided the man can support the woman and the child, if the man cannot support the woman and the child, the chieftain of the village will summon the man and the woman and in front of the man, the woman and the child are beheaded. So the man has to think twice before he gets another woman, it is an incentive but also a preventive measure not for the man to commit any mistakes of having a child with another woman without sufficient support for the woman and the child.
It was in 1521, when Ferdinand Magellan landed in the island of Cebu and was welcomed by Datu Humabon unfortunately his visit was short-lived when he fought Datu Lapu-lapu and got beheaded in the island of Mactan in 1521.
From this year 1521 to the time the King Philip of Spain named the island of Maharlikas, the Philippines, Spain added the Philip-pines as their conquered territory. Filipinos for nearly 400 years revolted against Spain and Filipinos won the revolution against Spain forcing the issue by selling the Filipinos to the Americans at ($3.00) three dollars per head in the Treaty of Paris of 1889. Filipinos didn’t stop their vigilance but continued to stand against the Americans in 1900. Fighting the Americans against the 38 Revolvers and the Kruger Rifles, that made possible the development of the 45-caliber pistol with stopping power, which made the history for the Filipino gallantry. Now the Japanese Imperial Forces occupied the Philippines from 1942 to 1945. Filipino men fought side by side with the Americans during the Death March, help Gen. McArthur to escape via the backdoor and return to the United States and nearly two years the Filipinos sustained the battle against the Japanese by the use of the bolo against the Japanese cruelties.
These historical events relates the manifestations of the real true Filipino men endowed with the greatest Philosophy: One must believe in life not death, One must believe in success not failure, One must believe in good health not sickness.
There are no options for Filipino fighting men in war and in peace. The Philosophy to live is supremely above anything else.
In the final analysis, to authenticate the real history of the Philippines must be to research the past, the present practices related to culture, tradition and customs as experienced with the people’s lifestyle. Because of the rising developments in technology and changes in the social behavior of the present generation, the true cultural values are diminishing and being replaced by a foreign influence that greatly affected the moral and family values of the Filipino people. But regardless of these changes and sudden departure from the past, what is not lost is the presence of the Filipino fighting spirit with the capabilities to rise into superbly guaranteed badge of courage which every Filipino is gifted. With the greatest philosophy that are found in the bloodstream of every Filipino fighting men, there is a constant practice of the Kali art as a physical manifestation of the developing ability of a person to adjust into the past which the cultural values are being revived. It is only by physical involvement with the technology of a blade fighter that the knowledge will be revived and put into action as a major reviving spirit of the Filipino Philosophy.