I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THESE.
WERE THEY IN WIDE USE OR FOUND MOSTLY ON ONE ISLAND OR GROUP OF PEOPLE.? IT IS UNLIKELY A POINTED STICK OF THAT SIZE AND WEIGHT COULD PIERCE SPANISH ARMOR UNLESS IT HIT A GAP IN THE ARMOR. A STEEL ONE MIGHT DO IT BUT I SUSPECT STEEL WAS RARE IN SPANISH TIMES SO WAS USED FOR SPEARS, KNIVES AND SWORDS. A WOODEN DART WOULD SERVE JUST AS WELL FOR HUNTING BIRDS AND BE EASILY OBTAINED AND WORKED.
I HAVE THROWN A STEEL DART SIMULAR TO THESE IN SHAPE AND IT MIGHT HAVE PIERCED THIN ARMOR AND COULD BE THROWN QUITE ACCURATELY. THE HUNTERS WERE PROBABLY MUCH MORE SKILLED AND ACCURATE THAN I AS THEY PRACTICED FROM THEIR YOUTH AND HUNGER IS ALWAYS A STRONG MOTIVATION TO BECOME A SKILLED HUNTER. HITTING A SMALL BIRD IN A BUSH WOULD BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN HITTING A MAN SO THEY PROBABLY LEARNED WHERE THE SOFT SPOTS WERE ON THE SPANISH VERY SOON SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EFFECTIVE WEAPON.
I CAN'T THINK OF A PHILIPPINE WEAPON BEGINING WITH A UNLESS IT WOULD BE AX OR ADZ.