Summary: The breathtakingly stunning islands of the Philippines are rich in history and there is much to add from the recent dug-ups organized by archeologists.
The origins of the Phillipines however are a mysterious concoction of various influences such as the British, Spanish, French, and American.
The geographic location of this country suggests that it was once a part of the Eurasia plate, which means that the islands were attached to China.
The constant earthquakes and sea level rise caused the separation of the plates and this is the reason for more than 7000 islands that exist in the archipelago.
The Philippines is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire together with Samoa, Hawaii, and New Zealand.
Palawan’s Tabon Caves is an anthropologist’s heaven for the discovery of jade, cups, and glass beads which are believed to be at least a thousand years old.
Archeologists record the earliest inhabitants are known to exist in Palawan more than 100,000 years ago. The prehistoric humans spoke Austronesian languages and are keen traders with the other kingdoms in the region.
Undisturbed by outsiders, the islands remained considerably peaceful until the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. After 44 years, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi is said to be the first colonizer of the Spanish invasion.
Soon after, the Roman Catholic missionaries were shipped to the islands in order to be christened.
The Spanish military fought off the many local rebel groups and also the outer colonials interested in occupying the islands. Temporarily the British took over the capital in Manila after the Spanish lost to them during the Seven Years’ War.
Jose Rizal, an influential historical figure who fought for the release from the Spanish clutches. He sent propagandist messages through the media, mainly the radio.
However, this led to his arrest and court trial for seditious acts. He was then executed under the Spanish law.
Much to the unfavorable positioning of the Spanish conquistadors, the revolution for a reformed nation was fanned far too wild for the locals to lose hope of chasing away the Spanish.
Andrès Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo continued the revolutionary movement against the Spanish government after Rizal’s death.
However, the real break was when Commander George Dewey from the American troop defeated the Spanish, and democracy was finally brought to the Philippines.
