Panday Pira
Encyclopedia
Panday Pira was a Moro blacksmith
who is acknowledged as "The First Filipino Cannon-maker". His name literally translates as "Blacksmith Pira", panday being the Filipino
word for "blacksmith".
Panday Pira was a native of the southern islands of the Philippines
. He migrated to Manila
in 1508 and established a foundry
on the northern bank of the Pasig River
. Rajah Sulayman
commissioned Panday Pira to cast the cannon
that were mounted on the palisades surrounding his kingdom. In 1570, Spanish
forces under the command of Martin de Goiti
captured Manila and took these artillery pieces as war booty, presenting them to Miguel López de Legazpi
, the first Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines
.
Legazpi eventually established a permanent Spanish settlement in Manila on May 19, 1571 and on June 3 of the same year, Rajah Sulayman waged the Battle of Bankusay Channel to re-capture his kingdom from the Spaniards. Rajah Sulayman failed in this and perished in the battle. Panday Pira then fled to Pampanga
where he attempted to begin a new life in sitio
Capalangan in the town of Apalit, working as a blacksmith forging farm implements. He was, however, summoned by Legazpi back to Manila and put to work forging cannons for the Spaniards. He established his foundry in what is now Santa Ana
. Santiago de Vera
, the sixth Governor-General, commissioned him to cast cannon for the defenses of a fortress he built, the fortress of Nuestra Señora de Guia (Spanish
, "Our Lady of Guidance"), now called Intramuros. To the Spaniards, Panday Pira was known as Pandapira, and they exempted him from paying tribute and forced labor.
In 1576, Panday Pira died at the age of 88. His death was a great loss to the Spaniards who had to petition the King of Spain for a blacksmith to take his place. It was not until 1584, that a Spanish blacksmith from Mexico
arrived.
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
who is acknowledged as "The First Filipino Cannon-maker". His name literally translates as "Blacksmith Pira", panday being the Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
word for "blacksmith".
Panday Pira was a native of the southern islands of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. He migrated to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in 1508 and established a foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
on the northern bank of the Pasig River
Pasig River
The Pasig River is a river in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it is lined by Metro Manila on each side...
. Rajah Sulayman
Rajah Sulayman
Rajah Sulayman was the Muslim Rajah of Maynila, a kingdom at the mouth of the Pasig River where it meets Manila Bay, at the time the Spanish forces first came to Luzon....
commissioned Panday Pira to cast the cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
that were mounted on the palisades surrounding his kingdom. In 1570, Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
forces under the command of Martin de Goiti
Martin de Goiti
Martín de Goiti was a Spanish Basque conquistador and founder of the city of Manila in the Philippines. Martín de Goiti was one of the soldiers who accompanied the Spanish colonization of the East Indies and the Pacific, in 1565. He was the leader of the expedition to Manila, ordered by Miguel...
captured Manila and took these artillery pieces as war booty, presenting them to Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi , also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo , was a Spanish conquistador who established one of the first European settlements in the East Indies and the Pacific Islands in 1565. He is the first Governor-General in the Philippines...
, the first Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines
Governor-General of the Philippines
The Governor-General of the Philippines was the title of the government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, governed mainly by Spain and the United States, and briefly by Great Britain, from 1565 to 1935....
.
Legazpi eventually established a permanent Spanish settlement in Manila on May 19, 1571 and on June 3 of the same year, Rajah Sulayman waged the Battle of Bankusay Channel to re-capture his kingdom from the Spaniards. Rajah Sulayman failed in this and perished in the battle. Panday Pira then fled to Pampanga
Pampanga
Pampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Pampanga is bordered by the provinces of Bataan and Zambales to the west, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija to the north, and Bulacan to the southeast...
where he attempted to begin a new life in sitio
Sitio
A sitio in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay, the location of which may be distant from the center of the barangay itself....
Capalangan in the town of Apalit, working as a blacksmith forging farm implements. He was, however, summoned by Legazpi back to Manila and put to work forging cannons for the Spaniards. He established his foundry in what is now Santa Ana
Santa Ana, Manila
Santa Ana is a district of the City of Manila in the Philippines, located at the southeast banks of the Pasig River, bounded on the northeast by Mandaluyong City, Makati City to the east, southwest is the Manila district of Paco, and to the west, Pandacan....
. Santiago de Vera
Santiago de Vera
Santiago de Vera was the sixth Spanish governor of the Philippines, from May 16, 1584 until May 1590. The construction of the walled city of Intramuros, Manila, commenced during his term. Fuerte de Santiago in Intramuros was named after him....
, the sixth Governor-General, commissioned him to cast cannon for the defenses of a fortress he built, the fortress of Nuestra Señora de Guia (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, "Our Lady of Guidance"), now called Intramuros. To the Spaniards, Panday Pira was known as Pandapira, and they exempted him from paying tribute and forced labor.
In 1576, Panday Pira died at the age of 88. His death was a great loss to the Spaniards who had to petition the King of Spain for a blacksmith to take his place. It was not until 1584, that a Spanish blacksmith from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
arrived.