Philippines History
The history of the Philippines may be divided into four distinct phases: the pre-Spanish
period (before 1521); the Spanish period (1521-1898); the American period (1898-1946);
and the years since independence (1946-present).
Pre-Spanish Period
The first people in the Philippines, the Negritos, are believed to have come to the islands
30,000 years ago from Borneo and Sumatra, making their way across then-existing land
bridges. Subsequently, people of Malay stock came from the south in successive waves,
the earliest by land bridges and later in boats called barangays. The Malays settled in
scattered communities, also called barangays, which were ruled by chieftains known as
datus. Chinese merchants and traders arrived and settled in the ninth century A.D. In the
14th century, Arabs arrived, introducing Islam in the south and extending some influence
even into Luzon. The Malays, however, remained the dominant group until the Spanish
arrived in the 16th century.
Spanish Period
Ferdinand Magellan claimed the Philippines for Spain in 1521, and for the next 377
years, the islands were under Spanish rule. This period was the era of conversion to
Roman Catholicism. A Spanish colonial social system was developed, complete with a
strong centralized government and considerable clerical influence. The Filipinos were
restive under the Spanish, and this long period was marked by numerous uprisings. The
most important of these began in 1896 under the leadership of Emilio Aguinaldo and
continued until the Americans defeated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay on May 1, 1898,
during the Spanish-American War. Aguinaldo declared independence from Spain on
June 12, 1898.
American Period
Following Admiral Dewey's defeat of the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay, the United States
occupied the Philippines. Spain ceded the islands to the United States under the terms
of the Treaty of Paris (December 10, 1898) that ended the war.
A war of resistance against U.S. rule, led by Revolutionary President Aguinaldo, broke
out in 1899. Although Americans have historically used the term "the Philippine
Insurrection," Filipinos and an increasing number of American historians refer to these
hostilities as the Philippine-American War (1899-1902), and in 1999 the U.S. Library of
Congress reclassified its references to use this term. In 1901, Aguinaldo was captured
and swore allegiance to the United States, and resistance gradually died out.
U.S. administration of the Philippines was always declared to be temporary and aimed to
develop institutions that would permit and encourage the eventual establishment of a
free and democratic government. Therefore, U.S. officials concentrated on the creation
of such practical supports for democratic government as public education and a sound
legal system.
The first legislative assembly was elected in 1907. A bicameral legislature, largely under
Philippine control, was established. A civil service was formed and was gradually taken
over by the Filipinos, who had effectively gained control by the end of World War I. The
Catholic Church was disestablished, and a considerable amount of church land was
purchased and redistributed.
In 1935, under the terms of the Tydings-McDuffie Act, the Philippines became a self-
governing commonwealth. Manuel Quezon was elected president of the new
government, which was designed to prepare the country for independence after a 10-
year transition period. World War II intervened, however, and in May 1942, Corregidor,
the last American/Filipino stronghold, fell. U.S. forces in the Philippines surrendered to
the Japanese, placing the islands under Japanese control.
The war to regain the Philippines began when Gen. Douglas MacArthur landed on Leyte
on October 20, 1944. Filipinos and Americans fought together until the Japanese
surrender in September 1945. Much of Manila was destroyed during the final months of
the fighting, and an estimated 1 million Filipinos lost their lives in the war.
As a result of the Japanese occupation, the guerrilla warfare that followed, and the
battles leading to liberation, the country suffered great damage and a complete
organizational breakdown. Despite the shaken state of the country, the United States
and the Philippines decided to move forward with plans for independence. On July 4,
1946, the Philippine Islands became the independent Republic of the Philippines, in
accordance with the terms of the Tydings-McDuffie Act. In 1962, the official
Independence Day was changed from July 4 to June 12, commemorating the date
independence from Spain was declared by General Aguinaldo in 1898.
Post-Independence Period
The early years of independence were dominated by U.S.-assisted postwar
reconstruction. A communist-inspired Huk Rebellion (1945-53) complicated recovery
efforts before its successful suppression under the leadership of President Ramon
Magsaysay. The succeeding administrations of Presidents Carlos P. Garcia (1957-61)
and Diosdado Macapagal (1961-65) sought to expand Philippine ties to its Asian
neighbors, implement domestic reform programs, and develop and diversify the
economy.
In 1972, President Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965-86) declared martial law, citing growing
lawlessness and open rebellion by the communist rebels as his justification. Marcos
governed from 1973 until mid-1981 in accordance with the transitory provisions of a new
constitution that replaced the commonwealth constitution of 1935. He suppressed
democratic institutions and restricted civil liberties during the martial law period, ruling
largely by decree and popular referenda. The government began a process of political
normalization during 1978-81, culminating in the reelection of President Marcos to a 6-
year term that would have ended in 1987. The Marcos government's respect for human
rights remained low despite the end of martial law on January 17, 1981. His government
retained its wide arrest and detention powers. Corruption and favoritism contributed to a
serious decline in economic growth and development under Marcos.
The assassination of opposition leader Benigno (Ninoy) Aquino upon his return to the
Philippines in 1983, after a long period of exile, coalesced popular dissatisfaction with
Marcos and set in motion a succession of events that culminated in a snap presidential
election in February 1986. The opposition united under Aquino's widow, Corazon
Aquino, and Salvador Laurel, head of the United Nationalist Democratic Organization
(UNIDO). The election was marred by widespread electoral fraud on the part of Marcos
and his supporters. International observers, including a U.S. delegation led by Sen.
Richard Lugar (R-Indiana), denounced the official results. Marcos was forced to flee the
Philippines in the face of a peaceful civilian-military uprising that ousted him and
installed Corazon Aquino as president on February 25, 1986.
Under Aquino's presidency progress was made in revitalizing democratic institutions and
respect for civil liberties. However, the administration also was viewed by many as weak
and fractious, and a return to full political stability and economic development was
hampered by several attempted coups staged by disaffected members of the Philippine
military.
Fidel Ramos was elected president in 1992. Early in his administration, Ramos declared
"national reconciliation" his highest priority. He legalized the communist party and
created the National Unification Commission (NUC) to lay the groundwork for talks with
communist insurgents, Muslim separatists, and military rebels. In June 1994, President
Ramos signed into law a general conditional amnesty covering all rebel groups, as well
as Philippine military and police personnel accused of crimes committed while fighting
the insurgents. In October 1995, the government signed an agreement bringing the
military insurgency to an end. A peace agreement with one major Muslim insurgent
group was signed in 1996.
Joseph Ejercito Estrada's election as president in May 1998 marked the Philippines'
third democratic succession since the ouster of Marcos. Estrada was elected with
overwhelming mass support on a platform promising poverty alleviation and an anti-
crime crackdown.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, elected vice president in 1998, assumed the presidency in
January 2001 after widespread demonstrations that followed the breakdown of Estrada's
impeachment trial on corruption charges. The Philippine Supreme Court subsequently
endorsed unanimously the constitutionality of the transfer of power. National elections
will take place in May 2004. In December 2002, Macapagal-Arroyo announced she
would not be a cand
A wet nurse is a woman who breast feeds and cares for another's child. Wet
nurses are employed if the mother dies, or if she is unable or elects not to nurse the
child herself. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some cultures
the families are linked by a special relationship of milk kinship.
