PHILIPPINE HISTORY

The Tagalog word for “history” is kasaysayan.

Spain’s rule of the Philippines began soon after the explorer Ferdinand Magellan discovered the islands in 1521.

The Spanish conquistadores reigned for nearly 400 years until 1898 when the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War. As a result of the Treaty of Paris, Spain surrendered the Philippines, marking the end of Spanish colonial rule and the beginning of American control.

American rule was interrupted briefly during World War II when the Japanese occupied the islands from 1941 to 1945. After the war ended, the United States granted the Philippines independence on July 4, 1946, ending nearly 50 years of American government.

Short Historical Background

The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century. They were ceded to the United States in 1898 following the Spanish-American War.

In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel Quezon was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition.

In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation during World War II, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control.

On 4 July 1946 the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence from the United States. Continue reading “Short Historical Background”

Magellan Song (Lyrics & Recoding)

These are the lyrics to the funny Magellan song of Filipino singer Yoyoy Villame about one of the most famous events in Philippine history: the discovery of the Philippine islands by Ferdinand Magellan and his subsequent death at the hands of local chieftain Lapu-Lapu.

What makes it funny is the broken English lyrics, but the story is as close to the actual events as most Filipinos know.

MAGELLAN SONG LYRICS

On March 16, 1521
When Philippines was discovered by Magellan
They were sailing day and night across the big ocean
Until they saw a small Limasawa island
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Filipino Presidents – Biographies

The native Tagalog word for ‘president’ is pangulo, and the Spanish-derived Filipino word is presidente.

Emilio Aguinaldo (1869 – 1964)
The president of the first Philippine republic (1899). He started as a member of the Magdalo Chapter of the Katipunan in Cavite, then was elected president of the revolutionary government at the Tejeros Convention on March 22,1897, and, later, Biak-na-Bato Republic. He proclaimed Philippine independence at Kawit on June 12, 1898. His capture foreshadowed the end of large-scale armed resistance to American rule.
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Battle of the Philippines, 1941-1942

Battle of Philippines:
December 8, 1941 – May 6, 1942

The attack on the Philippines started on December 8, 1941, just ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. As at Pearl Harbor, the American aircraft were entirely destroyed on the ground. Lacking air cover, the American Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines withdrew to Java on December 12, 1941.
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Battle of Bataan & Death March

Bataan is a province on the Bataan Peninsula of the large island of Luzon.

The Battle of Bataan was one of the last stands of American and Filipino soldiers before they were overwhelmed by imperial Japanese forces during World War II. It is the largest surrender of American and Filipino troops in military history.

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The Era of Ferdinand Marcos

Nacionalista Party leader Ferdinand Marcos dominated the political scene of the Philippines for two decades after his election to the presidency in 1965.

Nacionalista Party leader Ferdinand Marcos dominated the political scene of the Philippines for two decades after his election to the presidency in 1965. During his first term, Marcos initiated ambitious public works projects that improved the general quality of life while providing generous pork-barrel benefits to his friends. Marcos perceived that his promised land reform program would alienate the politically all-powerful landowner elite, and thus it was never forcefully implemented. He lobbied strenuously for economic and military aid from the United States while resisting significant involvement in the Second Indochina War (1954–75).

In 1967 the Philippines became a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Marcos became the first president to be reelected (in 1969), but early in his second term economic growth slowed, optimism faded, and the crime rate increased. In addition, a new communist insurgency, this time—starting in 1968—led by the new Communist Party of the Philippines-Marxist-Leninist and its military arm, the New People’s Army, was on the rise. In 1969 the Moro National Liberation Front was founded and conducted an insurgency in Muslim areas. Political violence blamed on leftists, but probably initiated by government agents provocateurs, led Marcos to suspend habeas corpus as a prelude to martial law.
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