Rizal, North Borneo and the Sultan of Sulu (Part 1)

Many people, including myself, were surprised by the recent move of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to re-assert their claim on Sabah, located on the eastern side of Malaysia. This issue, called the "North Borneo dispute", is actually an on-going territorial dispute between Malaysia and the Philippines. More information about the issue can be found here. (use the citations inside Wikipedia if you want verification).

I am a Filipino, born in Marikina. However, I am neutral in this dispute. Normally, if I was (if ever) assigned to arbitrate between Malaysia and the Philippines and decide on the real owner of Sabah, I would ask the people of Sabah themselves. Only they have the power to decide on which sovereign nation should they adhere. However, in this case, the decision of the people of Sabah did side with Malaysia, as expected. Take note that North Borneo was leased (or ceded, in the unscrupulous British version) to the British North Borneo Company in 1878. As what one would expect, Sabah became culturally closer to Malaysia than towards the Sulu Sultanate. Another factor which I believe is influencing the decision of Sabah is the current state of economy of the Philippines. "Why join the Philippines when you're already part of the more-prosperous Malaysian Federation?" they probably thought. (The decision of the people of Sabah took place when the Philippines was a top economy of Asia, as Singapore and Hong Kong were still not independent countries.)

What makes me wonder is that Malaysia continues to pay "rent" to the Sulu Sultans. If it really owns Sabah, then why pay rent? Isn't it that the Sultanate of Sulu is already defunct?

What if the Rizalian Plan on North Borneo succeeded?

The famous Filipino hero and polymath Jose Rizal once tried to "colonize" North Borneo in 1892. The National Historical Institute of the Philippines gives this summary:

The colonization project of Rizal in Sabah was a response to the Calamba’s land crisis which all started when Governor- General Terrero released a directive for the investigation of the friar estates to resolve the agrarian problems on the collection of land taxes and tenancy. Rizal was requested by the tenants of Calamba to conduct an investigation on hacienda owned by the Dominicans in Calamba and he submitted it to the Governor-General for appropriate actions. He found out that the hacienda of the Dominican Order comprised not only the lands around Calamba, but the whole town of Calamba.


On his trip to Hong Kong, Rizal by chance met an Englishman Mr. W.B. Pryor and his wife, who were on their way to Sabah (North Borneo) to whom Rizal had shared his idea of a Filipino settlement in Sabah. The owner of the territory, the Sultan of [Sulu] had it leased to the North Borneo Company in 1878 and was duly recognized by Spain, Germany and England with the condition that Spanish sovereignty over the island of Jolo will be honored. What was in the mind of Rizal that he desired to establish Filipino community in Sabah? He said in his letter to Blumentritt on February 23, 1892: “if it is impossible for me to give my country liberty. I should like to give it at least to these noble countrymen of mine in other lands”. (Palafox)

See? Rizal had planed to set up a Filipino community in Sabah, in order to escape the persecutions of the not-so-ethical Dominican order and of the Spanish government. Palafox, of NHI, continues:

The North Borneo Company offered permanent settlement for the emigrants and the sale or lease of lands for 999 years. None of the settlers would render free labor or be forced to serve in the military except [when] the territory’s sovereignty is in threat. They would rule themselves with their own laws under the safeguard of the Company. In March, Rizal received a favorable sign when Mr. Pryor saw that Sabah needed manpower, and so he invited Rizal to come over to Sandakan. The company offered to undertake construction of buildings and planting of orchards, all payable in three years. Rizal in the absence of the governor of the island entered negotiations with the acting Secretary of the Government, Mister Cook, who also had to specify in writing the conditions of the settlement. He was received by the Governor on April 6, 1892, and on the following day he left for Hong Kong on board the Memnon.

What could have happened if the Spanish allowed this project to continue? Will Sabah be both a state under the auspices of the Malay Federation and the Philippines?


(TO BE CONTINUED...)

The Sabah Standoff: A Personal Opinion

I personally conducted extensive research about the historical Sultanate of Sulu over the past few days because of the reported standoff between Malaysian police and alleged "Filipino gunmen". Here is an excerpt of the report I have written in Wikipedia:

On February 12, 2013, a group of reportedly armed Filipino gunmen illegally entered the small town of Lahad Datu located on the island of Borneo in the Malaysian state of Sabah, saying they have links with the now-defunct Sultanate of Sulu in the Philippines. ^[25] Malaysian police and army officials secured the village asking the alleged intruders to peacefully leave. Officials of the Malaysian government said they suspected the men were a faction of a Philippine Muslim rebel group. The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs denied the Malaysian claim, stating that the intruders were unarmed Filipinos who had been promised land. ^[26] [27]

After reading this, my interest in the history of the Sulu Sultanate sparked up. I then noticed that the Wikipedia article of the sultanate is incomplete and outdated. As I tried to improve the article, I met some obstacles, namely, the lack of credible sources and conflicting claims on the identity of the real pretender to the throne. A certain Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram claims to be the rightful pretender, even showing documents purportedly issued by then-President Cory Aquino. The outdated Wikipedia article lists Jamalul Kiram III as the "current" sultan. However, I doubted this as he was reportedly crowned during the later years of the Marcos era. Finally, after reading newspaper articles, I found out that Esmail (Ismael) Dalus Kiram II is the current ''de facto'' recognized pretender to the throne. I did the honor of writing an encyclopedic article about him in Wikipedia, as follows:

Ismael Kiram II is the current Sultan of Sulu ^[1] in Sulu, southern Philippines. He was designated as Sultan in 1999 and was subsequently crowned in 2001. He is the currently recognized heir of the Sulu Sultanate, as other unrecognized heirs and pretenders to the throne continue to claim the heritage of the now-defunct sultanate. ^[2]

Ismael Kiram II Royal House of Sulu
Titles in pretence
Preceded by Mohammad Akijal Atti	— TITULAR — Sultan of Sulu 1999 with Jamalul Kiram III 1999-2012 Reason for succession failure: Sultanate abolished in 1917	Incumbent Heir: Rajah Mudah Agbimuddin Kiram

Opinion (A Possible Solution):
The incident made me aware of the complex political situation in Sabah, Malaysia. I personally believe that an autonomous "multinational state" (subject to both Malaysia and the Philippines) be set up in Sabah and Sulu to finally finish the North Borneo dispute. In layman's term, "why not share the land?"

I shall explain my theory in simple words:
1. The Sultanate of Sulu (if possible, merged with the Bangsamoro Sultanate) shall comprise of North Borneo and the Sulu Archipelago. This state shall be part of BOTH the Republic of the Philippines and the Malaysian Federation.
2. All citizens of the Sulu Sultanate shall be legally considered Malaysian AND Filipino.
3. The Royal House of Sulu shall officially be recognized as the ruling house.
4. All citizens of the Sultanate shall be given a passport that will allow them to enter both Malaysia and the Philippines at will.

Danger Management (Essay)

The following is an essay written by the author on July 11, 2011:

Risk is something that is eternally present here on earth. It is defined as the effect of uncertainty on objectives, in which uncertainty is an event that may or may not happen. Everybody, young or old, is exposed to danger in all tasks that they do. The risk involved in any activity cannot be eliminated, though it can be minimized. Some activities, especially those that involve major changes and creations, have a higher risk factor than other activities. Such activities include business projects and engineering feats.

Like people of other engineering fields, Chemical Engineers face many risks and dangers as they do their duties. Engineers, especially Chemical Engineers, are key people behind societal change, innovation, and development. This is one reason why they are constantly exposed to risky situations. Inventing, constructing, developing something is like exploring the unknown wherein the person is constantly in danger. Chemical Engineers, especially those in the industry sector, are constantly at risk. The risks include accidents, adverse health effects and ecological effects. The industry sector includes construction, materials production, energy production, design development and similar innovations. A Chemical Engineer, being the foreman of such projects and activities is the primary person at risk of such projects. If he is to work in the process sector of the Industry sector, then the risks are truly high. Experiments done with potentially hazardous chemicals are risky. Even though Chemical Engineers are equipped with knowledge, such risks and dangers are still present. It is the primary reason why working in the industry sector is considered a noble and benevolent task. The Chemical Engineers face the risks and dangers just to do their duties and to contribute to a societal change. They are heroes for the common people, for they are risking their lives trying to discover and/or invent something that will make our lives much better. Such examples include Petrochemical Engineers working in oil refineries, though safety measures are being enacted, they are still constantly exposed to hazardous vapors and chemicals that are potentially irritating to the body and other life-threatening dangers. Another example involves Chemical Engineers working in nuclear power plants who are constantly exposed to ionizing radiation, not to mention the threat of a nuclear meltdown. In some occasions the work of a Chemical Engineer is quite stressful due to the workload and pressure applied on them. This shows that Chemical Engineers should be versatile and careful at the same time.

In summary, the risks and dangers that Chemical Engineers have to face is enormous. The duties they have to fulfil deals with dangerous and sometimes poorly understood chemicals and processes, doing it in potentially accident-prone areas. On the positive side, safety measurements are improving, thus reducing the risks they have to face.

A Minecraft Adventure

A week ago I began playing a sandbox game called "Minecraft". A game where your nomadic character is free to do what he wants - you can freely build houses, explore dungeons, caves and other terrain. You control the character and you can use his abilities to build structures. The key element in the game is the use of blocks. These blocks are the main ingredient used by the player to build anything ranging from simple houses to towers built with defensive brick walls. 

Anyway, my adventure reached a climax yesterday. (I used the term "a climax" because it's still just one of my adventurous endeavors.) One morning, I left my tower base (it has 5 stories) and ventured off to the east. I went through the eastward tunnel I dug, and after reaching it's mouth (a small shed in the overworld), I went out and closed the door. Behold, a large and unexplored plains! I kept walking to the east, bypassing wandering sheep, trees, ravines, and grass. Then I reached the sea and crossed it. 

Upon crossing the sea, I entered a different biome full of tall trees and grass (and sheep, again). I kept walking forward, leaving behind some traces such as sand pillars and torches seldomly. When nightfall came, I switched to "peaceful mode" in order to continue travelling without having to fend off hordes of monsters. 

(In the real world, I saved my game and took a break. This would later on cause something.)

When morning came, I continued walking and behold - a new sea complete with lily pads. I tried swimming to the other side but I realized how far I've already wandered off. So I swam back to the shore and walked back. However, when nightfall came, I realized that I've went to the wrong direction as the torches I planted the night before were missing. I tried looking around but behold, no traces of light anywhere. (I was still in "peaceful mode".) I walked and walked, and when morning came, climbed a mountain in an attempt to look for my house. (Beside's having a very tall pillar above my house, I also made a very tall pillar of light in an adjacent mountain.) 

Nothing. No sign of my house. So I kept walking and walking until I reached a snow biome. Then it rained. I realized how hopeless my attempts to explore and look for my house. I decided to make a compass (a compass would lead me to my original spawn point). Since I have no materials for such device, I tried to dig downward to mine some redstone. While I was digging, I fell into a deep, underground abandoned mine. I explored this mine and found valuable things like ores of gold and iron, lapiz lazuli, emerald, diamond and, at last,  redstone. Along the way, I also took some fences and built a small crafting table near a ledge. There I built a compass, and used "pillar jumping" method to get out of this very deep abandoned mine. After plating 64 blocks of cobblestone (therefore the mine is 64 blocks deep, more or less), I reached a ledge and, from there, dug my way up. After finding a layer of dirt with water dripping, I dug towards a different direction. After digging the last block of dirt, finally! Sunlight! I finally got out of that mine.

Lava I found in the abandoned mine.

I hurriedly walked towards the direction where my compass was pointing. I bypassed mountains, desert biomes and seas. Then, when nightfall came, I finally reached my original spawn point marked with a chest and three torches. I didn't know that the game gave me a chest when I first spawned. (When I first began playing, I didn't see that chest and immediately wandered off.) 

From my spawn point, I'm no longer a lost nomadic soul. I know where my first (now abandoned) house was. I walked towards it and seeing the tall sand pillar with a torch on top renewed my hope. I finally reached my first house. When morning came, I walked towards my current house in the plains just on the outskirts of the desert biome.

Finally, upon reaching home, I rested.

Aftermath:

The next day, I decided to build a huge arrow in the sand that points to my current house. (Since the compass would only lead me to my original spawn point)

Too Much of a Good Thing is Bad

Proverbs 30:8 says, "give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread." (NIV)

[In the Latin Vulgate, is says "vanitatem et verba mendacia longe fac a me mendicitatem et divitias ne dederis mihi tribue tantum victui meo necessaria"]

Source: Ecological Footprints Tim De Chant, Per Square Mile

(This map shows how many "earths" does each specified country
consume  for their personal needs.)

We know how important food is, and how important our necessities are. However, today's era is filled with the business trying to persuade people to use too much resources. To make things short, the economic rulers of the world are promoters of over-consumption of our limited resources. From extravagant houses to enormous unhealthy amount of food, these people use man's utmost weakness "desire" - whose control centre is located in the brain. The victims of these trends are poor familes and mother nature itself. 

Ponder on the following examples:

1. The citizens of the United States of America throw out 200,000 tons of edible food daily - what a waste!

2. Many citizens from developed countries are more likely to use their own cars rather than ride on public transportation.

3. The simplicity of natural surroundings is essentially ignored by many developed and aspiring "developing" countries. Skyscrapers are not determinants to economic success!

4. Everything is disposable - even wives and husbands! (Gladly, there is still no divorce laws in my home country.) 

5. Most products are packaged in a disposable, fancy, shiny, aesthetic-minded plastic packaging. The packaging is non-biodegradable! What a waste1

6. Despite having laws limiting the use of plastic bags, most Philippine products (even books) are wrapped in plastic. How ironic!


Contentment, my brothers and sisters, is the solution to the problem - even if it is against sound business principle.

An Essay on Public Service (Speech Form)

First of all, it is a great pleasure to be able to speak in front of many influential people. We must always thank Divine Providence for giving us this opportunity to discuss various issues related to our daily lives. Short as it may be, I am here to appeal to you, oh all you powerful leaders of the nations of this world, that public service is a devotion, a religious devotion perhaps, on what we believe is good for the world. Titles and honors are only used to appease one’s burden – that is, the burden of serving the public even if we don’t get good rewards in return. In the Gospel of Mark chapter ten verse forty-five, it says “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." If the Son of Man himself, despite being a God, humbled himself to the level of a servant, what more is expected of us, fallible man? We are expected to serve, as simple as that. Life is full of fulfilling our full duties – no escapes. Remember what is written in the Environmental Epistle: The very act of helping others and the environment is what counts. All of those who serve for the benefit of the public – from your industrious waste collector to your honorable presidents and prime ministers – are worthy of being called “heroes” if they are doing what is right. With mercy, justice and righteousness in mind, leaders can be great examples for their people. If they did good deeds in their lifetimes, it is most likely that people will remember their good works and be inspired by them. What issues, perhaps, do public leaders face today?

There are many challenges leaders face. Issues – especially personal ones, can greatly affect the morale of the leader and the people he leads. What if a popular leader who declares that smoking is immoral is himself a smoker? What if a popular leader who declares that pre-marital sex is immoral is, himself, a sexual fornicator? What if your president, an alcoholic, declares that alcoholism is a societal problem and should be forbidden? Will people listen to them? Maybe not. What if your religious leaders emphasize compassion and charity but they themselves do not lift a finger to help the needy? What will happen? Nothing. The people look upon their leaders as noble examples. Hypocrisy on one’s part will effectively ruin one’s actions. I quote 2^nd Epistle of Dario: Were you not taught by your leaders to love others as yourselves? (Hindi ba kayo tinuruan ng ating mga lider na mahalin ang iba gaya ng iyóng sarili?) (II Dario 2:12) For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:13-14 (NASB))

One challenge that the human race is currently facing is the issue of Climate Change. Who will be the catalyst of change? The change from a (overly) resource consuming consumer to an ecologically-aware moderate consumer is a hard task – especially since we were indoctrinated by Western culture to use too much resources. Quoting my own Essay on Resourcefulness: I have witnessed their gross overconsumption of resources. Leftovers discarded, useful machines discarded after being superseded by a more “newer model”, cars are often used too much, among other wasteful activities.  Such acts are common in “First World Countries”, where (apparently) they have this sense of material security. Changing the very basic mindset of the average person (e.g. from a tissue-paper user to a reusable rag user) needs a ton of volunteerism. The people should learn to serve others as well, and not to overly rely on their “public servants”. Who will teach them and set the example? Simple, the public servants – the leaders of the peoples of the world. They will lead.

Alas, public service is a big burden and not everybody reaps good results in their lifetimes. Haters will malign you. Critics will criticize you. Envious people (crabs) will try to pull you down and even malign you alongside your haters. Despite pouring your best efforts, haters will still hate you. The popular meme says, haters gonna hate. We may not be able to please everybody, but let this not be a reason to be disheartened. Use your powers to help mankind and you shall achieve holiness in the eyes of heaven. Good luck to all of us. Once again, thank you.

The Kind of Liberation aspired by José Rizal

The Kind of Liberation aspired by José Rizal
(Shorter Version)

The life and works of Dr. José Rizal is extensively studied all over the world, friends, and yet sometimes we forget what he really wants to impart on our generation. Besides the overwhelming zeal for knowledge, Rizal wants us to be free – from the chains of ignorance surrounding our passive generation. His prophetic writings, though could not be divinely inspired, did occur and we should take advantage of our present situation to fully grasp the goal of our national hero. An extensive collection of his writings is at our disposal and we must use it effectively.

Remember, Rizal did everything he could to educate the masses on science, humanities and even morality. Many people think of Rizal as simply a hero who fought against Spanish rule - nothing else. In many of his writings, Rizal evidently expressed his desire to educate people. He knows that ignorance hinders progress. We are a nation of over 100 Million people - most are young and uneducated. Good education is what we must give them, friends! Only those with the lust and thirst for knowledge will attain true education. Take note that a forced deed does not reap good results. Similarly, one who is forced to study may not even retain what he studied. Remember that Rizal said that “ignorance is slavery”, for he knows that the abusive can virtually control the ignorant people in darkness. “Through education the country receives the light” said Rizal. The blinded populace, with their blind guides, scour through darkness (ignorance). Even in reality Rizal had acted as a schoolteacher in various occasions. For he said, “so education beyond measure gives the country tranquilly…” Each person has the right to learn the truth, for “God gave each person a conscience… to know the just and the unjust.” We have been accustomed to blame the Spanish government for hindering the Filipinos from gaining illustrious education. This is not always the case. Governor-General Weyler would have approved the plan of the young women of Malolos, but the friar curate opposed the plan. This is simply one example. Rizal may be gone but another will rise with the same sharp and truthful tongue.

Rizal praised the unquenchable thirst for education shown by most Filipinos, shown in the valiant struggle of the women of Malolos. On the downside, Rizal indirectly exposed the passiveness of many Filipinos, who would refuse to volunteer for a good deed because of the feeling of diminutiveness. Situations are presented in his first novel and this trait reverberates throughout the writings of Rizal. The Historian Zaide notes that Rizal was slightly disheartened to see his fellow Filipinos in Europe gambling and flirting rather than fighting for the cause of the Filipinos at the mainland. This shows that many people are ignorant of his true responsibilities. We must utilize our talents, for Rizal said “one must not digest using his neighbour’s stomach” We are created to love one another, and up to the end of time, we must do our eternal mission – to serve the Creator. “The individual should give way to the welfare of society”. Hopeless? Do you know what will happen once ignorance (and indolence, its offspring) is annihilated? “Whence all mankind shall become enlightened, when all people become free, when there shall be neither tyrants nor slaves, when justice shall rule and men shall become citizen of the world, the cult of science alone shall remain.” And who says religion distorts science? Energy cannot be created nor destroyed? Yes. Ergo, the spirit of man shall not vanish, but shall move into a different place after death. Nature and its laws show the work of a Supreme Being, and ignorance of such is also foolishness. Rizal himself is aware that many have undertaken to study the laws of nature, but they did not realize the true author of such laws. Information, now easily accessible, is at our disposal. Let not hubris envelop our enlightened souls, but let us use our current position to reach to those people walking in darkness. This is a noble mission, for Rizal said “It is a useless life [if not] consecrated to a great deal.” He also said, “Genius has no country. It blossoms everywhere!” This shows that knowledge is not inherent to a particular race.

Thus, Rizal deserves to be honoured as one of the first great Filipino intellectuals. His writings, reflecting his enlightened intelligent mind, are until now useful for our society. He broke the chains of ignorance, and showed that others, with the proper intention, can do likewise. Education, supported by unadulterated religion and science, is the best weapon we can use against ignorance. Enlightened people are now free to express the truth. All we need to do is break the passiveness and apathy of our fellowmen, and lo, progress and order will come. Let us continue the work of Rizal! Learn from his writings, and ultimately, hear the words of his Master!

Ergo, veritas vos liberabit a vinculis ignorantia!