The Royal Way

In the first Google Earth image below, the main river leading from the Manila Bay to the confluence at the southern portion of Masantol is shown.

The river is flanked by two massive dikes or earthen barriers. Masantol was formerly a barangay (district) of the now-sleepy and backward town of Macabebe. When the Spanish first arrived in this area, Macabebe was one of the largest population centers of what is now the Philippines. The confluence could be known in the local languages as "sambal" or "sabang" and this is the area that I equate with the medieval Zabag.

About half the distance to Masantol is one of its barangays known as Malauli. It is at this point that the water turns from salt/brackish to freshwater. Here also local legend says that the king who opposed Martin de Goiti and the invading Spaniards resided, although now it is very sparsely populated. He is known variously as Rajah Bambalito or Rajah Soliman. Click on the images below for the full image size.


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Medieval texts also state that the king of Zabag lived in a estuary that was salty during high tide and sweet during low tide. One could view such an area as the real beginning of the river, the point at which the sea, represented by saltwater, ends.

In this blog, I have suggested that the king of Zabag was the "Lord of the River" and thus his position at the entrance point would have been traditional. However, we should note that the divergence area of salt and sweet water may have varied over long periods. The king would guarded the way to the emporium at the sabang/confluence or Zabag.



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In the image above, we see a closeup of the confluence near the southern end of Masantol town proper (Barangay Santa Lucia). The dikes, known as pangpang, pampang and bangbang, give the local province its name of "Pampanga." These massive dikes, unlike anything else in the province with houses and roads built on top, begin here at the confluence and end at the mouth of the river along the Manila Bay.



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In addition to guarding the way to the market of Zabag, the king would even more important control the recognized waterway for visiting the sacred mountains of Pinatubo and Arayat to the north. Visitors could continue on boat using the rivers to reach Betis from where they presumably would proceed on foot. The distance from Masantol to Pinatubo is about 28.5 miles as the crow flies, and 19.5 miles to Arayat.



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You can grab this image above with your mouse, or use the arrows, to navigate up the river toward Masantol.

Sambali (Glossary)

In the Kapampangan language, Sambali is the name both for the land now known as Zambales and of the people native to that land, the Sambals.

Bergano also gives the definition cadahalso (cadalso) probably referring to a platform or similar structure built for a solemn occasion. In this sense it is derived from the root word samba "to worship."


An eerie landscape in the otherwise lush Zambales province caused by the Mount Pinatubo eruption.

In Bergano's dictionary, he gives the definition "poner las manos debajo del pecho con inclinacion, haciendo reverencia, y de aqui, adorar," noting especially the placement of the hands beneath the chest in an inclined position during worship. He also offers as meanings of the word "place of worship" from which it also became the modern word for "church" along with the derived form simbahan in many Philippine languages.

The 18th century Tagalog dictionary of de Noceda and Sanlucar gives the definition "nacion llamada" for sambali as opposed to "nacion Tagala" for Tagalog. Sambali thus was once a word for a specific nation in the region, but unfortunately no further information is related by the authors.

Semantic connections of Sambali, then, suggest the region was considered sacred, something we would link specifically with Mount Pinatubo, and at one time was also possibly connected with national identity in this region.

Shambhala

It has been suggested in this blog that the name Sambali is linked with Sanskrit Shambhala, also written as Zambhala or Sambhala.

Some linguistic corruption may account for the sound differences. In this regard, we can note the related Sanskrit word sambhali or zamphali, the feminine form of sambala.

Sanskrit literature describes Shambhala as a grama, a town or village. The abridged form of the Kalacakratantra locates Shambhala in the Lesser Jambudvipa (Jambuling), which is south of Greater Jambudvipa, or the Indian subcontinent.

One of the kings of Shambhala, Sripala (Shripala) is praised as coming from the "Southern Ocean," which in this cases appears as a reference to Suvarnadvipa the "Islands of Gold."

Sripala, who in one Tibetan tradition is credited with bringing the Kalacakra doctrine to India, may be the same as the person named Pindo, whom the great sage Atisa claimed as a teacher. This Pindo is also connected with both Suvarnadvipa and Yavadvipa.

The pilgrimage to Shambhala appears to come under Suvarnadvipa as one of the 24 pilgrimage sites (pithas) and the seemingly the only extra-Greater Jambudvipa one. Specifically, Suvarnadvipa was one of the upamelapakas said generally to be two or four in number, with the other locations in the Greater Jambudvipa region.

The Kailasa mountain and Sita river of Shambhala are those of the Lesser Jambudvipa and not those north of the Greater Jambudvipa (Indian subcontinent).

According to al-Biruni, the islands known to the Indians as Suvarnadvipa, were called Zabag by the Muslims, a location in the "Sea of Champa" or the South China Sea off the coast of central Vietnam. Other works agree with this location of Zabag, many describing Zabag as adjacent to the coast of southern China.

Description

Modern Sambali is a province in central Luzon, Philippines, bordered by the provinces of Bataan, Pampanga, Pangasinan and Tarlac. It's western coast meets the sea.

The province is dominated by the mineral-rich and forested Zambales Mountains, which include the volcano, Mount Pinatubo.

Original ethno-linguistic groups of Sambali are the various divisions of Ayta, Sambal and Bolinao. However, in recent centuries many other groups have migrated to the province.

A Spanish writer in 1880 described the province in these terms:

There are more populous and more civilized provinces whose commerial and agricultural progress has been more pronounced, but nowhere is the air more pure and transparent, the vegetation more luxuriant, the climate more agreeable, the coasts more sunny, and the inhabitants more simple and pacific.

The large populated agricultural neighbor of Sambali/Zambales is Pampanga where many of the Zambales inhabitants traded at places like Porac. The rivers of Pampanga were also historically the main approach to Sambali before the building of modern ports on the western coast.

When the Spanish came, the mostly semi-nomadic inhabitants caused a lot of trouble and were nearly impossible to "civilize." The province was one of the few areas in the Philippines where the Inquisition was implemented to some degree, but without much success.

The native high priest of the Sambal was known as Bayoc and he conferred priesthood to other Sambals. The Bayoc alone could make sacrifices to Malyari the highest god of the Sambali range, who lived in Mount Pinatubo.

Regards,
Paul Kekai Manansala
Sacramento

References

Bergaño, Diego Vocabulario de la lengua Pampangan en romance: Diego Bergaño, Manila : Imp. de Ramirez y Giraudier, 1860, p. 203.

Monier-Williams, Monier. Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford, 1899.

Noceda, Juan [José] de. Vocabulario de la lengua tagala: compuesto por varios religiosos doctos y graves, y coordinado por el P. Juan de Noceda y el P. Pedro de Sanlucar. Ultimamente aumentado y corregido por varios religiosos de la orden de Augustinos calzados, Reimpreso en Manila,: Impr. de Ramirez y Giraudier, 1860, p. 561.

Wallace, Vesna A. The Inner Kalacakratantra: A Buddhist Tantric View of the Individual, Oxford University Press, 2001, p. 81.

Glossary: Zambales Mountains (Sambal)

Zambales is the name of a mountain range and corresponding biogeographic zone along the eastern edge of Zambales Province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines.

The Philippine islands are located between the northward-moving Philippine Sea Plate and the relatively stationary Asian region. The Zambales Mountains are formed at the subduction of the Asian plate at the Manila Trench. Mt. Pinatubo is the most well-known peak in this range.

An exposed area of ocean crust and mantle known as an ophiolite is found in Zambales. The Zambales Ophiolite boundary can easily be distinguished as the differing rock types of the ocean crust and mantle bring about contrasting vegetation. Two differing blocks within the ophiolite, the Coto and Acoje blocks, and evidence of lava mixing, give the Zambales area a highly heterogeneous geochemistry.

"We suggest that the array of geochemical data from the Zambales ophiolite can be explained in terms of processes observed in present-day convergent plate margins, such as the Marianas or Lau Basin in the western Pacific. Complicated plate boundaries which have existed for long periods of time, including closely opposing and changing subduction systems, the rifting of arcs, and the formation of backarc basins may result in the superposition of one lava type on another or may produce many small domains in the upper mantle sources for subduction-related lavas, some of which become extremely depleted or secondarily enriched. Magmas derived from such a heterogeneous mantle will display ranges in geochemical characteristics, possibly similar to those observed in the Zambales ophiolite." (Evans et al., 1991)

Mt. Pinatubo's 1991 eruption produced dacite lava consisting of a mixing of Zambales ophiolite melt with sub-arc mantle melt.

High variance in the geological makeup might help account for region's rich mineral resources. The area was known in early times for its magnetic iron deposits. More recently the Coto block of the ophiolite has become the world's largest producer of refractory chromite, and also a good source of platinum. Nickel and chromite are found at the Acoje block.

Dizon mine near the border with Pampanga is noted for its copper-gold-silver deposits. Non metallic minerals such as sandstones, Zambales jade, serpentine, pumice, white clay, rock aggregate, salt, stones, cobbles, boulders, and silica quartz are found in abundance.

Non-pumicitic lahar is a component of concrete mixes, while non-magnetic lahar is the primary component of fired "Lahar Porcelain."

Pinatubo's eruption expelled large quantities of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, the most ever recorded and nearly three times that of El Chinchon, its nearest competitor. Pumices in the area often have very high sulfur content. The source of all this sulfur is a matter of dispute. Some believe the sulfur may have been contained in remnants of previous sulfur-rich eruptions.


Source: http://www.environmentalprotectionofasia.com/masterplan/index.htm

Biodiversity

Despite it's relatively small land area, the Zambales Mountains have long been known for their natural beauty and biological diversity.

Although studies in this area are preliminary at best, some 61 endemic plants species have been found, of which 39 are endemic to Mt. Pinatubo alone.

About 50 species of moss thrive in the thick moss forests that were once considered inpenetrable. These forests have long been famed for their valuable tropical hardwoods, and today produce some of the most prized orchids in the international flower trade.

At one time, the area abounded in native deer species but these were wiped out during the colonization period due to deerskin trade with Japan and China. Now, the principal mammal species are monkeys, bats, including the Luzon pygmy fruit bat, and various rodents including a newly-discovered member of the tweezer-beaked Rhynchomys family.

Southern Zambales near Subic is the largest roosting refuge for bats in the world.

The town of Balincaguin in eastern Zambales, now known as Mabini, means "Home of Bats" in the native Sambal language.


The two largest bats in the world, the Golden-crowned Flying Fox (Acerodon jubatus) and the Giant Fruit Bat (Pteropus vampyrus), find their most important roosting ground in southern Zambales near Subic.
Source: http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/mammals/large_flying_fox.htm

As might be expected in a rainforest region, Zambales is home to a dazzling variety of insects including many rare butterflies. At Subic, a tourist spot known as the "Butterfly Garden" showcases an enclosed butterfly farming exhibit.

While some areas of the vast Mt. Pinatubo watershed are still biologically sterile, most regions have recovered since lahar flows stopped in 1997. Aquatic ecosystems including fish, vegetation, insects, algae, crustaceans and the like have returned.


The greening of Mt. Pinatubo

With standing freshwater swamps and pools, Zambales is a paradise for reptiles and amphibians. At one time, frogs and snakes constituted the most important source of protein for some indigneous peoples living here.

Zambales western seacoast is an important marine conservation area with sea turtle nesting areas and mangrove forests. To the east, just south of the sister volcano Mt. Arayat are the Candaba wetlands, a major nesting area for migratory birds in the Philippines.

Indigenous peoples

The two indigenous peoples of the Zambales Mountains are the Ayta and Sambal. The Sambal live mostly in the northern part of the province while the Ayta live around Pinatubo.

Many Ayta were displaced after the 1991 eruption, but slowly some have been returning to the region. While most now practice root agriculture, they still have a fondness for hunting, and gathering honey, fruits and wild plants.

The Sambal, like the Ayta, fiercely resisted the Spanish invaders. Their conversion to Christianity was only accomplished through the rare implementation of the Inquistion in the Philippines. The Sambal priests continued to practice their old ways even after outwardly taking on Catholic practices.

Regards,
Paul Kekai Manansala
Sacramento

References

Brown, R. M., J. W. Ferner, R. V. Sison, P. C. Gonzales, and R. S. Kennedy. 1996. Amphibians and reptiles of the Zambales mountains of Luzon Island, Philippines. Herpetological Natural History 4:1-17.

Evans, Cynthia A.; Casteneda, Gerry; Franco, Helen. "Geochemical complexities preserved in the volcanic rocks of the Zambales Ophiolite, Philippines," Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 96, Issue B10, 1991, p. 16251-16262.

The Greening of Mt. Pinatubo, http://www.environmentalprotectionofasia.com/greenpinatubo/.

Yumul, G.P., Jr., 1996. Rare earth element geochemistry of a supra- subduction zone ophiolite: The Zambales Ophiolite Complex. Tectonophysics 262, 243-262.

Sambali

Now to review the clan situation in the traditional camp, we first have the union of the dragon/serpent and bird clans resulting in a lineage whose emblem is the dog. The joining of other clans to this confederacy may be symbolized by the marriage of a dog with an ancestral goddess.

One such union of great import is that involving a group of peoples having a bull emblem.

The Chinese texts state that Chiyou's totemic clan was divided into nine tribes with each tribe divided into nine sub-tribes. The Juili appear to have had an atomic structure similar to that known in Austronesian societies. The autonomy of the smaller social divisions was apparent to the Chinese observers.

Among the Sumerians and Hebrews the eastern sages from Dilmun and Eden are governed by a king associated with the mountain of God. In Sumerian lore, the mountain is associated both with Heaven and the Underworld. The image is that of a volcano shrouded with clouds around an entrance leading to the underground sweet waters -- the Abzu or Apsu.

The Abzu was envisioned as the source of all rivers and a type of river itself. The leader of the sages is the Lord of the River, the Lord of the Mountain and the Lord of Dilmun.

In the same sense, the leader of the angels in Hebrew legend is the "Prince of the Presence." He is closely associated with the fiery mountain of God in Eden.

In traditional Austronesian society, organization of districts and regions is ritual based as we have discussed earlier. The Nusantao organization appears similar. So closely was Chiyou associated with ritual that he is said to have founded religion in Chinese texts.

The hereditary ritual officers of the holy mountain logically set up the rules and protocol used by the traditional trading clans. The trade in itself is a spiritual enterprise, part of the great dual conflict. In this sense we see among the people even today a type of "cargo cult" mentality.

We can imagine, using known examples in this region, that such rules were minimal -- only those needed to foster the healthy workings of the confederacy. These were largely "thou shall not's" -- prohibitions and taboos deemed necessary to allow the clans to work together. Otherwise, the numerous subdivisions had significant autonomy to run their own administrations and the trade in their regions.

The "King of the Mountain" motif thus derives from the dog lineage which is itself derived from the high priestly clans of the fiery mountain of Eden, the entrance to the underground waters of life. The law is a ritual law that pervades the mundane world as trade was also a spiritual enterprise. Exchange is a means of expansion of the message.

Symbols are important and the holy volcano is represented by the spiral, the symbol of the dragon/serpent daughter of the Sun. The spiral is stylized into a series of concentric rings known as the Mt. Meru or Mt. Mandara motif in anthropological literature. Meru and Mandara are the mountains of the Gods in Indian religion.

Image Gallery

In latter times, the lore of the great "King of the East" continued in Hindu-Buddhist tradition. The Hindus knew the place of this tradition as a village (grama) called Sambhala. In Tibetan Buddhist belief it is called Shambhala, a mountain kingdom.

The location of Shambhala has been the object of much controversy. The Tsar of Russia at one time claimed to be the King of Shambhala. Imperial Japan also took on the mantle of Shambhala during its drive for expansion in Asia. For more on the location of this mysterious place, see the article below:

Great Shambhala

The mountain of Dilmun/Eden is a strong central focus for the traditional clan confederacy. It is a place of pilgrimmage associated with immortality. Gilgamesh ventured there in search of the waters of life. The messengers of Eden are also the guardians of the holy volcano -- part of the camp of Heaven.

Their opponents expelled from the mountain apparently set up their own camp initially somewhere to the east, probably to the southeast.

The land of the holy mountain is known as Sambali, and the kingdoms associated with it include Zabag, Sanfotsi, Mishima, Lusung and Rusun.


The eruption of Mt. Pinatubu from http://www.whoa.org/pinatubo/

Regards,
Paul Kekai Manansala
Sacramento