Before Spanish Arrival

Negritos are believed to be the first inhabitants of the Philippines. They said to have migrated some 30,000 years ago from Borneo, Sumatra, and Malaya. Malayans came after in successive waves passing in different direction. These people are said to belong to the primitive Malayan culture that up to this day is believed to survived among certain ethnic groups like the Igorots of the Mountain Province. The Philippines was said to be muslim dominated while others adore their pagan gods. They have already a flourishing culture and economy. There were even records of its early commercial international trades with the Chinese.

Spanish Colonization

Philippines was accidentally discovered by Ferdinand Magellan (Fernando Magalhaes), a Portuguese explorer who’s leading a Spanish fleet in March 1521 in search for the so called Spice Island. He landed in Humonhon island Leyte with his 150 crew being the first European to have set foot in Philippines. With the aid of his malay interpreter Enrique, he succeeded in exploring Cebu and converting Rajah Humabon to embrace christianity. However he was killed during a battle by another RAjah, Lapu Lapu after refusing to be a christianized. He died on the morning of April 27, 1521. Numerous Spanish expeditions were sent after the failure of Magellan. Ruy Lopez de Villabos from New Spain (Mexico) in 1542 who gets credit for naming the country after King Philip. It was only in 1564 that the Spanish expedition headed by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi succeeded in fully controlling the country. Spanish leadership was soon established over many small independent communities that previously had known no central rule. By 1571, when López de Legaspi established the Spanish city of Manila on the site of a Moro town he had conquered the year before, the Spanish foothold in the Philippines was secure, despite the opposition of the Portuguese, who were eager to maintain their monopoly on the trade of East Asia.

The Chinese pirate Limahong tried to attack Philippines at several occasions but Manila repulsed it. In fact long before the Spaniards, the Filipinos were already trading with the Chinese. There were numerous uprisings by the Filipinos, who resented the encomienda system. The period from 1600 to 1663 was marked by continual wars with the Dutch, who were laying the foundations of their rich empire in the East Indies, and with Moro pirates.

The Revolution

Filipinos were more and more fed up and with the Spanish colonization and were more and more hungry for independence. The rising opposition against the cruel clergies, Spanish injustices, bigotry, and economic oppressions paved the way for the birth of the KKK – Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng̃ mg̃á Anak ng̃ Bayan ( Supreme and Venerable Society of the Children of the Nation) or simply Katipunan. Katipunan was founded by the plebeian Andres Bonifacio largely influenced the propaganda movement of the pacifists Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar and Mariano Ponce, who expresses their sentiments through pen and writing. When Dr. Jose Rizal was executed via firing squad at Luneta (or bagumbayan) for conspiracy against the Spaniards Bonifacio gathered the Katipuneros and started the revolution. After 300 years of colonization the Philippine Independence was finally declared, but only for a short time as the Americans were starting to gain the territory.

American Occupation

After the famous so called “Mock Battle of Manila Bay ” (Mock because the entire battle was staged and the Spaniards have already surrerendered for they do not want to lose face against the Americans) the Katipuneros specially Emilio Aguinaldo were heavily supported by the Americans. The Filipinos had also declared their independence and established a republic under the first democratic constitution ever known in Asia. Their dreams of independence were crushed when the Philippines were transferred from Spain to the United States in the Treaty of Paris (1898), which closed the Spanish-American War. The Hare-Hawes Cutting Act, passed by Congress in 1932, provided for complete independence of the islands in 1945 after 10 years of self-government under U.S. supervision. The Philippine legislature finally ratified the second bill Tydings-Mcduffie which resembled the precendent act. The constitution, approved by President Roosevelt (Mar., 1935) and was accepted by the Philippine people in a plebiscite. Manuel L. Quezon was elected the first president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935. He was reelected in Nov., 1941. To develop defensive forces against possible aggression, Gen. Douglas MacArthur was brought to the islands as military adviser in 1935, and the following year he became field marshal of the Commonwealth army.

Filipinos are said to be freedom-loving people, having waged two peaceful, bloodless revolutions against what were perceived as corrupt regimes. The Philippines has  a vibrant democracy, manifested by presence of  12 English national newspapers, 7 national television stations, hundreds of cable TV stations, and 2,000 radio stations.

Filipinos are a fun-loving people. Throughout the islands  fiestas are celebrated everyday overflowing with a lot of warm hospitality and good sense of humor.

CLIMATE
March to May is hot and dry. June to October is rainy, November to February is cool. Average temperatures: 78°F / 25°C to 90°F / 32°C; humidity is 77%.

POPULATION
There are a total of 76.5 million Filipinos as of the latest national census in May, 2000. Population growth is estimated at 2.36 percent annually. Luzon, the largest island group, accounts for more than half of the entire population.

LANGUAGES
Two official languages — Filipino and English. Filipino which is based on Tagalog, is the national language. English is also widely used and is the medium of instruction in higher education.

Eight (8) major dialects spoken by majority of the Filipinos: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense. Filipino is the native language whish is used commonly as the language of communication among ethnic groups. Filipino is in a process of development through loans from Philippine languages and non-native languages for various situations, among speakers of different social backgrounds, and for topics for conversation and scholarly discourse. There are about 76 to 78 major language groups, with more than 500 dialects.

RELIGIONS
Some 83% of Filipinos are Catholic. About 5% are Moslem. The rest are made up of smaller Christian denominations and Buddhist.

UNIT OF MEASURE
The Metric System is used in most trade and legal transactions.

ELECTRICITY
220 volts a/c is the common standard. 110 volts a/c is also used, especially in major hotels.

CURRENCY
The Philippines’ monetary unit is the peso, divided into 100 centavos. Foreign currency may be exchanged at any hotels, most large department stores, banks, and authorized money changing shops accredited by the Central Bank of the Philippines. International credit cards such as Visa, Diners Club, Bank Americard, Master Card, and American Express are accepted in major establishments.
Education

The Philippines has both private and public school systems for elementary, secondary and college levels. The public schools are subsidized by the Government, fees are minimal and teaching is done in English and Filipino. The normal school year is from June to March.

Foreign nationals have a choice of going to either the elitist local private schools, majority of which are run by religious orders and teaching is done in English, or the international schools.

Public Transport

The most common and inexpensive mode of transportation in the Philippines are jeepneys. There are also buses that are classified into non-aircon and airconditioned. Taxis are all airconditoned. The Philippines has also Tricycles. These are motorcycles / bicycles with a sidecar attached for short trips on the side streets. (depends on the locality). Also, the country have Light Rail Transit(LRT) & Metro Rail Transit(MRT). These are overhead railway system that currently runs in Metro Manila. Lastly, the country has also Air Transport (Domestic Flights –One way Fare per Person)

* Subject to increase based on fuel

Shopping in Manila

Metro Manila is considered as shopper’s paradise.  The major shopping center in Makati is the Ayala Commercial Center where most items found overseas can be bought. The SM Megamall, Robinson’s Galleria, Rustan’s Department Store and Edsa Plaza Shopping Mall are modern malls with extensive array of consumer goods and a must when shopping.The Divisoria area, on the otherhand, are for adventuresome bargain hunter/s who wish to experience a typical Asian open market.

The current map of the Philippines

Seventeenth Century map of the Philippines

Old map of the Philippines

Map of the Philippines used during WWII