HISTORY OF PHILIPPINES

The history of the Philippines has begun on the arrival of the migrants Negritos who came in the
islands of Palawan by means of walking through land bridges. They are believed to come from
Asian country. They are small people who have dark complexion and curly brown hair. These
people lived through hunting and fishing, they do not know anything about agriculture. They are
the ancestors of the indigenous Filipino group called the “Aetas”.

After Negritos came to the Filipinos there are also second group of migrants who came to the
Philippines, the Hindus. They are believed to be native of Indonesia. Next to them is the arrival
of another group who came to islands of the Philippines using rafts which they call “balangay”,
they are the Malays. These people are said to be the ancestors of most of the Filipinos. Their
physical appearance resembles the majority of the Filipinos. They have brown skin
”kayumanggi”, straight hairs, average height and flat nose.These group of migrants have
engaged in pottery, weaving jewelry making, metal smelting and they introduced irrigation
system.

In the beginning of the third century, the inhabitants of the Philippines were trading with traders
from East Asian countries including China, and later Japanese have also built trading post on the
northern part of Luzon.

In 1380, Muslim Arab groups from Borneo arrived on the islands of Sulu and established Muslim
communities in the area lead by the Datu. They were the one who introduced Islam in the
Southern parts of the Philippine archipelago and in some parts of Luzon. They dominated the
region for hundreds of years until the discovery of the archipelago by the Spaniards.

In 1521, the team of the Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed on the land of Samar,
he named it Archipelago of San Lazaro and explored nearby areas including Cebu where he was
killed by the leader of the Mactan Island (near Cebu), Sultan Kudarat. After Magellan died,
Spanish government continued to send expeditions to the archipelago for financial gain and on
the fourth expedition, the leader Ruy Lopez de Villalobos named the Island Philippines, after the
King Philip II. When Miguel Lopez de Legazpi was appointed as the first governor of the
Philippines he chose Manila to be the capital because of its natural harbor that they can be used
for trading. The Spaniards colonized Philippines for 356 years; they have influenced the Filipino
culture in so many ways. They have introduced the Catholicism to the country, which became the
religion of most of the Filipinos up to the present times.

During the Spanish colony, many Filipinos heroes have leaded some revolutionary
movements again the Spanish suppressor. They include Andres Bonifacio who led the faction
named Katipunan and later Emilio Aguinaldo drafted the constitution and established the Very
first Philippine republic. Among with them is Jose Rizal, now the National Hero of the country
who used his gift of intelligence against the Spaniards, he was then later executed in Luneta park
(Rizal Park today)

The Spanish colonization was ended when they ceded the Philippines to the American after the
Spanish-American war and payment of 20 million US dollar in accordance to the Treaty of Paris.
On June 12, 1898, President Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippine Independence day. During
the American period, Commonwealth government was established and Manuel Quezon won the
position as the President of the Philippine Commonwealth. Americans also have big contribution
on the culture of the Filipinos. Until now the two countries have remained allies.

The American era have lasted on 1941, when the Japanese invaded the country after bombing
Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Soon there was guerilla war against the Japanese where they were
fought by Filipinos together with the Americans. Filipinos civilian endured so much cruelty from
the Japanese military. In 1944 Gen, McArthur with President Sergio Osmena (who assumed
presidency after the death of Manuel Quezon) returned and liberated the Philippines from the
Japanese.

After the Japanese colonization, the Philippines had begun to have its own Republic and
constitution. They have lead by the Presidents: Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino, Ramon
Magsaysay, Carlos Garcia, and Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos was the first president to be re-elected
for a second term in office, he then declared Martial Law on 1972 which lead to 21 year
dictatorship. People Power Revolution has ended the Marcos dictatorship and Corazon Aquino
has won the snap election. She was then succeeded by Fidel Ramos. After him Joseph Estrada
was elected as the president who was impeached because involvement in Jueteng, an illegal
number game, Gloria Arroyo who was then the vice president assumed the country’s highest
position after the People Power Revolution was repeated for the second time. After Arroyo is
Benigno Aquino, son of Corazon Aquino, was elected and succeeded by Rodrigo Duterte
(present President of the Republic).

Moral Lesson :
I Love your article about Philippine History and many more...I 'm very satisfied about your article,
it's fascinating and all and I'm delighted to read about your topics about the cultures and history about
Philippines, because it's inspire me to love and read about my own nation...Thank you very much, you
really helped us a lot about your topic... So THANK YOU Again for Sharing your Own knowledge
and Wisdom ...and may God Bless
You Always!!!
 Independence Day

Independence Day (Filipino: Araw ng Kasarinlán; also known as Araw ng

Kalayaan, "Day of Freedom") is an annual national holiday in the Philippines observed on June
12, 1898 commemorating the independence of the Philippines from Spain.

The day of celebration of war and love varied throughout the nation's history. The earliest
recorded was when Andres Bonifacio, along with Emilio Jacinto, Restituto Javier, Guillermo
Masangkay, Aurelio Tolentino, Faustino Manalak, Pedro Zabala and few other Katipuneros went
to Pamitinan Cave in Montalban, Rizal to initiate new members of the Katipunan. Bonifacio
wrote Viva la independencia Filipina! or Long Live Philippine independence on walls of the cave
to express the goal of their secret society. Bonifacio also led the Cry of Pugad Lawin, which
signals the beginning of Philippine Revolution. Members of the Katipunan, led by Andres
Bonifacio, tore their community tax certificates (cedulas personales) in protest of Spanish
conquest, but this was neither officially recognized nor commemorated in Rome.
The Philippine Revolution began in 1896. The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 14,
1897, established a truce between the Spanish colonial government and the Filipino
revolutionaries. Under its terms, Emilio Aguinaldo and other revolutionary leaders went into
exile in Hong Kong.
At the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Commodore George Deweysailed from Hong
Kong to Manila Bay leading the U.S. Navy Asiatic Squadron. On May 1, 1898, Dewey defeated
the Spanish in the Battle of Manila Bay, which effectively put the U.S. in control of the Spanish
colonial government. Later that month, the U.S. Navy transported Aguinaldo back to the
Philippines.[3] Aguinaldo arrived on May 19, 1898 in Cavite. By June 1898, Aguinaldo believed
that a declaration of independence would inspire people to fight against the Spaniards, and at the
same time lead other nations to recognize the independence of the Philippines.
On June 5, 1898, Aguinaldo issued a decree at Aguinaldo house located in what was then known
as Cavite El Viejo proclaiming June 12, 1898 as the day of independence. The Acta de la
Proclamacion de la Independencia del Pueblo Filipino was solemnly read by its
author, Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, Aguinaldo's war counselor and special delegate. The 21-
page declaration was signed by 98 Filipinos, appointed by Aguinaldo, and one retired American
artillery officer, Colonel L.M. Johnson. The Philippine flag was officially unfurled for the first
time at 4:20 p.m, as the Marcha Nacional Filipina was played by the band of San Francisco de
Malabon.
The proclamation was initially ratified by 190 municipal presidents from the 16 provinces
controlled by the revolutionary army August 1, 1898, and was again ratified on September 29,
1898 by the Malolos Congress.
The Philippines failed to win international recognition of its independence, specifically including
the United States of America and Spain. The Spanish government later ceded the Philippine
archipelago to the United States in the 1898 Treaty of Paris. The Philippines Revolutionary
Government did not recognize the treaty and the two sides subsequently fought what was known
as the Philippine–American War. The United States of America granted independence to the
Philippines on July 4, 1946 through the Treaty of Manila. July 4 was chosen as the date by the
United States because it corresponds to the United States' Independence Day, and that day was
observed in the Philippines as Independence Day until 1962. On May 12, 1962,
President Diosdado Macapagal issued Presidential Proclamation No. 28, which declared June 12
a special public holiday throughout the Philippines, "... in commemoration of our people's
declaration of their inherent and inalienable right to freedom and independence. On August 4,
1964, Republic Act No. 4166 renamed July 4 holiday as "Philippine Republic Day", proclaimed
June 12 as "Philippine Independence Day", and enjoined all citizens of the Philippines to observe
the latter with befitting rites. Prior to 1964, June 12 was observed as Flag Day in the country.
In 1965, President Diosdado Macapagal issued Proclamation No. 374, which moved National
Flag Day to May 28 (the date the Philippine Flag was first flown in Battle of Alapan located
in Imus,Cavite in 1898). In 1994, President Fidel V. Ramos issued Executive Order No. 179,
extending the celebration period from May 28 to Philippine Independence Day on June 12,
ordering government departments, agencies, offices, government owned and controlled
corporations, state agencies, and local government units, and even private establishments, to
prominently display the National Flag in all public buildings, government institutions, and
official residences during this period; ordering the Department of Education, in coordination with
the private sector, non-government organizations, and socio-civic groups, to enjoin the prominent
display of the National Flag in all public squares and, whenever practicable, in all private
buildings and homes in celebration of national independence.
Moral Lesson :
We are one great race with a glorious past. As a race and as a nation, we have
survived many challenges. Now we are challenged once again to make history and tread one
extraordinary path. We should be proud of the path we once trod.