“GEOGRAPHICAL

FEATURE and BRIEF

HISTORY OF THE
PHILIPPINES”
 The history of the Philippines is believed to have begun with the arrival off the first humans via
land bridges at least 30,000 years ago. The first recorded visit from the west is the arrival of Ferdinand
Magellan in Homonhon Island, southeast of Samar on March 16, 1521. Prior to Magellan’s arrival, there
were Negrito tribes who roamed the isles but they were later supplanted by Austronesians. These groups
then stratified into: hunter-gatherer tribes, warrior-societies, petty plutocracies and maritime oriented
harbor principalities which eventually grew into kingdoms, confederations and sultanates.

Negritos are several ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia. Their current
populations include Andamanese peoples of the Andaman Islands, Semang peoples of Malaysia, the Aeta,
Agta, Ati and 30 other peoples of the Philippines.

Malays are an ethnic group of Austronesian peoples predominantly inhabiting the Malay
Peninsula, eastern Sumatra and coastal Borneo, as well as the smaller islands which lie between these
locations. These locations today are part of the modern nations of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei
and southern Thailand.

NAMES GIVEN FOR PHILIPPINES:

 Early Chinese traders who visited Mindoro called our nation, “Ma-yi”, meaning Land of gold.
 “Maniolas” – name given by Claudius Ptolemy, a Greek mapmaker, in his ancient map.
 “Archipelago of St. Lazarus” – name given by Magellan to our nation in 1521.

The official name “ Filipinas” was given to the archipelago in 1543 by the ill-starred Spanish explorer
Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, in honor of Prince Felipe (Phillip) of Asturias, who later became King Phillip
II, the greatest King of Spain.

OTHER NAMES GIVEN FOR PHILIPPINES:

a. Gems of the East

b. Treasure Islands of the Pacific

c. Isles of the Fear

d. Isles of the Hope

e. Orphans of the Pacific

f. Land of the Morning

g. Pearl of the Ocean

WHY PHILIPPINES IS CONSIDERED A UNIQUE NATION?

There are four reasons:

1.Religion – Filipinos are predominantly Christians

2. Political History

2.1. Philippines is the first Republic in Asia, being the first to achieve independence by revolution and
establish a Republic led by General Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898-1901.

2.2.The first Southeast Asian Nation to secure independence by voluntary decolonization of a colonial
power after the second World was in 1946.

2.3. It led the world in waging a “People Power Revolution to oust a dictator by peaceful and prayerful
means in 1986.

LAND AREA OF THE PHILIPPINES

 ARCHIPELAGO (large group of islands) made up of 7,107 islands, but now it comprises about
7,641 islands. The three group of islands are listed below:
 Luzon – Philippines largest island with a total land area of 40,814 sq. m., which is bigger than
Hungary and Portugal.
 Mindanao – Second largest island with a total land area of 38,906 sq.m. Which is bigger than
Austria.
 Visayas – 3rd largest island with a total land area of 36,087 sq. m.

GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF THE PHILIPPINES:

 Highest Mountain – Mt. Apo (9,691 ft, high in Mindanao.)

 Lowest spot – Philippine Deep, situated off the pacific coast of the archipelago with 37, 782ft.
deep.
 San Juanico Strait – the narrowest strait in the world between Samar and Leyte.
 Manila Bay - one of the finest harbors in the Asian World, with the historic Corregidor Island
standing guard as its entrance.
 Central Plain in Luzon- largest plain and known as the “Rice granary of the Philippines”
 Cagayan Valley – also in Luzon, is the Asia’s greatest tobacco producing region.
 Cagayan River – longest river in the Philippines where tobacco is being drained.
 Laguna de Bay – largest lake in the country.

REGIONS OF THE PHILIPPINES

 I ILOCOS Region
- Major City: San Fernando City
 II Cagayan Valley
- Major City: Tuguegarao City
 III CENTRAL Luzon
- Major City: san Fernando City
 IV (CALABARZON)
- Major City: Calamba City
 IV-B (Mimaropa)
-Major City: Calapan City
 V Bicol Region
- Major City: Legaspi City
 VI Western Visayas
-Major City: IloIlo City
 VII Central Visayas
- Major City: Cebu City
 VIII Eastern Visayas
- Major City: Tacloban City
 IX Western Mindanao (Zamboanga Peninsula)
- Major City: Pagadian City
 X Northern Mindanao
- Major City: Cagayan de Oro City
 XI SOUTHERN MINDANAO (Davao Region)
- Major City: Davao City
 XII Central Mindanao
- Major City: Koronadal City
 XIII CARAGA Region
- Major City: Butuan City
 ARMM – Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao
- Major City: Cotabato City
 NCR – National Capital Region
-Major City: Manila
 CAR – Cordillera Administrative Region
-Major City: Baguio City

VOLCANOES
 There are about 221 volcanoes, 21 are active.
 The Philippines lies on a volatile Pacific “Ring of Fire” and most of the highest
mountains are volcanic in origin.
FILIPINO REVOLTS AGAINST SPAIN

Causes of Revolts. There were many causes of the Filipino revolts in Spain. The list below shows the
different causes of the revolts.

 Dagohoy’s Revolt (1744-1829) – it lasted for 85 years and this had been the longest revolt.
 Silang’s Revolt (1762 – 63) Diego Silang and his wife led this famous revolt in Ilocos.
 First Pampanga Revolt (1585)
 Revolt Against the Tribute (1589) – one of the earliest revolt against the tribute (residence tax)
started in Cagayan and Ilocos.
 Agrarian Revolt (1745 – 46) – This revolt was due to land grabbing by Spaniards who took over
their ancestral lands.
 Basi Revolt (1807) – It was all about the love for a homemade wine from sugarcane called Basi.
 The Religious Revolt of Hermano Pule, (1840 – 41) – This was the revolt for religious freedom in
the Tagalog provinces.

CAUSES OF REVOLTS:
1. Our love for freedom and Independence
2, Abuses of Spanish encomenderos
3. Tribute (residence tax)
4. Forced Labor
5. Land grabbing by the friars
6. Basi (wine) monopoly
7. Religion

THE PROPAGANDA MOVEMENT AND THE KATIPUNAN

Causes of Nationalism. When the people of a nation become united and work together for a
common aims, this is called “nationalism”. It also means devotion to one’s country, or fighting
for its independence.
The causes of the birth of Philippine nationalism in the 19th century were as follows:
1. New ideas from abroad about the freedom and the rights of men.
2. Opening of the Suez Canal
3. Race prejudice against Filipino
4. The Spanish Revolution of 1868
5. The Martyrdom of Gom – Bur – Za
 THE PROPAGANDIST. They were mostly college students or young professionals.
 La Solidaridad. Published their crusade for reforms in fortnightly newspaper. It was founded by
Graciano Lopez Jaena, its first editor. Its first issue appeared in Barcelona, Spain on February 15,
1889.
 Rizal and the Liga Filipina. The National Hero of the Philippine is Dr. Jose Rizal. He was a great
lover of his country. He was born at Calamba, Laguna on June 19, 1861. He was the seventh of
 eleven children of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonzo, a well-to-do and educated
family. He is a physician, writer, scientist, linguist, sportsman, inventor, and prophet. His two
novels Noli MeTangere and El Filibusterismo were banned by Spanish authorities in the
Philippines but they were loved by the Filipinos. He died at Bagumbayan (Luneta) on December
30, 1896 because he was shot by firing squad.

THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION

It began in 1896 and really ended only in 1901. At first, it was a war of independence
against the Spain. Later, it turned into a war of independence against the United States, because
the American imperialist replaced the Spaniards. The first part of Revolution was a success
because the Filipinos got rid of the Spaniards. But it was a very bloody revolution. Many lives
were lost and many best heroes were killed during the revolution. It lead by Andres Bonifacio
together with the Katipuneros,
Causes of Revolution of 1986 were as follows:
1. The abuses of Spanish officials and priest;
2. Persecution of Filipino leaders who defended the rights of their fellow countrymen;
3. Filipinos’ desire to regain their independence; and
4. Discovery of the Katipunan and Bonifacio’s call for revolution.

HISTORICAL VALUES IN PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION

 The Filipinos lost many battles and live because the revolution was not really planned well. They
were only forced because of the discovery of the Katipunan.
 Nothing can stop people who are determined to fight for their freedom. Many Filipinos were
punished for their part in the revolution. But these martyrs and heroes only made the other
Filipinos more willing to fight and even die for their cause.
 PHILIPPINE HISTORY DURING AMERICAN PERIOD (1898 –
1946)
Why the American came to the Philippines?
These are the reasons:
1. The Spanish – American War
2. New Lands
3. American Bases
4. The policy of “Manifest Destiny”
5. The Filipino Invitation

HISTORICAL VALUES:
1. The Filipinos did not know that the Americans wanted to make the Philippines a colony. That
was why Aguinaldo and the other leaders welcomed the Americans at the beginning.
2. When the Filipinos united under one leader during the second part of the revolution, they had
the help of a foreign power, they were successful.
3. The Filipinos declared their own independence on June 12, 1898. But Americans took away
our independence and made us a colony again.
4. The Filipinos could have captured the city of Manila. But the secret deal between Spain and the
United States cheated the Filipinos of the real victory.
5. The Filipinos won the revolution against Spain. But Spain gave the Philippines to the United
States.

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 guerilla 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
and 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 May 14, 1935 elections,
Manuel L. Quezon won the position of President of the Philippine Commonwealth.
 PHILIPPINE HISTORY DURING THE SPANISH COLONIAL
TIMES
Settlement began with the arrival of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi’s expedition in 1565 who establish
the first permanent settlement of San Miguel on the island of Cebu. The expedition continued
northward reaching the bay of Manila on the island of Luzon in 1571, where they established a
new town and thus began an era of Spanish colonization that lasted for more than three centuries.

SPANISH SETLEMENT AND RULE (1565 – 1898)

 Early Spanish Expenditions

Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippine on 1521. Magellan landed on the Spain, and naming
them Islas de San Lazaro. He established friendly relations with some of the local leaders
especially with Rajah Humabon and converted some of them to Roman Catholicism.
The battle left the expedition with too few crewmen to man three ships, so they abandoned the
“Concepcion”, The remaining ships – “Trinidad” and “Victoria” – sailed to the Spice Islands in
present- day Indonesia. From there, the expedition split into two groups. The Trinidad,
commanded by Gonzalo Gomez de Espinosa tried to sail eastward across the Pacific Ocean to the
Panama.
King Philip II, heir to the Spanish throne. Spain ruled the Philippines for 365 years.
In 1565, King Philip II appointed Miguel Lopez de Legazpi as the first Governor – General of the
Philippines. Legazpi chose Manila to be its capital because of its natural harbor. Spain’s legacy
was the conversion of the people to Catholicism and the creation of the privileged landed class.
The arrest of propagandist Dr. Jose Rizal and execution in 1896 gave fresh momentum to Filipino
rebels to fight against Spain.
Spanish rule ended in 1898 with Spain’s defeat in the Spanish-American War. The Philippines
then became a territory of the United States. U.S forces suppressed a Philippine Revolution led by
Emilio Aguinaldo.
 PHILIPPINE HISTORY DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION

On December 8, 1941, the Japanese invades the Philippines hours after bombing Pearl Harbor in
Hawaii. While the forces of Gen. Douglas McArthur 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 and 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 and American armies while Filipinos were enduring the cruelty of the Japanese
military against civilian.

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 Osmena ( who assumed the presidency
after Quezon died on August 1, 1944 in exile in Saranac Lake, N.Y) returned and liberated the
Philippines from the Japanese.
 PHILIPPINE HISTORY DURING THE MARTIAL LAW REGIME

Ferdinand E. Marcos won the presidency in 1965 and was the first president to be re – elected for
a second term in office. Marcos embarked on an ambitious public works program and maintained
his popularity through his first term. His popularity started to decline after his re-election due to
perceive dishonesty in the 1969 campaign, the decline in economic growth, government
corruption and the worsening peace and order. He declared Martial Law in 1972 near the end of
his second and final term in office. Staunch opposionist, Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino (later
went on self exile to the U.S) and senator Jose Diokno were one of the first to be arrested.
During the Martial Law years, Marcos held an iron grip on the nation with the support of the
military. Opposition leaders we imprisoned and the legislature was abolished. Marcos ruled by
presidential decrees.

The 21-year dictatorial rule of Marcos with wife Imelda ended in 1986 following a popular
uprising that forced them to exile to Hawaii.
REFERENCES:

 Annual Report of the secretary of War

Washington GPO: US Army . 1903
 Agoncillo, Teodoro A. (1990) [1960]. History of the Filipino People (8 th ed) Q.C:
Garotech Publishing. ISBN 978-971-8711-06-4.
 M.C Halili (2004). Philippine History’2004 ed. – Halili. Rex Bookstore,
Inc. ISBN 978-071-23-3934-9
 ^Barrows, David (2014). “ A History of the Philippines”. Guttenberg Free Online E-
books. 179
 ^”Spanish Expeditions to the Philippines. Philippines- HISTORY. Org. 2005
 ^Living in the Philippines: Living, Retiring, Travelling and doing Business”. Archived
from the original on 2016-12-06. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
 ^”SECOND BOOK OF THE SECOND PART OF THE CONQUESTS OF THE
FILIPINAS ISLANDS, AND CHRONICLE OF THE RELIGIOUS OF OUR FATHER,
ST. AUGUSTINE (Zamboanga City History)
 ^ Quinze Ans de Voyage Autor de Monde Vol, II (1840) Archived 2014 – 10 – 09 at the
Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2014-7-25 from Institute for Research of IloIlo Official
Website
 ^”The Philippine Archipelago” by Yves Boquet Page 262
 ^ De la Torre, Visitacion (2006). The Ilocos Heritage. Makati City: Tower Book House.
P. 2. ISBN 978-971-91030-9-7.
 ^Yu-Jose 1999, p. https://books.google.com/books?id=kbWv-pZy5H0C&pg=PA1
 ^ab Philippine History Module- Based Learning. Rex Bookstore, Inc. 2002.p.83.
ISBN 978-971-91030-9-7.
 ^Solidarity, 2, Solidaridad Publishing House,p. 8. “The charter of the Royal Philippines
Company was promulgated on March 10,1785 to last for 25 years.”
 ^ https://www.studymode.com/essays/Polo-y-Servicio-1880531.html Polo y Servicio
CITATIONS:

 Agoncillo, Teodoro A. (1990), History of the Filipino People (Eighth Ed.), University of
the Philippines, ISBN 971-8711-06-6.
 Abinales, P.N.; Amoroso, Donna J. (2005), State and Society in the Philippines Rowman
& Littlefield, 978-0-7425-1024-1
 Constantino, Renato (1975), The Philippines: A past Revisited, Q.C: Tala Publishing
Services, ISBN 971-8958-00-2
 Cummins, Joseph (2006), “11. A Legend of Freedom: Francisco Dagohoy and the Rebels
of Bohol” History’s great untold stories: obscure events of lasting importance, Murdoch
Books, pp. 132-138, ISBN 978-1-74045-808-5
 De Borja, Marciano R.; Douglass, William A. (2005), Basques in the Philippines
University of Nevada Press, ISBN 978-0-87417-590-5
 Fish, Shirley (2003), When Britain ruled the Philippines, 1762-1764: the story of the 18 th
century British invasion of the Philippines during the Seven Years’ War 1stBooks
Library, ISBN 978-1-4107-1069-7, ISBN 1-4107-1069-6, ISBN 978-1-4107-1069-7
 Guerrero, Milagros; Schumacher, S.J., John (1998), Reform and Revolution, Kasaysayan:
The History of the Filipino People, 5, Asia Publishing Company Limited, ISBN 978-1-
4107-1069-1
 McCoy, Alfred W.,; de Jesus, Ed. C. (2001), Philippine social history: global trade and
transformations, Ateneo de Manila Universities Press, ISBN 1-4107-1069-6.
 Newson, Linda (2009), Conquest and Pestillence in the Early Spanish Philippines,
University of Hawaii Press, ISBN 1-971-550-574-3
 Spate, Oskar Hermann Khristian (2004), The Spanish Lake, Australian National
University, ISBN 1-920942-16-5
 Villaroel, Fidel (2009), “Phillip II and the “ Philippines, and the Hispanic World”, in
Ramirez, Damaso de Lario (ed), Re- shaping the world: Phillip II of Spain and his time
(illustrated ed.), Ateneo de Manila University Press, ISBN 978-971-550-556-7
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ROSA M. VALLEJO

The Philippines is relatively a young country in point of national development. While it is

estimated to have existed some 250 million years BP (Before Present), as evidenced by the discovery of
the oldest rock found in Palawan Island (Kasaysayan, 199, vol. 10, p. 7), it became known to the West
only when Magellan, the Portugese explorer and navigator saw the Island of Homonhon, Samar on March
16, 1521. He claimed the islands in the name of the King of Spain and named it St. Lazarus Archipelago
because he discovered it on the eve of St. Lazarus Day (Filipino Heritage, 1977, vol. 3, p/ 814). But Ruy
Lopez De Villalobos who came later renamed it Las Islas Felipinas in honor of King Philip II of Spain. It
was known as Felipinas throughout the Spanish regime, then Philippine Island under the American
regime and in 1946 it became the Philippine Republic.

The ealiest mention of the Philippines is found in the work of Maximiliano Transilvano, De
Molucis Insulis… 1524 (Retana, Aparato Bibliografico, vol. 1, p. 1). Thus, began the bibliographical
control of materials about the Philippines.

Succeeding references in early bibliographical works list the first books printed in the Philippines
in 1593, antedating the first book printed in America by more than three decades. The first three books
printed by xylographic method are the Doctrina Christiana en lengua espa ola y tagala (also known as the
Tagalog Doctrina); the Doctrina Christiana en letra y leengua China (also called the Chinese doctrina),
and the Tratado de la Doctrina de la Santa Iglesia, also in Chinese. The Tagalog doctria and the tratado
both have 1593 as the printing date, while the Chinese doctrina did not have a date and scholars presume
that this book was printed before 1593 perhaps around 1590 because it did not have the approval of the
King of Spain.

WENCESLAO EMILIO RETENA y GAMBOA

He was foremost foreign Filipino who published several works on printing Philippines and a
catalog of works on the general history of the Philippines. His Aparato Bibliografico de la historia general
de Filipinas in 1906 in three volumes contain some 2623 entries on books about the Philippines regardless
of what language it is written or where published, Philippine imprints regardless of subjects; and
publications of Filipinos wherever published. The period covered was 1524 to 1905. There is also a
listing of periodicals published in the Philippines from 1811-1905.

Another important work is Isagani R. Medina’s Filipiana Materials in the National Library (Manila: The
National Library and the University of the Philippines Press, 1972). The bibliography lists 2,524 entrie of
selected materials found in the National Library, the bulk of which is Tabacalera Collection, considered to
be the greatest single collection of Filipiniana. This collection became the nucleus of the Rare Books
about the Philippines.