The Philippines has a long and rich history which was believed to have started at least 30,000 years ago. However, for this article, we will only cover the historical milestones which date back to the colonial period:

Spanish Period (1521-1897)

It all started on March 16, 1521 when a Spanish expedition led by explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in Samar and claimed the islands for Spain. In 1565, another expedition which was led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in Cebu and built their first settlement. More settlements were established until they reached Manila. This marked the start of the Spanish colonization that lasted for more than 300 years. During the Spanish era, infrastructure, hospitals, and schools were built, and the missionaries succeeded in converting the people of northern and central lowlands to Christianity.

The Philippine Revolution began in 1896 when the Spanish authorities discovered the Katipunan, a secret organization against Spain. This lasted for two years.

American Period (1898-1946)

The Spanish-American war started in April 1898 when US Pres. William McKinley demanded the Spanish government to withdraw its forces from Cuba. On May 1, 1898, the US Navy led by Commodore George Dewey attacked Manila and defeated the Spanish troops. On August 14, 1898, the Spain surrendered and a US military government was established. The war ended on December 10, 1898 when the US and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris in which the Spain sold the Philippines to the US. Tension built up between the Philippines and the US as the former struggled for freedom. The Philippine-American war began on February 4, 1899.

Japanese Occupation (1941-1945)

The Japanese invasion to the Philippines started on December 8, 1941. The defending troops of the Philippines and US surrendered to Japan in 1942. War prisoners undertook the Bataan death march which resulted to about 10,000 deaths. US forces under the command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur returned to the Philippines on October 1944. War continued and ended on September 1945. On July 4, 1946, the Philippines gained its political independence.

Martial Law (1972-1986)

With the unrest and economic problems in the country, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law on September 1972. During this time, press freedom was suppressed and opposition leaders and activists including Sen. Benigno Aquino, Jr. were arrested. In 1983, Aquino returned to the Philippines after his exile but was killed at the Manila International Airport. This, along with other events, led to a 1986 snap presidential election in which Marcos defeated Aquino's widow Corazon Aquino. Due to reports of tampering of election results, Aquino and her supporters did not accept the outcome of the election. A series of peaceful demonstrations called People Power Revolution occurred in the streets as people showed resistance to the Marcos regime. Aquino was later declared as the Philippine president.

Aquino Administration to Present

Corazon Aquino served as the president from 1986-1992. After her term, Fidel Ramos won the presidential elections in 1992 and served until 1998. Joseph Estrada was elected in 1998. However, in 2000, he was impeached based on graft and corruption and bribery. When 11 senators refused to open confidential records on the impeachment trial, people went to EDSA, demanding Estrada to step down. The Supreme Court then declared Vice Pres. Gloria Arroyo as the new president. She was re-elected in 2004.

Knowing the historical background of the Philippines will make it easier to understand Filipino culture and traditions and how historical milestones shaped the country.