Our Heritage from

CHINA

ARABIA
Early Relations with India
• Hindus from the Asian Mainland and nearby islands came to the Philippines as
early as 900 AD.

Hindu Antiques

Gold pendant of Garuda

Copper image of Ganesha

Gold image of Agusan

Other Hindu Heritage
The Hindu heritage of the Philippines is religious, social, and economic.
Traces of Hindu culture is found in our: (1) religion, (2) jobs, (3)
writing, (4) language, (5) customs, and (6) race.

In religion, the Hindus taught us to pray to many gods, spirits and

images. The word “Bathala” is of Indian origin.

In jobs, the Hindus gave us such insdustries as: mining quicklime in

Masbate, weaving cotton cloth, making lotus designs, making guitars,
making sampaguita flower leis, raising fruits(mango, langka, and
sirisa) and vegetables(ampalaya, patola, and malunggay).

In writing, our ancient alphabet came from their Sanskrit writing.

(Sanskrit writing is a language of ancient India with a documented oral and later written history of over 3,000
years.[4It is the primary liturgical language of Hinduism; the predominant language of most works of Hindu
philosophy as well as some of the principal texts of Buddhism and Jainism.)

In language, the Pilipio (Tagalog) language has 375 Sanskrit words.

Examples: ama (father); asawa (spouse); halaga (price); maharlike
(noble); nanay (mother); raha (king); and sandata (weapon).
 Historical Discovery:
The Laguna Copperplate
Inscription (900 AD)

- The earliest written record of ancient Philippines

sarong (skirt)

putong
Filipino SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS from India
1. A maiden who sings merrily while cooking will marry an old
widower.
2. A comet flashing in the sky is an ill omen, for it brings famine,
pestilence, war, or other calamities.
3. A pregnant woman who eats twin bananas will give birth to
twins.

Filipino Customs
1. Hanging a garland of fresh flowers around the neck of a visitor
as a symbol of friendship and hospitality.
2. Giving of a dowry by the groom to the bride’s parents and
rendering personal services in the household of his prospective
parents-in-law.
3. Showering the groom and bride with rice after the wedding
ceremony.
4. Offering buyo (mixture of betel nut, lime, and ikmo leaf) to a
visitor as a sign of hospitality;
5. Pilgrimage by a childless couple to a holy shrine whose deity is
believed to have the power to grant their wish for a child.
Early Relations with China
In 982 AD, Filipinos from Mindoro sailed to
Canton, South China in an Arab ship. They
sold their goods to the Chinese and then
went home. This was the earliest date in our
contacts with China.

Pretty soon, our trade with China boomed. This time it was the Chinese
merchants from South China who sailed in their junks (Chinese sailing
ships) to the Philippines.

The early Chinese praised the Filipinos for their honesty. According to
Wang Tayuan, a Chinese writer, “The Chinese trust the Filipinos, for
they always keep their promise.”
Filipino Visitors to China
Sometimes, the early Filipinos went to China to visit and offer gifts to the
Chinese emperor. Even in those days, our rulers and rich people loved to
travel abroad.

Our Chinese Heritage

Our Chinese Heritage is economic and social. Traces of Chinese
influence are found in our (1) jobs, (2) costumes, (3) food, (4) customs,
(5) language, and (6) blood.

The Filipinos learned how to make gunpowder, to mine for gold, to work
with metal, to use porcelain, gongs and metals, and to make kites.

In costumes, the Chinese gaves us loose trousers, slippers, wooden

shoes (bakya), fans and umbrellas.
Social Customs
Respect for elders, arranged marriages, and worship of dead ancestors

Terrible vices:
The use of firecracker at New Year, the tong (fee) for owners of gambling
dens, and gambling with jueteng, cards and mah-jong.

In language, about 1500 words in the Tagalog vocabulary came from the
Chinese. Examples are: ate (elder sister), bakya (wooden shoes),
buwisit (unlucky), pinto (door), bantay (guard), kuya (elder brother)
and susi (key).

Many Chinese married Filipina women and lived in the Philippines. Today,
many rich and famous Filipino families are of Chinese origin. For
example, Chua, Lim, Sy, Wang, Yap, Uy, etc.
Early Relations with Arabia
Every Filipino today knows about Saudi Arabia because many of our
countrymen work there and in other Arab countries in the Middle East.

In 1380, the first Arab visitor named Mukdum came to Sulu from Mecca,
Saudi Arabia. He spread Islam, the Muslim religion and built the first
mosque (Muslim church) at Simunul, Sulu. In 1450, another Arab
missionary named Abu Bakr went to Jolo. He maried the princess of Jolo
and founded the sultanate of Sulu. In 1475, an Arab trader named
Kabungsuwan landed at Cotabato and conquered that valley. He also
married the local princess and founded the sultanate of Maguindanao.

Our Arabic Heritage

Arabic culture has influenced our (1) religion, (2) politics, and (3) social
life. Our Arabic heritage is mostly seen among Muslim Filipinos in the
south

The Arabs gave the Muslim Filipinos the religion of Islam. Today, there
are about 1,600,000 Muslims in the Philippines.
Social Customs
The Muslim Filipinos follow the Muslim way of life. Their calender and
holidays are Muslim – for example, they celebrate Ramadan. This is the
Muslim holy festival of fasting and prayer.

Some famous Muslim origins:

moro-moro – play of the Tagalogs
Epic poem Darangan of Maranao
singkil – royal Muslim dance of the Maranao

Tagalog words with Arabic origin:

Alak (wine), apo (old man), bukas (tomorrow), pilat (scar), salamat
(thanks), and sulat (letter).

Many Filipinos are muslims or have Muslim blood. About 2% of the

Filipinos have Arab blood from their ancesters. Some Filipino named are
Arabic in origin: Mohamed, Abdul, Fatima, Jamil, Leila, Hassan, and
Zaide.
Early Relations with Other Asians
Our ancestors also had contacts with Borneo, Malaya, Malacca, Thailand
(Siam), Kampuchea (Cambodia), and Indonesia. Filipinos traded with
these Asian nations and sometimes settled over there.

Historical Values

1. The Filipinos have a rich heritage from Asian nations like, India,
China, Arabia, and other countries.
2. The Filipinos also influences these other Asian nations.
3. We could have been a Muslim country if the Spaniards had not spread
Christianity in the Philippines.
4. The early Filipinos were independent.
The Coming of Spain
In the 16th century, the Philippines was invaded by the Spaniards.
They made our country into a coloy of Spain. It is a country that is
ruled by foreigners from another Island.

The coming of the Spaniards change our history. Through Spain,

we became Catholic in religion. We also got a new and more
advance culture from Europe and Mexico.

Why the Spaniards came?

1. God – The first aim of Spain was to spread the Roman Catholic
religion.
2. Gold – The second aim of Spain was to get rich.
3. Glory – The third aim of Spain was to get political glory
Magellan’s Voyage
The coming of Magellan to the Philippine was not an accident. He
really planned and wanted to find the Philippines because he
heard that it was a very rich land.

On September 20, 1517, the expedition of Magellan left Spain for

the East. They sailed westwared across the Atlantic Ocean down
to the tip of the South America. They crossed the secret passage
that was known only to Magellan. Then they crossed the Pacific
Ocean and hopped from island to island until they reached the
Philippines.

Discovery of the Philippines

Westerners trumpeted Magellan’s landing in the Philippines as its

“discovery” by Spain. Of course this was not true because our
country was known to Asians long before. We were never really
lost, so how could we be “discovered”?
Spain advertise its landing to Phillipines as a “discover” in order to
keep away the other rival European powers from grabbing its new
colony.

The Big Powers

Spain, Portugal, England, France, and the Netherlands

- competed with each other to be the first to “discover” or find

countries not yet known to the others.

At that time, the Big Powers in Europe were building their empires
in Asia, Africa, and South America.

This political race to grab new lands around the world was called
“colonialism”. Colonialism was popular in the 16th to 195h
centuries among the European powers. Colonialism began when
a Big Power invaded a smaller country.

Sometimes colonialism is also called as imperialism.

Rivalry between Portugal and Spain

In the 16th century, Portugal and Spain were the most bitter rivals
for colonies in the world. They quarreled over the ownership of
these lands.

Pope Alexander VI

Francisco Serrano
In 1493, Pope Alexander VI issued four papal bulls (decrees). One
of the papal bulls divided the world between Spain and Portugal.
The next year, in 1494, the two countries made an agreement
(Treaty of Tordesillas) shifting the demarcation line (division)
made by pope. Then in 1529, they quarreled again over
ownership of the Moluccas (Spice Islands). So they made a new
agreement (Treaty of Zaragosa) to fix a new demarcation line

In 1512, a Portuguese explorer named Francisco Serrano was

stranded on the coast of Mindanao. Later he wrote about it to his
cousin Magellan. No doubt Serrano’s letter inspired Magellan to
look for a new route to the East and the Philippines. In 1516,
another Portguese named Duarte Barbosa wrote about Sulu in a
book of his voyages. Later he became Magellan’s brother-in-law.

Fortunately, Portugal never claimed the Philippines. If we had

been a colony of Portugal, the Dutch would have taken over our
country.
First Mass at Butuan
Magellan and his men saw the heights of Samar on March 16,
1521. This date is celebrated as the Europed “discovery” of the
International dateline, and they should have added one day to
their calender.

After seeing Samar, the Spaniards landed at the island of

Homonhon in Leyte Gulf on March 17. Here they saw their first
Filipinos who brought them food. Magellan and his men had been
starving until then.

From Homonhon they were driven by a storm to Msao, Butuan in

Agusan del Norte, reaching it on March 28. They found a rich
Filipino Kingdom with plenty of food, gold, forests, ricefields and
mountains.

At Butuan, two kings – Raha Kolambu and Raha Siagu - met

Magellan. In the finest tradition of Filipino hospitality, they
welcomed the Spaniards.
To seal their new friendship, Kolambu and Magellan made the
traditional blood compacy, known as “sandugo”. Each man made
a small cut on his left arm and let his blood drip into a glass of
wine. Then they crossed arms and took a sip of the cup with the
blood of the other.

Another importance event took place in Butuan. The first mass

was held on the shore of Masao, Butuan on Easter morning,
March 31, 1521. It was said by Father Pedro de Valderama, the
Spanish chaplain.

After the mass, the Filipinos were treated to a fencing exhibition

by the Spaniards. Then, at sunset of the same day, Magellan
planted a huge wooden cross on the top of a hill overlooking the
see.
Magellan’s Cross
Magellan Claims the Philippines for Spain

Alas, the Filipinos did not know what Magellan was

doing. In fact, when he planted the cross it was like
planting a different flag on our land. Magellan claimed
our country for the king of Spain. He called it the
Archipelago of San Lazaro,” because he came here
on the feast day of the saint. In short, Magellan wanted
to make the Philippines a colony of spain.
The Spaniards Go to Cebu
The Spaniards continued their voyage by going to Cebu. King
Kolumbu guided them there, They arrived at Cebu on Sunday,
April 7, 1521.

At first, the King of Cebu, Raha Humabon refused to meet

Magellan or let him land. But his friend, King Kolambu, persuaded
him that the white men came as friends. So, the Spaniards were
allowed to land and become the guest of the Cebuanos.

King Humabon and Magellan made a blood compact. On April 14,

1521, a mess was held on the shore. Then Magellan placed a
cross which still stands at Cebu City today.

After the mass, the Cebuanos were invited to convert to

Christianity. More than 800 Cebuanos, including Humabon, his
wife and son, agreed to be baptized.
Lapulapu defeats Magellan
Magellan wanted all Filipino kings in Cebu and nearby islands to
surrender to Spain. But there was one brave Filipino ruler who
defied him. He was King Lapulapu of Mactan, a little island near
Cebu.

One day, the other king of Mactan called Zula asked Magellan for
help in destroying Lapulapu. The two kings in Mactan were bitter
enemies. Magellan agreed to help Zula, for he also wanted to kill
Lapulapu. At dawn of April 27, 1521, Magellan invaded Mactan.

Magellan boasted to the Cebuanos that he did not need their help
in fighting Lapulapu. He told them to stay in their boats and watch
the Spaniards beat the Philippines. So, with only 60 men,
Magellan attacked Lapulapu’s kingdom.

The batlle was short but very bloody. Fighting for their land and
liberty, Lapulapu and his warriors fought like lions. Magellan and
his men were beaten in this battle. So Magellan ordered his men
to retreat. As the Spaniards were retreating, Lapulapu’s men
surrounded Magellan and killed him.
Lapulapu, the first Filipino Hero

Truly, Lapulapu of Mactan was the first Filipino hero. It

was the first battle between the Filipinos and the white
men and it was the first victory of the Filipinos.

Lapulapu defended the freedom of the Philippines. He

to live forever in the pages of our history. In his honor,
Lapulapu City in Mactan was named after him.
The Spaniards Go Home
After their defeat at Mactan, the Spaniards returned sadly to
Cebu. But hey lost face. The Cebuanos did not respect them
anymore. The Spaniards also became abusive. Duarte Barbosa,
one of the new comanders, maltreated Enrique, Magelllan’s malay
slave. So Enrique plotted with King Humabon to kill the Spaniards.

On May 1, 1521 the Spaniards were invited to a feast day by King

Humabon. While they were eating and drinking at the feast, the
Spaniards were attacked by the Cebuanos. Many Europeans were
killed, including Duarte Barbosa and Juan Serrano, the new
commanders.

After the Cebu massacre, the survivors of the expedition quickly

left for the south. After visiting Plawan, Brunei, Mindanao, and the
Moluccas, they set sail for home. One ship, the Trinidad sailed for
Mexico. But it was caught by the Portugese in the Moluccas. The
other ship, the Victoria sailed for Spain via Indian ocean and the
African cape. It reached San Lucar, Spain on September 6, 1522
with only 18 survivors.
Result of Magellan’s Voyage
Magellan’s expedition was the greatest sea exploit of all time
because of three reasons:

1. It was the first voyage around the world by sea.

2. It added to the knowledge about Geography.

3. It made Spain interested in colonizing the Philippines.

Other Spanish Expeditions

• Loaisa expedition (1525)
• Cabot expedition (1526)
• Saavedra expedition (1542)
• Villalobos expedition
• Legazpi expedition (1564)
The Legazpi Expedition
In 1564, the new Spanish king named Philip II ordered a new
expedition to the Philippines. He was the king of whom the
Philippines was named. Naturally, he wanted to make it a
colony of Spain, even if the other expeditions had ended in
disaster.

The commander of the expedition was the noble and wise

Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. His expedition had four ships and
380 men, most of them are Mexicans. Thus this was really a
Spanish-Mexican expedition. The Legazpi expedition sailed
from Natividad, Mexico on November 21, 1564.

After passing through the Marianas, they reached the

Philippines on February 3, 1565. The explored Samar, Leyte,
and the other islands. They were well-received at the
Limasawa, Leyte and Bohol. In Bohol, Legazpi made a blood
compact with King Katuna (Sikatuna) and King Gala (Sigala).
This event became the subject of a famous painting by Juan
Luna, a famous Filipino painter.
Cebu Becomes the First Spanish City
From Bohol, Legazpi sailed to Cebu, arriving there on April
27, 1565. Raha Tupas, the son of Humabon, fought the
Spanish invaders but did not win the battle. The Spanish
ships bombarded the Cebuano kingdom.

On the shore, the superior weapons of the Spaniards won

the day. Tupas and his men retreated to the hill.

To win the Filipinos back, Legazpi adopted a policy of

attraction. This policy was friendly and peaceful. So, King
Tupas became a friend of Spain instead of an enemy.
Because of their kindness, the Spanish missionaries
converted many Filipinos to Christianity.
In 1565, Legazpi made Cebu the first Spanish settlement in
the Philippines. He built a fort and a church in what was also
the first Spanish outpost in Asia. He named the town “City
of the Most Holy Name of Jesus” in honor of the Child Jesus.
The image of the Child Jesus was found in a native house by
the Spaniards. It was the same statue fiven by Magellan to
Queen Juana in 1521.

Conquest of other lands

Because of a food shortage in Cebu, Legazpi moved to Panay
in 1569. At first, the Filipinos in Panay were very hostile to
the Spaniards.

But Legazpi and the Spanish missionaries won them over by

means of wisdom and friendship. Panay becamse the next
Spanish Military base in the Philipines.
Also in 1569, Masbate, Ticao, and Buries were captured by
the Spaniards. They penetrated as far as Albay in the Bicol
region. In Masbate, the Spanish priest was so successful in
preaching Christianity that he kept the island peaceful with
only six soldiers to help him.

In 1570, the Filipino Muslim (Moro) villages and forts at

Mindoro and the nearby islets of Ilim and Lubang were
destroyed. The fall of Mindoro brought the invaders closer
to Manila.
The Batte for Manila

At that time, Manila was a rich Muslim Kingdom. The

Spaniards decided to conquer this important outpost. It
took two battles – in 1570 and 1571 to capture Manila.
The Batte for Manila
At first, the Filipino Moro king of Manila, Raha Sulayman,
resisted the Spanish invaders. The first Spanish expedition
to invade Manila was led by Marshal Martin de Goiti in May
1570. He led 120 Spaniards and 600 Visayan warriors. After
a fierce battle, Goiti won against Sulayman. He also
captured the Filipino cannons made by Panday Pira, a
Pampangueño blacksmith. This made it harder for the
Filipinos to fight the foreigners. However Goiti could not
hold the place and returned to Panay to regroup.

On June 3 , 1571 Bambolito led his fleet of war boats to

fight the Spanish navy. The naval battle happened at
Bangkusay Channel near the Tondo shore. This was really
the first battle of Manila Bay. It was a historic battle because
it opened the way tfor the Spanish conquest of Manila and
the whole of Luzon.
The battle at Manila bay was fierce and bloody. The
Spaniards led by Martial Goiti, won the battle. The Filipinos
lost because of three reasons:

• Lakan Dula and Sulayman did not help the other Filipinos;

• The Spaniards had superior weapons and discipline; and

• About 600 Cebuano archers helped the Spaniards in the

battle. About 500 Filipinos were taken prisoner that day.
After the battle, the Spaniards took over Manila.
Manila becomes the Capital

On June 24, 1571, Legazpi proclaimed Manila as the

new capital of the colony. He rebuilt it from a Moro
kingdom to a Spanish City, with Spanish homes,
churched and a fort. King Philip II gave it a new coat-of-
arms and a new name: “Distinguished and Ever Loyal
City” (Insigne y Siempre Leal Ciudad. But the old name
of Manila continued to be used. Manila means “a place
where there are nilad plants”. Today, Manila is the
capital of the Philippines. June 24th is celebbrated as
the founding day of the city.