limahong and the spaniards didnt mix at all so spanish accounts of the demise of limahong should be taken with a grain of salt. Just like William Henry Scotts book detailing the spanish bias against igorots for our ancestors refusal to bow down and hand over their gold mines. Their are still stories by old folks of chinese-japanese looking men (warrior?) intermarrying with natives along the agno river during the spanish era. Also the dearth of chinese antique kitchen wares spread along the agno river communities are among several interesting suggestions of chinese-limahong influences which cannot be easily dismissed. Also that burial mound (chinese?) in Kabayan isnt exactly “kabayan burial style”. I was also told their was once a guy who was an expert in swords.
I myself have been ACCUSED (Scolded actually) of being chinese by chinese-pinoys, mistaken as a korean by koreans (to my constant embarassment!)and once politely asked if japanese by a japanese. hehehe. although i couldnt trace any foreign ancestors despite my tribes strong oral history. So that “limahong decendants” legend cannot be easily written off.

Northern tribes or inhabitants are more likeky to have come from Taiwan by way of southern China.

The brief Chinese stay of about seven months in Pangasinan was a blessing in disguise to the province for there was embedded in the lives of the natives some good Chinese characters such as thrift, industry, tenacity, and farsightedness…..

Many of the most thrifty and most intelligent citizens of Lingayen and other towns in this part of the province and along the Agno River are of Chinese ancestry.

It sounds a bit racist. Is the writer of this “historical account” suggesting that the natives of Pangasinan never possessed these traits until Limahong came along?

http://mozcom.com/~urduja/travel/limahong.htm

Hi Wil,
I heard of that too. It’s kind of controversial though especially among IP groups and there’s been a complicated debate about it since the 90s. Thanks.