Spanish Expeditions to the Philippines

The Magellan Expedition

Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese in the service of the Spanish crown, was looking for a
westward route to the to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. On March 16, 1521, Magellan's
expedition landed on Homonhon island in thePhilippines. He was the first European to
reach the islands. Rajah Humabon of Cebu was friendly with Magellan and embraced
Christianity, but their enemy, Lapu-Lapu was not. Humabon wanted Magellan to kill LapuLapu while Magellan wanted to convert Lapu-Lapu into Christianity. On April 17, 1521,
Magellan sailed to Mactan and ensuing battle killed Magellan by the natives lead by LapuLapu. Out of the five ships and more than 300 men who left on the Magellan expedition in
1519, only one ship (the Victoria) and 18 men returned to Seville, Spain on September 6,
1522. Nevertheless, the said expedition was considered historic because it marked the first
circumnavigation of the globe and proved that the world was
round.
Juan Sebastian de Elcano, the master of ship "Concepcion" took
over the command of the expedition after the death of Magellan
and captained the ship "Victoria" back to Spain. He and his men
earned the distinction of being the first to circumnavigate the
world in one full journey. After Magellan's death in Cebu, it took
16 more months for Elcano to return to Spain. The Magellan
expedition started off through the westward route and returning
to Spain by going east; Magellan and Elcano's entire voyage took
almost three years to complete.
Spain sends other expedition
After the Spain had celebrated Elcanos return, King Charles I decided that Spain should
conquer the Philippines. Five subsequent expeditions were then sent to the Islands. These
were led by Garcia Jofre Loaisa (1525), Sebastian Cabot (1526), Alvaro de Saavedra
(1527), Rudy Lopez de Villalobos (1542) and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi (1564). Only the last
two actually reached the Philippines; and only Legazpi succeeded in colonizing the Islands.
The Villalobos Expedition
Ruy Lopez de Villalobos set sail for the Philippines from Navidad, Mexico on November 1,
1542. He followed the route taken by Magellan and reached Mindanao on February 2, 1543.
He established a colony in Sarangani but could not stay long because of insufficient food
supply. His fleet left the island and landed on Tidore in the Moluccas, where they were
captured by the Portuguese.

Villalobos is remembered for naming our country Islas Filipinas, in honor of King Charles
son, Prince Philip, who later became king of Spain.
The Legazpi Expedition
Since none of the expedition after Magellan from Loaisa to
Villalobos had succeeded in taking over the Philippines, King
Charles I stopped sending colonizers tothe Islands. However, when
Philip II succeeded his father to the throne in 1556, he instructed
Luis de Velasco, the viceroy of Mexico, to prepare a new expedition
to be headed by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who would be
accompanied by Andres de Urdaneta, a priest who had survived
the Loaisa mission.
On February 13, 1565, Legaspi's expedition landed in Cebu island. After a short struggle
with the natives, he proceeded to Leyte, then to Camiguin and to Bohol. There Legaspi
made a blood compact with the chieftain, Datu Sikatuna as a sign of friendship. Legaspi was
able to obtain spices and gold in Bohol due to his friendship with Sikatuna. On April 27,
1565, Legaspi returned to Cebu; destroyed the town of Raja Tupas and establish a
settlement. On orders of the King Philip II, 2,100 men arrived from Mexico. They built the
the port of Fuerza de San Pedro which became the Spanish trading outpost and stronghold
for the region.
Hearing of the riches of Manila, an expedition of 300 men headed by Martin de Goiti left
Cebu for Manila. They found the islands of Panay and Mindoro. Goiti arrived in Manila on
May 8, 1570. At first they were welcomed by the natives and formed an alliance with Rajah
Suliman, their Muslim king but as the locals sensed the true objectives of the Spaniards, a
battle between the troops of Suliman and the Spaniards erupted. Because the Spaniards are
more heavily armed, the Spaniards were able to conquer Manila. Soon after Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi arrived to join Goiti in Manila. Legaspi built alliances and made peace with Rajahs
Suliman, Lakandula and Matanda. In 1571, Legaspi ordered the construction of the walled
city of Intramuros and proclaimed it as the seat of government of the colony and the capital
of the islands. In 1572, Legaspi died and was buried at the San Agustin Church
in Intramuros. In 1574, Manila was bestowed the title "Insigne y Siempre Leal Ciudad de
Espaa" (Distinguished and ever loyal city of Spain) by King Philip II of Spain.
Why the Philippines was easily conquered
Through largely outnumbered, the Spaniards who came to colonize the Philippines easily
took control of our country. How did this happen?

The best possible explanation is that the natives lacked unity and a centralized form of
government. Although the barangays already functioned as units of governance, each one
existed independently of the other, and the powers that each Datu enjoyed were confined

only to his own barangay. No higher institution united the barangays, and the Spaniards
took advantage of this situation. They used the barangays that were friendly to them in
order to subdue the barangays that were not. Continue to Spain as Colonial Masters.

The Spaniards as Colonial Masters

Spain reigned over the Philippines for 333 years, from 1565 to 1898. since Spain was
far from the country, the Spanish king ruled the Islands through the viceroy of Mexico,
which was then another Spanish colony. When Mexico regained its freedom in 1821, the
Spanish king ruled the Philippines through a governor general. A special government body
that oversaw matters, pertaining to the colonies assisted the king in this respect. This body
became known by many names. Council of the Indies (1565-1837), Overseas Council
(1837-1863), and Ministry of the Colonies (18631898). It is implemented the decrees and
legal codes Spain promulgated although many of its provisions could not apply to condition
in the colonies. It also exercised legislative and judicial powers.
The Political Structure
Spain established a centralized colonial government in the Philippines that was composed of
a national government and the local governments that administeredprovinces, cities, towns
and municipalities. With the cooperation of the local governments the national
government maintained peace and order, collected taxes and built schools and other public
works.
The Governor General
As the King's representative and the highest-ranking official in the Philippines, the governor
general saw to it that royal decrees and laws emanating from Spain were implemented in
the Philippines. He had the power to appoint and dismiss public officials, except those
personally chosen by the King. He also supervised all government offices and the collection
of taxes.
The governor general exercised certain legislative powers, as well. He issued proclamations
to facilitate the implementation of laws.
The Residencia
This was a special judicial court that investigates the performance of a
governor general who was about to be replaced. The residencia, of which the incoming
governor general was usually a member, submitted a report of its findings to the King.
The Visita
The Council of the Indies in Spain sent a government official called the Vistador General to
observe conditions in the colony. The Visitador General reported his findings directly to the
King.

The Royal Audiencia

Apart from its judicial functions, the Royal Audiencia served as an advisory body to the
Governor General and had the power to check and a report on his abuses. The Audiencia
also audited the expenditures of the colonial government and sent a yearly report to Spain.
The Archbishop and other government officials could also report the abuses of the colonial
government to be Spanish king. Despite all these checks, however, an abusive
governor general often managed to escape stiff fines, suspension, or dismissal by simply
bribing the Visitador and other investigators.
The Provincial Government
The Spaniards created local government units to facilitate the countrys administration.
There were two types of local government units the alcadia and the corregimiento. The
alcadia, led by the alcalde mayor, governed the provinces that had been fully subjugated:
the corregimiento, headed by corregidor, governed the provinces that were not yet entirely
under Spanish control. The alcalde mayors represented the Spanish king and the
governor general in their respective provinces. They managed the day-to-day operations of
the provincial government, implemented laws and supervised the collection of taxes.
Through they were paid a small salary, they enjoyed privileges such as the indulto de
comercio, or the right to participate in the galleon trade.
The Municipal Government
Each province was divided into several towns or pueblos headed by Gobernadordcillos,
whose main concerns were efficient governance and tax collection. Four lieutenants aided
the Governardorcillo: the Teniente Mayor (chief lieutenant), the Teniente de Policia (police
lieutenant), the Teniente de Sementeras (lieutenant of the fields) and the Teniente de
Ganados (lieutenant of the livestock).
The Encomienda System
Spain owed the colonization of the Philippines to Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who valiantly and
loyally served the Spanish crown. To hasten the subjugation of the country, King Philip
IIinstructed Legazpi to divide the Philippines into large territories called encomiendas, to be
left to the management of designated encomenderos.

To show his gratitude to his conquistadors, the King made them the
first encomenderos in the colony. As the Kings representatives in
their respective encomiendas, the encomenderos had the right to
collect taxes. However, the encomiendas were not there to own. The
encomenderos were only territorial overseers who had the duty to: 1)
protect the people in the encomienda; (2) maintain peace and order;
(3) promote education and health programs; and (4) help the
missionaries propagate Christianity. Continue to The Galleon Trade.

The Galleon Trade

When the Spaniards came to the Philippines, our ancestors were already trading with China,
Japan, Siam, India, Cambodia, Borneo and the Moluccas. The Spanish government
continued trade relations with these countries, and the Manila became the center of
commerce in the East. The Spaniards closed the ports of Manila to all countries except
Mexico. Thus, the ManilaAcapulco Trade, better known as the "Galleon Trade" was born.
The Galleon Tradewas a government monopoly. Only two galleons were used: One sailed
from Acapulco to Manila with some 500,000 pesos worth of goods, spending 120 days at
sea; the other sailed from Manila to Acapulco with some 250,000 pesos worth of goods
spending 90 days at sea.
It also allowed modern, liberal ideas to enter the country, eventually
inspiring the movement for independence fromSpain. And because
the Spaniards were so engrossed in making profits from the Galleon
Trade, they hardly had any time to further exploit our natural
resources.
Bascos Reforms
Filipino farmers and traders finally had a taste of prosperity when
Governor General Jose Basco y Vargas instituted reforms intended to
free the economy from its dependence on Chinese and Mexican
trade. Basco implemented a general economic plan aimed at
making the Philippines self sufficient. He established the Economic
Society of Friends of the Country, which gave incentives to farmers for planting cotton,
spices, and sugarcane; encouraged miners to extract gold, silver, tin, and copper; and
rewarded investors for scientific discoveries they made.
Tobacco Monopoly
The tobacco industry was placed under government control during the administration of
Governor General Basco. In 1781, a tobacco monopoly was implemented in the Cagayan
Valley, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Isabela, Abra, Nueva Ecija, and Marinduque. Each
of these provinces planted nothing but tobacco and sold their harvest only to the
government at a pre-designated price, leaving little for the farmers. No other province was
allowed to plant tobacco. The government exported the tobacco to other countries and also
part of it to thecigarette factories in Manila.
The tobacco monopoly successfully raised revenues for the colonial government and made
Philippine tobacco famous all over Asia. Continue to Secularization of Priests During the
Spanish Period.

The Spanish-American War

The US Helps Cuba
One year before the historic Cry of Pugad Lawin, a revolution broke out in Cuba -another
Spanish Colony that rose against the rampant abuses of the Spaniards. It
became independentin 1898 after three years of revolt, with the help of United States. The
Americans were supportive of the Cubans for various reasons:

 First- the US is a free country and Advocated democracy and freedom.

2nd- the US wants to protect its huge economic interest in Cuba, in the amount of
$50,000,000.
3rd- a lot of stories reached the United States about Spanish maltreatment of
Americans living in Cuba and this greatly angered the US citizens.
Finally, since Cuba was located very near the US it was deemed covered by the protective
mantle of the Monroe Doctrine.
The US interest in the Philippines
At that time, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, wanted a war to erupt
between the US and Spain so he could strengthen and expand the US Navy, he immediately
put his plan into place. On February 25, 1896, he ordered Commodore George Dewey to
make Hong Kong the headquarters of the AmericanAsiatic Squadron. He also directed
Dewey to attack Manila Bay and destroy the Spanish fleet, the moment hostilities between
Spain and US break out.
The Spanish-American War
Spain did not relish American intervention in its affairs. However, with
the Philippine and Cuban revolutions going on, it could not afford to add
the Americans to its enemy list, especially since the United States had
more advanced technology and weaponry. In the face of Spains
declining power, it tried to repair its rift with the US in order to avoid a
disastrous war. On February 15, 1898, how ever a fateful event accrued
in Cuba. The American warship Maine was blown up in Havana harbor,
resulting in the death of its 260 officers and crewmembers. Although it
was not proven that the Spaniards had sunk the Maine, the Americans
called for war against Spain. Roosevelt was one of many US officials who
considered the destruction of the Maine as act of treason and supported the declaration of
war.
Spain declared war on the United States on April 23, 1898. The United Sates declared war
against Spain on April 25, 1898. On May 1, 1898, the United States Navy lead by
Commodore George Dewey crushed the Spanish squadron in Manila Bay and the Spanish
naval base at Sangley Point in Cavite. By June, 1898, the American had control of portions
of the Philippine islands. The Spanish-American War ended with the Treaty of Paris signed
on December 10, 1898. The treaty conferred ownership of the Spanish colonies of Guam,
Puerto Rico and thePhilippines to the United States. In turn, the U.S. paid Spain US$ 20
million. Continue to Battle of Manila Bay.

The Spanish-American War

The US Helps Cuba
One year before the historic Cry of Pugad Lawin, a revolution broke out in Cuba -another
Spanish Colony that rose against the rampant abuses of the Spaniards. It

became independentin 1898 after three years of revolt, with the help of United States. The
Americans were supportive of the Cubans for various reasons:

First- the US is a free country and Advocated democracy and freedom.

2nd- the US wants to protect its huge economic interest in Cuba, in the amount of
$50,000,000.
3rd- a lot of stories reached the United States about Spanish maltreatment of
Americans living in Cuba and this greatly angered the US citizens.
Finally, since Cuba was located very near the US it was deemed covered by the protective
mantle of the Monroe Doctrine.
The US interest in the Philippines
At that time, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, wanted a war to erupt
between the US and Spain so he could strengthen and expand the US Navy, he immediately
put his plan into place. On February 25, 1896, he ordered Commodore George Dewey to
make Hong Kong the headquarters of the AmericanAsiatic Squadron. He also directed
Dewey to attack Manila Bay and destroy the Spanish fleet, the moment hostilities between
Spain and US break out.
The Spanish-American War
Spain did not relish American intervention in its affairs. However, with
the Philippine and Cuban revolutions going on, it could not afford to add
the Americans to its enemy list, especially since the United States had
more advanced technology and weaponry. In the face of Spains
declining power, it tried to repair its rift with the US in order to avoid a
disastrous war. On February 15, 1898, how ever a fateful event accrued
in Cuba. The American warship Maine was blown up in Havana harbor,
resulting in the death of its 260 officers and crewmembers. Although it
was not proven that the Spaniards had sunk the Maine, the Americans
called for war against Spain. Roosevelt was one of many US officials who
considered the destruction of the Maine as act of treason and supported the declaration of
war.
Spain declared war on the United States on April 23, 1898. The United Sates declared war
against Spain on April 25, 1898. On May 1, 1898, the United States Navy lead by
Commodore George Dewey crushed the Spanish squadron in Manila Bay and the Spanish
naval base at Sangley Point in Cavite. By June, 1898, the American had control of portions
of the Philippine islands. The Spanish-American War ended with the Treaty of Paris signed
on December 10, 1898. The treaty conferred ownership of the Spanish colonies of Guam,
Puerto Rico and thePhilippines to the United States. In turn, the U.S. paid Spain US$ 20
million. Continue to Battle of Manila Bay.

Important Events in Philippine History

Friday 8 October 2004, by catseye

The Spanish Regime

March 17, 1521. Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese navigator accidentally landed in the
island of Samar.
March 31, 1521. The first Catholic mass was held in Limasawa, an island in the south of
Leyte.
April 27, 1521. Magellan died in the hands of a chieftain, Lapu-lapu, from his strong will to
invade the island of Mactan.
February 13 1565. Another group of explorers headed by General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi,
arrived in Cebu and insisted their claim for the island.
June 3, 1571. After defeating Raja Sulayman in a battle in Bangkusay, Martin de Goiti
claimed autonomy of Manila.
June 24, 1571. Legazpi established Manila as the capital city with himself as GovernorGeneral.
April 14, 1617. The Spanish fleet headed by Juan Ronquillo prevented the British attempt
to invade Manila in the battle of Playa-Homda.
October 3, 1646. For the second time, the Spanish fleet defeated the British warship in
Manila Bay. This event is commemorated in a yearly feast called " La Naval de Manila".
October 5, 1762. The British fleet defeated the Spanish warship allowing the British rule
the country for two years.
March 17, 1764. The British surrendered the country to Spain after losing a battle during
the seven-year war between them.
October 31, 1829. Francisco Dagohoy, a cabeza de barangay of Bohol and the leader of
the longest uprising (8 years), surrendered to the Spaniards.
September 6, 1834. Manila was opened to international trade leading to a remarkable
transformation of its economy.

February 15, 1889. The establishment of La Solidaridad, the newspaper founded by

Graciano Lopez Jaena to voice out the Filipinos cry for reforms.
September 18, 1891. Jose Rizal finished his novel El Filibusterismo following the first, Noli
Me Tangere. Both portrayed the struggling life of the Filipinos under the Spanish rule.
July 3, 1892. Jose Rizal established La Liga Filipina, a civic movement aimed at reuniting
Filipinos to act together for reforms and autonomy from the unjust administration of the
Spaniards.
July 7, 1892. Jose Rizal was captured and exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao. There he served as
a doctor, a scientist and a teacher to the locals.
July 7, 1892. At the same day of Rizals capture, Andres Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata and
Valentin Diaz established the "Katipunan", a revolutionary movement aimed to fight for
freedom against Spain.
August 19, 1896. The Spaniards learned the Katipunan movement that resulted to a
massive capture of many Filipinos.
August 23, 1896. Bonifacio and his fellow Katipuneros tore their cedulas or residence
certificates while shouting "Long live the Philippines", during their preparation for battle.
This was marked as the historic Cry of Balintawak.
August 25, 1896. The Katipuneros headed by Bonifacio had their first encounter with the
Spanish civil guards and infantrymen. Due to strong forces and large presence of the Filipino
troops, both camps of the Spaniards retreated. But in the end, Filipinos lost the battle when
the latter came back with large number of fighters and stronger ammunition.
Setember 12, 1896. A group of revolutionaries from Cavite were executed. They are now
known as teh "Trece Martires de Cavite" or the thirteen martyrs of Cavite.
December 30, 1896. Jose Rizal was executed by firing squad in Bagumbayan (now called
Rizal Park) after being held captive at fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila.

March 22, 1897. The Katipuneros elected a new set of officers to replace the Katipunan.
This was held in Tejeros, San Francisco de Malabon and was called the Tejeros Convention.
Bonifacio diisolved the convention after Daniel Tirona, an associate of Emilio Aguinaldo,
questioned his professional credibility as the director of the interior without a Lawyers
diploma. Aguinaldos group won and considered Bonifacio and his men enemies of the
revolution.
May 10, 1897. Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procopio were excuted in Mt. Tala, Cavite
after an unjust trial headed by General. Mariano Noriel, an associate of Emilio Aguinaldo.
April 23, 1897. A new Spanish Governor named Fernando Primo de Rivera arrived in Manila
for the purpose of minimizing the thriving rebellion of the Filipinos. He issued a decree to
grant pardon to those who would surrender to the Spanish government.
December 15, 1897. Primo de Rivera and Pedro Paterno signed the Truce of Biak-na-Bato
allowing a temporary ceasefire between the Spanish and the Filipinos.
December 27, 1897. Aguinaldo and his associates voluntarily moved to Hongkong for the
amount of P800,000.
January 20, 1898. Periodic battles between the Filipinos and the Spaniards erupted due to
mutual suspicion. General Francisco Makabulos of Tarlac established a provisional
goverment. The arrest and imprisonment of suspected rebels continued and despite the
Truce, the revolution persisted.
American Occupation
February 14, 1898. The Spaniards bombed the American fleet "Maine" in Havana, Cuba
killing 246 people.
April 25, 1898. The United States declared war against Spain ordering Commodore George
Dewy to attack the spanish fleet in the Philippines.
May 1, 1898. Manila Bay turned into a massive battle field between United States and
Spain. The Americans defeated the Spanish fleet led by Admiral Patricio Montojo.

June 12, 1898. General Emilio Aguinaldo, who had returned from Hongkong, proclaimed
Philippine independence at his mansion in Kawit, Cavite.
August 13, 1898. A mock battle between the Spanish and the Americans occured
forbidding the participation of Filipino soldiers. Later, Manila was surrendered by Spain to the
United States.
December 10, 1898. Without the knowledge of the Filipinos, Spain surrendered the
Philippines (along with Puerto Rico and Guam) to the United States in exchange of $20
million under the Treaty of Paris.
January 23, 1899. General Emilio Aguinaldo was sworn into office as the president of the
Philippine Republic and at the same time promulgated The Malolos Constitution.
June 5, 1899. General Antonio Luna was killed by soldiers from the Kawit Company in
Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.
December 2, 1900. The young general, Gregorio del Pilar died while fighting against the
Americans in the Battle of Pasong Tirad (Tirad Pass).
March 23, 1901. Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by the Americans headed by Col. Frederick
Funston with the help of some Filipinos in Palanan, Isabela.
October 16, 1907. The first Philippine Assembly was inaugurated at Manila Grand Opera
House. Sergio Osmena was elected as speaker and Manuel L. quezon as Majority Floor
Leader.
Occtober 13, 1913. The Underwood-Simons Law took effect, allowing an open trade
between the United States and the Philippines.
August 29,1916. The Jones Law was signed allowing the existence of the Philippine
Legislature and promising the Philippine independence from the United States.
August 26, 1930. Crisanto Evangelista established the Communist Party of the Philippines
or CPP as a peasants rebel movement and was later joined by farmers and even
professionals.

December 7, 1933. Frank Murphy, the last American Governor, granted Philippine women
the right to vote.
March 24, 1934. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Tydings McDuffie Act as to allow
the drafting of the Philippine Constitution and to establish the Philippine Commonwealth, an
agreement to liberate the Philippines in ten years.
March 23, 1935. Pres. Roosevelt approved the plebiscite on the constitution for the new
Republic. Claro M. Recto presided the Philippine Constitution, which was mainly patterned
after the American Constitution, over the Constitutional Convention.
September 18, 1935. Manuel L. Quezon was elected President of the Commonwealth and
Sergio Osmena as the Vice President.
World War II and the Japanese Occupation
December 7, 1941. The Japanese bombed the Pearl Harbor, a US military base in Hawaii.
The Philippines wa attacked ten hours after the bombing.
December 25 1941. General Douglas MacArthur declared Manila as an "open city" but the
Japanese ignored and still continued its attack.
March 29, 1942. Luis Taruc established the anti-Japanese guerilla movement HUKBALAHAP
( Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon).
April 9, 1942. On this day, the "Fall of Bataan" and the infamous "Death March" took place.
Around 76,000 starving Americans and Filipino soldiers surrendered to the Japanese in
Bataan. The Japanese led their captives on a cruel hike from Mariveles, Bataan to Camp
Odonnell in Capas, Tarlac. Around 7,000 to 10,000 men perished from starvation during the
ten-day march while some were luckily pulled out secretly by watching civilians.
May 6, 1942. Corregidor, the last U.S. Defense Base of Filipino-American troops under
Jonathan Wainwright, fell under Commander Homma of the Japanese Imperial Forces.
October 24, 1944. This day the prominent battle of Leyte Gulf took place, where the island
of Leyte was filled massively with an amphibious force of 700 vessels and 174,000 army and

navy servicemen. By December 1944, the islands of Leyte and Mindoro had been cleared of
the Japanese.
September 2, 1945. Right after the war in the Pacific, Japan surrendered to the Americans.
The Philippines later was granted its independence but with over a million Filipino casualties.
More than 60,000 Americans died and 300,000 Japanese lost their lives.
The Philippine Republic
April 30, 1946. The Tydings Rehabilitation Act was signed, giving the Americans equal
freedom and previlige to use the natural resources of the Philippines.
July 4, 1946. Manuel Roxas became the first President of the Philippine Republic.
March 14, 1947. The Treaty of General Relations was signed, allowing the US Military Bases
to be installed in the Philippines for 99 years.
April 17, 1948. Elpidio Quirino suceeded Manuel Roxas as the president when the latter
died of heart attack. Alarmed by the growing armed members of Hukbalahap Movement,
Quirino tried to negotiate with its leader Luis Taruc.
November 10, 1953. Ramon Magsaysay was elected the new President and Carlos P.
Garcia as Vice President. Known to be the leader of the poor, Magsaysay, initiated many
local infrastracture projects and established special courts to resolve disputes between
landlords and tenants.
May 17, 1954. Hukbalahap leader Luis Taruc surrendered to the government, signalling the
decline of the movements threat.
March 17, 1957. President Ramon Magsaysay died in an airplane crash in Manunggal,
Cebu.
November 11, 1961. Diosdado Macapagal won the presidential election and replaced
President Carlos P. Garcia.

May 12, 1962. Soon after taking office, President Macapagal proclaimed June 12 as a
national holiday in commemoration of Philipine Independence instead of July 4. General
Emilio Aguinaldo, who first proclaimed Philippine independence in 1898, was the Guest of
Honor at the first celebration of of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1962.
August 8, 1963. President Macapagal signed the Agricultural Land Reform Code.
November 9, 1965. Ferdinand Marcos was elected the 6th president of the Philippine
Republic. He made extravagant spendings on public works, building roads, bridges, health
centers, hospitals, schools and putting up urban beautification projects.
August 8, 1967. The Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) was organized after a
meeting in Manila.
December 26, 1968. Jose Maria Sison reestablished the Communist Party of the Philippines
(CPP) as a Stalinist-Maoist Political Party.
November 11, 1969. Marcos was re-elected as president.
June 1, 1971. a bomb exploded at Plaza Miranda during a political rally of the Liberal Party.
There were around 100 casualties and 10 deaths. Starting that time, the popularity of
Benigno Aquino and his Liberal Party grew rapidly. Marcos blamed the communists for
suspicious bombing.
September 21, 1972. Marcos declared martial law under the proclamation No. 1801. Many
opposition leaders including Benigno Aquino, journalists and activists were detained in Fort
Bonifacio under martial law.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE

PHILIPPINES
The Early Philippines

The Philippines is named after King Philip II of Spain (1556-1598) and it was a
Spanish colony for over 300 years.
Today the Philippines is an archipelago of 7,000 islands. However it is
believed that during the last ice age they were joined to mainland Asia by a
land bridge, enabling human beings to walk from there.
The first people in the Philippines were hunter-gatherers. However between
3,000 BC and 2,000 BC people learned to farm. They grew rice and
domesticated animals. From the 10th AD century Filipinos traded with China
and by the 12th Century AD Arab merchants reached the Philippines and they
introduced Islam.
Then in 1521 Ferdinand Magellan sailed across the Pacific. He landed in the
Philippines and claimed them for Spain. Magellan baptized a chief called
Humabon and hoped to make him a puppet ruler on behalf of the Spanish
crown. Magellan demanded that other chiefs submit to Humabon but one chief
named Lapu Lapu refused. Magellan led a force to crush him. However the
Spanish soldiers were scattered and Magellan was killed.
The Spaniards did not gain a foothold in the Philippines until 1565 when
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi led an expedition, which built a fort in Cebu. Later, in
1571 the Spaniards landed in Luzon. Here they built the city of Intramuros
(later called Manila), which became the capital of the Philippines. Spanish
conquistadors marched inland and conquered Luzon. They created a feudal
system. Spaniards owned vast estates worked by Filipinos.
Along with conquistadors went friars who converted the Filipinos to
Catholicism. The friars also built schools and universities.
The Spanish colony in the Philippines brought prosperity - for the upper class
anyway! Each year the Chinese exported goods such as silk, porcelain and
lacquer to the Philippines. From there they were re-exported to Mexico.
The years passed uneventfully in the Philippines until in 1762 the British
captured Manila. They held it for two years but they handed it back in 1764
under the terms of the Treaty of Paris, signed in 1763.

The Philippines in the 19th Century

In 1872 there was a rebellion in Cavite but it was quickly crushed. However
nationalist feeling continued to grow helped by a writer named Jose Rizal
(1861-1896). He wrote two novels Noli Me Tangere (Touch me Not) and El
Filibusterismo (The Filibusterer) which stoked the fires of nationalism.
In 1892 Jose Rizal founded a movement called Liga Filipina, which called for
reform rather than revolution. As a result Rizal was arrested and exiled to
Dapitan on Mindanao.
Meanwhile Andres Bonifacio formed a more extreme organisation called the
Katipunan. In August 1896 they began a revolution. Jose Rizal was accused
of supporting the revolution, although he did not and he was executed on 30
December 1896. Yet his execution merely inflamed Filipino opinion and the
revolution grew.
Then in 1898 came war between the USA and Spain. On 30 April 1898 the
Americans defeated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. Meanwhile Filipino
revolutionaries had surrounded Manila. Their leader, Emilio Aguinaldo
declared the Philippines independent on 12 June. However as part of the
peace treaty Spain ceded the Philippines to the USA. The Americans planned
to take over.
War between American forces in Manila and the Filipinos began on 4
February 1899. The Filipino-American War lasted until 1902 when Aguinaldo
was captured.
The Philippines in the 20th Century
American rule in the Philippines was paternalistic. They called their policy
'Benevolent Assimilation'. They wanted to 'Americanize' the Filipinos but they
never quite succeeded. However they did do some good. Many American
teachers were sent to the Philippines in a ship called the Thomas and they did
increase literacy.

In 1935 the Philippines were made a commonwealth and were semiindependent. Manuel Quezon became president. The USA promised that the
Philippines would become completely independent in 1945.
However in December 1941 Japan attacked the US fleet at Pearl Harbor. On
10 December 1941 Japanese troops invaded the Philippines. They captured
Manila on 2 January 1941. By 6 May 1942 all of the Philippines were in
Japanese hands.
However American troops returned to the Philippines in October 1944. They
recaptured Manila in February 1945.
The Philippines became independent on 4 July 1946. Manuel Roxas was the
first president of the newly independent nation.
Ferdinand Marcos (1917-1989) was elected president in 1965. He was reelected in 1969. However the Philippines was dogged by poverty and
inequality. In the 1960s a land reform program began. However many
peasants were frustrated by its slow progress and a Communist insurgency
began in the countryside.
On 21 September 1972 Marcos declared martial law. He imposed a curfew,
suspended Congress and arrested opposition leaders.
The Marcos dictatorship was exceedingly corrupt and Marcos and his cronies
enriched themselves.
Then, in 1980 opposition leader Benigno Aquino went into exile in the USA.
When he returned on 21 August 1983 he was shot. Aquino became a martyr
and Filipinos were enraged by his murder.
In February 1986 Marcos called an election. The opposition united behind
Cory Aquino the widow of Benigno. Marcos claimed victory (a clear case of
electoral fraud). Cory Aquino also claimed victory and ordinary people took to
the streets to show their support for her. Marcos's cronies deserted him and
he bowed to the inevitable and went into exile.

Things did not go smoothly for Corazan Aquino. (She survived 7 coup
attempts). Furthermore the American bases in the Philippines (Subic Bay
Naval Base and Clark Air Base) were unpopular with many Filipinos who felt
they should go. In 1992 Mount Pinatubo erupted and covered Clark in
volcanic ash forcing the Americans to leave. They left Subic Bay in 1993.
In 1992 Fidel Ramos became president. He improved the infrastructure in the
Philippines including the electricity supply. Industry was privatized and the
economy began to grow more rapidly.
However at the end of the 1990s the Philippine economy entered a crisis.
Meanwhile in 1998 Joseph Estrada, known as Erap became president.
Estrada was accused of corruption and he was impeached in November 2000.
Estrada was not convicted. Nevertheless people demonstrated against him
and the military withdrew its support. Estrada was forced to leave office and
Vice-president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo replaced him. She was re-elected in
2004.
The Philippines in the 21st Century
Today poverty in the Philippines is still common. However in the first years of
the 21st century the Philippine economy grew at about 5% a year. The
Philippines suffered with the recession of 2009. However the Philippines
recovered and today there is reason to be optimistic for the future.
In 2012 Philippine legislators voted for an important reform. They voted for
government funding of contraceptives and sex education in schools despite
bitter opposition from the Catholic Church.
Today the population of the Philippines is 103 million