ORIGIN OF THE PHILIPPINES

The history of Philippines dates back to some 50,000 years ago. It may be surprising but
there is sufficient archaeological evidence to back the claim, though we may not conclude
that it is the 'history' of 'the Philippines' that dates back that far behind. However, there is
little dispute about the statement that Homosapiens did exist in Palawan some 50,000
years back. Later, Austronesian-speaking people settled in the Philippines and
established maritime trading with other parts of the South East Asia. It was done as early
as 5,000 B.C.

For a very long time, the archipelago remained untouched by the outsiders, lying
peacefully in its own little part of the world. The west, however, did flow in with Ferdinand
Magellan being the first in 1521, followed by Miguel López de Legazpi in 1565. They
formed the first Spanish settlements, which eventually turned the Philippines into their
colony. Then came Roman Catholic missionaries, who converted most of the inhabitants
to Christianity. The following 300 years of Philippines' history saw several turmoils with
the Spanish military fighting off various local revolts and several external colonial
challenges from as diverse quarters as the British, the Chinese, the Dutch, the French,
the Japanese, and the Portuguese. The Spanish military was largely successful in
defending their occupation. However, they could not avoid the occupation of the capital
by the British during the Seven Years' War. Though that was a temporary occupation, it
was still one of the most serious damages done to the Spanish rule in the archipelago.

The Philippines opened up for world trade on September 6, 1834. In the Spanish mainland
a propaganda protest began. The propagandists led by Rizal demanded, amongst other
things, a greater representation in Spain, but the movement did not yield expected gains.
So, Rizal returned to the Philippines and pushed for the reforms locally, which resulted in
his arrest, trial, and execution for sedition on December 30, 1896.

However, the spirit of revolution did not die down. Another revolution sprang up. It was
led by Andrés Bonifacio and was continued by Emilio Aguinaldo, who managed to
establish a revolutionary government though, the Spanish governor general Fernando
Primo de Rivera announced the death of the revolution on May 17, 1897.

The Spanish-American War broke out in 1898 and gradually proceeded up to the
Philippines when Commodore George Dewey defeated the Spanish squadron at the
Manila Bay. Spain ceded the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam and Cuba to the United
States. It was the Americans who brought democracy to the Philippines. It was made a
commonwealth country in 1935. The Philippines was to attain independence in the next
decade, but it did not come as World War II broke out and Japan invaded. Independence,
however, came Philippines' way on July 4, 1946.

Ever since its independence, the Philippines has faced a number of challenges but has
managed to sail through, unscathed so far.
Who Discovered the Philippines?
It is quite common to find many Filipinos and websites
about the Philippines to mention that the Philippines was
discovered in March 1521 by famed Portuguese navigator
by the name of Ferdinand Magellan. Though this seems
correct according to many sources both modern and
earlier, the statement itself does bring a bit of
controversy. There are those who question the accuracy
of this statement and thus brining up the question of who
discovered the Philippines.

Discovering the Philippines

The basic tenet you’ll find even in the earliest annals of
Philippine history would give you an early history stating
that Ferdinand Magellan discovered the islands of the
Philippines. The rest of the story would show Magellan clashing with a local chieftain by
the name of Lapu-lapu of Cebu. This is the story you’ll find in many history books about
the country.

It is true that Magellan landed in Samar and Leyte and laid claim to the islands in the
name of Spain. However, there are those who challenge the legitimacy of the claim of
having discovered the Philippines. There are those who claim that the early annals only
depicted or gave credit to Ferdinand Magellan since the earliest historic records were
written by the Spanish. This puts the question forward regarding who discovered the
Philippines if not the Spanish.

Challenged Claim
The challenge to the idea of crediting Ferdinand Magellan having discovered the
Philippines is so strong that some web sites and history books have been revised. Even
official tourism sites in the country have revised their sections on early Philippine history.
However, you’ll also find that there are those who still stick to the original idea of giving
credit to Magellan as the explorer who discovered the Philippines.

It is argued that even before Magellan came to the islands, the people of the country
already have established culture and trading relations with other Asian countries. This
simply means that even before the Spanish came to the islands, someone else discovered
the Philippines. Evidence of which are trade relations with nearby Asian countries and the
many villages and kingdoms already established.
The earliest evidence that the islands were already inhabited and settled dates back to
about 40,000 years ago with artifacts of a civilized life in the cave of Tabon in the island
of Palawan. Negritos are also known to have settled in the islands around 30,000 years
ago.
Other Asian settlers have already made it into the country even hundreds of years before
any Spanish explorer has ever set foot on the country’s shores. As further evidence
against the claim, several highland villages and the sultanates of the island of Mindanao
were never conquered by the Spanish.

The West Discovers the Philippines

Thus, if you really want to interpret the history of the country, you would be forced to
conclude that the western world discovered the Philippines in the year 1521. However,
you should take note that the real person who discovered the Philippines and her islands
is still unknown.
Presidents of the Philippines
 Emilio Aguinaldo, 1st President of the Philippines, 1899 - 1901
 Manuel L. Quezon, 2nd President of the Philippines, 1935 - 1944
 Jose P. Laurel, 3rd President of the Philippines, 1943 - 1945
 Sergio Suico Osmeña, Sr., 4th President of the Philippines, 1944 - 1946
 Manuel Acuña Roxas, 5th President of the Philippines, 1946 - 1948
 Elpidio Quirino, 6th President of the Philippines, 1948 - 1953
 Ramon Magsaysay, 7th President of the Philippines, 1953 - 1957
 Carlos Polistico Garcia, 8th President of the Philippines, 1957 - 1961
 Diosdado Macapagal, 9th President of the Philippines, 1961 - 1965
 Ferdinand Marcos, 10th President of the Philippines, 1965 - 1986
 Cory Cojuangco-Aquino, 11th President of the Philippines, 1986 - 1992
 Fidel Valdez Ramos, 12th President of the Philippines, 1992 - 1998
 Joseph Estrada, 13th President of the Philippines, 1998 - 2001
 Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 14th President of the Philippines, 2001 - 2010
 Noynoy Cojuangco Aquino, 15th President of the Philippines, 2010 - 2016
 Rodrigo Duterte, 16th President of the Philippines, 2016 - present
POLITICAL GOVERNMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES
Politics in the Philippines has traditionally been dominated by clans and political bosses
and patronage and is characterized by law makers that make decisions based on fiscal
incentives rather that beliefs and voters that make choices based on personality rather
than reasoned policies. Under the traditional itang na loob system of patronage, or
obligation earned through favors, voters expect money or jobs in return for their political
support. In many cases politician’s performance was based on dole-outs not on programs
or policies. Philippine concepts about debt repayment and kinship responsibilities plays a
major role in how political networks are set up and run (See FILIPINO CHARACTER AND
PERSONALITY: HIYA, AMOR PROPIO Under People).
Personalities are more important than parties in Philippine politics. Movie stars and other
celebrities have enjoyed considerable success. In addition1, several prominent families
play a disproportionate role in politics. The support of the military and the Catholic church
are key to political survival and success in the Philippines. Promises are generally not
kept. Arroyo, for example, pledged to bring cheap power to the poor as a campaign pledge
and then doubled power rates after she was elected. She also promised not to run for a
second time but changed her mind because she said God made her decide to run.
The Philippines is known for its rough-and-tumble political scene. Politicians are
rountinely killed and sometimes they even do the do the killing themselves. Every now
and then it seems the entire country is on the verge of collapse because of a coup attempt,
People Power protest or impeachment effort. On the day-to-day level, politicians are
unable to achieve many of their goals and carry out programs they proposed due to
political opposition, mainly from the ruling elite. Arroyo and her cabinet said that political
fighting and sniping exhausted and frustrated them deeply.
Carlos H. Conde wrote in the New York Times, “In the Philippines, politics is a blood
sport. Here, politicians often behave like gladiators: To survive they have to entertain the
spectators. The turmoil from the [Arroyo] scandal has once again brought Filipinos and
their unique brand of rambunctious democracy to international attention, providing a
sideshow to the more pressing problems. Filipinos are no longer surprised by election
fraud. Thanks to the damage Ferdinand Marcos, the dictator, did to the democratic
institutions that American-style democracy helped establish after World War II, and the
prevalence of an almost feudal political structure, particularly in the provinces, Filipinos
have come to accept election cheating as normal. [Source: Carlos H. Conde, New York
Times, July 2, 2005]
Pollster Social Weather Station and Pulse Asia.
 RELIGION IN THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippines proudly boasts to be the only Christian nation in Asia. More than 86 percent of
the population is Roman Catholic, 6 percent belong to various nationalized Christian cults, and
another 2 percent belong to well over 100 Protestant denominations. In addition to the Christian
majority, there is a vigorous 4 percent Muslim minority, concentrated on the southern islands of
Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan. Scattered in isolated mountainous regions, the remaining 2 percent
follow non-Western, indigenous beliefs and practices. The Chinese minority, although statistically
insignificant, has been culturally influential in coloring Filipino Catholicism with many of the
beliefs and practices of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

The pre-Hispanic belief system of Filipinos consisted of a pantheon of gods, spirits,

creatures, and men that guarded the streams, fields, trees, mountains, forests, and
houses. Bathala, who created earth and man, was superior to these other gods and
spirits. Regular sacrifices and prayers were offered to placate these deities and spirits--
some of which were benevolent, some malevolent. Wood and metal images represented
ancestral spirits, and no distinction was made between the spirits and their physical
symbol. Reward or punishment after death was dependent upon behavior in this life.

Anyone who had reputed power over the supernatural and natural was automatically
elevated to a position of prominence. Every village had its share of shamans and priests
who competitively plied their talents and carried on ritual curing. Many gained renown for
their ability to develop anting-anting, a charm guaranteed to make a person invincible in
the face of human enemies. Other sorcerers concocted love potions or produced amulets
that made their owners invisible.

Upon this indigenous religious base two foreign religions were introduced -- Islam and
Christianity -- and a process of cultural adaptation and synthesis began that is still
evolving. Spain introduced Christianity to the Philippines in 1565 with the arrival of Miguel
Lopez de Legaspi. Earlier, beginning in 1350, Islam had been spreading northward from
Indonesia into the Philippine archipelago. By the time the Spanish arrived in the 16th
century, Islam was firmly established on Mindanao and Sulu and had outposts on Cebu
and Luzon. At the time of the Spanish arrival, the Muslim areas had the highest and most
politically integrated culture on the islands and, given more time, would probably have
unified the entire archipelago. Carrying on their historical tradition of expelling the Jews
and Moros [Moors] from Spain (a commitment to eliminating any non-Christians), Legaspi
quickly dispersed the Muslims from Luzon and the Visayan islands and began the process
of Christianization. Dominance over the Muslims on Mindanao and Sulu, however, was
never achieved during three centuries of Spanish rule. During American rule in the first
half of this century the Muslims were never totally pacified during the so-called "Moro
Wars." Since independence, particularly in the last decade, there has been resistance by
large segments of the Muslim population to national integration. Many feel, with just
cause, that integration amounts to cultural and psychological genocide. For over ten years
the Moro National Liberation Front has been waging a war of secession against the
Marcos government.
While Islam was contained in the southern islands, Spain conquered and converted the
remainder of the islands to Hispanic Christianity. The Spanish seldom had to resort to
military force to win over converts, instead the impressive display of pomp and
circumstance, clerical garb, images, prayers, and liturgy attracted the rural populace. To
protect the population from Muslim slave raiders, the people were resettled from isolated
dispersed hamlets and brought "debajo de las companas" (under the bells), into Spanish
organized pueblos. This set a pattern that is evident in modern Philippine Christian towns.
These pueblos had both civil and ecclesiastical authority; the dominant power during the
Spanish period was in the hands of the parish priest. The church, situated on a central
plaza, became the locus of town life. Masses, confessions, baptisms, funerals, marriages
punctuated the tedium of everyday routines. The church calendar set the pace and rhythm
of daily life according to fiesta and liturgical seasons. Market places and cockfight pits
sprang up near church walls. Gossip and goods were exchanged and villagers found
"both restraint and release under the bells." The results of 400 years of Catholicism were
mixed -- ranging from a deep theological understanding by the educated elite to a more
superficial understanding by the rural and urban masses. The latter is commonly referred
to as Filipino folk Christianity, combining a surface veneer of Christian monotheism and
dogma with indigenous animism. It may manifest itself in farmers seeking religious
blessings on their rice seed before planting or in the placement of a bamboo cross at the
comer of a rice field to prevent damage by insects. It may also take the form of a folk
healer using Roman Catholic symbols and liturgy mixed with pre-Hispanic rituals.

When the United States took over the Philippines in the first half of the century, the
justifications for colonizing were to Christianize and democratize. The feeling was that
these goals could be achieved only through mass education (up until then education was
reserved for a small elite). Most of the teachers who went to the Philippines were
Protestants, many were even Protestant ministers. There was a strong prejudice among
some of these teachers against Catholics. Since this Protestant group instituted and
controlled the system of public education in the Philippines during the American colonial
period, it exerted a strong influence. Subsequently the balance has shifted to reflect much
stronger influence by the Catholic majority.

During the period of armed rebellion against Spain, a nationalized church was organized
under Gregorio Aglipay, who was made "Spiritual head of the Nation Under Arms."
Spanish bishops were deposed and arrested, and church property was turned over to the
Aglipayans. In the early part of the 20th century the numbers of Aglipayans peaked at 25
to 33 percent of the population. Today they have declined to about 5 percent and are
associated with the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States. Another dynamic
nationalized Christian sect is the lglesia ni Kristo, begun around 1914 and founded by
Felix Manolo Ysagun. Along with the Aglipayans and Iglesia ni Kristo, there have been a
proliferation of Rizalist sects, claiming the martyred hero of Philippine nationalism, Jose
B. Rizal as the second son of God and a reincarnation of Christ. Leaders of these sects
themselves often claim to be reincarnations of Rizal, Mary, or leaders of the revolution;
claim that the apocalypse is at hand for non-believers; and claim that one can find
salvation and heaven by joining the group. These groups range from the Colorums of the
1920s and 1930s to the sophisticated P.B.M.A. (Philippine Benevolent Missionary
Association, headed by Ruben Ecleo). Most of those who follow these cults are the poor,
dispossessed, and dislocated and feel alienated from the Catholic church.

The current challenge to the supremacy of the Catholic church comes from a variety of
small sects -- from the fundamentalist Christian groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses
and Seventh Day Adventists, to the lglesia ni Kristo and Rizalists. The Roman Catholics
suffer from a lack of personnel (the priest to people ratio is exceedingly low), putting them
at a disadvantage in gaining and maintaining popular support. The Catholic church is
seeking to meet this challenge by establishing an increasingly native clergy and by
engaging in programs geared to social action and human rights among the rural and
urban poor. In many cases this activity has led to friction between the church and the
Marcos government, resulting in arrests of priests, nuns, and lay people on charges of
subversion. In the "war for souls" this may be a necessary sacrifice. At present the largest
growing religious sector falls within the province of these smaller, grass roots sects; but
only time will tell where the percentages will finally rest.
PHILIPPINES ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

The economy will have likely regained ground in the second quarter, following the
slowdown recorded in the first quarter. Particularly, a fresh impetus of government
spending on infrastructure projects, following the passage of the 2019 budget in April, will
have powered growth. Moreover, the manufacturing sector grew at a stronger pace in
May, underpinned by solid domestic and foreign demand, while a sustained expansion in
the U.S. should support remittance inflows, boding well for household spending in the
quarter. However, while merchandise exports recovered in April on a rebound in
electronics shipments, the external sector remains on feeble footing, weighed on by the
protracted U.S.-China trade dispute and the maturing global tech cycle. Likewise, the
expected pick-up in public outlays will likely drive up imports, placing renewed pressure
on the trade deficit.
Philippines Economic Growth

The economy is expected to gain steam in upcoming quarters, driven by a ramp-up in

government expenditures, which should feed through to fixed investment, and sustained
private consumption. Moreover, the Bank’s policy loosening should push down
borrowing costs. Elevated global trade tensions remain a downside risk to the outlook.
FocusEconomics panelists see GDP expanding 6.1% in 2019, which is down 0.1
percentage points from last month’s forecast, and 6.2% in 2020.
Philippines Economy Data

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Population (million) 98.2 99.9 102 103 105

GDP per capita (USD) 2,768 2,849 2,881 2,953 2,978

GDP (USD bn) 272 285 293 305 314

Economic Growth (GDP, annual variation in %) 7.1 6.1 6.1 6.9 6.7

Consumption (annual variation in %) 5.6 5.6 6.3 7.1 5.9

Investment (annual variation in %) 11.8 7.2 16.9 26.1 9.5

Manufacturing (annual variation in %) 10.3 8.3 5.7 7.1 8.4

Retail Sales (annual variation in %) 2.7 2.7 1.2 2.3 3.5

Unemployment Rate 7.1 6.8 6.3 5.5 5.7

Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) -1.4 -0.6 -0.9 -2.4 -2.2

Public Debt (% of GDP) 49.2 45.4 44.7 42.1 42.1

Money (annual variation in %) 33.5 10.5 9.1 13.3 11.6

Inflation Rate (CPI, annual variation in %, eop) 3.8 1.9 0.7 2.2 2.9
 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Inflation Rate (CPI, annual variation in %) 2.6 3.6 0.7 1.3 2.9

Inflation (PPI, annual variation in %) 1.6 2.7 -3.9 1.1 4.4

Policy Interest Rate (%) 3.50 4.00 4.00 3.00 3.00

Stock Market (annual variation in %) 1.3 22.8 -3.9 -1.6 25.1

Exchange Rate (vs USD) 44.39 44.79 46.93 49.60 50.01

Exchange Rate (vs USD, aop) 42.46 44.40 45.53 47.50 50.40

Current Account (% of GDP) 4.2 3.8 2.5 -0.4 -0.8

Current Account Balance (USD bn) 11.4 10.8 7.3 -1.2 -2.5

Trade Balance (USD billion) -5.7 -3.3 -12.2 -26.7 -30.0

Exports (USD billion) 56.7 62.1 58.8 57.4 62.9

Imports (USD billion) 62.4 65.4 71.1 84.1 92.9

Exports (annual variation in %) 8.8 9.5 -5.3 -2.4 9.5

Imports (annual variation in %) 0.5 4.8 8.7 18.4 10.4

International Reserves (USD) 83.2 79.5 80.7 80.7 81.6

External Debt (% of GDP) 28.9 27.3 26.5 24.5 23.3

References:

 http://www.historyofthephilippines.com/origin_of_philippines.html
 https://www.whodiscoveredit.com/who-discovered-the-philippines.html
 https://www.geni.com/projects/Presidents-of-the-Philippines/595
 http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6f/entry-3904.html
 http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Modules/Modules/PhilippineReligions/article_
miller.htm
 https://www.focus-economics.com/countries/philippines