CHAPTER 1

A short Philippine History before the 1898 Revolution

A. In search of spices

When Ferdinand Magellan, a veteran Portuguese soldier, returned from

the Spice Islands of the Moluccas, he approached the Portuguese King with a proposal to find a
westward route from Portugal to the rich islands of Spices, on the opposite side of the world. The
King however, did not take advantage of the offer, and temporized. In the meantime, Magellan
offered his services to the King of Spain the great Charles V, who was soon to be raised to the
dignity of Holy Roman Emperor. In Spain, funds were needed for the treasury. Spices were not
cheap in Europe and there is a high demand, so commerce with them is one of the best solutions
for raising the necessary funds. The King of Spain thus provided Magellan with a fleet of five
ships: Trinidad, Victoria, Concepcion, Santiago and San Antonio. On August 10, 1519 the fleet
sailed westward from Seville in search of a passageway to the Moluccas. It was manned by a
crew of 270 men and there were 2 chaplains both were secular priests: Father Pedro de
Valderama and another one a French by nationality who was latter abandoned by Magellan in the
coast of Brazil. After various incidents suffered from men and the elements as it sailed across the
Atlantic Ocean and down the coast of South America, the fleet reached in the last days of
October the passage which now bears the name of the leader of this expedition. In November
they turned north to the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. It took a whole year to arrive at this
turn. But by this time, only three ships were left. The Santiago had sunken before they espied the
strait and the San Antonio secretly sailed back to Spain.

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On March 6, 1521 after an exhausting voyage across
the Pacific Ocean, the explorers reached the
Landrones Island group (Marianas). From here, they
veered southwards in the direction of the Moluccas.
But, on the 16th of March, a body of land
unexpectedly aroused before their eyes, it was the
coast of the island of Samar. Without stopping, they
continued sailing southwards but Magellan called this
the Island of Saint Lazarus for it was the Saturday
before the Passion Sunday. Latter, the name was
extended to the whole archipelago. The next day,
 
they reached the island of Homonhon where they
rested from the fatigue of such a long navigation.
Here, they pitched their tents for the sick crew to
recover, thanks to the friendly welcome of the natives
who gave them fresh provisions. But on March 22,
the chieftain himself came and greeted the visitors.
Here, Magellan and his crew stayed for about 9 days
to recover. But, at the last moment the chronicler of
the fleet Antonio de Pigafetta slipped out of the ship
and no one noticed him. But, invoking Our Lady
whose feast it was that day (Annunciation) he was
able to catch hold of the clew-garment of the main
sail and latter was rescued by a small boat. Shortly
afterwards, the little fleet sailed again. They rounded the southern tip. On the night of March 28,
they saw a bonfire at a nearby island and they headed towards it. This was the Limasawa Island
in the southern tip of Leyte. Here, Magellan was greeted officially by nine men who were joyful
of their arrival. They represented the chieftain of the area. Then, seeing them, Enrique who was
Magellan's Malay slave and interpreter from Malacca, bade them to come. It was a crucial
moment in the history of mankind, a solemn moment. For the first time in the history of mankind
a living man encircled the globe! The indisputable proof is that these men understood perfectly
and responded with the same tongue to Enrique. Magellan therefore and his Malay slave Enrique
were the first men to circumnavigate the world.

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 B. Spain sends other expedition

After the Spain had celebrated Elcano’s return, King Charles I decided that Spain should
conquer the Philippines. Five subsequent expeditions were then sent to the Islands. These
were led by Garcia Jofre Loaisa (1525), Sebastian Cabot (1526), Alvaro de Saavedra
(1527), Rudy Lopez de Villalobos (1542) and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi (1564). Only the last
two actually reached the Philippines; and only Legazpi succeeded in colonizing the Islands.

C. The Villalobos Expedition

Ruy Lopez de Villalobos set sail for the Philippines from Navidad, Mexico on November 1,
1542. He followed the route taken by Magellan and reached Mindanao on February 2,
1543. He established a colony in Sarangani but could not stay long because of
insufficient food supply. His fleet left the island and landed on Tidore in the Moluccas,
where they were captured by the Portuguese.

Villalobos is remembered for naming our country “Islas Filipinas,” in honor of King
Charles’ son, Prince Philip, who later became king of Spain

D. The Legazpi Expedition

Since none of the expedition after Magellan from Loaisa to Villalobos had succeeded in
taking over the Philippines, King Charles I stopped sending colonizers to the
Islands. However, when Philip II succeeded his father to the throne in 1556, he
instructed Luis de Velasco, the viceroy of Mexico, to prepare a new expedition – to be
headed by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who would be accompanied by Andres de Urdaneta,
a priest who had survived the Loaisa mission.

On February 13, 1565, Legaspi's expedition landed in Cebu island. After a short struggle
with the natives, he proceeded to Leyte, then to Camiguin and to Bohol. There Legaspi
made a blood compact with the chieftain, Datu Sikatuna as a sign of friendship. Legaspi
was able to obtain spices and gold in Bohol due to his friendship with Sikatuna. On April
27, 1565, Legaspi returned to Cebu; destroyed the town of Raja Tupas and establish a
settlement. On orders of the King Philip II, 2,100 men arrived from Mexico. They built
the the port of Fuerza de San Pedro which became the Spanish trading outpost and
stronghold for the region.

Hearing of the riches of Manila, an expedition of 300 men headed by Martin de Goiti left
Cebu for Manila. They found the islands of Panay and Mindoro. Goiti arrived in Manila on
May 8, 1570. At first they were welcomed by the natives and formed an alliance with
Rajah Suliman, their Muslim king but as the locals sensed the true objectives of the
Spaniards, a battle between the troops of Suliman and the Spaniards erupted. Because
the Spaniards are more heavily armed, the Spaniards were able to conquer Manila. Soon
after Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived to join Goiti in Manila. Legaspi built alliances and
made peace with Rajahs Suliman, Lakandula and Matanda. In 1571, Legaspi ordered the
construction of the walled city of Intramuros and proclaimed it as the seat of
government of the colony and the capital of the islands. In 1572, Legaspi died and was
buried at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros. In 1574, Manila was bestowed the title
"Insigne y Siempre Leal Ciudad de España" (Distinguished and ever loyal city of Spain)
by King Philip II of Spain.

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 E. Why the Philippines was easily conquered

Through largely outnumbered, the Spaniards who came to colonize the Philippines easily
took control of our country. How did this happen?
 
The best possible explanation is that the natives lacked unity and a centralized form of
government. Although the barangays already functioned as units of governance, each one
existed independently of the other, and the powers that each Datu enjoyed were confined
only to his own barangay. No higher institution united the barangays, and the Spaniards
took advantage of this situation. They used the barangays that were friendly to them in
order to subdue the barangays that were not.

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 I- INTRODUCTION

An Introduction to the Philippines

The Republic of the Philippines, an island nation located in the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia,
comprising of 7,107 islands, collectively known as Philippine Archipelago, has a total area of nearly
300,000 square kilometers to its credit. The country, named "Las Islas Felipinas" after King Philip II of
Spain, fell prey to Spanish colonialism in 1565. The colonial rule lasted for three long centuries and ended
after Philippine Revolution of 1896. But independence, the most prized political ambition of modern times,
was not forthcoming for it yet. It was ceded to the US in 1898 in the wake of the Spanish-American War,
and it was only in 1946 that they saw the run of independence rise after Japanese occupation in World
War II. However, it was as late as in 1992 that the US finally closed its last military bases on the islands
and left the Philippine soil for good. Manila is now the capital of Philippines.

The people of the Philippines are supposed to be the direct descendants of the Austronesia-speaking
peoples. Still, some of the Filipinos are of mixed descent from the intermarriages with other nationalities
like the Chinese and the Spanish. They are, therefore, known as mestizos. Roman Catholicism is the
predominant religion, and English, along with Tagalog, is the official language.

The Philippines is a presidential-unitary republic with the President at the apex, as the head of state, the
head of government, and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He is elected by popular vote,
every 6 years. During his term in the office, he or she appoints and presides over the cabinet of
secretaries.

The bicameral Congress is the primary legislative body comprising the Senate and the House of
Representatives. There are 24 senators in all, who serve a 6-year term each with the half retiring every
three years. The House of Representatives houses 250 members with a 3-year term each.

The judiciary is headed by the Supreme Court, presided over by the Chief Justice as its head and 14
associate justices. All the appointments are made by the President from the nominations submitted by the
Judiciary itself and the Bar Council. Besides, the Supreme Court, other courts include the Court of
Appeals, the Regional Trial Courts and the Metropolitan Trial Courts.

The economy of the Philippines is largely agricultural with light industry and service-sector economy
lending a helping hand. In the recent past the Philippines has emerged as one of the most happening
places for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) in Asia, and houses numerous call centers. The advent
of what might be called 'BPO revolution' has given immense impetus to the Philippine market generating
a great number of jobs and business opportunities.

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The Philippine economy has shown a great degree of resilience, which is generally attributed to low
foreign inflows and the fact that Philippines' is a largely agriculture-based economy. Economic setbacks
could not throw the Philippine economy out of gear when it struck the nation in 1999. The growth rate

came down to 3 percent in 1999 but rose remarkably to 4 percent in 2000, and by 2004 the Philippine had
registered an admirable 6 percent growth recovering from the East Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.

Government policies are carefully designed to assist and promote industrial development. The Philippine
middle class, being essential to economic prosperity, is taken special care of. Strategies for streamlining
the economy include improvements of infrastructure, more efficient tax systems, furthering deregulation
and privatization of the economy. As of 2006, The US and Japan are Philippines' biggest trading partners,
which mean that the country's economic prosperity also depends upon the economic performance of
these nations.

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II. First in the Philippines
First Circumnavigator of the Globe
although many historians considered him as the first circumnavigator of the globe,
Ferdinand Magellan never completed his voyage around the planet. Magellan, a sea captain,
commanded a fleet of five wooden Spanish ships with 241 men on board and embarked on
what is now considered as "the greatest of all epics of human discovery". Christopher
Columbus, the Italian explorer who discovered America for Spain, traveled 8,000 miles
aboard a Spanish ship across the Atlantic Ocean. But Magellan's men embarked on an
expedition that brought them 42,000 miles around the planet.

The voyage began on September 20, 1519. Magellan and his three remaining ships reached
the Philippines on March 17, 1521. On April 27, he was killed by the men of Lapulapu,
chieftain of Mactan Island in the Philippines. Only one ship, the Trinidad, with 18 European
crewmen led by Sebastian Del Cano and four Malay crewmen (maybe Filipinos) completed
the trip around the world and arrived in Seville, Spain in 1522.

First Landing
On March 16, 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in service of Spain landed at
Samar

First Mass
On March 31, 1521 (Easter Sunday) Spanish friar Pedro Valderama conducted the first
Catholic mass in Limasawa, Leyte. Rajah Kolambu, who forged a blood compact of
friendship with Magellan two days earlier, attended along with Rajah Siagu.

First Filipino Christians

On April 14, 1521, Rajah Humabon, Rajah Kolambu, and 400 other Filipino natives were
baptized into Christianity during a ceremony administered by friar Pedro Valderamma.

First Filipino Priest

In 1590, Martin Lakandula was ordained as an Augustinian priest, becoming the first native
Filipino to serve as a friar. In 1906, Jorge Barlin became the first Filipino bishop under the
Roman Catholic Church. The first Filipino archbishop was Viviano Gorordo while the first
Filipino cardinal was Rufino Cardinal Santos.

First Chair
It was said that Filipinos first used a chair in April 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan gave
Rajah Humabon of Cebu a red velvet Spanish chair. According to Halupi, a book of essays
on Philippine history, early Filipinos used to sit on the floor. 

First Spanish Monument

Also on April 14, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan planted a huge cross in Cebu. It was here where
friar Valderama baptized Rajah Humabon, Rajah Kolambu and 400 other Filipinos into
Christianity.

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First Battle
On April 14, 1521, the first battle between Filipinos and the European conquerors took place
in Mactan, Cebu. Filipino chieftain Lapu-lapu defeated Magellan and his men. After Magellan
was killed, Sebastian del Cano led his men back to Spain, completing their voyage around
the planet.

First Religious Order

The Franciscans were the first Catholic religious order to establish their presence in the
Philippines. The Franciscans came here in 1577; Jesuits, 1581; Dominicans, 1587;
Recollects, 1606; Paulists, 1862; Sisters of Charity, 1862; Capuchins, 1886; and
Benedictines, 1895.

First Spanish-Filipino Marriage

In 1585, Spanish soldier Pablo Alvarez married Nicolasa de Alvarez, a native of Lubao,
Pampanga.

First Muslims
Makdum, Rajah Baguinda and Abu Bakar propagated Islam in the Philippines in the 15th
Century.

First Spanish Governor General

Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who founded the first European settlement in Cebu City in 1565, is
considered the first Spanish governor general in the Philippines. He founded the city of
Manila and declared it the capital of the archipelago on June 3, 1571. The last Spanish
governor general in the Philippines was Riego delos Rios in 1898.

First Archbishop
Domingo Salazar was the first archbishop of the Philippines, which was regarded as a single
diocese in the 1580s.

First Filipina Directress

According to Pampango historian Zoilo Galang, Sor Candida Ocampo was the first and only
Filipino who became a directress of an Spanish institution in the Philippines. In 1594,
Ocampo, who was born in Camarines Sur, was appointed as the directress of Colegio de
Santa Isabel.

First Cannon Maker

Even before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, Filipino natives had already learned the
trick of making cannons, perhaps from Chinese traders. Historians claimed that Panday Pira
who lived between 1483 and 1576 had devised the cannons which Muslim leader Rajah
Sulayman used to protect Manila against the invading Spanish troops. Panday Pira was from
Tarlac.

First Chinese Kingdom

After attacking Manila, Chinese conqueror Limahong established a kingdom near the mouth
of Agno River in Pangasinan province on December 3, 1574. Agno was the seat of the old
civilization. Historians have mentioned one Princess Urduja who ruled Pangasinan before the
Spaniards came. In 1660, Filipino leader Malong attempted to establish another kingdom in
Pangasinan.

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First Revolt
The first attempt to rise against Spanish colonial rule was carried out by chieftains of
Bulacan led by Esteban Taes in 1587. On October 26, 1588, Spanish authorities discovered
a plot by Magat Salamat of Hagonoy who tried to enlist the support of his relatives in
Borneo.

First Filipino in Exile

Felipe Salonga of Polo, Bulacan (now Valenzuela City) became the first Filipino who was put
in exile by Spanish authorities for starting a revolt in Bulacan in 1587. He was exiled to
Mexico.

First Mention of King of Tagalogs

New historical writings have mentioned the name of one Raha Matanda or Rajah Ache
(Lakandula) who ruled over Tondo, a kingdom encompassing an area that now includes
Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal and Quezon in the 16th Century. Rajah Matanda was the heir
to his father's throne and was a grandson of Sultan Siripada I (Bolkeiah I) of Borneo. In
1643, Don Pedro Ladia of Borneo who claimed to be a descendant of Rajah Matanda started
a revolt and called himself the king of the Tagalog. He was executed in Manila. Historians
said that when the troops of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi attacked Manila in 1571, the men of
Rajah Soliman - the king of Manila - rose up in resistance.

In 1847, Apolinario dela Cruz of Tayabas was considered king of the Tagalogs. Bernardo
Carpio, a mythical giant character, was also regarded as a king of the Tagalogs. In the
1900s, the revolutionary government proclaimed Macario Sakay as the president of the
Tagalog Republic.

First Chinese Revolt

On October 3, 1603, the Chinese rose in revolt in Manila and was driven away to San Pablo,
Laguna where they made their last stand.

First Juan dela Cruz

A certain Pantaleon Perez led the Pangasinan revolt on November 3, 1762. Perez assumed
the name Juan dela Cruz Palaris. It was mentioned that on November 11, 1849, most
illiterate Filipinos during the administration of Spanish governor general Narciso Claveria y
Zaldua were given the Christian surname dela Cruz. Our great ancestors, who could not
read and write, drew a cross as their signature on documents and so were known for their
dela Cruz surnames. In contrast, Filipino descendants of rajahs and noble men were given
the option to keep their names. Among the clans, who were also exempted from forced
labor and paying taxes under the Spanish rule, were the Lakandulas, Solimans, Gatmaitans,
Gatbontons, Salongas, Layas, Lapiras, Macapagals, Salamats, Manuguits, Balinguits, Banals,
Kalaws, among others.

First Filipino
The first man who used Filipino as a title of citizenship was Luis Rodriguez Varela, a
Spaniard who was born in Manila. He preferred to be called El Conde Pilipino in 1795.
(Source: Halupi)

First Map
The first Philippine map was drawn in 1734 by Nicolas dela Cruz and Francisco Suarez under
the instruction of Jesuit historian Pedro Murillo Velarde. The original map was 27 inches
wide and 42 inches long.

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First Dutch Presence
On June 10, 1647, a Dutch fleet arrived in Manila Bay and later attacked Cavite province.

First British Presence

On October 4, 1762, British forces invaded Manila. They took possession of Intramuros until
May 31, 1764.

First Filipino Printer

The Spaniards introduced the art of printing in the Philippines, almost half a century before
the Americans learned how to use it. It is believed that the first book in the country was
Doctrina Christiana en letra y lengua China, which was printed in 1593 by Juan de Vera, a
Filipino-Chinese. In 1948, Fray Jose Gonzales of the Dominican Order discovered this book
in the Vatican Library. Tomas Pinpin is regarded as the first Filipino printer. He was born in
Abucay, Bataan but records about his birth were lost after the Dutch invaders destroyed the
town of Abucay in 1646. Pinpin learned the art of printing from the Chinese artisans when
he worked in the shop of Filipino-Chinese printer, Luis Beltran. 

Among his works were Arte y Reglas de la Lengua Tagala (1610) and the Librong Pag-
aaralan nang mga Tagalog nang Uicang Castila (1610) printed in Bataan. From 1609 to
1639, Pinpin printed more than a dozen titles. Other literary pieces, which appeared during
this period were the poems of Pedro Bukaneg (1590-1626), Fernando Bagongbanta (1605),
and Pedro Ossorio (1625). The art of modern printing was discovered by German scholar
Johannes Gutenberg (1394-1468). The Chinese, however, are credited for having developed
their own system of printing, hundreds of years before Gutenberg was born.

First Newspaper
In 1637, Tomas Pinpin published Successos Felices (Fortunate Events), a 14-page
newsletter in Spanish that is now widely regarded as the first Philippine newsletter. On
December 1, 1846, La Esperanza, the first daily newspaper, was published in the country.
Other early newspapers were La Estrella (1847), Diario de Manila (1848) and Boletin Oficial
de Filipinas (1852). The first provincial newspaper was El Eco de Vigan (1884), which was
issued in Ilocos.

First Magazine and Journal

Seminario Filipino, the first religious magazine in the country, was first issued in 1843.
Meanwhile, El Faro Juridico became the first professional journal in the country when it saw
print in 1882.

First Guide Book

According to Pampango historian Zoilo Galang, the first guidebook in the Philippines (Guia
de Forasteros) was printed in 1834.

First Novel
According to literary expert Bievenido Lumbera, the first Filipino novel was Ninay, written by
Pedro Paterno and published in 1880. Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere was published in 1887
while El Filibusterismo came out of the press in 1891. The first English novel written in
English by a Filipino was Zoilo Galang's A Child of Sorrow.

First Woman Writer and Poet

According to Pampango historian Zoilo Galang, the first Filipino poetess was Leona
Florentino of Ilocos while the first Filipino woman writer was Rosario de Leon of Pampanga.

10
The first Filipino woman novelist, Galang added, was Magalena Jalandoni from Visayas while
the first Filipino woman who wrote an English novel was Felicidad Ocampo.

First Non-Catholic Marriage

The first non-Catholic marriage in Manila under the Spanish control took place in the early
19th Century when American Henry Sturgis, who arrived in the country in 1827, married
Josephina Borras of Manila. They were wed aboard a British warship at the Manila harbor. 

First Bakery
In 1631, the Spanish government established and operated the first bakery in Manila.

First Drugstore
Botica Boie is considered the first drugstore in the country, having been established by Dr.
Lorenzo Negrao in 1830.

First Lighthouse
In 1846, the Farola was built at the mouth of Pasig River, becoming the first lighthouse in
the country.

First Electric Lamp

The first electric lamp in the country is said to be the one designed by Ateneo students in
1878, 12 years before Thomas Houston Electric Co. installed Manila's first electric street
lights.

First Botanical Garden

In 1858, Governor General Fernando Norzagaray ordered the establishment of the Botanical
Garden. It can now be found beside the Manila City Hall.

First Waterworks
Manila had its first centralized water system in July 1882 following the completion of the
Carriedo waterworks, whose reservoir was in Marikina. 

First Railroad
In 1892, a railway connecting Manila and Dagupan was completed. It was operated by the
Manila Railroad Company.

First Telephone System

The first telegraph line was opened in 1873 while the country's first telephone system was
established in Manila in 1890. Electric lines were first installed in 1895.

First Mining Firm

In the early 19th Century, Johann Andreas Zobel founded the first iron and copper mining
firm in Bulacan and Baguio. The first Zobel in the country was Jacobo Zobel Hinsch, a
German who went to Manila in 1849. One of the Zobels - Jacobo Zobel Zangroniz latter
married Trinidad Ayala de Roxas, an heir of the rich Ayala and Roxas families.

First Calendar
The first calendar with a Philippine almanac was first released in 1897. The first issue of the
calendar was titled "La Sonrisa".

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First Filipino Chemist
Johann Andreas Zobel also founded the first chemical laboratory in the country. Meanwhile,
Anacleto del Rosario is considered as the first Filipino chemist.

First Philanthropist
Dona Margarita Roxas de Ayala, a daughter of Domingo Roxas, is considered as the first
philanthropist in the country. She assumed the control of the family's Casa Roxas in 1843
and was one of the founders of La Concordia College.

First Social Club

The first social club was established in Manila in 1898. It was the Filipino Independiente, a
circle of educated and rich Filipino nationalists. It succeeded Jose Rizal's La Liga Filipina,
which was more of a movement.

World's First Steel Church

The steel church of San Sebastian, now Basilica Minore, is considered as the world's first-
ever all-steel basilica. Designed by Don Genaro Palacios in 1883, this small, jewel box
church was prefabricated in Belgium. The steel plates, weighing about 50,000 tons were
brought to the Philippines in six ships.  The walls were filled with mixed gravel, sand and
cement to fortify the structure. Stained glass windows from France were later installed. The
church, an earthquake-proof structure, was completed in 1891. There were arguments that
French architect Gustavo Eiffel, who designed the Eiffel Tower of Paris and Statue of Liberty
in New York, was also the one who designed the San Sebastian Church.

First Hotel 
It is believed that Hotel del Oriente in Binondo, Manila was the first hotel built in the
Philippines. The hotel was a two-story building with 83 rooms fronting the Plaza de Carlos
III. It was a first-class hotel constructed in the 1850s just beside the famous landmark, La
Insular Cigarette and Cigar Factory. The national hero - Jose Rizal - reportedly stayed at
Room 22 of that hotel, facing the Binondo Church. Hotel del Oriente was among the crown
jewels of the old Binondo (or Minondoc as it was earlier known) which was named after
binundok. It was part of the Provincia de Tondo (now Manila) and was declared one of its
districts in 1859.

Both Hotel del Oriente and La Insular were burned down during the Japanese Occupation.
The Metrobank building now occupies the former site of the two buildings. The oldest
surviving hotel in the country is the Manila Hotel, which was built in 1912. The world's first
hotel was the Tremont, which opened in Boston in 1829. It had a dining room for 200
people, 12 public rooms and 120 bedrooms.

First Republic
Early Philippine republics were Kakarong de Sili republic in Pandi, Bulacan; Tejeros
Convention in Malabon; and Biak na Bato republic in San Miguel, Bulacan. Historians,
however, wrote that the first real Philippine republic was established in Malolos, Bulacan on
January 21, 1899. Two days later, the First Philippine Republic was inaugurated while
General Emilio Aguinaldo was declared its first president.

First President of Katipunan

It was Deodato Arellano who became the first president of the Katipunan, a revolutionary
movement against Spanish rule in the Philippines.

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First Vice President
Mariano Trias is considered as the first Filipino vice-president who assumed the post in
1897.

First Army Chief

General Artemio Ricarte served as the first captain general of the Philippine Army which was
established by the Tejeros Convention on March 22, 1897. Ricarte was replaced by General
Antonio Luna on January 22, 1899.

First Calendar
The first calendar with a Philippine almanac was first released in 1897. The first issue of the
calendar was titled "La Sonrisa".

First Protestant Mission

The first Presbyterian mission arrived in the country in April 1899. American couple Dr. and
Mrs. James Rodgers led the mission. 

First Filipino Protestant Minister

Nicolas Zamora, a former Catholic priest, later became the first ordained protestant minister
in the Philippines.

First Election
The first municipal election in the Philippines was held in Baliuag, Bulacan under the
supervision of American military governor general Arthur MacArthur on May 6, 1899.

First Ice Cream Parlor

In December 1899, Clarke's Ice Cream Parlor became the first ice cream parlor in the
Philippines when it opened its store at Plaza Moraga in Binondo, Manila. Metcalf Clarke
owned it.

First Autonomous Region

Before the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the Cordillera Autonomous
Region (CAR) were formed in the 1980s, Panay Island used to have "Cantonal Republic of
Negros". The Americans, however, abolished the republic and turned Negros into a regular
province on April 30, 1901.

First American Civil Governor

The first American civil governor in the Philippines became the 27th president of the United
States. William Howard Taft, who served in the Philippines from 1901 to 1903, was also the
only man who became a US president (1909-1912) and then a Supreme Court chief justice
(1921-1930). Known for his weight of over 300 pounds, Taft became a very notable person
in the US and the Philippines. One of the largest road networks in Metro Manila, the Taft
Avenue, was named after him. President McKinley sent him to head the Philippine
Commission in 1900. His task was to form a civil government in a country disrupted by the
Spanish-American War and the rebellion led by General Emilio Aguinaldo, whom local
historians called the country's first president.

First Superintendent of Manila Schools

Dr. David Prescott Barrows, one of the passengers of American ship USAT Thomas, was
appointed the first superintendent of schools for Manila and later the first director of the
Bureau of Education. USAT Thomas was named after General George Henry Thomas, a hero

13
of the Battle of Chickamauga during the American Civil War. American journalist Frederic
Marquardt coined the term Thomasites to refer to American teachers who came to the
Philippines aboard USAT Thomas in 1901. (Source: Panorama Magazine)

First Filipino Superintendent

Camilo Osias was the first Filipino division superintendent of schools. Osias later became a
senator.

First American College

The Philippine Normal School (PNS) was the first college established in the country under
the American government. PNS opened its campus to Filipino students in Manila on
September 1, 1901. It became the Philippine Normal University on January 11, 1992.

First Concrete Building

According to Pampango historian Zoilo Galang, the Kneedler Building was the first concrete
office building in the Philippines.

First Filipino Chief Justice

In 1901, Cayetano Arrelano became the first Filipino chief justice of the court.

First Registered Professionals

A friend of Jose Rizal, Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, holds the distinction of being the first
doctor to sign in the Book I of Registered Professionals on January 25, 1902. Pardo de
Tavera, a scientist, was a part of the first Civil Government in the 1900s. Among the
members of the Pharmacy profession, it was Dr. Leon Ma. Guerrero who appeared as the
first registrant on the second earliest compiled Book I. The date was May 22, 1903.
Guerrero is known in history books as the first among many Filipinos to put the Philippines
on the scientific map of the world. In Book I of Dentistry, it was Dr. Wallace G. Skidmore
who first registered on September 21, 1903. The Board of Dentistry was the first board of
professionals created in 1899. The idea of organizing the boards of professionals came from
the Americans who occupied the Philippines in 1899. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer)

First Inventor
In 1853, the Spanish colonial government awarded a gold medal to Candido Lopez Diaz, a
Filipino who invented a machine for Manila hemp or abaka.

First Filipino Chemist

Johann Andreas Zobel also founded the first chemical laboratory in the country. Meanwhile,
Anacleto del Rosario is considered as the first Filipino chemist.

First Dentist
Bonifacio Arevalo is widely considered as the first Filipino dentist. In 1908, he was the
founding president of Sociedad Dental de Filipinas, the first dental organization in the
country. In 1912, Colegio Dental del Liceo de Manila became the first dental school. The
first woman dentist was Catalina Arevalo.

First Economist
According to Pampango historian Zoilo Galang, the first Filipino economist was Gregorio
Sanciangco.

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First Pilot
Leoncio Malinas is considered as the first Filipino pilot. He first flew his plane on April 20,
1920.

First Accountants
Vicente Fabella is considered as the first Filipino certified public accountant (CPA) and Belen
Enrile Gutierrez, the first woman CPA in the country.

First Cardiologist
The first Filipino cardiologist was Dr. Mariano Alimurung, who became an honorary member
of the Mexican Society of Cardiology.

First West Point Graduate

Vicente Lim was the first Filipino who graduated from the prestigious West Point Academy, a
military school in the United States.

First Female Professionals

Among Filipino women, it was Maria Francisco de Villacerna who became the first lawyer;
Honoria Acosta-Sison, first physician; Catalina Arevalo, first dentist; Encarnacion Alzona,
first historian; Celia Castillo, first sociologist; Filomena Francisco, first pharmacist; Belen
Enrile Gutierrez, first CPA; Socorro Simuangco, first dermatologist; Carmen Concha, first
film director and producer; Criselda J. Garcia-Bausa, first paleontologist; Felipe Landa
Jocano, first anthropologist; and Ali Macawaris, first oceanographer.

A visitor of this website said that Elena Ruiz Causin of Cebu could be among the first female lawyers in the country.

First Railroad
The Manila-Dagupan Railroad was completed in 1901, becoming the country's first railway
system.

First Automobile
In 1900, La Estrella del Norte shipped from France to the Philippines a "George Richard",
the first ever automobile to have landed on the native soil. Its owner was one Dr. Miciano, a
rich doctor. The first shipment of automobiles for sale in the country was in 1907, with
Bachrach Motors, an affiliate of American firm Ford Motor Co. as the importer.

First Labor Union

Isabelo delos Reyes, a writer, established the Union Obrera Democratica, the first organized
labor union in the country on February 2, 1902.

First Political Party

On November 6, 1902, Pedro Paterno, a writer, scholar and former prime minister of
President Emilio Aguinaldo, founded the Liberal political party.

First Opera
In 1905, Magdapio, the first Filipino opera, was staged at Zorilla Theater. Pedro Paterno
wrote the opera, which was set to the music of Bonus.

First Convention of Governors

For the first time on October 2, 1906, the governors of Philippine provinces met in a
convention in Manila. Sergio Osmena presided the convention.

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First General Elections
The country's first general elections were held on July 30, 1907 under the American
government. The people elected the members of the First Philippine Assembly. 

First Speaker
The first speaker of the Philippine Assembly, whose members were elected in 1907, was
Sergio Osmena.

First Actor in Politics

Before Lito Lapid became governor of Pampanga and Bong Revilla assumed the
governorship of Cavite, Jose Padilla Sr., a movie actor in the 1930s, had served as the
provincial governor of Bulacan. The first actor who invaded the senate was Rogelio dela
Rosa.

First Diplomats
Benito Legarda and Pablo Ocampo were the first Filipino resident commissioners to the
Unites States.

First Labor Day

The first Labor Day in the Philippines was celebrated on May 1, 1913 during the first
National Labor Congress in Manila. 

First Film
The first Filipino-produced film, "La Vida de Rizal" was released in 1912. Jose Nepomuceno
produced the first Filipino full-length film "Dalagang Bukid" in 1919.

First Actor in Politics

Before Lito Lapid became governor of Pampanga and Bong Revilla assumed the
governorship of Cavite, Jose Padilla Sr., a movie actor in the 1930s, had served as the
provincial governor of Bulacan. The first actor who invaded the senate was Rogelio dela
Rosa.

First Movie Theater

Salon de Pertierra, the country's first movie theater, was built in Escolta, Manila in 1897. A
short French film was first shown in the threater.

First Comic Stip

"Kenkoy" is considered as the first comic strip in the Philippines. Cartoonist Tony Velasquez
first published the comic strip in 1929.

First TV Station
Alto Broadcasting System (ABS) Channel 3, the first television station in the country, went
on the air in 1953.

First Woman Cabinet Officials

Sofira Reyes de Veyra served as "social secretary" under the Quezon and Roxas
administrations. In 1941, former President Elpidio Quirino named Asuncion Arriola Perez as
the secretary of the Bureau of Public Welfare.

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First Woman Senator
Geronima Pecson was elected to senate in 1947, opening the doors for Filipino women who
wanted to join national politics.

First Olympian
David Nepomuceno, a Filipino serving in the US Navy, was the first Filipino Olympian. A
sprinter, Nepomuceno was the country's sole representative to the 1924 Olympics, which
was held in Paris.

First Balagtasan
The first balagtasan, a local term for poetic debate in honor of Francisco Balagtas, took
place in Manila on April 6, 1924. The first participants were Jose Corazon de Jesus and
Florentino Collantes.

First International Opera Singer

Before Lea Salonga became famous in London, New York and Paris for her portrayal of Kim
in the musical Miss Saigon, a Filipino woman had long gained international recognition in the
world of theater. Jovita Fuentes became famous in Europe for her opera lead roles in
Madama Butterfly, Turandot, La Boheme, Iris, Salome and Li Tae Pe in the 1930s. 

First Grand Opera

Noli Me Tangere, an adaptation of Jose Rizal's first novel became the first Filipino full-length
or grand opera in 1957.

First Woman Barber

In June 1927 issue of Philippine Free Press, Martina Lunud from Olongapo City was featured
as "Manila's Lady Barber" who could also be the first professional woman barber. She had to
find her niche in the male-dominated profession and worked for La Marina barbershop and
People's barbershop in Sta. Cruz, Manila later. "This is not a girl's work, I think, but I have
done my best to a certain extent, and my customers like my work," the Free Press quoted
Lunud as saying. (Source: Ambeth Ocampo, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Asia's First Airline 

The Philippine Airlines (PAL), which was established in 1941, takes pride in being Asia's
oldest commercial airline. However, huge financial losses forced its owner Lucio Tan to close
the airline in September 2000. It resumed operations a few months later. The first
commercial flight in the country was recorded on March 15, 1941 when a twin-engine Beech
Model 18 owned by PAL carried five passengers from Manila to Baguio City in 45 minutes.

First Senate President

The country's first senate president was Manuel Quezon (1917-1935) under the US
government. The senate has produced a number of presidents and political luminaries such
as Manuel Roxas, Sergio Osmena, Claro M. Recto, Jose Laurel, Camilo Osias, Eulogio
Rodriguez, Juan Sumulong, Quintin Paredes, Lorenzo Tanada, Jose Diokno, Benigno Aquino,
Ferdinand Marcos, Arturo Tolentino, Gil Puyat, Jovito Salonga, Joseph Estrada and Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo.

First Female Justice

Cecilia Munoz Palma became the first woman to top the bar exam with a score of 92.6
percent in 1935. Palma also became the first female prosecutor in 1947, the first woman
judge at the Court of First Instance in the 1950s, first female justice of the Supreme Court
in 1973 and first female president of a constitutional commission in 1986.

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First House Speaker Under Republic
Eugenio Perez of San Carlos, Pangasinan became the first speaker of the House of
Representatives under the Republic in 1946. Among the laws passed during his tenure were
the Magna Carta for Labor, the Minimum Wage Law, the Rural Bank Law and the Central
Bank charter.

First Woman Cabinet Officials

Sofira Reyes de Veyra served as "social secretary" under the Quezon and Roxas
administrations. In 1941, former President Elpidio Quirino named Asuncion Arriola Perez as
the secretary of the Bureau of Public Welfare.

First Woman Senator

Geronima Pecson was elected to senate in 1947, opening the doors for Filipino women who
wanted to join national politics.

First Woman Battalion Commander

Lt. Col. Ramona Palabrica-Go became the first woman battalion commander in the history of
the male-dominated Philippine Army in January 2003. She was appointed as commander of
the elite Aviation Battalion under the Light Armor Brigade based at Fort Magsaysay in Laur,
Nueva Ecija province. She was 45 years old and had three children at the time of
appointment.

First National Celebration of June 12

The first national celebration of June 12 as Independence Day took place in 1962 under the
Macapagal administration. Former President Diosdado Macapagal signed the law moving the
celebration of the holiday from July 4 to June 12 on May 12, 1962. Quezon Representative
Manuel Enverga was the one who proposed the law.

First US President To Visit Manila

US President Dwight Eisenhower became the first incumbent American president to have
visited the Philippines when he arrived in Manila on June 14, 1960.

First National Artist

Fernando Amorsolo, a painter, was the first national artist declared by the Philippine
government. The award was conferred on Amorsolo in April 1972, several days after his
death.

First American Multinational Firm

Computer chips manufacturer Intel Philippines Mfg. Inc. claimed that it was the first
American multinational company that established a branch in the Philippines in 1974.
Today, the Philippine branch of Intel is one of the top exporters of semiconductor
components in the country and contributes significantly to the cash flow of its mother
company in the US, which is said to be the world's largest corporation in terms of gross
income.

First Aeta Lawyer

At 26, Wayda Cosme became the first Aeta to become a lawyer when she passed the bar
exam in 2001. Cosme, a law graduate from Harvadian Colleges in San Fernando City,
Pampanga, works for the Clark Development Corp. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer)

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First Woman President
In February 1986, Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, widow of the late Senator Benigno Aquino,
became the country's first woman president and the country's 11th president. In January
2001, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a daughter of the late President Diosdado Macapagal,
became the 14th president of the Philippines and the second woman to assume the
government's highest post.

First President in Prison

Deposed President Joseph Estrada, who lost the presidency to a military-backed people's
revolt, was arrested on charges of plunder and corruption in April 2001. His arrest fomented
the now infamous May 1 mob revolt that was suppressed by government forces. As this was
being written, the trial of Estrada was still ongoing at the Sandiganbayan or the anti-graft
court.

First Muslim Justice Secretary

In January 2003, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Simeon Datumanong, a
Muslim, as the secretary of the Department of Justice, replacing Hernando Perez, who
resigned on corruption charges.

First Award of Ancestral Domain

In what the Arroyo government described as a historic event and the first in the world, it
awarded on July 20, 2002 a certificate of ancestral domain title (CADT) for the town of
Bakun in Benguet province where some 17,000 Kankanaey and Bago people live. The title
covers some 29,444 hectares of ancestral land.

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CHAPTER 2

NAME OF THE PHILIPPINES

II- WHATS IN A NAME

The Philippines

A. From Prince Philip II of Spain

The Philippines was named after the Crown Prince Philip II of Spain. He was reputed
to be an extreme introvert, austere, humorless, and unpopular. Dubbed the "Spider of
the Escorial" because he seldom left his palace, Philip II reigned over the vast Spanish
empire handed down by his father, Charles V, and was a leading patron of Catholicism.
He was elegant and slender and, in his youth, good-looking. Philip's reign, however,
marked the decline of Spanish power, leading one historian to describe him as
essentially mediocre and paralyzed by indecision.

Sailing for the Spanish, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew were
the first Europeans to arrive in the archipelago in 1521. Magellan was killed by
indigenous warriors in Mactan Island while being involved with political conflicts with
Lapu-Lapu. The beginnings of colonization came when the King Philip II of Spain (for
whom the Philippines is named) ordered a follow-up expedition. The conquistador,
Miguel López de Legazpi arrived from Mexico in 1565 and formed the first Spanish
settlements in Cebu. In 1571 he established Manila as the capital of the new Spanish
colony.

The following are the names given to the Philippines before the country got its official
name: "Republic of the Philippines"

1. Felipinas
2. Las Islas Filipinas
3. Islas del Poniente

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 4. San Lázaro
5. República Filipina (Malolos Congress proclamation)
6. Philippine Islands (by American colonial authorities)

The name of the Philippines (Filipino/Tagalog: Pilipinas) [pɪlɪˈpinɐs]), which is truncated form
of Philippine Islands, was derived from King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century. Spanish
explorer Ruy López de Villalobos used the name Las Islas Filipinas (The Philippine Islands) in
honour of the Prince of Asturias (Spain) during his expedition to the Philippines, originally
referring to the islands of Leyte and Samar.[1] The name itself is Greek, and can be traced to the
name of the father of Alexander the Great, Philipp II of Macedon, Greek: Φίλιππος — φίλος
philos (meaning beloved, loving); ίππος hippos (meaning horse).[2] Despite the presence of other
names, the name Filipinas (Philippines) was eventually adopted as the name of the entire
archipelago.

The official name of the Philippines, however, changed throughout the course of Philippine
history. During the Philippine Revolution, the Philippines was officially called República
Filipina or Philippine Republic. From the period of the Spanish-American War and the
Philippine-American War, until the Commonwealth period, United States colonial authorities
referred to the Philippines as the Philippine Islands, a translation of the original Spanish name. It
was during in the American period that the name Philippines began to appear, a name that was
adopted as its current official name

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