SYNOPSIS OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Pre-Spanish Times
There are two theories on the origins of the first Filipinos, the inhabitants of what will later be
called the Philippine Islands and eventually the Republic of the Philippines. See the Early
Inhabitants of the Philippine Islands.

In the beginning of the 3rd century, the inhabitants of Luzon island were in contact and
trading with East Asian sea-farers and merchants including the Chinese. In the 1400's the
Japanese also established a trading post at Aparri in Northern Luzon.

In 1380, Muslim Arabs arrived at the Sulu Archipelago and established settlements which
became mini-states ruled by a Datu. They introduced Islam in the southern parts of the
archipelago including some parts of Luzon and were under the control of the Muslim sultans
of Borneo. They had a significant influence over the region for a couple of hundreds years.
The Malay Muslims remained dominant in these parts until the 16th century.

Philippine History During the Spanish Colonial Times

In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer who was serving the Spanish crown,
landed in Samar Island on his voyage to circumvent the globe. He explored the islands and
named it Archipelago of San Lazaro. Magellan was killed during a rebellion led by a Datu
named Lapu Lapu in Mactan Island (adjacent to Cebu Island). Spain continued to send
expeditions to the island for financial gain and on the fourth expedition, Commander Ruy
Lopez de Villalobos, named the islands: Philippines, after Prince Philip (later King Philip II),
heir to the Spanish throne. Spain ruled the Philippines for 356 years.

In 1565, King Philip II appointed Miguel Lopez de Legazpi as the first Governor-General of
the Philippines. Legazpi chose Manila to be it's capital because of it's natural harbor. Spain's
legacy was the conversion of the people to Catholicism and the creation of the privileged
landed class. Because of abuses and suppression of the Spaniards, a Propaganda Movement
emerged with the aims for equality between Filipinos and Spaniards. The arrest of
propagandist Dr. Jose Rizal and execution in 1896 gave fresh momentum to Filipino rebels to
fight against Spain.

The secret society of the Katipunan, founded by Andres Bonifacio attacked the Spanish
Garrison in San Juan with little success, while Katipuneros in Cavite Province headed by
Emilio Aguinaldo defeated the Guardia Civil in Cavite. Aguinaldo's victories lead him to be
elected as head of the Katipunan. The factions of Bonifacio & Aguinaldo fought and lead to
the trial and execution of Bonifacio on Aguinaldo's orders. Aguinaldo later drafted a
constitution and established the Republic of Biak-na-Bato in Bulacan province. In 1897, an
impasse between the Spanish government and Aguinaldo arose. After negotiations between
the two sides, Aguinaldo accepted an amnesty from the Spaniards and US$ 800,000.00 in
exchange for his exile to Hong Kong with his government.

Philippine History During the American Era

The Spanish-American war which started in Cuba, changed the history of the Philippines. On
May 1, 1898, the Americans led by U.S. Navy Admiral George Dewey, in participation of
Emilio Aguinaldo, attacked the Spanish Navy in Manila Bay. Faced with defeat, the
Philippines was ceded to the United States by Spain in 1898 after a payment of US$ 20
million to Spain in accordance with the "Treaty of Paris" ending the Spanish-American War.
On June 12, 1898, Filipinos led by Emilio Aguinaldo declared independence. This declaration
was opposed by the U.S. who had plans of taking over the colony. And this led to a guerrilla
war against the Americans. In 1901, Aguinaldo was captured and declared allegiance to the
United States. On the same year, William Howard Taft was appointed as the first U.S.
governor of the Philippines. The U.S. passed the Jones Law in 1916 establishing an elected
Filipino legislature with a House of representatives & Senate. In 1934, the Tydings-McDuffie
Act was passed by the U.S. Congress, established the Commonwealth of the Philippines and
promised Philippine independence by 1946. The law also provided for the position of
President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. On the May 14, 1935 elections, Manuel L.
Quezon won the position of President of the Philippine Commonwealth.

In accordance with the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934, The Philippines was given
independence on July 4, 1946 and the Republic of the Philippines was born.

Philippine History During the Japanese Occupation

On December 8, 1941, the Japanese invades the Philippines hours after bombing Pear Harbor
in Hawaii. While the forces of Gen. Douglas MacArthur retreated to Bataan, the
Commonwealth government of President Quezon moved to Corregidor Island. Manila was
declared an open city to prevent further destruction. After the fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942
and Corregidor, In March 1942, MacArthur & Quezon fled the country and by invitation of
President Roosevelt, the Commonwealth government went into exile to Washington D.C.
American and Filipino forces surrendered in May 6, 1942. Soon a guerrilla war against the
Japanese was fought by the Philippine & American Armies while Filipinos were enduring the
cruelty of the Japanese military against civilians.

Prior to Quezon's exile, he advised Dr. Jose P. Laurel to head and cooperate with the Japanese
civilian government in the hope that the collaboration will lead to a less brutality of the
Japanese towards the Filipinos. Rightly or wrongly, President Laurel and his war time
government was largely detested by the Filipinos.

In October 1944, Gen. MacArthur with President Sergio Osmeña (who assumed the
presidency after Quezon died on August 1, 1944 in exile in Saranac Lake, New York)
returned and liberated the Philippines from the Japanese.

The Philippine Republic

On July 4, 1946, Manuel Roxas of the Nationalista Party was inaugurated as the first
President of the Republic of the Philippines. Roxas died in April 1948. He was succeeded by
Elpidio Quirino. Both Roxas & Quirino had to deal with the Hukbalahap, a large anti-
Japanese guerrilla organization which became a militant group that discredited the ruling
elite. The group was eventually put down by Pres. Quirino's Secretary of Defense, Ramon
Magsaysay.

Magsaysay defeated Quirino in the 1953 elections. He was a popular president and largely
loved by the people. Magsaysay died in an airplane crash on March 17, 1957 and was
succeeded by Carlos Garcia.
Diosdado Macapagal won the 1961 presidential elections and soon after he changed history
by declaring June 12 as independence day - the day Emilio Aguinaldo declared independence
in Cavite from Spain in 1898. Aguinaldo was the guest of honour during the fist
Independence Day celebrations in
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 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.

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 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.

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 (1863–1898). 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 administered provinces, 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 country’s 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 II
instructed 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 King’s 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.