Rajahnate of Butuan, Richer Than Srivijaya

Detail of a neck ornament. Ayala Museum, 81.5171.
Photography by Neal Oshima; Image courtesy of Ayala Museum

This is what made the Srivijayan-Majapahit Empire the richest empire during those times:

"It was no surprise why the Majapahit Empire was the richest kingdom in the world when it had controlled the Maharlikan archipelago. The same reason is also attributed to the legendary King Solomon’s temple made of gold that were mined from the land of Ophir." (The Maharlikans: Fact #8)

The polity known as Butuan in the southern Philippines rose to commercial prominence in the tenth century, but ultimately declined in the thirteenth century for unknown reasons. The cultural area associated with this land transcended the political boundaries of the present-day Philippine provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Surigao del Sur.

Early Chinese sources offer clues to the power of Butuan at its peak. The Song Shi (History of the Song) documents that the Butuan king Ch’i-ling, or Kiling, sent emissaries to the Chinese imperial court in 1003 and 1007 and other texts make note of trade between China and Butuan. The astonishing quantities and impressive quality of gold treasures recovered in Butuan suggest that its flourishing port settlement played an until recently little-recognized role in early Southeast Asian trade. Surprisingly, the amount of gold discovered in Butuan far exceeds that found in Sumatra, where the much better known flourishing kingdom of Srivijaya is said to have been located.

Highlighted in this section of the exhibition are selections from a spectacular hoard of gold necklaces, chains, waistbands, bangles, ritual bowls, implements, and ceremonial weapons that was accidentally discovered in 1981 in the hamlet of Magroyong near Butuan. Objects from this cache, known as the Surigao Treasure, are among the most intriguing in the collection of early Philippine gold objects assembled from the 1960s to 1981 by archaeologist-collector Cecilia Y. Locsin (1930–2013) and her husband Leandro V. Locsin (1928–1994) that are now part of the collections of the Ayala Museum.

The personal adornments recovered from Butuan appear to be primarily elite regalia. These splendid adornments and ritual objects were probably part of a ruling family’s bahandi, or collective heirloom wealth. The identity and fate of the royal family who presumably owned the treasures are unknown. Future excavations in Butuan may provide us with more information about everyday life in the ancient society that produced these technically astounding works.

Source: The Kingdom of Butuan

Fact #8: The Srivijayan & Majapahit Empires Were Only Custodians of the Ophir's Gold

8. The nation's treasury of the Maharlikan people were so abundant that when under the Srivijayan-Majapahit Empire these were accumulated and taken as part of the empires’ treasury being the custodians of the wealth meant (only) for the Maharlikan nation.

In the previous topics, three facts were established: 1) the location of the land called Ophir (of the Maharlikan people) where King Solomon obtained gold points to no other place than the present-day Philippine Archipelago; 2) gold was so abundant in the land of Ophir during those days, and; 3) the Maharlikan people in the land of Ophir were in trade relations with other kingdoms and nations.

Prior to the Moslem's invasions of the Malayan Peninsula, in the 15^th century, the Majapahit Empire had already commercially controlled most part of the Maharlikan archipelago due to the latter’s having no central governance to unify the nation and no central forces to resist the impending occupation. It was an easy integration process on the part of the empire as there was no opposition at all. That condition of no central rulership had convinced them that the Maharlikan archipelago is a territory belonging to the Majapahit.

But owing to the unceasing incursions of the Moslems in the Malaya Peninsula between 1470's to 1520's establishing their sultanate governance and the Sharia Law in the region, the Majapahit Empire slowly disintegrated forcing its remaining central government to gradually moved from Java to Bali (Indonesia). And from there, a large number of courtiers, artisans, priests, and members of the royal family together with the huge amount of their treasury finally transferred to the Maharlikan archipelago in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (North Borneo).

There, in the Maharlikan archipelago the reigning royal family remained undisturbed for two centuries. With that reason, among others, as the reigning family continues, the treasures and natural resources were mined and accumulated into their treasury for the sustenance of the newly established kingdom. Gold was so abundant in the land that by shifting alone on the riverbeds anyone can find a gold nugget even as big as egg or walnut. Citing from the article Gold of Ancestors: Ayala Museum's Greatest Treasures written by Emmie V. Abadilla in 2014, she said, "Masters and slaves wore gold in their daily lives. Even the lowest of the low slaves wore gold ornaments. The country overflowed with gold in those days." It was no surprise why the Majapahit Empire was the richest kingdom in the world when it had controlled the Maharlikan archipelago. The same reason is also attributed to the legendary King Solomon’s temple made of gold that were mined from the land of Ophir.

Fact #7: The Hindu-Buddhist Kingdoms of Srivijaya & Majapahit Were Aware of the Ophir's Gold

7. From the Prehistoric Indonesia to the Salakanagara Kingdom through the Srivijayan to Majapahit Kingdom they were aware of the golden age in the history of the Maharlikan people. They themselves inclined to believe they were also descendants of the Maharlikans so they adopted almost everything pertaining the Maharlikan civilization.

Prior to the advent of civilizations and kingdoms in the Indonesian Region and the Malay Peninsula, and prior to the integration of this Pre-Spanish Maharlikan (Ophir) territory to the Srivijayan Empire, this land and its people were already known to the westerners and nearby territories: to the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs and the Hebrews by the names they gave on it. It was not clear however how the name Ophir came to the limelight. But the first mentioned of Ophir was in Genesis 10, as one of the 13 sons of Joktan, the son of Eber. Another mention of the name  Ophir was at the time of King Solomon where according to the book of Kings was a land afar in the east where the "wise king" imported golds and almug (algum) woods by the ships for the completion of the Solomon's Temple.

The true location of Ophir was documented in a book found in Spain entitled "Collecion General de Documentos Relativos a las Islas Filipinas". Document No. 98 of the said book dated 1519-1522 described in details how the land of Ophir can be found:

"Ophir can be found by travelling from the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, to India, to Burma, to Sumatra, to Moluccas, to Borneo, to Sulu, to China, then finally to Ophir." Ophir was said to be "[...] in front of China towards the sea, of many islands where the Moluccans, Chinese, and Lequios met to trade..."

Jes Tirol asserts that this group of islands could not be Japan because the Moluccans did not get there, nor Taiwan, since it is not composed of "many islands." Only the present-day Philippines, he says, could fit the description. Spanish records also mention the Lequious (big, bearded white men, probably descendants of the Phoenicians, whose ships were always laden with gold and silver) in the islands to gather gold and silver. Other evidence has also been pointed out suggesting that the Philippines was the biblical Ophir.

This factual information about Ophir (Maharlika) and its abundance of gold surely did cause interest not only to the westerners but also to the neighboring kingdoms, such that of Indonesia and Sumatra. That being said, this Maharlikan territory was assimilated, by all means, to the thalassocratic city-state of Srivijaya, a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom, with the belief and admiration that Ophir was a place and a civilization from where there forebears came.

By the 15th century, the Maharajahs of the Majapahit Empire transplanted to the Kingdom of Maharlika.[1]

Fact #6: From Srivijayan to Majapahit, They Were Silent Assimilators of the Land of Ophir

6. The Srivijayan Empire was the later silent assimilator of this land of Ophir bringing with them their Hindu-Malayan culture. This leads to the gradual banishment of the remnants of the Maharlikan people (Ylayas) and their culture as they gradually were assimilated into the Hindu-Malayan culture. Those who maintained the Muian ways found the comfort of nature in the hinterlands. The indigenous people (in the Philippines) are now their living descendants.

Noted here that the Srivijayan Empire flourished more or less between 8th to 12th century CE (Common Era). Although it is not clear but most probably the root of the Srivijayan Empire might have started to flourish and gain notoriety as early as the 5th century around present-day Palembang, Sumatra. The land of Ophir on the other hand was a biblical name of that isles afar off mentioned in the Bible dating back to the time of King Solomon of Israel around 970 BC - 931 BC. Ophir was undisputedly rich of gold where the king of Israel obtained by the ships. Most of those who tried to locate the physical Ophir did find their ways all the way to the present day Philippine Archipelago. It has to be underlined therein that the biblical land of Ophir is the present day Philippine Islands rich of gold the Srivijayan Empire was so obsessed to have gained control of including its wealth and treasure.

Once again, bear in mind for a while that prior to the advent of the Hindu-Malayan culture of the Srivijayan-Majapahit Empire, the Ylayan civilization did flourish peacefully and abundantly in terms of mercantile with foreign traders, serene annual atmospheric condition, blissful health, great wealth, bountiful harvest and prosperity in their life in general. It was at this period when great volumes of gold and almaciga or almug (algum) tree (Scientific Name: Igathis philippinensis) were shipped out for the construction of King Solomon's temple. In short, it was their "golden age" as regarded by the forthcoming empire.

Moreover, the mere fact that I used the word "assimilator" in the heading is because there was no resistance from them as they have welcomed the new merchant-occupants (Srivijayan Empire) with open arms in the name of mutual respect and co-existence. Nevertheless, due to their contrasting cultural orientations, the atmosphere and the deep feeling of ethnocentrism forced the Ylayas to find comfort in the mountains and forests.

It might be unfair at this moment to purport that some of the indigenous people in the Philippines, who were fearsome warriors and practiced head-hunting, like the Kalingas of the Kalinga Province, did not evolve from the Ylayan blood but from the Srivijayan culture. This assessment finds reference to the existence of Kalinga Kingdom in ancient east India approximately 265 BCE. The region was scene of the bloody Kalinga War fought by Ashoka of the Maurya Empire.

Fact #4: The Filipino Race Descended from the Maharlikans Through the Ylayas

4. The later descendants of the Maharlikan race were those "Ylayas" (Isidro Escare Abeto, 1989) in a land called Ophir, from whom King Solomon obtained ships of gold. During that period the Ylayas have already well established their communities after the cataclysmic event that destroyed the Muian civilization.

The next 10,000 years, during and after the last ice age was a survival period for the Maharlikans in view of the last great upheaval they have undergone through, which was followed thereafter by the decrease of the Earth's temperature freezing most part of the hinterlands forcing them to thrive in the caves. It was during that period when waves of succeeding migrants begun to populate the land of Ophir.

It is interesting to acknowledge here the work of a world renowned American anthropologist in the person of Henry Otley Beyer, founder of the Anthropology Department of the University of the Philippines. Beyer proposed in his Migration Wave Theory that the peopling of the archipelago was a result of migrations in different time periods. The first group Beyer called the “Dawn Man” or cave men type of who, according to his theory, arrived around 250,000 years ago. Beyer was actually referring to the “escaped remnants” of Muian descendants (Maharlikans) who survived the last great upheaval and found refuge in the archipelago. They did not arrive as a result of unintentional wandering in search for food, as Beyer proposed, but rather already been here and aware of its existence as they used to visit the place during the Muian times. This fact supports the Core Population Theory of Felipe Landa Jocano, another known anthropologist of the University of the Philippines who refuted Beyer’s migration theory. Jocano instead did propose that the first people of Southeast Asia (including the Philippines) were products of a long process of evolution and migration. His research indicates that they shared more or less the same culture, beliefs, practices and even similar tools and implements.

The second wave of migrants in Beyer's theory were the so-called “Negritos” who, according to Beyer, came around or between 25,000 to 30,000 years ago. These group fused in their communities and culture with the already established Maharlikan settlements, socialized and intermarried with the Maharlikan people. These migrant people came from the neighboring islands in the south, from Indonesia and Malaysia through land bridges. From that point of origin being in the south, going to north (ilaya meaning "upper part" or "north") to the Maharlikan’s direction of location, the next migrating people (Third Wave A and B, between 6,000 to 500 years ago) did refer to them the ylayas, a term which became prevalent as being referred to the "people of the north".

It has to be noticed here that there was a reversed pattern of migrations, first, from the Maharlikan group going outside, and then from the outside coming to the Maharlikan territory. The explanation was that, these migrating people coming into the land of Maharlika (Ophir) were on the clandestine process of revisiting their true origin as told in their oral traditions. This was true to both the Indonesian's Srivijayan and Majapahit empires, respectively.

The advent and emergence of the Ylayan culture, which was an assimilation of the surviving Maharlikans and foreign migrants (second and third waves) paved way for the revival of the Muian ways through their system of governance, arts, belief, medicine, and in their knowledge of the supernatural. It has to be noted that the people of the Pre-European Philippines were mostly animist (who really did not worship the spirits of nature but rather honored them in a less elaborated rites) have records or books of mystical in nature. These knowledge or abilities traced back from the Muian period.

It should not also be confused that the term ilaya (ylaya) has no connection with the term Malaya, such that of the Malayan Peninsula or Malaysia, which refers to the land far south-west of the then land of Ophir.

In the East, in Eden

In the East of Eden

Where was the Garden of Eden? This question, if put in the hypothetical idiom, would seem to be a never-ending quest since the Bible offers no tangible proofs but mere allegories posing various degrees or point of interpretations as to where the Garden’s true location. Much has been said about the creation story in varying versions handed down from generations to generations, in different languages, people or religions and yet only few have taken efforts to find the exact location of its paradisiacal garden. Was it really in the Mesopotamian region, in a land called Fertile Crescent between the Tigris and Euphrates? Or was it somewhere else already found bearing the salient signs where only the skeptic minds will refuse to acknowledge?

If we take geography as reference to support the pre-delude stories it will be more confusing rather than shedding light to the mystery of the story in itself the fact that the earth was and is in constant change and its features is far different from what it looked like before and after the flood. Besides, the names of the places used in the ancient times were so different from their names we used today. Except of course when it comes to directions that north is always in the north, and south is always in the south. So, where to start first and foremost?

Many, if not most of writers, have missed Eden in their descriptions of the Garden of Eden and only touched on to the garden itself. Their interpretations mislead everyone away from the real picture, as described by Moses in his Torah, thus limiting their views on it. Let us read, in Genesis 2:8-9, it says:

“Now, the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground - trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.”

First and foremost, the Garden of Eden was just a portion or a place east of Eden. And second, Eden was the First Earth or referred to its mainland called Pangaea when the whole world wa not divided yet. By the way, gaea in pangaea meaning “all-land” in Greek, and pan or gan edhen in Hebrew means “garden of eden”). Again, let us read, “Now, the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden.” Here, three important words are the clues: garden, east, and Eden. The garden was planted in the east, in Eden. Let us continue, In Genesis 2:10-11:

“A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is Pishon, it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.”

Further down to Genesis 1:25, we can read that when God closed the gate of the Garden of Eden he assigned cherubs with the fiery sword to guard the gate, in the east, to prevent Adam and Eve from coming back.

The garden in the story of creation in the land called Eden is no other than the lost paradise, the garden outside the City of Mu created by the Muians for their new creations, the Maharlikans, Adam and Eve, the first humans, male and female. Many believed it was in Mesopotamia as the biblical story mentioned of the four riverheads, Tigris, Euphrates, Pishon and Gihon. Tigris and Euphrates were identified as to this days being in Iraq (Mesopotamia) but Pishon and Gihon were not. No evidences so far have been discovered to conclude that Pishon and Gihon were also in Mesopotamia. It is not also clear how wide the Garden of Eden was and how far its extent. The only evidences we can consult were the remnants of the garden and the book bearing its records.

“A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is Pishon, it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold at that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there. The name of the second river is Gihon: it winds through the entire land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the forth river is Euphrates.” (Gen. 2: 10-14).

The land of Havilah is already forgotten in our times but its gold being the treasure of the land must still be there as silent evidence to its extra-ordinary past. But where is Havilah now? Where is its gold?

Coincidentally, the legendary King Solomon’s land of gold, which often claimed as the main source of the famous king's gold as depicted in the biblical story of the construction of the First Temple of King Solomon and in many stories told where he obtained treasures by the ships, was located in the east, the location of present-day Philippines Islands.

Not satisfied yet? How about some physical evidences?

When God vanished away the Garden of Eden from the face of the Earth, He intelligently designed monuments in memory of the first humans He created and put in the garden. These monuments are mountain-forms bearing the features of a man (Adam) and a woman (Eve) perfectly lying down as if they are sleeping, in a place once called the Garden of Eden. These mountain-forms are called by the inhabitants there as the Lalaking Bukid (male mountain) and Babaeng Bukid (female mountain). Both these mountains are located in the Province of Dinagat Islands in the northern part of Mindanao, south-east of the Philippines.

Adam's Monument, Dinagat Province

Eve's Monument, Dinagat Province

And since this article is about the Garden of Eden itself, this said Garden must be a real garden in a way that landscaping and cultivation as its features must be obviously distinct to be called as such. The Banaue Rice Terraces in the Mt. Province is considered to be the one of the world’s largest man-made wonders, a landscape, hence a garden. The soil taken from it was dumped in now the so-called Chocolate Hills in Bohol because the entire Philippine Islands was once the Garden of Eden.

Rice Terraces of Ifugao, Mt. Province 

Chocolate Hills, Bohol

Have you ever wondered what is the hidden meaning of this line "Pearl of the Orient seas, our Eden lost!" in Rizal's Last Farewell?

Facts About the Maharlikan Race

Unfortunately, most of the Maharlikan consciousness movements nowadays are tracing the wrong lineage of information in their presentations of "who the real Maharlikan people were".

First and foremost, the real Maharlikan people were a race of spiritually advanced civilization whose level of consciousness surpasses the level of our spirituality. They were the descendants of the Muian people.

Second, the real Maharlikans lived earlier, in the pre-historic times, when the world was much younger, before and after the last great upheaval until after the last ice age.

Third, the Maharlikans were not warriors contrary to prevailing notions because during their times they have no enemies or in conflict with other races, except with nature's law of balance and restoration that destroyed the grandeur of their civilization.

Fourth, the later descendants of the Maharlikan race were those "Ylayas" (Isidro Escare Abeto, 1989) in a land called Ophir, from whom King Solomon obtained ships of gold. During that period the Ylayas have already well established their communities after the cataclysmic event that destroyed the Muian civilization.

Fifth, the Kalantiaw Code (be it a hoax or not) was a later version of a much older code observed during the times of Ophir.

Sixth, the Srivijayan Empire was the later silent assimilator of this land of Ophir bringing with them their Hindu-Malayan culture. This leads to the gradual banishment of the remnants of the Maharlikan people (Ylayas) and their culture as they gradually were assimilated into the Indo-Malayan culture. Those who maintained the Muian ways found the comfort of nature in the hinterlands. The indigenous people (in the Philippines) are now their living descendants.

Seventh, the Srivijayan or Majapahit Empires were aware of the golden age in the history of the Maharlikan people. They themselves inclined to believe they were also descendants of the Maharlikans so they adopted almost everything pertaining the Maharlikan civilization.

Eighth, the nation's treasury of the Maharlikan people were so abundant that when under the Srivijayan-Majapahit Empire these were accumulated and taken as part of the empires’ treasury being the custodians of those wealth meant (only) for the Maharlikan nation.

Nineth, titles like rajah, datu or lakan were of Hindu-Malayan origins. Maharlikan people have no titles except being “maharlikans” which means men of renown, great men or men from the great plane.

Tenth, the Hindu-Malayan people or empires retained the former's title maharajah of the maharlikan from the mahar-loka which later gave rise to what others are now claiming as the Maharlikans (the Filipinos).

NOTE: The Tagean-Tallano clan who are claiming to be the sole owners of the entire archipelago based on a document known as the Original Certificate of Title No. T-01-1, do not belong to the genuine maharlikan lineage. Like the late Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos, the Tagean-Tallano clan were only among the custodians, by virtue of obligations, of the wealth of the Maharlikan kingdom meant for the Filipino people.