The Philippines
December 22, 2008

Philippine Conquest
by Paul Brownlee

History is determined by fate.  A self evident fact.  Why events transpire as they do, and the paths which nations tread, can generally be influenced by the dominant power of the age. The Romans in their day influenced Europe, Egypt, the Mediterranean and North Africa.  Great Britain influenced one third of the globe at the height of her power.  In the sixteenth century there were two major players, and whilst both played a hand, it was one - for good or ill - right down to the name, which was to seal the destiny of the Philippines.  That country was Spain, and this is how it happened:

Magellan 

The Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, under service to Spain, landed on Homonhon Island, Eastern Samar on March 16th, 1521.  Magellan was killed the following month on April 27th by Lapu Lapu chief of Mactan - an Island off the east coast of Cebu, in the central Philippines archipelago.  The Battle of Mactan as it was later to be known, is commemorated as the first Philippines conflict to repel alien invaders, and Lapu Lapu lauded as the first Filipino to fight and win over foreign imperialist forces.

He is commemorated with a statue in Mactan, and Lapu-Lapu City is named in his honor.  Of course, it's worth noting that at that time Lapu Lapu was not a Filipino because the islands had not been named as such then.  A technicality perhaps, but decidedly in his favor was that he was a local chieftain who was not going to kowtow to Spanish superior forces as had his neighboring tribal leaders with such surprising submission.

The First King of Spain

Magellan claimed his new found land for Charles I (often referred to as Carlos V), who only five years earlier had become sovereign of a unified Spain.  His only surviving son, born in 1527, succeeded him as Philip II in 1556 to rule over an ever expanding empire.  It is often misconceived that Magellan named the islands the Philippines.  It was not until 22 years later, in 1543 that Ruy López de Villalobos led an expedition to the islands and gave the name "Las Islas Felipinas" - after the fifteen year old heir apparent, Philip - to the islands that Magellan had first laid claim - Samar and Leyte.  The name would eventually be given to the entire archipelago - not just yet.

Let's stick with Magellan a little longer.... 

When Magellan arrived at Homonhon in that year of 1521 he had been on his voyage for almost eighteen months.  He had already lost two of the five ships and one third of his crew which first set sail.  Obviously being welcomed so well by the Rajah Kolambu of Limasawa, a local sultan would have come as utmost relief.  He in turn introduced him to Rajah Humabon of Cebu, who - impressed with Magellan's armoury and ships - happily converted to Christianity.  Humabon later managed to convince Magellan to embark on a mission to kill his rival Lapu Lapu of Mactan.

A Reckless Endeavour? 

In what appears to have been a reckless ill thought endeavor, it led to his death.  Perhaps Magellan's drive to convert the indigenous tribes to the Catholic faith had impaired his judgment.  Whatever conversation took place through his translator Enrique of Malacca, we shall never know, but perhaps some misunderstanding occurred.  It's also possible that Magellan was so deluded that God was on his side he believed himself invincible. 

Consider the facts:  he did not take his most experienced soldiers with him, and he failed to reconnoiter Mactan's coastline.  Consequently he was unable to land his cannon, and marched knee deep through the surf with only forty of his men, to be overpowered by 1500 natives (or so the story goes - the numbers were possibly slightly exaggerated.)  And the rest, to employ the old cliché...is history!

On that note the tale was finally conveyed to the Spanish king by the captain of the sole surviving ship able to limp home, and in so doing manage to complete Magellan's (posthumously awarded) circumnavigation.  So began - albeit not overnight - the Spanish conquest and colonization of the Philippines.

Legazpi

This is not a story of Magellan or his circumnavigation.  The destinies of the voyage and the last surviving ship, Victoria, already have their place in history.  This history of the Philippines is concerned only that her captain Juan Sebastian Elcano was able to relate the tale when he finally returned to Spain in September 1522.  (Perhaps this is how the inflated number of Magellan's opposing forces on Mactan occurred - after all, it's always best to be defeated by overwhelming odds!)

There was to be no great substantial account of the events for a further three years.  It was not to be three years when the Philippines continued in isolation, nor three years of relative piece before the storm - there was to be a handful of small forays by various maritime adventurers to the islands prior to the Villalobos expedition of 1543.  Yet it was to be another 22 years following his before Philip finally took a much more serious interest in finally securing the islands named in his honor.  It was February 13, 1565 when López de Legazpi and his troops landed on the shores of Cebu and established the first Spanish settlement.  It was a Friday!

The First Governor - The First Capital

Miguel López de Legazpi was born in 1502.  He was 19 years old when Magellan first landed in the Philippines.  The tales of Magellan would be a major influence in his life.  In early 1564 Philip II ordered an expedition to follow the Magellan and Villalobos ventures, and Legazpi, who at the time was the Governor of Mexico City, was commissioned to undertake the task by the Viceroy of Mexico Luis de Velasco.  In November of the same year at the age of 62, he set sail with five ships and five hundred soldiers.

The six years after his arrival would be a period of establishing small settlements, negotiations and skirmishes with local chieftains, rajahs and sultans, attempts at introducing the Catholic faith, and welcoming reinforcements from Spain and Mexico of additional troops and laborers.  Slowly but surely, bit by bit, over this period Spain planted their roots.

On June 24th 1571, Legazpi established Manila as the capital of Spain's new colony.  Astounded by the size and excellence of this natural harbor - he built the walled city known as Intramuros.  With the help of Augustinian and Franciscan friars he became the first Spanish governor of the Philippines and worked to convert the indigenous population to the Catholic religion.  He eventually died of heart failure a year later in 1572 when he was 70 years old.

Complacency Was Not an Option 

It was the original Villalobos expedition, and the naming of Islas Filipinas, which successfully reasserted the Spanish claims over the Portuguese, who had been disputing their neighbor's claims since Magellan's first footfall.  The Portuguese already held the nearby Moluccas Islands, and attempted unsuccessfully to invoke the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas, which essentially reserved the eastern hemisphere to Portuguese colonization.  Nevertheless it was not until Philip also became king of Portugal in 1580, that their threats were totally stifled.

European Skirmishes and Hostile Waters 

The taming of the Portuguese was not to be the end of Spain's trouble in the Philippines no matter how much they desired it.  Other European powers, notably the English and Dutch, were keen to nip the ankles of the Spanish Empire and acquire their own footholds in the region.  The famous English mariner Sir Francis Drake, having been plundering Spanish assets in the West Indies and Caribbean, found it necessary to make a convoluted route in order to return safely to his queen - Elizabeth I - and by doing so he also became the second circumnavigator. 

Perhaps it's a credit that should be given greater prominence, after all - unlike his predecessor - he survived it!  On the way, with his frigate the Golden Hind laden with Spanish treasure, he landed in the Philippines on October 16th 1579.  A mere fifty eight years after Magellan.  Had he not been so preoccupied with his cargo there is little doubt he would have attacked the fledgling Spanish garrison, and historians believe he could have overcome it. But prudence got the better of him, and he was not going to risk his hard won spoils. 

Toward the end of the 16th century, Holland, which was also taking an imperialist role in the Far East, raided the Philippines - taking bounty not only from the Spanish, but also Portuguese, Japanese and Chinese shipping.  The Dutch continued these attacks as late as 1662, when they finally took control of the Moluccas Islands.

When the Yoke Was Broke

The Spanish certainly acquired wealth from the Philippines but it didn't come easy.

Whilst they came close to a loss with Drake, they were to lose their prized possession comprehensively twice over the course of time.  First to the British in 1762, when Royal Navy ships sailed up the Pasig River and conquered Fort Santiago in Manila.  The Union Jack flew in the Philippines for more than a year before George III returned the islands to Spain in exchange for American and Caribbean territory; and the second time for good in 1898, when the Philippines declared independence on June 12th.  Technically it was not recognized by either Spain or the USA, due to the Spanish ceding the Philippines to the United States under the 1898 Treaty of Paris as a result of the Spanish-American War. 

Full independence was not recognized by the USA until July 4th 1946.  Nevertheless, 1898 stands as the year the "yoke was broke."  The Japanese occupation during WWII, although short, also had a major influence in Philippine History.  Throughout the years several nations have played their hand on this nation - but Spain ruled them for more than three centuries - it's a legacy which cannot be dismissed lightly - it has defined a country which is still today seeking its identity and place in the world.

© 2008 Paul Brownlee