The Philippines was named after Philip 11.

The Philippines

- There was no unified archipelago instead the islands were divided into dozens of
independent polities known as Barangays which were rules by datus.
Important ones (barangay) were;
a. Manila
b. Tondo
c. Namayan
d. Cebu

Spain Period

- Stepped on the Philippines in March 1521, led by Spanish expenditure, Ferdinand Magellan.
- Their main goal is for the spice in Malukas.
- When they got to the Philippines, they forcibly convert its citizens to Catholicism
- Lapu-lapu did not take these Spanish people kindly. On April 27 1521, they killed Ferdinand
Magellan in a battle.
- One of magellan’s captain made it back to Spain with a spice in cargo. This made Spain want
to invade the Philippines. The following decades, they have sent numerous expeditions to
the Philippines.
- The most important was the Ruy Lopez De Villalobos, who in 1547, who sailed from Spain to
Cebu, Phillipines. Where he stabled the first permanent Spanish settlement in the country.
- When Philip II gained the crown, he sends a fresh fleet with explicit orders to colonize and
Christianize the Philippines under the command of Miguel Lopez De Legazpi. This expedition
consisted of 5 ships and 500 soldiers. It returned to Cebu In 1565 the place Magellan killed
and quickly overran the locals realizing that no single authority ruled over the island and
invidividual pacts with 1 datu was meaningless to the others. Lopez De Legazpi then
proceeded to conquer these barangays, one by one. He first set a Spanish stronghold in
Panay in 1569 and with the help of local allies then conquered Manila in 1571. The control
of the archipelago coupled with the newly discovered Manila Acapulco Trade Route and
ensured that the island would become a permanent colony officially easy indies.
- The New Colony was run by a Spanish who reported to mexico at least in theory because in
practice his ability to appoint his own civil and military governors made him extremely
powerful. Outside of Manila, however, authority was divided between native leaders who
held govern known as the Principalia and the catholic friars who held the most power.
 Reasons for the power of the friars
 They outnumbered civilian officials in the provinces.
 They spoke the local languages. – They had a command of local
languages, a rarity among the lay Spanish
 They moved people from the barangays into more centralized
pueblos/towns where they build imposing stone churches in the
 center of each and acted as sole rulers over what was essentially
rural fiefdoms.
- Spain grew weaker as the friars grew more repressive and the natives started to resist.
Several minor peasants’ revolts quashed marked the end of the 18 th century. In the 19th
century, the face of the resistance would change as wealthy class of European educated
mestizos, Filipinos of mixed Spanish or Chinese blood with nationalist tendencies began
emerge. Known as Illustrados (worked hard to correct racist images drawn by Spanish
writers about the Philippines and the Filipinos.), the greatest and best known of the lot was
Dr. Jose Rizal. He was executed by Spanish in 1896, he became the epitome of the Filipino’s
dignified struggle for personal and national freedom. By killing such figures, the Spanish
were creating martyrs. Andres Bonifactio, led an aggressive movement known as the KKK
(Kataastaasan Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga anak ng bayan). KKK members peaked
at 30,000 in mid 1896. In August, the Spanish got win of the coming revolution and the
katipunan leaders were forced to flee the capital. They took stocks in nearby Balintawak, a
barangay of kalukan and voted to launch the revolution. After 18 months of bloodshed in
the so called battle of “Cry of balitawak”, Spanish and Filipino revolutionary came up with a
pact known as a “ Pact of Biak-na-bato”. This led Emilo Aguinaldo and his men to be exile in
Hongkong in December 1897. However, the promises of reform by the Spanish were broken
as well as the Filipino Revolutionary plotting.

American Period

- Philippines as a colony of Spain draw into conflict as there was a dispute with Spain and
United States in the Spanish colony, Cuba. In August 1898, an American fleet, under George
Dewey, sailed into manila bay and routed Spanish ships keen to gain Filipino support Dewey
welcomed the return of exiled Revolutionary Gen. Aguinaldo and oversaw the Philippine
Revolution Phase 2 which made Aguinaldo as the first President of Philippine Republic. The
Philippine’s flag was first shown during the proclamation of Philippine Independence in
Cavite on June 12, 1898. With the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1898, the Spanish-
American war ended. The United states bought Philippines along with Guam and Puerto
Rico for $20, 000, 000.
- American President McKinley originally opposed colonization before caving into hoax and
his republican party agreeing to take over the islands. Echoing the imperialists, Mckinley
explained that because Filipinos were unfit for self-government, he had no choice but to
take over the island and “civilize them”.
- Filipinos led by Aguinaldo had other ideas, they set up a makeshift capital in Malolos,
outside of Manila. In open defiance, the americans in turn, antagonized the Filipinos and
war broke out in February 1899. The guerilla campaign launched by Aguinaldo and rebels
who included Gregorio Del Pilar and Apolinario Mabini proved remarkably at neutralizing
American military superiority. Aguinaldo was captured in March 1901 but still the war
dragged on, as it did, and as casualties on both side mounted. The American public’s
opposition to the war grew. Resentment peaked in September 1901 in the aftermath of the
battle of Balangiga when 54 soldiers were killed by irregular forces. This in turn led to
retaliation by the americans who killed indiscriminately 2,000 to 2,500 in the island of
 Samar. Eventually the U.S declared victory on July 4 th 1902 altho the pockets of Guerilla
resistance continued for the several more years. In the end, 200 000 Filipino Civilians,
20,000 Filipino Soldiers and more than 4,000 American troops died in the ward from combat
or disease.
- The Amerians tried to gain the approval of the Filipinos after the war. They began instituting
reforms like complete overhaul of the education system, whereas, the Spanish had
attempted to keep Filipinos Illitirate and ignorant of the Spanish Language. The Americans
imported hundreds of teachers to the country to teach reading, writing, arithmetic and
English within 35 years the literacy rate among Filipinos had risen from a miniscule
percentage to almost 50% and 27% of the population could speak English.
- Beside Schools, the Americans built bridges, roads, and sewage systems. They neutralized
their recalcitrant morals in Mindanao and Christianized the Cordillera tribes of the North,
two groups the Spanish had tried and failed to influence.
- They also instituted an American-style political system that gradually gave more and more
power to Filipinos and openly promised the eventual independence for the country. Their
economic policy, however, entrenched the dominance of the landed elite as the free flow of
U.S imports was a powerful deterrent to Philippine Industrial Growth while those who
explored sugar prospered. This would have serious consequences later on.
- Critics describe American benevolence during this period as a thinly veiled carrot disguising
America’s true goal of establishing economic hegemony over the islands. Whatever the
motive, the U.S. endorsed the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935. Along with the
drafting of a U.S Style Constitution and the first national election on paper at least
democracy and freedom had at come to the Philippines. Unfortunately, World War II would
ensure that they would be short-lived.

World War II (JAPANESE PERIOD)

- When Japan bombed Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor in 1941, other forces attacked Clark Field,
Pampanga. Where Gen. Douglas McArthur was caught napping despite many hours of
warning. Sitting off a string of events that would lead to the Japanese occupying the
Philippines from 1942-1945.
- In 1944, McArthur, honored his now famous pledge to return landing in Leyte. Determined
to dislodge the Japanese. The main battleground in this onslaught was Manila where
defenseless suffered horrifically in ensuing crossfire during the February 1945, Battle of
Manila. By the time McArthur marched into the city the combination of Japanese Atrocities
and American Shelling had atleast killed 150 000 civilians and the city that had been one of
the finest in Asia was destroyed, a fierce debate rages to this day about who was to blame
for the destruction of Manila. The vast majority of Civilian casualties from US Artillery fire
but many argue that by failing to abandon Manila and declaring it an open city, the Japanese
gave McArthur a little choice whatever the truth. Manila belongs in the category with
Warsaw, Hiroshima, and Hamburg as cities suffered the most damaged in World War II.

Post War Period

 - The impact of the war led to a weaker civil service and a reduction in the dominance of
Manila with provincial politicians gaining power and in some cases the fact of autonomy.
Universal suffrage saw an expansion of voter participation although power remained
concentrated in the hands of a small elite. Despite the landed elite continuing to dominate
the legistlature a diversifying post-war economy saw who are not primarily from agricultural
backgrounds come to Executive Power. The post-war period until 1965 known as the
Filipinos as the Third Republic (1945-1965) was a competition between Nacionalista Party
and Liberal Party. Men such as Elpidio Quirino, Ramon Magsaysay, and Diosdado Macapagal
in fits and starts. They tried reforming and liberalizing the economy and the Philippines
seemed to be slowly moving in the right direction but things were about to change.

Marcos

- In 1965, Ferdinand Marcos, a former lawyer from a prominent Ilocos Political Family was
elected The Philippines fourth post-world War II President under the seductive slogan, “this
nation can be great again”
- At first it was indeed a new era, and Marcos and his even more charismatic Wife Imelda
went about trying to bring back some of Manila’s pre-war energy by 1970 widespread
poverty, rising inflation, pitiful public funding and blatant corrupting triggered a wave of
protests in Manila when several demonstrators were killed outside the Presidential
Malacañang Palace. Marcos’ image as a political savior died with them. Citing the rise of
leftist student groups in the communists’ new people’s army or NPA, Marcos imposed
Martial law on the entire country in 1972. Normally, a constitutional last resort decided to
protect the masses. Martial was declared by Marcos to keep himself in power since the
constitution prevented him from running for a third term and to protect his foreign business
interests.
- Under Martial Law, a curfew was imposed, the media was silenced or taken over by the
military, international travel was manned and thousands of anti-government were rounded
up and put into military camps. An estimated 50,000 Marcos were jailed, exiled or killed.
Marcos would not lift martial law until 1981. His end was brought about by People Power in
1986, a movement born in the streets in Manila. As the whole world watched, millions of
Filipinos armed only with courage and religious poured onto the streets to defy the military
might of the Marcos regime despite Marcos popularity in the mid-1980s People Powered by
never have happened were it not for the assassination of immensely popular opposition
figure, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino. Aquino had been a political prisoner and then got into exile
in the United States. He was murdered on the tarmac of Manila Airport as he came back to
the Philippines to face the dictator. With his death, Filipinos felt they had lost their hope for
a peaceful return to democracy.
- The decline and fall of the Marcos Dictatorship came swiftly after that by 1986 even the U.S.
which had backed Marcos against communism in Southeast Asia began to withdraw its
support. In the face of mountain criticism abroad and rising unrest at home, Marcos, called
for snap elections on February 7 1986. Corazon C. Aquino, Ninoy’s widow, became the
reluctant at first standard bearer of the opposition at the instigation of the Roman Catholic
Church. Marcos came out as the winner of election but the people knew Cory had been
cheated and they were no longer to be silenced.
 - On February 26th, a massive sea of humanity gathered around two camps along EDSA, where
two of Marcos’ former ministers; Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel V. Ramos had taken refuge
after defecting to the side of the people. They sang, chanted, prayed, and shared food and
drink. Both among themselves, and with government troops who refused to fire into crowds
eventually went over to the side of the people. By nightfall, the restless crowds were
threatening to storm the palace. At this point, the US stepped in and advised Marcos’ to let
go. Hurriedly, Marcoses boarded a U.S. aircraft and flew to Hawaii and into exile. The
Filipino people had stages the world’s first successful bloodlest revolution inspiring others to
do the same across the world. Ferdinand Marcos died in exile in 1989 and his happy wife
soon returned to the Philippines despite evidence that she and her husband helped
themselved to billions of dollars from the treasury.
- Imelda lives freely in Manila was later elected to her fourth term in Congress 2016 but once
for Leyte and thrice for Ilocos Norte.

POLITICS

- Politics since the fall of Marcos has been tumultuous largely because the stable party system
that existed before marcos never returned, instead today the country has weak political
parties that tend to coalesce not around sets of policies which stir a little debate but around
leaders with vivid personalities who win elections.
- In the 1990s the country aggressively privatized and liberalized the economy under Fidel V.
Ramos but the 1998 Asian crisis left it in bad shape and the President elected to clean up
the mess, Joseph Estrada, failed badly. Soon he would face an impeachment trial over
corruption allegations. This would see millions of Filipinos take to the streets to support his
removal and he was forced to resign. The country’s second people power revolution in 15
years. Estrada gave way to his Vice President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Who is nearly 10
years in office and were also talked by scandals including election proprieties in her 2004 re-
election and in 2007 congressional elections misuse of Public Funds and general plunder and
corruption.
- In 2010 presidential Election, the country found the fresh face it was looking for in the form
of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. Riding a wave of natural grief after his mother’s death in
2009. Aquino won a landslide victory with 42% of the votes. Even while, the Philippines
economy grew quickly still nearly 10% was based on remittances, talk of impeaching
president Aquino was banded about after he instituted the (Disbursement Acceleration
Program (DAP) essentially a way for Aquino to bypass the Legislature and according to him
fast track a much needed stimulus package in a discouraging tip for tat, Aquino threatened
to impeach Supreme Court Justices who ruled DAP unconstitutional.
- The Aquino administration made progress in ending several decades of Armed Conflict in
parts of the southern islands of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago.
- In the summer of 2014, the government and the moro Islamic liberation front (MILF), one of
the major rebel groups seeking an autonomous muslim homeland agreed to the basic
framework for this entity called Bangsamoro. The splinter group objected, however and
periodic violence still surfaces leading up to the presidential election of 2016 confidence in
Aquino and traditional politics was diminishing.
 - There was the attack on farm workers at Hacienda Luisita, the Zamboanga Siege, The Manila
Hostage crisis, Cuts on social services, and a lack of progress improving the transportation
and power infrastructure. Aquino however, was hardly alone in his shrinking political
fortunes. The ongoing police investigation in which an influential businesswoman was
accused of channeling kickbacks to prominent opposition leaders was a smorgasbord of
wrongdoing.

Duterte

- Promising to the end corruption, crime and reset relations with China. Rodrio Duterte, the
former long-time Mayor in Davao City beat his closest rival by more than 6 million votes in
the 2016 elections.
- He immediately implemented a war on drugs that led to thousands deaths. The opposition
outrage insisted these were human rights abuses and a breakdown of the rule of law.
Criticism that was echoed abroad but at home it made no difference. Duterte was and
continues to be one of the most popular presidents ever in part this was because of the
roaring economic growth the Philippines was experiencing until 2019 still even after Covid
put an end to that Duterte retains majority approval. Because of that, it is still unclear
whether his influence will persist even after his term is over in June 2022.
- For now, he announced, he will run for the VP but there’s also the option to support his
daughter for president whatever happens the Philippines will continue to face enormous for
quite a while yet.