Heritage Series: Ang Sepoy at Ang Maglalatik [Cainta, Rizal]

First, let’s define what a Sepoy is. A sepoy is an Indian soldier serving in the European army. In the case of the Philippines, the Sepoys figured during the brief British occupation of Manila from 1762 to 1764 (they were members of the British East India Company’s forces). 

Many of these soldiers decided to stay behind in the Philippines, particularly in Cainta, when the British forces withdrew from the country. For a long time, Cainta was historically known as an Indian town in the Philippines, and up to this day, many residents of Cainta still bear Indian family names (and look Indian for that matter), still practice their unique customs and traditions, and prepare their distinctive cuisine.

Now, you might be wondering about the relationship of the Sepoys to the maglalatik, something very local to our country. I mentioned above the distinctive cuisine of the Sepoys, and according to the Cainta website, it was these Indian soldiers who introduced to the natives of the town a pudding called bebinca. Quite similar to our bibingka, don’t you think? Then again, that might have actually been the root word of our local bibingka.

Anyway, these days, people closely associate bibingka with Cainta, along with suman and latik. These three delicacies: suman, bibingka, and latik, are what Cainta is known for. In fact, the town took inspiration from these local food items for its yearly SumBingTik Festival, which Cainta began celebrating in 2014, as part of the celebration to honor Cainta's first patron saint, Saint Andrew the Apostle, and the town's foundation and feast of Our Lady of Light, Cainta’s principal patron saint.

So you see, the Ang Sepoy at Ang Maglalatik statue is a reminder of the rich history of Cainta, Rizal. It reminds us of the fusion of different cultures, how this humble town welcomed foreign soldiers who were once deemed as part of the enemy, and in the coming years, learned to thrive in harmony together with the locals. So the next time you see the Ang Sepoy at ang Maglalatik, appreciate that there’s more to it than just a statue. Ang Sepoy at ang Maglalatik is part of the Cainta Heritage initiative.

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