The Philippines has a rich and diverse history spanning over 60,000 years. The first humans arrived around 60,000 years ago, and over time, various groups developed and expanded into bigger settlements. The Austronesians and Malayo-Polynesian speakers arrived in successive waves, influencing the local culture. The country was later influenced by Indian, Buddhist, and Hindu cultures, with the Laguna Copperplate Inscription being the oldest known document found in the Philippines, dating back to 900 AD.
Islam was introduced to the Philippines through trade and conquest, and the Sultanate of Sulu was established in the 15th century. The Spanish arrived in 1521, led by Ferdinand Magellan, and the country was named "Philippines" in honor of Philip II of Spain. The Spanish colonization of the Philippines began in earnest in the 16th century, and the country became a unified political structure under Spanish rule.
The Philippines was later ruled by the United States, which established the Insular Government to rule the country. The US promised independence to the Philippines, and the Philippine Commonwealth was established in 1935 as a 10-year interim step to full independence. However, the country was occupied by Japanese forces during World War II, and it was not until 1946 that the Philippines gained full independence.
Since gaining independence, the Philippines has experienced internal skirmishes, dictatorship, and progress. The country has had several presidents, including Manuel Roxas, who became the first president of the independent Republic of the Philippines.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The first humans arrived in the Philippines around 60,000 years ago using rafts or boats.
2. Austronesians and speakers of the Malayo-Polynesian languages began to arrive in the Philippines in successive waves around 4000 BC.
3. The Laguna Copperplate Inscription, dated 900 AD, is the oldest known Philippine document.
4. The inscription shows the use of mathematics in pre-colonial Philippine societies.
5. A standard system of weights and measures was used in pre-colonial Philippine societies.
6. The metallurgy reached the Philippines due to trade with India around 300-700 AD.
7. The seafaring people of the islands traded with the Indianized kingdoms in the Malay archipelago and the nearby East Asian principalities.
8. The Indian culture influenced the Southeast Asian region, including the Philippines, starting in the first century.
9. Islam was introduced to the Philippines by Muslim missionaries and traders from the Middle East, Indian, and Malay regions.
10. The Sultanate of Sulu was established by Sharif ul-Hashem, an Arab Muslim explorer, in the 14th century.
11. The Spanish reached the Philippines in 1521 through the expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan.
12. Magellan established friendly relations with some local leaders and converted some of them to Roman Catholicism.
13. The Spanish colonization of the Philippines began in earnest when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived from Mexico in 1565.
14. The Spanish established Manila as the capital of the Spanish East Indies in 1578.
15. The Castillan War erupted between the Christian Spaniards and Muslim Bruneians over control of the Philippine archipelago in 1578.
16. The Philippines was ruled by the Mexico-based Viceroyalty of New Spain and later directly governed by Spain.
17. The Philippines became a territory of the United States after the American-Spanish War in 1898.
18. The United States established the Insular Government to rule the Philippines in 1907.
19. The Jones Acts promised independence to the Philippines, and the Philippine Commonwealth was established in 1935.
20. The Philippines was occupied by Japanese forces during World War II from 1942 to 1945.
21. The United States liberated the Philippines, and the Treaty of Manila established an independent Philippine Republic in 1946.
22. Manuel Roxas became the first president of the independent Republic of the Philippines.
23. The Philippine economy remained highly dependent on United States markets after independence.
24. Elpidio Quirino ruled the country from 1948 to 1953 after the death of Manuel Roxas.
25. Ferdinand Marcos took power in 1965 and ruled until 1986.
26. Corazon Aquino replaced Ferdinand Marcos as president in 1986.