Readings in Philippine History

Historical Events
in the
Philippines
by Irah Angellie B. Doroy
BSCE-2A
 TIMELINE OF HISTORICAL EVENTS
IN THE PHILIPPINES

1500
1521
March 16
Discovery of the Philippines:
March 29 Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan lands on
Homonhon with three small ships, named
Blood Compact between Magellan the Concepcion, Trinidad and Victoria.
and Rajah Kulambo of Limasawa
March 31
The First Mass on Philippines was
celebrated and held in Limasawa,
April 14 Southern Leyte which symbolized the
The First Mass in Cebu Province is conversion of many Filipinos to Roman
celebrated, with about 500 natives, Catholicism.
including Rajah Humabon and his wife,
baptized into the Catholic Church. April 27
Magellan is killed by Lapu-Lapu in the
battle of Mactan; Spaniards defeated.

1525
Spain sends an expedition under Juan
Garcia Jofre de Loaysa to the Philippines.
The Loaysa Expedition failed. Many
expeditions followed.
1543
Spain sends a fifth expedition under Ruy
López de Villalobos to the Philippines. The
Expedition succeeds and lands in
February 2 Mindanao.
Villalobos arrives in the Philippines and
names the islands of Samar and Leyte as
Las Islas Filipinas in honor of the crown
prince of Spain, Philip of Asturias; he also
becomes the first to explore Mindanao
island, naming it "Cesarea Caroli."
1550
1565
February 13
Miguel López de Legazpi arrives in the
Philippines, landing in Cebu, with four
March ships and 380 men. This marked the
Blood Compact. Spanish Captain General beginning of Spanish dominion in the
Legazpi and Rajah Sikatuna performed Phiippines as Legazpi later established
the blood compact in Bohol as a sign of the seat of Spanish colonial government in
peace agreement between their parties. Manila.
 June 4
First agreement for peace in the
Philippines. Legazpi, representing King
1568 Philip II of Spain, and Rajah Tupas of
Cebu signed the Treaty of Cebu,
The Portuguese, under the command of effectively establishing Spanish suzerainty
General Gonzalo de Pereira, attack Cebu over Cebu.
and blockade its port.
1574
Chinese pirate Limahong, with his men,
invades Luzon; proceeds later to Manila.
1580
The Spaniards institute forced labor on all
male natives aged 16 to 60.
1582
The 1582 Cagayan battles take place
between Spanish forces and Japanese Ronin.
1593
Dominicans pioneer printing in the
Philippines by producing through the old
technique of xylography.
Doctrina Christiana in Spanish and
Tagalog is published in the first printing
press

1600
Shipbuilding. Ships were built on Biliran
Island and later in Cavite.
The Galleon trade between Manila and
Acapulco, Mexico begins.
1605
July 24
Archbishop Miguel de Benavides
bequeaths his library and a total amount
of ₱1,500 for the establishment of a 1646
seminary college, the present-day
University of Santo Tomas in Manila. October 4
Spanish and Filipino forces defeat the
Dutch invaders in an encounter, their fifth
and final battle, at the Manila Bay near
Corregidor in Cavite.

1650

1700
1744
Longest Revolt in History. 1744-1829.
Francisco Dagohoy led this longest
uprising in Bohol against the Spanish
Government.
 1750
1762
September 23
British Invasion of Manila. British fleet
1763 entered seizes Manila Bay as part of the
Seven Years' War
February 10
Treaty of Paris implicitly returns Manila to May 28
Spain.
Death of Diego Silang, a rebel leader
who conspired with British forces to
September overthrow the Spanish in the northern
Execution of Gabriela Silang, the only Philippines and establish an independent
Filipina to have led a revolt Ilocano nation.
1781
Tobacco Monopoly started - during the
period, tobacco farms and cigarette
plants in the country increased and
employed many Filipinos as farmers and
factory workers.

1800
1829
August 31
Dagohoy Revolt in Bohol ended.
1849
November 21
Surnames for Filipinos. Governor Narciso
Claveria y Zaluda issued a decree that
provided for the use of Spanish surnames
by Filipinos to facilitate census, tax
collection and administration.

1850
1872
February 17
Priests Mariano Gomez, José Apolonio
1889 Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora (together
known as Gomburza), martyrs to the
cause of nationalism are implicated in the
Founding of La Solidaridad. The Filiipino Cavite Mutiny and executed.
propagandists established this as the
organ of the Propaganda Movement.
Garciano Lopez Jaena and Marcelo H. 1892
del Pilar served as editors and Jose Rizal
as one of its writers. Diariong Tagalog is published; first native
daily paper, lasted at least three months.
July 7
Founding of Katipunan. Andres Bonifacio,
Ladislaw Diwa and Teodoro Plata July 17
composed the first triangle of the secret Jose Rizal founds La Liga Filipina, is
society. arrested and exiled to Dapitan,
Mindanao.
November 24
Ferrocaril de Manila-Dagupan is opened,
country's first railroad line with route of 1896
Manila–Dagupan, the forerunner of the
Philippine National Railways. August 19
Discovery of Katipunan. Katipunan is
discovered by the Spanish authorities.
Katipuneros flee to Balintawak.
 August 23
Cry of Pugad Lawin. The Katipuneros
gathered in Pugad Lawin, tore their
cedulas and declared war. August 30
Battle of San Juan del Monte took place.
November 13
Rizal arrives in Manila and is incarcerated December 30
in Fort Santiago
Rizal is executed at Bagumbayan.
1897
March 22
Tejeros Convention. The Katipuneros
changed the Katipunan into a May 10
revolutionary government and held the Andres Bonifacio and his brothers are
first election in country's electoral history. executed at Mt. Buntis, Maragondon,
Emilio Aguinaldo is elected as president. Cavite.
August 15 December 14
A 7.9 intensity estimated earthquake hits Pact of Biak-na-Bato, between Filipinos
Luzon's northwest coast 1898 (Aguinaldo) and Spaniards (Gov. Primo
de Rivera), signed. This provided for the
secession of hostilities between the two
February 8 parties and the voluntary exile of
The Katipunan is revived by Emilio Jacinto revolutionary leaders in Hong Kong.
and Feliciano Jocson. May 28
June 12 Filipino revolutionaries defeat the Spanish
forces in a battle in Alapan, Imus, Cavite,
Proclamation of Philippine Independence. with the first unfurling of the Philippine
Philippine Independence from Spain is flag.
declared by Filipino revolutionaries, led by
Pres. Aguinaldo, in Kawit, Cavite. August 20
December 10 Bates Treaty Agreement. The agreement
signifies noninvolvement of the Muslims in
Spain and the U.S. sign the Treaty of Paris.
Article III provides for the cession of the 1899 the Filipino-American War.
Philippines to the U.S. by Spain and the
payment of 20 million dollars to Spain by January 23
the US. The Malolos Republic (First Republic)
government, Asia's first republic, is
June 5 inaugurated at Barasoain Church in
Assassination of General Antonio Luna.. Malolos, Bulacan; Emilio Aguinaldo takes
This event is considered one of the his oath of office as the first president of
tragedies of revolution. the Philippines.
December 2
Battle of Tirad Pass. General Gregorio del
Pilar died in action while defending Tirad
Pass from the American soldiers.

1900
1901
March 23
Capture of General Emilio Aguinaldo in
Palanan, Isabela. The American Colonial Public Education System. The Philippine
Government considered this the end of the Commission passed Act 74 providing for
revolution. the public education system, which includes
1902 the use of English as the medium of
instruction, free primary education and a
January normal school for the training of teachers.
The First Labor Union of the country,
Union de Litografose Impresores de
Filipinas, is organized.
1907
October 16
Inauguration of the first Philippine
1908 Assembly. It served as the lower house of
bicameral legislature with the Philippine
June 18 Commission as the upper house.
Creation of University of the Philippines
by Act 1870, the country’s premier state
university.
 1919
September 19
The silent film Dalagang Bukid by José
1930 Nepomuceno was released, the first film to
be produced locally.
December 29
Inauguration of Rizal Monument at the
Luneta, now Rizal Park. 1934
March 24
The Tydings-McDuffie Law, known as the
1935 Philippine Independence Law, is signed by
U.S. President Roosevelt.
November 15
Inauguration of Commonwealth
Government. Manuel Quezon took office
and become the 2nd president of the 1937
Philippines.
Tagalog was declared as the country's
official national language which was
changed to Pilipino and then "Filipino" for it
1941 to be less regionalistic, or less connected to
the Tagalog region.
December 8
Japanese InvasionStart of the Japanese
invasion of the Philippines following Pearl
Harbor attack.
1942
March 25
Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon
1946 (Hukbalahap, People's Anti-Japanese
Army) is organized in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija.
July 4
The United States recognizes the
Independence of the Republic of the
Philippines.
1950
1951
March 6
Fort Santiago was declared a National
1953 Shrine.
October 23
DZAQ-TV Channel of ABS, then owned
by Presidential brother Antonio Quirino, December 30
airs its country's first official television
broadcast from Manila. Ramon Magsaysay took office as the 7th
1957 president of the Philippines.
March 17
Death of Pres. Ramon Magsaysay. The
President’s plane crashed I Manunggul, March 18
Cebu. His death grieved the Filipino people Carlos P. Garcia took office and become
and caused an immediate transition of
leadership in government.
1965 the next president of the Philippines.

December 30
Ferdinand Marcos took office as the 10th
president of the Philippines. 1970
November 27
Pope Paul VI makes his first papal visit in
1971 the Philippines, but survived an
assassination attempt by Benjamín
Plaza Miranda is bombed during the Mendoza y Amor Flores at Manila
Liberal Party's election campaign, seriously International Airport.
injuring some opposition personalities.
 1972
September 21
Pres. Marcos signs the Martial Law edict
September 22 (Proclamation No. 1081) to be imposed
Pres. Marcos announces that he had nationwide; at that time not publicly
placed the entire country under martial announced.
law, with the earlier "ambush" as a pretext. September 23
1981 Public utilities as well as media outlets,
except some including newspaper Daily
November 17 Express and television and radio stations of
Manila Film Center Tragedy. Accident Kanlaon Broadcasting System, are shut
during the construction of the Manila Film down and seized by the government.
Center, (of Imelda Marcos) where 169 1983
people were killed.
August 21
Assassination of Senator Benigno “Ninoy”
1986 Aquino at the Manila International Airport,
now named in his honor.
February 22-25
EDSA I Revolution ousts President Marcos;
Corazon Cojuangco–Aquino becomes
President.
1992
Fidel Ramos wins presidential election. His
pragmatic leadership defies traditional
1994 perceptions of inept Filipino government.
Foreign investors return.
March 29
The Philippines first makes its connection
to the Internet, with Philippine Network
Foundation connects to the United States'
Sprint via a 64 kbit/s link.
2000
January 1
The Philippines celebrates the new 2000
millennium nationwide. April 19
An Air Philippines plane crashes in the hills
2001 of Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del
Norte, killing all 131 on board; the worst
January 16-20 aviation disaster in country's history.
EDSA II Revolution ousts Pres. Estrada;
Vice-Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
becomes the 14th president of the
2012
Philippines. August 18
Death of Jesse Robredo, Interior Secretary,
October 15 one among the 4 killed in a plane crash off
The Framework Agreement on the Masbate Island.
Bangsamoro is signed by the Philippine
Government and the Moro Islamic China and the Philippines clash over
Liberation Front (MILF), aiming to end Scarborough Shoal in the contested South
war in the southern Philippines. 2013 China Sea, seeding a high-level diplomatic
dispute.
October 15
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake, whose November 8
released energy is found equivalent to 32 Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
Hiroshima bombs, strikes Bohol province, landfalls in Visayas and devastates the
affecting Central Visayas, with 222 people
died; the country’s deadliest earthquake 2015 country, with Leyte (Tacloban City) among
the most affected; death toll of at least
since 1990. 6,300; majority of about 11 million people
May 3 reportedly affected are left homeless; one
of the strongest tropical cyclones to hit the
Abdul Basit Usman, the most wanted country, and the deadliest typhoon on
bomb expert in the country, was killed by a 2016 record.
MILF group unit in Guindulungan,
Maguindanao. June 30
President Rodrigo Duterte took office and
became the sixteenth president of the
Philippines.
 2017
May 23
Pres. Duterte declares a 60-day martial
2018 law in Mindanao (via Proclamation No.
216) following clashes between government
forces and the Maute group in Marawi
Three policemen are sentenced to decades City
in prison for murdering a teenager during
an anti-narcotics sweep, the first conviction
of officers carrying out Duterte's drug war. 2019
The Philippines officially exits the
International Criminal court in March, a
year after telling the United Nations that it
2020 was quitting the world's only permanent
war crimes tribunal.
January 30
First case of coronavirus disease 2019 is
confirmed by the Department of Health March
(DOH). President Duterte declared the whole
July Philippine under a State of Calamity and
imposed an Enhanced Community
President Rodrigo Duterte signs the Anti- Quarantine throughout Luzon.
Terrorism Act of 2020 (Republic Act No.
11479), a measure that giving the October
government more powers to act against Philippines is among 20 countries with the
persons or groups falling under what critics most COVID-19 cases worldwide. The
say is a dangerous and vague definition of country is also recorded as the country with
terrorism. the longest lockdown in the world.
December
Police officer Jonel Nuezca fatally shoots 2021
civilians Sonya Gregorio and her son,
Frank, in Paniqui, Tarlac, causing renewed February
discussion over police brutality.
The Philippines receives its first shipment
July of Covid-19 vaccines, with the arrival of
600,000 doses of China-based drugmaker
A Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft of the Sinovac Biotech vaccine CoronaVac.
Philippine Air Force (PAF) crashes in
Patikul, Sulu, killing 53 people. The incident December 16
is the deadliest aviation accident involving
the Philippine military. Typhoon Rai (Odette) makes landfall in
southern Philippines causing at least 407
deaths and ₱33.2 billion worth of damage
to infrastructure and agriculture. Pres.
Duterte declares a state of calamity in six
regions on December 21 as a response to
the typhoon's impact.

PRESENT
 References:
History of the Philippines. (1998).
https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/History/P
hilippines-history.htm

Philippine History and Timeline. (2021).

Timeline of Philippine History. (n. d.) Retrieved from

100 significant events in Philippine History. (n.d.)

Calimon, D. & Masangkay, M. (2020). Philippines: