Spanish

Colonization of the
Philippines
(1521 - 1898)
Early Spanish expeditions

Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines in 1521. The Philippine islands first came
to the attention of Europeans with the Spanish expedition around the world led by
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. Magellan landed on the island of
Cebu, claiming the lands for Spain and naming them Islas de San Lazaro. He set up
friendly relations with some of the local chieftains and converted some of them to
Roman Catholicism. However, Magellan was killed by natives, led by a local chief
named Lapu-Lapu, who go up against foreign domination. Over the next several
decades, other Spanish expeditions were send off to the islands. In 1543, Ruy López de
Villalobos led an expedition to the islands and gave the name Las Islas Filipinas (after
Philip II of Spain) to the islands of Samar and Leyte. The name would later be given to
the entire archipelago.
Spanish colonization

The invasion of the Filipinos by Spain did not begin in earnest until 1564, when
another expedition from New Spain, commanded by Miguel López de Legaspi,
arrived. Permanent Spanish settlement was not established until 1565 when an
expedition led by Miguel López de Legazpi, the first Governor-General of the
Philippines, arrived in Cebu from New Spain. Spanish leadership was soon
established over many small independent communities that previously had known
no central rule.

Six years later, following the defeat of the local Muslim ruler, Legazpi established a
capital at Manila, a location that offered the outstanding harbor of Manila Bay, a
large population, and closeness to the sufficient food supplies of the central Luzon
rice lands. Manila became the center of Spanish civil, military, religious, and
commercial activity in the islands.
By 1571, when López de Legaspi established the Spanish city of Manila on the site of
a Moro town he had conquered the year before, the Spanish grip in the Philippines
was secure which became their outpost in the East Indies, in spite of the opposition
of the Portuguese, who desired to maintain their monopoly on East Asian trade. The
Philippines was administered as a province of New Spain (Mexico) until Mexican
independence (1821).

Manila revolted the attack of the Chinese pirate Limahong in 1574. For centuries
before the Spanish arrived the Chinese had traded with the Filipinos, but evidently
none had settled permanently in the islands until after the conquest. Chinese trade
and labor were of great importance in the early development of the Spanish
colony, but the Chinese came to be feared and hated because of their increasing
numbers, and in 1603 the Spanish murdered thousands of them (later, there were
lesser massacres of the Chinese).
Contributions of Spanish Colonization to the Philippines

1. Catholicism

The first Spanish colonial influence is the supremacy Catholicism holds within the state.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines, our residents were predominantly
animistic. However, in Spain’s successful conquest of our nation, Filipinos were slowly
converted to Christianity despite various uprisings against a new religious system. As
soon as Christianity gained control over the majority, the union of church and the state
was accomplished, which had a great impact on our form of governance. Catholicism
became deeply rooted within our laws and our legal institutions were primarily
religious and patriarchal in nature. In short, theocracy was predominant during the
Spanish Colonial Era.
2. Spanish Language

The second Spanish colonial influence is the incursion of Spanish into our
language systems. When the Spaniards arrived in our country, our direct contact
with them resulted in the adoption of various Spanish words into our vocabulary.
Examples of various other Filipino dialects that have Spanish words are
Hiligaynon, Visaya, Bicolano, Ilocano, and Sugbuhanon, however, there are many
more Filipino dialects that have been influenced by the Spanish language as well.
3. Formal Education

During the early years of Spanish colonization, education was mostly run by the
Church. Spanish friars and missionaries educated the natives and converted
indigenous populations to the Catholic faith. During the early years of Spanish rule
in the Philippines, Parish schools were established where religion, reading, writing,
arithmetic and music was taught. Sanitation and more advanced methods of
agriculture was taught to the natives.

4. Established Schools

The oldest universities, colleges, and vocational schools, dating as far back as the
late 16th century were created during the colonial period, as well as the first
modern public education system in Asia, established in 1863.
In 1590, the Universidad de San Ignacio was founded in Manila by the Jesuits, initially as the Colegio-
Seminario de San Ignacio. By the second half of the 17th century, the university was incorporated as a mere
College of Medicine and Pharmacy into the University of Santo Tomás.

The Colegio de San Ildefonso was established in 1595 in Cebú by the Society of Jesus. The school closed
down in 1768, but the present-day University of San Carlos makes the claim of tracing its roots to the
arguably defunct 16th century school. This claim has been the subject of numerous debates.

On April 28, 1611, the Universidad de Santo Tomás was founded in Manila, initially named as the Colegio de
Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario and later renamed as Colegio de Santo Tomas. On November 20,
1645, Pope Innocent X elevated it to University. King Charles III of Spain bestowed the title "Royal" in 1785,
and Pope Leo XIII "Pontifical" in 1902. Pope Pius XII designated it as La Real y Pontificia Universidad de Santo
Tomás de Aquino Universidad Católica de Filipinas (The Catholic University of the Philippines), in 1947.

In 1640, the Universidad de San Felipe de Austria was established in Manila. It was the first public university
created by the Spanish government in the Philippines. It closed down in 1643.
Developments of Science and Technology

During the Spanish Regime

The beginnings of modern science and technology in the Philippines can be traced
to the Spanish Regime. The Spaniards established schools, hospitals, and started
scientific research and these had important consequences for the rise of country’s
professions.

The colonization of the Philippines contributed to the growth of science and

technology in the archipelago. The Spanish introduced formal education and
founded scientific institution.
Accounts by Spanish friars in the 1580s showed that astronomy was already known
and practiced. The accounts also give the local names of constellations, such as
Moroporo for the Pleiades and Balatik for Ursa Major among others.

In 1687, Isaac Newton included an explicit reference to the Philippines in his classic
Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica by mentioning Leuconia, the ancient
Ptolemaic name for the Philippines.

The study of medicine in the Philippines was given priority in the Spanish era,
especially in the later years. The Spanish also contributed to the field of engineering
in the islands by constructing government buildings, churches, roads, bridges and
forts. Biology is given focus. Contributors to science in the archipelago during the
19th century were botanists, Fr. Ignacio Mercado., Dr. Trinidad Pardo de Tavera and
Dr. Leon Ma Guerrero, chemist Anacleto del Rosario, and medicine scholars Dr.
Manuel Guerrero, Dr. Jose Montes and Dr. Eliodoro Mercado.