Summary

The Spanish Arrive in the Philippines

In 1521, Portuguese-born Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines. The land that had previously belonged to natives and Asian settlers soon became a key location for Spanish trade and military bases. A 356 year long occupation of the Philippines would follow, during which the Filipinos were subjected to severe oppression while Spain worked toward its imperial goals which primarily included the spread of Catholicism. With the publication of Jose Rizal’s anti-Spanish novel, Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not), in 1886, Filipino desire for independence was invigorated.

With the conclusion of the Spanish-American War, the Philippines was ceded to the United States, though the Filipinos, led by Emilio Aguinaldo, had jumped to declare their independence. A guerilla war ensued which resulted in the gradual movement by the U.S.  in favor of Filipino independence. Progress was halted during World War II when the Japanese brought the Philippines under their imperial control. At the war’s end, however, the United States recaptured the islands and granted them full independence.

Since then, the Philippines has westernized, establishing a democratic state with successful industry and bringing itself closer to becoming a first world country and overcoming both a plague of poverty and a long history of exploitation.

Philippine Independence Day, 1946

Spanish Colonization

Ferdinand Magellan

In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer on an expedition for Spain, arrived in Cebu, one of many small islands in the Philippines. Within 50 years, the Spanish had total colonial control over the land, and the native Filipinos. Spanish governors replaced native leaders, and Filipinos were treated as second-class citizens.

            
The Spanish saw the Philippines as a valuable asset because of its role in the international spice trade. Though none of the spices grown in the Philippines were useful to the Spanish, they quickly set up an international trading empire there. Silver from Mexico and Peru was sent there to be traded for Chinese goods that were at high demand in Europe, such as silk, tea, and porcelain.

           
 Another goal of the colonization of the Philippines was the spread of Catholicism. Because of the Spanish missionary work, the Philippines is the only country in Asia with a Catholic majority. However, it was the extensive power of the Catholic Church that eventually ended the colonization of the Philippines. In the 1800s. Filipinos accused the Church of abusing its position, and that, combined with general discontent over their poor treatment, eventually lead to the end of the 356-year-long Spanish rule over the Philippines.

The Spanish Arrive in the Philippines

Spanish-American War

As a result of U.S. intervention in a conflict between Spain and Cuba, the Americans and the Spanish began a war in 1898 which would span many waters known as the Spanish-American War. The first battle of the war began as a preemptive strike by the United States to demolish the Spanish Fleet in Manila, a key port city in the Philippines, in order to prevent its arrival in Cuba. The battle ended in a nearly perfect victory for the United States with only one American life lost, bringing acclaim to Commodore George Dewey while causing the Spanish to surrender.  The U.S. collected Puerto Rico and Guam as spoils and gained occupation of Manila until an agreement could be formalized with a treaty (Jaycox).

           

Turning to the Philippines as the final barrier in front of war’s end, interests were heavily divided among involved parties. Filipinos were amidst a struggle for independence against Spain with the Spanish reluctant to concede control, while the U.S. sought a naval base to complement its recent annexation of Hawaii (Jaycox). After the United States decided to press for total ownership of the islands, Spain agreed to a deal as part of the Treaty of Paris in which the U.S. took possession of the Philippines for 20 million dollars.

           

The Filipino people were moved from life under one colonial power to that of a stronger, newer one. With regard to the United States’ first venture into colonialism, though it solidified America’s role as a world power, it met with great criticism. American poet Carl Sandburg wrote of the Spanish-American spat that “It was a small war, edging toward immense consequences”, while British author Rudyard Kipling responded by publishing the poem The White Man’s Burden which popularized the use of its title phrase and simultaneously furthered the drama surrounding the United States’ move (Jaycox). The decision also sparked upset among Americans as debate in the Senate over the acquisition was picked up by citizens in both protest and support of U.S. imperialism. Though a movement toward ratification nearly granted independence to the Philippines in 1899, Filipino insurrection and the subsequent outbreak of the Philippine-American War delayed gratification for another 47 years.

Philippine-American War

Despite the Philippines’ long history as victim to imperialism, the Filipino people have shown through multiple rebellions their ability to unite with strength against foreigners. One could even note the killing of Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan as the earliest example of Filipino violence against adversity. The same sentiment which fueled the fight for independence from Spain carried over to face the Americans in 1899 as the fate of the islands was debated between world powers.

Filipino rebel leader Emilio Aguinaldo had been at the head of the struggle against Spain since 1896 before his exile to Hong Kong (Jaycox). His U.S.-arranged return in 1898 caused, at the words of one American soldier, “A little barefooted army… to grow up out of the ground” as Filipinos began to take control of cities across the islands with the support of the Americans who were common opponents of Spain. However, Aguinaldo’s army soon turned against the Americans as potential imperial rulers and declared independence, with Aguinaldo as interim dictator over a complex government. The United States’ refusal to recognize Aguinaldo’s Philippines would prove consequential as its relationship with the Filipinos worsened and Aguinaldo evolved into president of a Filipino republic.

Conflict became war in February of 1899, and it soon became clear that this fight in the Philippines would not prove as ideal for the Americans as the destruction of the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay had been. The U.S. used cruelty against Filipino guerrillas as well as civilians with camps and even torture as it struggled to defeat the insurgents. One general is reported to have ordered “Kill everyone over the age of ten” (Jaycox). The homeland defenders did not fight without resorting to extreme forms of violence either, and many hostilities were exerted onto their own people. This mode of fighting contributed to a death toll of 20,000 Filipino soldiers, 200,000 Filipino civilians, and 4,200 American soldiers (Jaycox).

With Aguinaldo’s capture in 1901, the domination of the United States had passed the point of deniability, and the insurgents were ordered by Aguinaldo to stand down. Still, U.S. victory had come at a high price due to the upset that the rumors of hostility sparked among Americans. Those that had argued against acquisition of the islands now attacked the hypocrisy of the United States, claiming that its imperialist behavior had shamed its values. The backlash was so fierce that the event has been called “America’s first Viet Nam” (Jaycox). Furthermore, the Philippine-American ordeal advances the questionability of the United States’ involvement in the Philippines as a costly and worthless endeavor, though this can be refuted with the claim that colonialism in the Philippines was a necessary step for the United States to become an influential world power.

Rebellions

Huk Rebellion:

             During World War Two, a organization originated which consisted of various communist political groups. They were struggling to liberate the Philippines from Japanese control.  This group was called Hukbalahap, which was derived from the longer name of Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapan (Greenberg). In English this is translated as the ‘People’s anti-Japanese army’.  The Huks began making their way to central Luzon to gain supporters of peasants and to attempt to rebel against the government.  Like the Huks, the tenant farmers were mistreated by the government and were living in constant debt and poor conditions.  Eventually because of this and the persuasion from a socialist, Luis Taruc, eighty percent of tenant farmers began to join the expanding Huk army (Greenberg).  Ultimately, there were 15,000 armed soldiers and supporters on the Huk’s side (Greenberg).  Besides gaining large numbers, the Huks created fighting tools and developed communication networks (Greenberg).  This would help prepare them to rebel against the government in the future.  

             The United States aided the Philippines in recapturing Luzon from the Japanese in 1945 and they were soon granted independence on July 4th 1946. The Huks were involved in elections after Philippine independence but only gained one seat in congress (Greenberg).  The Huks became enraged and demanded that the Philippines become communist.   After the large amount of preparations, the Huks were ready to attack the capital city of the Philippines, Manila.  However, the Filipino government was willing to resist this with having knowledge of the location of the Huk headquarters (Greenberg).  From there, the United States aided the government in sending weapons and additional equipment to stop future Huk outbursts.  Additionally, the presidency of Ramon Magsaysay aided the decrease of Huk supporters as a result of valiant political and economic reforms.  This caused the loss of interest to support the communist movement.  Soon enough, after vigorous military action and reformation of the Filipino government, the Luis Taruc surrendered in 1954 (Greenberg). 

             The Huk Rebellion was one of the most known rebellious acts in the history of the Philippines.  Throughout this event and its preperation, Luis Taruc was portrayed as the leading figure. Although he and the Huks approached with violence and were against the Filipino government, he did unify the lower class individuals in Luzon and gave attention that the government was not providing.  Since the Huks refused to back down on numerous occasions, the Filipino government and the United States had no choice but to use force against them.  This allowed the Filipino government to fight for the independence that they desired and they learned that with struggle comes great pride.  In addition, the support for the government grew tremendously after Ramon Magsaysay’s presence throughout the rebellion.  This helped unify parts of the Philippines and aided to the achievement of their ultimate goal: independence.

Katipunan:




The revolution flag of the Katipunan.

In 1892, the Filipinos, who had an interest in overthrowing the Spanish rule, founded an organization called the Katipunan.  Katipunan is an acronym in one of the languages that is spoken in the Philippines.  “Katipunan” stands for "Highest and Most Respectable Association of the Sons of the People" ("The Katipunan").  This secret society was founded by Andres Bonifacio in Manila who wanted to prepare for a revolution to try to achieve independence of the Philippines from Spain ("The Katipunan").  This organization could have been extremely costly to the members if discovered; they were at risk of being tortured or killed.  The secret society had confidential passwords, formulas, and ceremonies ("The Katipunan").  New members went through a thorough initiation including blood compact (process that involved multiple people extracting blood from the body and consuming each other’s.  This is done as a  tradition to seal the membership).  Soon enough, Katipunan began to widely spread throughout the nation.  Of the night before revolt against Spain in August 1896, there were 30,000 members, both men and women in the organization ("The Katipunan").  The majority of members of the Katipunan were peasants or from a low class.

              A leader like figure who eventually rose up to aid in the revolt was Jose Rizal.   Although not an initiated member of the Katipunan, Jose Rizal was highly admired as a leader by the organization. Upon his return to the Philippines in 1892 form Europe, he established a non-violent reform society ("Jose Rizal").  Rizal inspired the members to battle in 1896 against the Spanish, but were unfortunatley outfought.  He was conisdered as a Philippine nationalist at the time of his existance but was only looking out to reform the Spanish government rather than to fully promote Philippine independence ("Jose Rizal").  He published many novels during his lifetime including two that discuss the evils of Spanish rule in the Philippines.  Eventually, members were discovered and these Filipino revolutionaries were forced to retreat to northern Luzon and Rizal was executed in Manila ("The Katipunan").  Throughout the existence of the Katipunan, it was considered an organization that promoted nationalism throughout the Philippines.


 

World War II

             The main objective of World War Two in the Philippines was to grant the Philippines independence and to free them from the Japanese. In comparison to Japan, the Philippines were weaker and were not as technologically advanced. However, with the aid of the United States, hope for independence became a possible goal.
 

             The Initial Attack- Japanese attacks began on December 8th, approximately 10 hours after the Pearl Harbor attack, on Clark Field near the capital city of Manila (Axelrod).  However, outbreaks officially began on December 10th when there were attacks in Luzon (island of the Philippines where Manila is located).  Over the span of a couple days, there were Japanese attacks present in the North and South of Luzon and in Manila. Astounded by the attacks, American general Douglas MacArthur forced his troops to relocate in the Bataan Peninsula (Axelrod).  However, this did not stop the Japanese from invading.

 

 The Leadership of MacArthur- Douglas MacArthur was the leading general who took responsibility of the Philippines in World War Two (Axelrod).  He originally participated in World War One in France and made good relations with the Filipino leader, Manual Quezon during this time.  Eventually this bond helped the Philippines in World War Two which also contributed to a better reputation for the United States.  However, not all decisions made by MacArthur in World War Two were considered intelligent.  Midway through the attacks of Lamon Bay, MacArthur was ordered by Franklin D. Roosevelt to evacuate to Australia to control the Allied Pacific forces (Axelrod).  When in Australia, he made his famous “I shall return” speech.  With this almost seen as an act of betrayal; he left 11,000 men of the Filipino army completely surrounded by the Japanese (Axelrod).  Also, the conditions were very poor for these soldiers.  However, he did fulfill his promise and returned two years later for an attack in Leyte Gulf on October 20th, 1944 (Axelrod).  It now became an objective for the United States to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese.

 

           The Fall of the Japanese- The end of war is extremely close at the point of the battle of Leyte Gulf.  MacArthur supervised the army of 160,000 men, hundreds of aircrafts, and 700 ships (Axelrod).  This combat was the largest naval battle in history.  Although the outcome was quite probable, the Japanese refused to surrender.  They gathered up more troops but were continually outsmarted by the Americans.  This battle ultimately left 80,000 Japanese killed (Axelrod).  The triumph of the United States gave optimism for the Philippines at last.  To conclude the dispute, the Japanese surrendered in February of 1945 although independence was not formally announced until July 5th  (Axelrod).
              Although the Americans were victorious with gaining independence for the Philippines, there were costly battles that allowed a large amount of damage to both armies and the cities that were attacked. These battles were violent, and all that mattered in the end was superiority. The Japanese and the Americans/Filipinos by the end lost moral consciousness in order to gain dominance. However, determination can be seen from the war on both sides. The American/Filipinos were attacked repeatedly, but continued to fight back until the reward of independence was granted. It took a large amount of willpower and strength to be able to rise up from defeat and to ultimately destroy the Japanese. Resulting from the war in the Pacific, democracy is finally a probable outcome for this nation. In addition, unity was established between the Americans and the Philippines during the war. World War Two in the Philippines wasn’t a battle for the Americans to be involved in, but they decided to reach out to aid them nonetheless. Although they were involved most likely to pursue their personal benefits, the large quantity of struggle to gain independence must’ve come from good mortality and intentions. This recognized bond between the Americans and the Filipinos will aid both nations in the future to overcome other disputes.
  

The Bataan Death March:

        The Bataan Death March began to take place after the fall of Bataan during Japanese colonization in World War Two.  This was following the evacuation of MacArthur to Australia after being ordered to do so by Franklin D. Roosevelt.  About 2,000 defenders of Bataan were fortunate enough to be withdrawn to Corregidor, and island located in Manila Bay (Axelrod).  This left a remainder of 78,000 American and Filipino men.  These men were now under the control of Japanese lieutenant general Homma Masaharu (Axelrod).

        Beginning on April 9th, 1942, the 65 mile march to a Japanese war camp called Camp O’Donnell took place.  Much like the death marches of the Holocaust, the long treads were just as brutal and painful.  As a result of the nation’s geography, the prisoners were marching through many jungles which provided discomfort because of the humidity (Axelrod).  Any man who slowed down or stumbled was immediately shot.  Overall, the march lasted a little over a week; approximately 54,000 survived while 7,000 to 10,000 were killed by the Japanese guards (Axelrod).  Others might’ve somehow found a way to escape out of the jungles
            Although the death march was both a horrific and terrifying experience for the prisoners, the conditions at Camp O’Donnell worsened.  The camp was originally meant to accommodate 10,000 men while 54,000 were forced in (Axelrod).  This as well as the prisoners’ starvation and insanitation contributed to their discomfort and suffering.  Overall, there was a death rate of about 400 men per day; this began to result from introduced diseases such as malaria and dysentery (Axelrod).  Eventually, prisoners were transported to an additional camp where 36,000 more men died (Axelrod).  The remaining prisoners started to be taken under Japanese labor in factories and coal mines.  By the time most arrived at the labor camps, more men died of weakness and malnutrition.  Finally to end the disastrous events, the prisoners were liberated, however only one third survived Japanese custody.  In addition, Homma was executed on April 3rd, 1946 after being convicted of war crimes (Axelrod).
             

Overall, the Bataan Death March showed acts of inhumanity and cruelty of the Japanese over the American and Filipino soldiers.  Rather than treating them as real human beings, they were considered as worthless individuals.  Especially in the past, inequality was prominent in colonized nations where less people understood the meaning of personal values and liberties.  Just the act of killing when soldiers slowed down or starving them to death was extremely barbaric.  Such brutal events destroyed the meaning of peace and the possibility for a content and stable world.  Japanese general Homma Masaharu was an example of someone who promoted these unnecessary and cruel events.  This led the rest of the Japanese soldiers to follow this negative influence and to continually torture other human beings.  This unfortunately was accepted in the past but started to become less popular over the decolonization period.
 

Independence

Contrary to methods used elsewhere in decolonization, the liberation of the Philippines came as a series of gradual reforms granted by the United States. At the end of the Philippine-American war, President William Howard Taft began the process of liberating by passing a range of motions to improve the state of the economy in the Philippines, particularly focusing on the primary issue of poverty. Specifically, he implemented the pensionado program, which introduced new businesses and industry to the Philippines.

Fourteen years later, in 1916, those reforms had become successfully rooted into Philippine society. With the Jones Law passed by the U.S. in the same year, another step towards an independent Philippine republic was taken. Through this law, the United States granted the Philippines a legislature modeled after its own. In the Filipino’s first democratic election, Manuel Quezon was chosen as President. Still under the influence of the United States, the Philippines were making rapid progress towards achieving self-government.

          

The notion of independence gained even more plausibility for Filipinos in 1934, when the Tydings-McDuffie Act was passed. This assured Philippine independence from the U.S. by 1946. The following year, the Philippines established a constitution and created the Commonwealth of the Philippines.

            

Despite the setback caused by the invasion and subsequent three-year occupation by the Japanese in 1941, the United States, led by General MacArthur, successfully recaptured and regained control of the Philippines in 1945. A year later, the United States took swift action to complete its plan of freeing the Philippines, and on July 4, 1946, the Philippines was officially granted full independence.

Philippine Independence is Proclaimed

Modern Economy and Government

Economy:

The Philippines’ economic growth as a young nation has propelled it forward, further distinguishing it from other formerly colonial nations to become a rising capitalist economic force not only in Southeast Asia but in the world. Currently, the nation is coasting on a stable economy and a lower than ever deficit which are supported by its utilization of resources. These specifically include its hydrocarbon deposits in the Palawan province, where international companies have acknowledged serious potential for investment; a stable and profitable oil and gas industry expanding in Palawan; and additionally a high quality human capital to be enhanced with recently implemented education programs, as of 2010. In order to fortify its human business force, the nation also is home to “premier centers in Asia for research, training, and advocacy in corporate governance matters” (Reyes).

 The chief industry in the Philippines, however, continues to be tourism. The nation boasts 7107 islands that are mostly uninhabited, a rich biodiversity, scenic beaches, a majority language of English, and notable natural attractions such as the Chocolate Hills and the Mayon volcano to draw in global tourists, while another important aspect of the draw to the Philippines is the people. Forbes called the Philippines “the friendliest country in Asia” (Reyes), and Filipino culture is very visible in modern life including in its industrial cities like Manila.

Poverty remains the most critical issue facing the Philippines today. As the world’s 12^th most populous country with 97 million people, the government has implemented social programs to help “the poorest of the poor” while the population continues to climb. The World Bank stated that the percentage of the population living below the poverty line in the Philippines was just over 25% and had stayed generally the same for the past decade. Looking towards success, it has been able to save 30% of its import costs by using its own resources and workers for production in recent years. In 2010, its GDP had increased by 7.6%, the highest in more than 30 years, and the nation has reported a record high of $70 billion in foreign exchange reserves in 2010, allowing for the maintenance of strength in the currency (Reyes). These factors have allowed the Philippines to outperform its regional neighbors economically, and served as the basis for further growth as the nation becomes the ‘Fifth Asian Tiger’ and likely goes beyond.

                                                                                       Government:

Malacañang Palace, residence and offices of the President
of the Philippines

The Philippine National Government today heads a democratic republic with characteristics similar to that of its former owner, the United States. The similarity is a result of 1916’s Jones Law which established a Philippine government modeled after that of its owner. As this would indicate, a president is in charge of an executive branch, a legislative branch includes a Senate and a House of Representatives, and a Supreme Court comprises a judicial branch. The branches cooperate to form a functioning ruling body that acts in the best interest of the citizens. Additionally, multiple political parties compete in elections for representation. Though it appears to work much like a standard democratic republic, the Philippine government differs from those typically existing in the West in several ways. Due to its Muslim minority, the judicial branch contains Sharia courts as well as metropolitan and municipal trial courts; towns and villages are called barangays in the Philippines and represent the lowest division of government; and finally, there exists an independent office of the Ombudsman which oversees the legality and potential corruption in the actions of all three branches.

Though the Philippines remains to be a nation racked with poverty, its growing economy has brought its government into involvement in the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, and the Asian Development Bank (Reyes). These memberships work for the nation in terms of government by supporting its value as an Asian player, which will in turn uplift its merit in the fields of influence and trade.

The Philippines’ democracy has functioned successfully and peacefully since the nation’s liberation in 1946. As for the military, the Armed Forces of the Philippines was founded under president Manuel Quezon of the Commonwealth who appointed United States General Douglas MacArthur as its first commanding officer. The AFP fought alongside the United Nations in the Korean War and against Filipino communists several decades later. During the Cold War the Philippines had a strong military to show off and, also a result of its ties with the United States, has been a force in the fights against communism and terror in the late 20th century and 2000s. Th current president of the nation is Benigno Aquino III, a member of the Liberal Party. Providing a continuance of stability in the government combined with future economic growth, the Philippines has a bright future ahead of it as both a nation of Asia and of the world.

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization

Flag of SEATO

In 1954, amidst the rising popularity of communism, the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization was formed to fight and end communism. The original members of SEATO were the United States, Great Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Thailand, and the Philippines. In a treaty each signed, the member countries pledged equality and economic cooperation with one another. They claimed that each dispute they faced would be settled using peace, and that an intervention would only occur when it had been agreed upon by all members. This treaty also had a Pacific Charter brought on by The Philippines’ request for the maintaining of self-determination, cooperation in both economic and social welfare development and equal rights if each country within the organization.

Many Southeast Asian countries saw this treaty as a way of bringing the fight against terrorism to Asia, and would not go along with it’s statement. Among the nations that preferred to remain nonaligned are India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. The Soviet Union, China, and North Vietnam also disagreed with SEATO. They claimed that including Cambodia, Laos, and South Vietnam in their sphere of action was going against the Geneva Conference, which had been held in 1954, the same year that SEATO was founded.

The countries involved in SEATO

Despite its good intentions, the SEATO did not succeed in ending communism in Southeast Asia. As the United States was defeated in the Vietnam War and communists gained power in Laos, French and British opposition prevented further intervention. Unable to make a move without full member approval, SEATO disbanded. Slowly, members withdrew from the organization, and the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization was officially dissolved in 1977.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was founded on August 8, 1967, in the heat of the Vietnam War, when Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand each signed the Bangkok declaration, and came together to create peace and freedom in Southeast Asia. Since then, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia have joined the organization, also in the hopes of creating a better Asia.

The ASEAN flag

Since being formed, the main goal of ASEAN has been peace. Its members aim to create a Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality in the Southeastern Asian region, something that they highlighted in the Kuala Lumpur declaration of November 22, 1971. The ten member countries saw the importance of unity on matters of common interest, and strived to create that unity. One instance of this was in 1975 when communist leaders were voted into office in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. ASEAN, founded on anti-communist principles, signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation to further distance themselves from the three communist nations. However, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia were eventually emitted into ASEAN on the principles of globalization.

Over the years, ASEAN began to focus on relationships on a global scale as well as their internal goals. The ASEAN Regional Forum was established with the United States, Russia, China, India, and other non-ASEAN states in 1994 to improve foreign relations. Efforts have also been made to create a free trade area with Sustralia, China, Japan, New Zealand, India, and the Republic of Korea. China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea have also been given AEAN Plus Three status, and the ASEAN continues to have a peace partnership with India.

The member countries of ASEAN

Economic cooperation both within its member states and among its non-members is another goal of the ASEAN, one that came later into the organizations history. Through the ASEAN Free Trade Area, the Agenda for Greater Economic Integration, and the ASEAN Vision 2020, a region of thriving trade and economic activity was created. In recent years, members of the ASEAN has traded office machinery, electronics, petroleum, rubber, wood products and other natural resources to Japan, the United States, and Europe, and imports machinery, chemicals, oil, and food from Japan, the United States, Europe, and Saudi Arabia.

Culture

Religion:

Throughout the history of the Philippines, religion has shaped much of their culture. This dates back to 1521, when Ferdinand Magellan first arrived in the Philippines. Priests had accompanied him from Spain, and the native Filipinos were quickly converted to Catholicism. During the Spanish colonization, religion and government were both controlled by the Spanish monarch. The Philippines became missionary hub, and most Filipinos became Catholics. Philippine Independent Catholic Church was established by two priests named Gregario Aglipay and Ignacio de los Reyes in 1902. It grew in popularity, and soon one fourth of the population of the Philippines were members of this church. However, it soon declined rapidly and was joined with the Episcopal Church of America in 1961. Many forms of Christianity have arisen from the Philippines, and today 83% of the population of the Philippines is Catholic. Catholicism has created many religious holidays in the Philippines, and devotion to the saints is popular, making the Catholic religion an integral part of Filipino culture.

Literature and Myths:

In Filipino culture, myths and folktales preceded literature and books. Myths told stories of creation of human life, the origin of animals, and also taught lessons to the listeners. Story tellers memorized epics, or long poems that are passed down through the generations. As Spanish culture influenced the Filipino stories, stories evolved to tell tales of saints, kings, and treasure. With the introduction of the printing press by the Spanish, tales began to be wrote down in books and new novels and poetry were written, Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) by José Rizal being among the most notable work written in this time period. Noli Me Tangere shows the oppression of the Filipinos while they were under Spanish rule, a distinct theme shown in all Filipino writing from this time period.

Art:

Art has been a prevalent part of the culture in the Philippines for thousands of years as artists use different materials to depict a variety of subjects. Wooden sculptures, weaving, metal work, and painting are all forms of Filipino art, and each one brings something different to the culture of the Philippines.

Wooden sculpting is used in a variety of ways: not only in creating the detailed carvings made by the Maranao people, but also in creating household items such as tools and furniture.

Weaving is a skill held at high esteem in the Philippines. A variety of materials such as cotton, silk, and even tree bark are used to create intricate patterns, and are often dyed to create the bright colors that decorate Filipino culture.

Metalwork is another form of art that is prized by artisans in the Philippines. Metalwork is used to create delicate jewelry to please T’boli gods, but also creates the short daggers (sondangs) and long-bladed swords (kampilans) used in the traditional dress of the Maranao peole. While precious metals are popular for metal art, recycled metals are also used.

Painting is also popular in Filipino art, with paintings dating back to the 1700s. The subjects of art evolved from designs on pieces of pottery to Biblical figures during the three centuries that the Spanish colonized the Philippines. Filipinos then began to paint non-religious subjects, and eventually came to paint non-portraits with swirling patterns and lines.

Nuestra Senora del Rosario
Painted by Damian Domingo

Though these older varieties of art are still used in the Philippines, modern forms of expression also have a presence. Today, the Philippines is home to one of the largest television and film industries in the world, which produces an average of 150 films each year. An equally large cartoon industry both produces its own comics and creates animations for other movie companies. 

Figures in the Fight for Independence

José Rizal:

Regarded as a hero of Filipino nationalism, Rizal gained fame and influence after the publication of his anti-Spanish novel Noli me Tangere in 1886. In 1892, Rizal founded the Liga Filipina which worked in favor of peaceful change for his nation. However, this resulted in his exile by the Spanish. Though executed in 1896 after the revolutionary actions of Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan, Rizal inspired peaceful nationalism in Filipinos who would later face a struggle for independence from the United States.

                                                 Andrés Bonifacio:

Bonifacio was an early member of Jose Rizal’s Liga Filipina and an ardent Filipino nationalist. However, he differed from Rizal in his belief that revolution was the only way to achieve independence.  In July of 1892, he became a leader himself when he founded a secret society called the Katipunan, a group that would boast over 30,000 members and influence over all social divisions within just four years. In response to the sentencing of Jose Rizal in 1896, Bonifacio declared independence but struggled to defend his forces against the Spaniards, ultimately meeting an end similar to Rizal’s when he was executed in 1897. Despite his and Rizal’s apparently futile efforts, the two created a wave of power sustained by a posterity of Filipinos that now remembers them as heroes.   

Emilio Aguinaldo:

Aguinaldo was a member of Bonifacio’s Katipunan society who rose to power through victories over the Spanish in 1896 and took over the Katipunan after orchestrating the arrest and execution of the less battle-successful Bonifacio. Shortly after his victories, Aguinaldo accepted payment from the Spanish in exchange for exile, but soon returned to Manila with the support of the United States during the Spanish-American War. However, he sought liberation for the Philippines, thus contradicting the goals of the U.S. and prompting him to declare war on the Americans after declaring independence and assuming the title of President. Aguinaldo’s active influence was stopped with his capture by the U.S. in 1901 and his

                                                 subsequent pledge of loyalty to America.

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