Pulahan

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Pulahan

From Samar, Leyte, Waray

The Pulahan, or "those who wear red", were a religious movement in Samar and Leyte. At its height it had about 10,000 to 15,000 followers. The group was also called Dios-dios. It revived older beliefs and faced the Philippine Constabulary.

Folklore is retold; versions differ.

Sources: Wikipedia: Pulahan (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikidata (CC0)

The story

The Pulahan were a religious and political movement in the Visayas. The name means those who wear red. Followers used amulets called anting-anting, prayers and holy oil. They also revived older healer traditions of the babaylan. The movement was also called Dios-dios. Its size peaked at about 10,000 to 15,000 people around 1900. Leaders took on holy roles, and some sold charms, so many people disagree about how to judge them.

This is history, not legend. In Leyte, Faustino Ablen led a revolt from 1902 until his capture in 1907. In Samar, the leader Pablo Bulan took over religious leadership after General Vicente Lukban was captured in 1902. At the battle of Dolores River in December 1904, more than 1,000 followers overwhelmed a small Constabulary force. US forces and the Philippine Constabulary fought the movement for years. The last band was killed on 1 October 1911.

Sources say about 7,000 Pulahan died in Samar alone. Some American officials at the time argued that injustice and religious fervor drove the revolt. Earlier groups of the same type formed in Negros and Panay in the 1800s.