Dinagyang Festival-iloilo

Ati-Atihan Festival
Cultural in Kalibo/aklan
Manggahan festival-Guimaras
Mascara festival-negros occidental
Halaran/capiztahan-capiz

Heroes
Jose Rizal[1]
Andres Bonifacio[1]
Emilio Aguinaldo[1]
Apolinario Mabini[1]
Marcelo H. del Pilar[1]
Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat[lapu lapu]
Juan Luna[1]
Melchora Aquino[1]
Gabriela Silang[1]
Priests
Gomes burgos Zamora <gomburza>

The Magellan Expedition

Ferdinand Magellan

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 the Philippines. 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 Lapu-Lapu 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 Lapu-Lapu. 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 elcAno’S 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.

Manuel Lopez de LegaspiThe 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 to the 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 España" (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.