Conversion to

Christianity; How
Natives were
Converted;
Magellan’s Tragedy
September
2018
 Conversion to
Christianity
Locations where Christianity Started (Where, When, Who)
 Conversion to Christianity
• Mazava - With their arrival at Masawa, Magellan, for his appreciation of the people’s welcoming and
friendly atmosphere and greeting, planted a cross on top of the mountain
• “We departed thence and went toward the west, in order to strike a large island called Seilani (ie.
Leyte) which is inhabitated and has gold on it. We coasted along it and took our course to the west
southwest in order to strike a small island, which is inhabited called Mazava. The people there are very
friendly. We erected a cross on a mountain on that island.“ (pg. 326)  
• Liwasawa, Leyte - First mass in the Philippines held in Limasawa Leyte, March 31, 1521 Easter
Sunday. The two king Raja Culambo and Raja Siaui kissed the cross and worshipped Him (Jesus
Christ) right when He was elevated.
• “Early on the morning of Sunday, last March, and Easter-day, the captain-general sent the priest with
some men to prepare the place where mass was to be said; together with the interpreter to tell the king
that they were not going to land in order to dine with him, but to say mass.” (pg. 123)
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 Conversion to Christianity
• “The mass was offered up. The kings went forward to kiss the cross as we did but did not offer the
sacrifice. When the body of the Lord was elevated, they remained on their knees and worshipped Him
with clasped hands.” (pg. 125)  
• Cebu - April 7, 1521 Have entered the port of Cebu
• “The captain-general said many things concerning peace, and that he prayed God to confirm it in
heaven. They said that they have not heard anyone speak such words, but that they took great pleasure
hearing it. The captain seeing that they listened and answered willingly, began to advance arguments to
induce them to accept the faith.” (pg. 143)
• “I told the king that we would like to consecrate the place, and to set up a cross there. He replied that
he was quite satisfied, and that he wish to adore the cross as did we. The deceased was buried in the
square with as much pomp as possible, in order to furnish a good example. Then we consecrated the
place and in the evening buried another man.” (pg. 151)
• Magellan also has offered a Sto. Niño to the queen.
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 Conversion to Christianity

• “The captain knowing that the queen was very much pleased with the child Jesus, gave it to her, telling
her to keep it in place of her idols for it was in memory of the son of God. Thanking him heartily she
accepted it.” (pg. 163)
• Miguel Lopez de Legazpi- he was the one to commercialise Christianity and Catholicism all
throughout the Philippines. Along with him he brought the Augustinians, who were the first
missionaries who launched a modest but daring attempt to convert the natives.

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 Conversion to Christianity
Much-needed assistance was supplied with the arrival of the Franciscans in 1578. The Jesuits
followed suit in 1581. The Dominicans and Augustinian Recollects arrived in 1587 and 1606
respectively. Upon this indigenous religious base two foreign religions were introduced -- Islam and
Christianity -- and a process of cultural adaptation and synthesis began that is still evolving. Spain
introduced Christianity to the Philippines in 1565 with the arrival of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. Earlier,
beginning in 1350, Islam had been spreading northward from Indonesia into the Philippine archipelago.
By the time the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, Islam was firmly established on Mindanao and Sulu
and had outposts on Cebu and Luzon. At the time of the Spanish arrival, the Muslim areas had the
highest and most politically integrated culture on the islands and, given more time, would probably
have unified the entire archipelago. Carrying on their historical tradition of expelling the Jews and
Moros [Moors] from Spain (a commitment to eliminating any non-Christians), Legaspi quickly
dispersed the Muslims from Luzon and the Visayan islands and began the process of Christianization.
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 Conversion to Christianity
The 1500s, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan encountered the Philippines while sailing
under the flag of Spain in search of a western route to the East Indies, the source of the spice trade. He
and his men landed on the island of Cebu in the central Philippines.
At this time period, almost nothing was known of the Philippines, and so our sources of information
about pre-Hispanic societies in the country date from the early period of Spanish contact. Most Philippine
communities, with the exception of the Muslim sultanates in the Sulu archipelago and Mindanao, were
fairly small without a great deal of centralized authority. Authority was wielded by a variety of
individuals, including 1) headmen, or datu; 2) warriors of great military prowess; and 3) individuals who
possessed spiritual power or magical healing abilities.
The absence of centralized power meant that a small number of Spaniards were able to convert a
large number of Filipinos living in politically autonomous units more easily than they could have, say,
converted people living in large, organized, complex kingdoms such as those Hinduized or (later)
Theravada Buddhist-influenced kingdoms in mainland Southeast Asia and on the island of Java in
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 Conversion to Christianity
The Spanish were unsuccessful in converting Muslim Sultanates to Christianity, and in fact warred
with Muslim Filipinos throughout their 300 year colonial rule from 1521 - 1898. Nor did they
successfully conquer certain highland areas, such the Luzon highlands, where a diverse array of ethno-
linguistic groups used their remote, difficult mountainous terrain to successfully avoid colonization.
Magellan's arrival in Cebu represents the first attempt by Spain to convert Filipinos to Roman
Catholicism. The story goes that Magellan met with Chief Humabon of the island of Cebu, who had an ill
grandson. Magellan (or one of his men) was able to cure or help this young boy, and in gratitude Chief
Humabon allowed 800 of his followers to be 'baptized' Christian in a mass baptism. Later, Chief Lapu
Lapu of Mactan Island killed Magellan and routed the ill-fated Spanish expedition. This resistance to
Western intrusion makes this story an important part of the nationalist history of the Philippines. Many
historians have claimed that the Philippines peacefully 'accepted' Spanish rule; the reality is that many
insurgencies and rebellions continued on small scales in different places through the Hispanic colonial
period.
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How Natives were
Converted
 How Natives were Converted
Trading is defined as a quantity of merchandise being carried safely ashore, assured by a person in
high authority or office (e.g. King, Queen, Chief, and the like).
There are specific weights and measures used for this trading.
The trading began on friday. To trade, Europeans (Magalhaes, Pigafetta and the crew of the surviving
vessels) were the ones who approached the natives into their houses. Asserted in the verbatim “their
houses are entered by ladders” (found in pg 19, 3rd sentence of the 2nd paragraph of The Philippine
Islands Vol. 33).
The Europeans gave metals and large articles, of what was left from their surviving vessels, in
exchange for gold. And food was given for their smaller wares (glassware, flatware, dinnerware, pots and
pans and the like). The Europeans or “newcomers” (as they were described) had to store much supplies or
resources they need such as food for survival and gold as novelties to their land of origin.

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 How Natives were Converted
The verbatim: “For so eager are the men at the sight of the gold that they would have given almost
anything for it” (pg 19) describes the attitude of the Europeans in trading with the natives. The “men”
being referred to here are Magalhaes and the other Europeans, since it is inclusive of the main purposes
of their expedition, which are to expand Christianity (God), to acquire novelties and treasures such as
gold, and for fame or glory of Spain.
The Following Sunday was the baptism of chief men, the queen, and many women. These people
were also given european names. Before the week closes, all Cebuans (inhabitants of Cebu), as ?well as
from neighboring islands, have become Christians. Mass baptism is the initial practice of baptizing large
number of Filipinos at one time which enabled the conversion to Christianity. Otherwise, there is no way
that such a small number of Spanish friars or Catholic priests could have accomplished this goal (Russell
2010). The absence of centralized power meant that a small number of Spaniards were able to convert a
large number of Filipinos living in politically autonomous units (Russell 2010).

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 How Natives were Converted
“She was shown an image of our Lady, a very beautiful wooden child Jesus, and a cross. Thereupon,
she was overcome with contrition and asked for baptism amid her tears.” p. 159
The concept of God, Gold, Glory (3Gs) which was shown by the Spaniards toward the queen (wife
of Raia Humabon). In this sense, the Spaniards wanted the queen to be converted to Christianity by
showing her the image of the three sacred images.
“Magellan’s arrival in Cebu represents the first attempt by Spain to convert Filipinos to Roman
Catholicism” (Russell, 2010)
“Counting men, women, and children, we baptised eight hundred souls.”
Mass baptism was an initial practice of Spaniards which enabled them to convert a large number of
native Filipinos to Christianity for there were only small number of Spanish friars to conduct baptism
(Russell, 2010).
“ The captain knowing that the queen was very much pleased with the child Jesus, gave it to her,
telling her to keep it in place of her idols, for it was in memory of the son of God.” p. 163
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 How Natives were Converted
The child Jesus was gifted to the queen days before she was christened. Magellan told her to destroy
all idols and shrines that were lining at the shore (Bersales, 2013).
“We baptised him and his two wives and x girls. Then the captain had him asked how he felt. He
spoke immediately and said that by the grace our Lord he felt very well…. Then he made the sick man
drink some almond milk, which he had already had made for him. Afterward he sent him a mattress, a
pair of sheets, a coverlet of yellow cloth, and a pillow.”
Native Filipinos believed in four elements and anitos ( earth, water, fire, and air) that exists in a
person’s body. On one hand, Earth represents the digestive organs and processes, water represents water-
related organs and processes. On the other hand, Air represents the lungs and fire is the synergy of the
other three elements. For the natives, health is the balance of the four elements to have a healthy body
(Pinoy Warrior,  2012).
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 How Natives were Converted
WORLD BEFORE THE TEXT

• In the present time, more than 80% of Filipinos are Christians.

• There are Filipinos who still practices Passion of Christ during Holy-week
• The Child Jesus now known as Sto. Niño de Cebu that was given to the queen is very famous in
modern times. There is even a famous festival for the Sto. Niño called “Sinulog Festival.

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Magellan’s Tragedy
 Magellan’s Tragedy
Great Rivalry Between Spain and Portugal

Resulted in *Treaty of Tordesillas (June 7, 1494) which is a truce between spain and portugal which
states that all the lands from the west will belong to spain and all the lands from the east will be on
Portugal

1517 -  King Manuel I of Portugal Refused to allow Magellan to have an expedition and renounced his
nationality as a Portugese (Exiled)

1519 - Magellan went to Spain and was welcomed by King Charles and proposed an expedition looking
for the Spice Island, Thus on Sept 20 1519 marks the start of the expedition

Reasons of Expeditions:
1. Looking for Alternate Route to the Spice Island (India)
2. Age of Discovery and Conquest, the lust of power of Spain and Portugal was still hungry
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3. Spain’s agenda to colonize
16 and spread Christianity
 Magellan’s Tragedy
Results:
1. Lapu Lapu Won
2. The Spaniards didn't own the respect of the Cebuano's
3.Juan Sebastian Elcano was succeeded as commander of expedition back to Spain. It was Juan Sebastian
Elcano who should be recognized as the “first European to circle the globe” and not Ferdinand Magellan.

Long Term Effects: (World before the Text/ World of the Reader)
4. Resulted into concluding that the earth is round and not flat
5. Started Spain’s Interest to Conquer the Philippines
6. Provided new knowledge for sea route to Asia by crossing the Pacific, and also proved the vastness
of Pacific Ocean.
7. International Date Line was established.

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 Secondary Sources
• https://asiasociety.org/education/religion-philippines
• http://www.seasite.niu.edu/crossroads/russell/christianity.htm
• http://www.bansa.org/history/earlyspanish/
• https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2018/february/philippines.html
• http://ofmphilarchives.tripod.com/id16.html
• https://aboutphilippines.ph/documents-etc/CHRISTIANITY%20IN%20THE%20PHILIPPINES.pdf

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Thank You!
PRESENTED BY GROUP 6 OF 1BLM
JONAH BARAKAT
HYACINTH DOMINGO
RICK LAGGUI
GIAN MACABABBAD
JULIAN MARQUES
RYAN RAMIENTO
KATRINA RANESES
ABIGAIL SIRUNO