Fil Garciano

I BSBA OM, Enderun Colleges

Philippine History, Government, and Constitution
Dr. Greg Samar

The Cradle of Independence: A Timeline of the History of the Southern Tagalog from
Before Colonization to the Japanese Era

ca. 900 AD The creation of what is now called the Laguna Copperplate
Inscription, an ancient artifact that shows the forgiveness of a debt of a private
citizen to the Lakan or chief of Tondo. This artifact is eveidence of the presence
of an advanced civilization of Tagalogs in the region.
The 13
th
Century Residents of the communities surrounding the Pansipit River
of Batangas participate in trade with Yuan and Ming-era China, as evidenced by
archaeological findings in the Municipality of Calatagan as claimed by the
Batangas government. The recovered artifacts also point to key trade relationships
with other ancient Asian civilizations such as the Javanese kingdom and the
Indian kingdoms. The province of Cavite was also used as a main trading post
outside the Kingdom of Tondo for Chinese junks.
The 1570s Spanish troops and Visayan tribesmen under the command of
conquistadores such as de Goiti and de Salcedo explored and conquered the
Tagalog territories for Spain. The Spaniards founded what would be the City of
Cavite, named by the locals after the geographical shape of the province, which is
kalawit, or hook. The Spanish also came across the settlements along the Palansit
and established the town of Taal. Religious forces in the form of the Franciscan
missionaries also swept across the region, with its main focal points in the
province of Laguna.
The 1580s The Spanish reorganized administrative divisions in the region, such
as when it put Batangas under the jursidction of the political entity called the
Province of Balayan. Encomiendas were also established in what is now the
Province of Rizal that were under former conquistadors and religious orders.
These encomiendas are the ascendants of the present towns of Taguig, Pasay,
Taytay, Paraaque, Dongalo, Malabon, and Navotas.
The 1590s A province called Kalilayan was established in what is now Quezon
Province.
The 1600s to the 1650s Cavite was established as a political entity in 1614, and
became a key area for galleon building for the Spanish naval and trade fleets.
Because of its strategic position in regards to the location of the capital, Manila,
the administrative nature of the province of Cavite was both political and military.
It is also this strategic position which attracted military invaders as when the
Dutch attempted to invade the country but was garrisoned off by forces in Cavite.
Also during the 1600s, Chinese residents in Laguna were making stands against
Spanish occupation. Also, in 1604, the political entity of Kalilayan was destroyed
by Muslim rebels causing mass migration towards Pagbilao.
The 1660s to the 1690s Further border delimitation occurred, especially in
Laguna. These widespread restructurings were attempts by Spain to ensure the
firmer control on trade of the region, as further evidenced by continuous
transferring of capitals as in 1688 when the provincial capital was transferred
from Bay to Pagsanjan.
The 1700s It was during the 18
th
Century that the Spaniards began distributing
encomiendas in the Province of Cavite. It was also in this century when the
British seized control over the Philippines and exercised control over Manila and
the surrounding regions. The Tagalog provinces fought on the side of the Spanish
Crown, especially the Lagueos under the command of Filipino Francisco de San
Juan who fought of the British invaders. He was honored by the Spanish
government by giving him the title of Alcalde of Tayabas, Quezon.
The Pre-Revolutionary 19
th
Century Seeds of sever discontent were growing
among the indigenous population, especially in the Tagalog region. This was a
key reason behind further political restructuring, as in the creation of a political
entity from the western-most and northern-most ends of the Provinces of Tondo
and La Laguna, respectively, which became what is now the Province of Rizal.
General resentment towards the Spanish colonizers were further fueled by labor
movements that were precursors to the national liberation movement. An example
of these events would be the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 where hundreds of workers of
the Fort San Felipe, a Spanish arsenal in the province, revolted because of too
much tax burdens atop their already tedious workload. The uprising had massive
ramifications, including the execution of the Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite. The
mutiny also served as an excuse to execute three prominent reformist Filipino
priests, the priests Mariano Gomez, Jacinto Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora. These
events are directly associated with the outburst of the Philippine Revolution of
1896. Another key instance was the Confradia Revolt instigated by Apolinario
dela Cruz of Lucban, known as Hermano Pule by the locals. This revolt was
characterized by the stark yearning for religious freedom and was seen as a
significant threat to Spanish political and religious authority.
The Philippine Revolution The Southern Tagalog was the epicenter of the
Philippine Revolution. Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas were among the first eight
provinces that declared for the revolutionary Katipunan, as commemorated by
their positions in the sun of the Philippine flag. Katipunan regimens were present
across the region, the most prominent of which were Aguinaldos Magdalo in
Cavite and Miguel Malvar of Batangas who also held command over Tayabas, as
well as Paciano Rizal of Laguna who became a revolutionary general after his
brother Joses death. These revolutionary fronts were crucial in toppling Spanish
influence in the countryside, and were bloody theaters of war in the Revolution.
Aguinaldo declared Independence in 1898, in the town of Kawit, Cavite.
The American Occupation The provinces continued to defend their
independence after the elimination of Spanish colonizers in Cavite but this time
against the Americans. General Rizal and Cailles of Laguna initially fought
against the Americans but were quickly defeated. Cavite was just as easily
subdued. General Miguel Malvar of Batangas, however, held in as long as he
could. This was also done by General Macario Sakay who established his own
Tagalog Republic in the mountains of Rizal, and is commonly recognized as one
of the last revolutionaries to surrender.
The Japanese Occupation The region was, as many other provinces, bloody
theaters of war. Guerilla movements were abundant in the regions, and Japanese
resistance was an obvious step in accordance to the Tagalog heritage of
resistance.
The Present Day The region, after several renaming schemes (Tayabs to
Quezon, etc.) is now composed of five provinces: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas,
Rizal, and Quezon, known as CALABARZON. The region now experiences
sustainable growth, with numerous municipalities and cities jumping from fourth-
class towns to first-class cities, a fruit of national development and good
governance that is a departure from the messy history of the region.

Sources:
http://www.cavite.gov.ph/home/
http://batangas.gov.ph/
http://lagunaphilippines.weebly.com/history.html
http://www.flyphilippines.com.ph/quezon/info.php
http://rizalprovince.ph/journeytothepast.html