Philippine

History
A Project Report Requirement

ADRIAN FRANCIS VIOLA

BSIT 2nd Year

TABLE OF CONTENT
 I. The Country and its people
A. Geography
B. Economy
C. Population
D. Government
E. Filipino traits and values

II. The Philippines in ancient times

A. Early Settlers
B. Economic Life
C. Social Life
D. The Government
E. Culture

III. Early contacts with neighbor countries

A. Early Trade routes and contacts
B. Economic and cultural exchange
C. The coming of Islam

IV. Encounters with the West

A. The coming of the Spaniards
B. The battle of Mactan
C. 1st settlement in Cebu
D. 1st settlement in Panay
E. The founding of Manila

V. Questions to answer

GEOGRAPHY

The Philippines is an archipelago lying southeast of the coast of the mainland of Asia. It is
located a little above the equator and thus, belongs to the northern hemisphere. Of
approximately 7,107 islands and islets that compose the archipelago, some 4,000 have no
names. Luzon, Mindanao, Negros, Samar, Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Leyte, Cebu, and Bohol
are the ten biggest islands. The total land area, excluding the bodies of water surrounded by
land, such as Laguna de Bay, Taal Lake, Lake Lanao, and many more like these, is 300,000
square kilometers. The northernmost island of Luzon is just 100 kilometers away from the island
of Taiwan, formerly called Formosa, North and west of the archipelago lies the South China
Sea; to the east is the Pacific Ocean; and to the south are the Celebes Sea and the waters of
Borneo.
The coastline of the Philippines is irregular and stretches for about 36,289 kilometers,
about twice if the coastline of the United States, excluding that of Alaska and Hawaii. In a note
verbal submitted by the Philippine government to the United Nations on March 7, 1955, the
Philippines is defined as “a mid-ocean archipelagic state.” Thus, “All waters around, between
and connecting different islands belonging to are the Philippine Archipelago, irrespective of their
width or dimensions, are necessary appurtenances of its land territory, forming an integral part
of the national or inland waters, subject to the exclusive sovereignty of the Philippines.”
Because of the irregular coastline, the country abounds in good harbors, landlocked straits, and
hundreds of small rivers, bays, and lakes.
A look at the physical map of the Philippines shows that it is mountainous. There are
numerous peaks from north to south, of which Mount Apo in Mindanao is the highest standing at
approximately 2,954 meters high. The second highest is Mount Dulang-dulang in Bukidnon,
which is 2938 meters high. The northern and eastern parts of Luzon have rugged mountains
which are volcanic in origin. There are three large mountain ranges in Luzon. They are the
Western Caraballo de Baler. Western Caraballo runs from north to south and divides itself into
the Central Cordillera and the Northern Cordillera. It crosses the provinces of northern Luzon,
west of the Cagayan River. The Sierra Madre begins at the town of Baler in the eastern part of
Quezon Province, and crosses at the provinces of Cagayan de Baler, begins from the town of
Baler and ends in the Strait of San Bernardino, This mountain range includes Mayon Volcano in
Albay and Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon.

VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES

Active volcanoes in the Philippines, as categorized by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology

and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), include volcanoes in the country having erupted within historical
times (within the last 600 years), with accounts of these eruptions documented by humans; or
having erupted within the last 10,000 years (holocene) based on analyses of datable materials.
However, there is no consensus among volcanologists on how to define an "active" volcano. As
of 2012, PHIVOLCS lists 23 volcanoes as active in the Philippines, 21 of which have historical
eruptions; one, Cabalian, which is a strongly fumarolic volcano [further explanation needed];
and one, Leonard Kniaseff, which was active 1,800 years ago.

There are 100 Philippines volcanoes listed by the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism
Program (GVP) at present of which 20 are categorized as "historical" and 59 as "Holocene".
The GVP lists volcanoes with historical, Holocene eruptions, or possibly older if strong signs of
volcanism are still evident through thermal features like fumaroles, hot springs, mud pots, etc.
CLIMATE

ECONOMY
 Rice is the main crop of the country and is cultivated in large quantities in Central Luzon,
Western Visayas, and Mindanao. Its production, however, remains insufficient due to several
factors.
 Destructive typhoons and floods often destroy thousands upon thousands of rice lands
leading to government importation of rice.
 The agricultural sector remains backward despite government efforts to modernize it
through the introduction of programs like the “Masagana 99” technique in the sixties and
the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in recent years' the use of “miracle rice
varieties”; the use of fertilizers and pesticides increase rice production, which puts a toll
not only on poor farmers, who oftentimes cannot afford them, but also on the
environment, particularly the quality of soil.
 The production shift to sources of biofuels such as jathropa and other cash crops, which
command higher prices in the market, has also affected rice production in no small way.
 The massive conversion of farmlands for residential and commercial use has also
contributed to low rice productivity, not to mention the loss of farm labor.
The Major Philippine products for export include coconut oil, fresh bananas, pineapples, sugar,
gum resins, and abaca, among others, Among the country’s growing industries are mining,
lumber, metal, woodcraft, furniture, and petroleum. The Philippines is also among the worlds’
supplier of semiconductors and manufactured goods like ignition wiring sets and other wiring
sets use d in vehicles, aircrafts, and ships; cathodes of refined copper; and microprocessors.
The United States of America remains our top market for exports followed by Japan, Hong
Kong, and the People’s Republic of China. Other big markets of the Philippine products are the
Netherlands, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Republic of South Korea, and Taiwan (National
Statistics Office, 2007).

POPULATION
Based on the latest figures from the National Statistics Office (2008-2009), the
Philippines has one of the fastest-growing population with a birth rate of 26.42 births/ 1,000 Life
expectancy stands at 67.89 years for mend and 73.85 years for women. There are
approximately 92 million Filipinos today as projected by the NSO. Concentrated in the more
urbanized section of the country, 84% of the population is functionally literate. As of 2009, an
estimate of 35 million Filipinos employed. Thirty-four percent of employed Filipinos are engaged
in agriculture (hunting, forestry and fishing); 15% work in the industry sector (mining and
quarrying, manufacturing, electricity, gas and water, and construction); while 51% are employed
in the service sector (whole-sales and retail trade, repair of vehicles, household goods, hotels
and restaurants; transport, storage, and communication; financial, real estate, renting and
business activities; education, health and social work, etc.). These figures raise the question
whether the country is truly on its way towards industrialization or not.
The majority of the Filipinos belong to the Austronesian ethnic group. Due to early trade
contacts and subsequent colonization by the Spaniards and later by the Americans, Filipinos
today are a mixture of races. The offspring of a native Filipino and a foreigner, whether Chinese,
Spaniards, American is called mestizo. With the phenomenal growth of Filipinos working
overseas (OFWs) the mestizo group has expanded to include Arabs, Japanese, Koreans, and
Europeans, There are around 170 language family, Among the major languages are Bicolano,
Bisaya, Cebuano, Chabacano, Hiligaynon/Ilocano, Kapampangan, Maguindanaon, Maranao,
Pangasinense, Tagalom Tausug, and Waray. Filipino is the national language with Filipino and
English as the official languages of the country.

GOVERNMENT

The Philippines is a constitutional republic with three co-equal branches: the executive,
legislative and judiciary. The executive branch, headed by the President and Vice President,
administers the functions of the government through the cabinet that is made up of departments
and headed by department secretaries. The legislative branch, which is responsible for enacting
bills into laws, is compose of the Senate (Upper House) and the House of Representatives
(Lower House), led by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, respectively. The
judiciary consist of the systems of courts with the Supreme Court as the highest court in the
land and headed by the Chief Justice.
For administrative purpose, the Philippines is subdivided into regions and provinces,
expect for Metropolitan Manila. Each province is headed by a governor and has its own
legislative body called Sangguinang Panlalawigan. The provinces, in turn, are composed of
cities and municipalities. Cities and municipalities are further divided into barangays. A
barangay is the smallest political unit of the country and headed by a barangay captain.
The country has undergone five constitutional changes since the Malolos Constitution of
1899 which set up the First Filipino Republic with Emilio e. Aguinaldo as president. These
constitutions are:
1. The 1935 Constitution, which served as the basis for the transition Commonwealth
government with Manuel L. Quezon as president followed by Sergio S. Osmena;
2. The 1943 Constitution of the Japanese-sponsored government which recognized the
Second Republic under President Jose P. Laurel;
3. The 1935 Constitution, which set up the Third Republic under President Manuel A.
Roxas, followed by Elpidio R. Quirino, Ramon F. Magsaysay, Carlos P. Garcia,
Diosdado P. Macapagal, and Ferdinand E. Marcos (for his first term);
4. The 1973 Constitution that extended the term of President Marcos beyond the provision
of the 1935 Constitution, and set up the Fourth Republic;
5. The 1987 Constitution during the presidency of Corazon C. Aquino (as the first president
of the Fifth Republic), to that of Fidel V. Ramos, the short-lived administration of Joseph
E. Estrada, and that of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

FILIPINO TRAITS AND VALUES

The Filipino people have many common traits. Perhaps the most important trait of the
Filipinos is their hospitality. They welcome visitors, whether Filipinos or non-Filipinos, with open
arms and warm hearts. Visitors are given the best in the house and they would go to the extent
of incurring debs to make their visitors contendeP a g e | 6d, happy and comfortable. Filipino
hospitality is unequaled and known the world over.
Filipinos maintain close family ties. The family is the unit of society and consist, at least
until very recent times, of the parents, the grandparents, and the children. The head of the
family is the father, but it is really the mother who governs. The mother does a lot of things for
the family; she is the first teacher of the children; she is the treasurer of the home, the
accountant, the censor, the laundrywoman, and the cook.
Respect for the elders is one of the best Filipino traits. Filipino parents exercise moral
influence over their children. The latter obey their parents willingly and help them in their work.
The younger men and women do not, as a rule, disturb their elders when the latter are talking or
conversing with other people. Even among strangers, respect is shown by slightly bowing the
head or by using some words of respect. The Tagalog po is commonly used by almost
everybody to show respect even to a younger man (or woman) if the latter is a stranger.
Filipinos as a people have several values. Values are those aspects in life that include
customs, traditions, etc., which the people regard as necessary and important in their dealings
with one another. One of these values is pakikisama, a sense of togetherness or comradeship.
Pakikisama refers to doing somebody a good deed, such as helping a relative or neighbor build
a house without asking for compensation, or helping someone look for a job, and so on. If one
does these, he/she is said to be mabuting makisama. If one does the opposite, he/she is called
masamang makisama. Pakikisama does not mean doing crooked or dishonest things in order
to look good to others. Pakikisama is a positive value and means doing somebody a good turn
or being helpful without ulterior motive.
Utang na loob or debt of gratitude is another famous Filipino value. A person who
receives favor from another, whether this person is a friend or a stranger, is expected to pay this
debt of gratitude by returning the favor in the same measure, if not, more. A friend who fails to
return a favor is called walang utang na loob or an ingrate. People who lack utang na loob are
disliked or avoided.
Hiya or kahihiyan is another Filipino value. It means sense of shame. To the Filipino,
just like other Asian people hiya is something that a person must possess to a high degree. A
person without hiya is called walang hiya or shameless. Because of this value, a Filipino would
sometimes do something foolish in order to save face. Thus, because of hiya, a poor Filipino
peasant will contract debt or borrow money from relatives, neighbors, or friends in order to have
a feast for the baptism of a son or daughter. On other occasions, many Filipinos borrow money
to spend on food and other things to celebrate a town fiesta at the expense of the family budget.
Out of shame or hiya, they do not want neighbors to think that they could not afford to spend for
the event.

EARLY SETTLERS
 Some theories on Philippine prehistory suggest that the Philippines and the rest of the
islands in Southeast Asia may have been sites of human evolution between 200,000 and
300,000 years ago. One theory says that during the Ice Age, the waters around what is now the
Philippines fell about 45.7 meters below its level. Because of this, large areas of land came to
the surface and formed “land bridges” to mainland Asia. It is said that it was during this period
that the first settlers, small group hominid, came to the Philippines. Most likely, they were hunter
and gatherers on an exploration trip. The earliest stone tools and animal fossils found in
Cagayan Valley in northern Philippines were dated back to at least 200,000 years ago. Although
no human fossils were found yet, the artifacts suggest their existence Collectively they were
called Cagayan Man or homo erectus philippinensis. They had similar characteristic as the Java
Man of Indonesia and Peking Man of China. In 1962, a skull cap of man was discovered in the
Tabon caves of Palawan. From this skull, archeologist learned that man had been in the
Philippines for at least 22,000 years. The cave where the Tabon Man was found was dated
back to half a million years old and had been occupied for more or less 50,000 years. A piece of
charcoal which dated back to 30,000 years was also found which may indicate the first use of
fire in the archipelago. The prehistoric people had a primitive culture characterized by the use of
stone implements. They hunted animals such as the pygmy elephant and rhinoceros. In some
languages of the Philippines, including Tagalog the word for elephant is gadya. This shows that
once upon a time there were elephants in the Philippines. The early Filipinos” lived in caves.
They also gathered food from their immediate environment. They were clothing made from
materials that they god from nature.
More that 7,000 years ago, long after the ice that covered the world melted, the resulting
rise in the sea level ushered in the arrival of another group of people, the Austronesians. They
came to Southeast Asia by boats from Southern China. They had brown skin (kayumanggi) and
an early stone age culture.
Much later, some of them came to the Philippines from Indochina and South China also
by boats. They built their houses with pyramidal roofs. They practiced dry agriculture and
produced yams, rice, and gabe, their clothing consisted of pounded bark of trees with various
printed designs. The Kalingas, the Gaddangs, the Apayos, the Igorots, and the Ilongots, all
indigenous group of Luzon; the native Visayans; the Tagbanuas of Palawan, the Bagobos, the
Bilaans, the Manobos, and the Tiruays of Mindanao, are probably descendants of this group.
These theories of migrations, however, are still subjects of debates. The artifacts are not
enough to warrant definite conclusions about Philippine prehistory.

ECONOMIC LIFE

The ancient Filipinos practiced agriculture, which was the main source of their
sustenance. Rice, coconut, sugar cane, cotton, banana, hemp, orange, and many kinds of fruits
and vegetables were raised. Land cultivation was done in two ways: the kaingin system and
tillage. The cleared land was then planted to crops. In the tillage system, the Land was plowed
and harrowed, then followed by planting. Pigafetta, the historian of the Magellan expedition
which reached the Philippines in 1521, said that he found in Sugbu (Cebu) such foodstuffs as
sorgo, orange, garlic, gourd, lemon, coconut, sugar cane, and many fruits.
Aside from agriculture, the ancient Filipinos engaged in industries such as fishing,
mining, shipbuilding, poultry and livestock raising, logging, pottering, and weaving. Textiles like
sinamay were woven with threads obtained from banana and cotton plants. The ancient
Filipinos a domesticated chicken, native ponies, carabaos, pigs, and goats, Fishing was a
common industry because most of the settlements were along rivers and seas. Antonio de
Morga, a Spanish official in the judiciary who wrote about the early Philippines, said that “this
industry [fishing] is quite general in the entire country and is considered a natural activity for the
self-support of the people.” Various method of catching fish was used, such as the use of nets,
bow and arrow, lance or spear, the wicker basket, hook and line, corrals, and fish poison.
Mining was also another important industry before the coming of the Spaniards. In 1569,
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi reported to the Viceroy of Mexico that there was “More or less gold…
in all these islands; it is obtained from rivers and, in some places, from mines which the natives
work.” He mentioned Paracale in Camarines Norte, the Ilocos, the Visayaas, especially Cebu,
and along the Butuan River in Mindanao, as places where “very good gold” could be found.
No currency was used in trading. Goods were bought and sold through the barter
system called baligya. For example, a goat is exchanged for a big basket full of fish.
Sometimes, the Filipinos would exchange gold for products sold by the Chinese who trusted the
Filipinos islands, Commerce extended far and wide into nearby foreign lands such as Borneo,
Malaya, Thailand, Cambodia, Sumatra, and India.

SOCIAL LIFE

The ancient Filipinos were divided into social classes. These were the nobles, the
freemen, and the dependents. The nobles, composed of the chiefs and their families, were the
early society’s upper class. They were highly respected in their community. In the Tagalog
region, the nobles usually carried the title of Gat or Lakan. One finds these words today in some
surnames like Lakandula (Lakan Dula), Lakanilaw (Lakan Haw), Gatmaitan (Gat Maitan),
Gatchalian (Gat Saiian), Gatbonton (Gat Bunton), and many others. The low social status of the
dependent was inheritance, by purchasem or by being pronounced guilty of a crime. Among the
Tagalogs, the dependents were classified into aliping family. Among the Visayans, the
dependents were of three kinds: the tumataban, who worked for his master when told to do so;
the tumaramouk, who worked one day a week for his master; and the ayuey, who worked three
days a week for his master.
Dependents were further classified into three levels or grades: first as full dependent
(whose parents were bot dependents); second, as one-half dependent (with one parent as
dependent); and third, as semi-dependent (with one parent being one-half dependent and the
other free). These levels were not permanent. Anyone could move up or down a level upon
payment of debts or by purchase, Thus, there were no slaves in the real sense of the word –
only dependents due to debts or captivity from war or battles.

THE GOVERNMENT

The community called barangay was the basic unit of government, It consisted of 30 to
100 families. The Tagalog word “barangay’ was derived from the Austronesian balangay, a boat
which transported the Austronesian immigrants to the Philippines. The Spaniards changed the
letter “I” in balangay to “r” and pronounced it the Spanish way: barangay. Each barangay was
independent and was ruled by a chieftain. It was the primary duto of the chieftain to rule and
govern his people justly and to promote their welfare. The subjects, on the other hand, serverd
their chieftain in times of war with other barangays and helped him in tilling buwis, the Tagalog
word for “tax.” The chieftain’s children and other relatives were highly respected in the
community and were exempted from paying tribute and from rendering personal services to the
chieftain.
The chieftain was powerful and exercised the powers of the executive, the legislative,
and the judiciary. In war, he was the supreme commander. However, he was aided by a council
of elders in his role as lawmaker. This council gave the chieftain some wise pieces of advice in
order to guide him in the administration of justice.
Relations existed between barangays. They traded with one another. Sometimes,
alliances were concluded between barangays for mutual protection against a common enemy.
An alliance was sealed through a ritual called sanduguan or blood compact. This entailed
drawing of blood from the arms of the contracting parties, mixing their respective blood in a cup
of wine, and drinking the mixture. Having drunk each other’s blood, the contracting parties then
became “blood-brothers”.

CULTURE

CLOTHING

When the first Spaniards came to the Philippines in 1521, they found the early Filipinos
with a culture that was different from theirs. Some aspects of his old culture were undoubtedly
Malay, but the other aspects were probably the result of a different environment.
Among the ancient Filipinos, the male clothing consisted of the upper and lower parts.
The upper part was a jacket with a short sleeve called kangan. The color of the jacket indicated
the rank of the wearer: the chief wore a red jacket, while those lower in rank wore either black or
blue. The lower part of the clothing was called bahag, which consisted of a cloth wound about
the waist, passing down between the thighs.
The women were usually naked
from the waist up. They wore a saya or
skirt. Among the Visayans, this lower part
was called patadyong. A piece of white or
red cloth, called tapis, was usually wrapped
around the waist or the chest.
 The ancient Filipinos had no shoes. They walked about barefooted. Men usually wore a
headgear called putong, a piece of cloth wrapped around the head. The color of the putong
showed the number of persons the wearer had killed. Thus, a man wearing a red putong had
killed at least one man, and the one waring an embroidered putong had killed at least seven
men.

ORNAMENT

The ancient Filipinos wore ornaments made of gold and

precious stones. Women as well as men wore armlets
called kalumbiga, pendants, gold rings, earrings, leglets,
and bracelets, Gold was common, so the ancient Filipino
used it only in making rings, armlets, and bracelets, but
also as fillings in between the teeth, These fillings were
made to adorn the teeth.
The body was also adorned by tattooing including the face.
The women also tattooed their arms and faces to make
themselves beautiful. Among men, however, tattooing had
another use. It was used a man’s war record, that is, the
more a man was tattooed the in battle. According to the first Spanish missionaries who wrote
about the ancient Filipinos, the Visayans were the most tattooed people of the Philippines. For
this reason, the Spanish missionaries called the Visayans, pintados or painted people.

THE HOUSE

The Filipino house of today in the barrios is no different from the typical ancient Filipino house.
The ancient house was built of bamboo, wood, and nipa palm. This kind of house was (and is)
suited to the tropical climate of the country. The house was set on stakes called haligi, which
were made of bamboo. This held the house above the ground. The lower stakes. Fowls were
placed inside the inside the enclosure. To go up the house, one had to ascend a ladder made of
bamboo. At night or when the owner of the house was not around, the ladder was drawn up.
There was also a sort of gallery called batalan where household work as done. What is called
the sala no was used not only as an area for receiving visitors, but also a place to sleep in. A
small room near the sala, called silid, was a place where mats, pillows and baskets of rice were
kept.
Among the Ilongots and the Kalingas of northern Luzon and among the Mandayas and the
Bagobos of Mindanao, the houses were built on treetops. On the other hand, the Bajaos or Sea
Gypsies of Sulu had their houseboats. They lived in such houses because they are a sea-loving
people. They roamed the seas for a living and for adventure.
EDUCATION AND SYSTEM OF WRITING

There were no formal schools, but children of school age were taught in their own
homes by their mothers who were their first teachers. Based on the testimony of the Spanish
Jesuit missionary, Father Pedro Chirino, there was hardly a man or a woman who did not know
how to read and write. Perhaps it is an exaggeration to say that the literacy rate was 100%, but
it is safe to say that the ancient Filipinos were generally literate.
It is very likely that music and religion were also taught to the children for it is
unthinkable that a religious people like the Filipinos would neglect the teaching of religion to the
children.
Our ancestors possessed a system of writing or alphabet called syllabry, baybayin or
alibata where every letter is pronounced as a syllable.
It is still debated whether the ancient Filipinos wrote from left to right or from right to left
or from top to bottom or from bottom to top. Writing and language experts still argue about the
writing orientation of the baybayin. Perhaps Pedro Chirino, who wrote a book about the ancient
Filipinos with whom he had early contacts, was correct when he said that the early Filipinos
wrote from top to bottom and from left to right.
The early Filipinos wrote on large leaves of plants and trees, and sometimes on barks of
trees and bamboo tubes. They used the colored saps of trees as ink, while they used pointed
sticks or iron as pencil. Some samples of his ancient writing that have come down to the present
are found among the Hanunuo Mangyans of Mindoro and Palawan.

EARLY LITERATURE
The ancient Filipinos had a literature that may be classified into written and oral. Among
the Tagalogs, the oral literature consisted of sabi (maxims), bugtong (riddles), talindaw (boat
song), tagumpay (victory songs), uyayi and hele (cradle song), ihiman (wedding song),
kumintang became a love song. During the Revolution, it disappeared and was replaced by the
kundiman.
Their epics are the Hudhud and the Alim. The former glorifies Ifugao history and its hero,
Aliguyon. The Alim, on the other hand, tells the story of gods that resemble the Indian gods in
the epic Ramayana. The epic of the Ilocanosw, Biag ni Lam-ang (Life of Lam-ang) originated
even before the arrival of the Spaniards. The Bicolanos have their epic called Handiong. The
Muslim, a very daring, brave, and courageous people, have produced several epics: the
Bantugan, Indarapatra, and Sulayman, Bidasari, and parang sabil. The other non-Muslim and
non-Christian peoples of Mindanao also have their epics, but these have not yet been written
down completely and have not been translated into English or any of the well-known Philippine
Languages.

MUSIC AND DANCE

Filipinos are considered born musician. Many of them play two or more musical
instruments. Pigafetta, already mentioned earlier, that the natives of Sugbu (Cebu) played such
musical instruments as the timbal, the cymbal, the drum, and other instruments, most of which
were made of wood or bamboos. When an officer of the Spanish explorer Villalobos went to
Samar in 1543, he saw natives playing a stringed instrument called kudyapi. Among the
Negritos of Zambales and Bataan, the favorite musical instruments were the kullibaw, which
resembled the Jew’s harp made of bamboo; the bansic, a sort of flute made of bamboo; and the
gangsa, a kind of guitar. To the accompaniment of these musical instruments, the Negritos
performed their potato dance in which a man was represented as a thief stealing sweet potatoes
in the farm. They had also the torture dance which commemorated the capture of an enemy; the
duel dance which represented a duel between two warriors; and the lovers dance in which a
man danced around a woman to show his love for her.
Among the Visayas, the favorite dances were the balitaw (exchange of extemporaneous
love verses) and dandansoy (courtship dance). Both these dances are still popular today.
Among the Tagalogs, drama, dance, and music developed almost at the same time. This was
because drama could not be staged without the accompanying music and dance. So the music
and the dance were classified into balatong, dalit, lulay, kumintang, tagulaylay, subli, barimbaw,
tagayan, and others.
Thus, the ancient Filipinos from all regions had dances and songs for all occasions.

THE ARTS

The earliest Filipino works of art may be seen in their tools and weapons. These tools
and weapons were at first rough, but as time went on, the Filipinos began to polish them. Later,
beads, amulets, bracelets and other ornaments were used to improve their appearance. With
the introduction of bronze, certain instruments were manufactured like bronze gongs, bells, and
even drums. This indicates that the social arts such as dance and music were already
developed in ancient times.
 The early Filipinos also used metal and glass, Simple weapons, such as daggers, bolos,
knives, and spears, were made with artistic design in their handles. Pottery with beautiful
designs was also made while images made of wood, ivory, and horn were carved.
Muslim art, in particular, deals with plant and geometrical designs, while Ifugao art deals
with animal and human representation.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

The prehistoric Filipinos believed that the soul was immortal. They also believed in life
after death as evidenced by the manunggul jar, a container for bones of the dead. They
believed in one Supreme Being they called Bathalang Maykapal or simply Bathala. Aside from
the Supreme Being, they also worshipped minor deities
whose functions were closely related to the daily life of the
people. Thus, the god of agriculture was called Idiyanale;
the god of death, Sidapa; the god of fire, Agni; the god of
rainbows, Balangaw; the god of war, Mandarangan; the
goddess of harvest, Lalahan; the god of hell, Siginarugan;
and other gods and goddesses.
The
soul-
spirits
called anito were venerated. This is called the
“Cult of the Dead.” The memory of dead
relatives was kept alive by cacrving images
made of gold, stone, and ivory. The image
was called larawan or likha among the
Tagalogs, Diwata among the Visayans, and bulol among the Ifugaos. The people offered
prayers and sacrifices to these good; some were bad. But wether an anito was good or bad, the
people prayed, and to placate its anger, if it were bad. The offerings or rituals were laid down by
a woman priest called baylana, babaylan, or katalona, and occasionally by male priests.
BURIAL
The ancient Filipinos believed in the life hereafter and the relationship between the living
and the dead, which made them respect the memory of the dead. When a relative died, he/she
was placed in a coffin and buried under his/her house. The living relatives placed his/her cloth,
gold, and other valuables in this coffin. This was done because the ancient Filipinos believed
that in this way, the dead relative would be gladly received in the Other World.
Upon his death of a person, the neighbors and relatives made fires under his/her house.
Armed sentinels guarded the coffin lest some sorcerers open it and thus release the foul smell
of the dead person. Professional mourners were hired by the relatives of the dead person in
order to show their deep feeling of loss. Mourning for a woman was distinguished from that of a
man such that the former was called morotal laraw. When his death had been announced, all
quarrels, and even petty wars, were stopped. Spears were carried with the tips pointing
downwards; and the wearing of “loud’ clothes was also prohibited.

EARLY TRADE ROUTES AND CONTACTS

Ancient Filipinos, just like their Southeast Asian neighbors, were expert seafarers and
boat builders. They made all sizes and types of boats – big or small, single-hulled or outrigged.
Because they had mastered the wind and sea currents, they could travel far and wide to trade
with nearby Southeast and East Asian neighbors. Some scholars suggested they reached even
as far as Champa (present-day Vietnam) and India. Thus, long before the coming of the
Portuguese and Spaniards in the region, the Philippines had outside trade contacts, and along
with these, varied cultural exchanges took place.
They cite as evidence Tang stonewares that were found in the Babuyan Islands, along
the coasts of Ilocos. Pangasinan, Mindoro (Puerto Galera), Batangas (Calatagan), Manila
(Santa Ana), Bohol, Cebu, Jolo, and Cagayan de Oro. If the Chinese did not bring these items
directly to the Philippines, Chinese goods probable found their way to the island by way of
Borneo through Arab traders who had earlier direct trade contacts with the Chinese.

ARAB TRADE ROUTES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Between 900 and 1200 A.D, a group of people called Orang Dampuan from Southern
Annam (Vietnam today), established trading posts in Sulu. A flourishing trade developed
between Champa (Annamese Kingdom) and the people of Sulu who was called Buranun. This
trade proved favorable of the Orang Dampuans whose prosperity drew there of the Buranuns, in
a fit of jealousy the Buranuns massacred some Orang dampuans causing the others to flee and
return to Champa. It was not until the 13th century that they would return to Sulu to trade
peacefully once more.
Arab traders, who up to this point dominated this Southeast Asian trading, were later
barred from the central Chinese coast, they relocated to the Malay Peninsula where they sough
an alternative route starting from Malacca and passing through Borneo and the Philippines to
reach Taiwan. They continued to carry Southeast Asian goods to the Western board Arab ships
southern route. They also carried Philippine goods on the competition that the Arab ships
carried non-Chinese goods amounting to 20-40% of the total cargo. This lasted up to the
Javanese of Madjapahit period (1377-1478).
The Chinese trade in the Philippines greatly improved during the Mind dynasty (1368-
1650). During this time Emperor Yung-lo sent a fleet of vessels to the Philippines, under the
command of Admiral Cheng Ho, to visit Lingayen, Manila Bay, Mindoro, and Sulu in 1405-1406,
1408-1410, and 1417. The Chinese Emperor even tried to impose its suzerainty over Luzon by
sending Ko Ch’a-lao as governor. Emperor Yung-lo’s death, however, put an end to this
ambitious plan.

ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES

Using the compass on sea voyages, Chinese traders competed with the Arabs from the
eleventh to the twelfth century. Sung porcelain unearthed in Sta. Ana, Manila and around the
Laguna de Bai, attested to the success of this trade. By the thirteenth century, the Chinese had
overtaken the Arabs in the region. Description of the lucrative trade between China and the
Philippine archipelago can be found in Chao Ju-kua;s Ch fan-chi (1225) where the Chinese
mentioned the following places: Ma-I (Mindoro or Bae in Laguna), Min-to-lang (Mindanao), Ma-
li-lu (Manila), Su-lu (Sulu), and Pi-sho-ye (Visayas). The Philippine trade goods included bulak
(raw cotton), abaca, cloth of various patterns, hardwoods, gums, resins, betel nuts, pear shell,
pink and blue coral trees, large conch shells, tortoise shells, sponges, rattan, beeswax, musk,
sandalwood, leather, mats, and pepper, In exchange, China brought: iron bars, porcelain and
pottery, silk, chintz, black damask, Java cloths, red taffeta, flute cloth, bronze gongs, small bells,
mirror, scales, coins, jade, projectiles, gold, silver, censers, lead, colored glass beads, iron
needles, tin, lead sinkers for fishing nets, lacquered ware, copper cauldrons, wine, ivory, and
“tint” (a kind of Chinese silver money).
With trade of products came cultural exchanges, including religion. These in turn, would
influence the indigenous lifestyle, customs, and religious beliefs of the ancient Filipinos. This is
particularly true of the influence on Filipino life is economic in nature. This is shown by the
Chinese words that were adopted into the languages of the Philippines, particularly Tagalog.
Quite apart from the Chinese, the ancient Filipinos were also influenced by the Indians of
India. The ancient Indians may not have settled in huge numbers in the Philippines but their
influence on Filipino culture may have come through the ancestors of the present Indonesians.
The Malays who came to the Philippines were possible Hinduized Malays, that is. Malays who
professed the Hindu religion of India. This Indian influence is clearly seen in some of the words
in the different languages of the Philippines, including Tagalog, which derived from Sanskrit, the
ancient language of India.
The Laguna Copperplate discovered in the Pagsanjan, Laguna river delta in 1986 is
another evidence to this early Philippine contact with its Southeast Asian neighbors particularly
the Malays and Indonesians. Dated to 900 A.D., the copperplate contains an inscription in an
old Philippine language, stating the full payment of a loan obtained by a woman trader from her
contacts in the nearby Indonesia. The copperplate also shows shared knowledge in metallurgy
and its use in trade and commerce to record transactions, as in this case, as certificate of credit
and loan payment
THE COMING OF ISLAM

After Mohammad’s death in 632 A.D., Islam spread outside of Arabia in two stages. In
the first stage, Islam was brought to the rest of the Middle East, Northern Africa, Spain, and
Central Asia. In the second stage, Muslim missionaries traveled with Arab merchants to India,
China, and finally to Southeast Asia where a number of them (traders and also missionaries)
settled and intermarried with members of the royalty. They also set up mosques and madrasahs
(schools). In the Philippines, Islam was introduced by Tuan Masha’ika, a trader from Malaya,
and his companion Tuan Maqbalu who came to Sulu in the 1240s. According to Sulu genealogy
called tarsila, his wealth increased and with it, the status of Muslims in the communities was
raised. By 1380, when a missionary from Java, Karim ul’ Makhdum arrived in Buansa (Sulu), he
found a thriving Muslim community that welcomed him and his efforts to strengthen Islam
around the mosque he built in Tubig Indangan, Tawi-Tawi. Ten years later (1480), Rajah
Baginda arrived from Sumatra. He further deepened Islamic consciousness among the Muslims
in Sulu by building more madrasahs in the area. He later rose to a position of power in Sulu. But
it was Abu Bakr (who married Rajah Baginda’s daughter, Paramisuli), who succeeded in
establishing a government similar to the sultanate of Arabia.

TEACHINGS OF ISLAM

The basic tenets of Islam are found in the Qur’an (Koran), the holy book of the Muslims,
Written in Arabic, the Koran is considered the word of the Supreme Creator, Allah, as directly
communicated by the angel to the prophet Mohammad, Among the teachings of the Koran are
the following:

 There is only one Supreme Being, Allah, the Creator of the Universe and all of
humankind
 Allah is a just and merciful God and it is Allah’s desire that all should repent of
their sins, purify themselves so they could enter Paradise, after death.
 Life in this world in sonly temporary and one’s good deeds, as well as the bad
deeds, are listed by an angel for final judgement on the last day of the entire
humanity. Each one will be judged according to what one has done in his
lifetime.
 The Koran forbids any human or animal representation in their art. Only
geometric patterns are allowed.
 Eating pork, drinking wine, gambling, and other vices are Forbidden in orthodox
Islam.

ENCOUNTER WITH THE WEST (1400 – 1600)

To the West, for quite a long time, the Philippines and the rest of the world was Tierra
Incognita (Unknown Lands). Coming into the region for purpose of trade and other reasons
(Christianization and civilizing the “uncivilized”), these lands were new and exciting “discoveries”
for the Europeans. But this is certainly not true of the Filipinos, of the “Indians” of America and
the “Blacks” of Africa.
The West, led by Portugal and Spain, rival each other for the possession of rich colonies
in America, Asia, and Africa. With her naval supremacy, daring and imaginative explorers, and a
Spanish Pope who drew up treaties defining territorial rights to her, Spain won over her rivals.
Using both the “sword and the cross” Spanish conquistadores and missionaries succeeded in
establishing colonies in the Americas without much resistance. Until the fatal battle in Mactan,
Cebu, an island in the Philippines, when Spain’s friend Lapulapu. It took almost fifty years
before another attempt to colonize the islands succeeded under Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. After
meeting stiff resistance in Cebu Legaspi later established the first European settlement in the
archipelago. Then he moved to the island of Luzon where he founded a permanent Spanish
colony in the kingdom of Maynila.

THE COMING OF THE SPANIARDS

How and why the Spaniards and the Portuguese came to the “Orient” (the European’s
term for Asia or the East) is a long story. In the sixteenth century. Europe was experiencing
some changes because of the growth of industry and commerce, the advances in science, the
improvement in the science of navigation, and the invention of machines and marine
instruments. Added to this was the desire of the Europeans to know more about the countries of
the “Orient” because of the stories told by the Christian crusaders of Europe, who went to the
Holy Land to reclaim in from the Muslims. The stories led many Europeans to admire the
wonders of the East, Also, some Europeans were already trading with Asian countries. Oriental
spices, silk, fruits, attar of roses, Persian rugs, perfumes, and precious stones were easily sold
in European markets at big profits. This stimulated more trade with the countries of Asia.
The Venetians or citizens of Venice, which later became a city of Italy, enjoyed this
monopoly at the start. Soon after, the Portuguese, Oriental countries. As a result, rivalry
developed among the European countries. This commercial rivalry led to European expeditions
to Asia.

THE TRADE ROUTES

At the time Europeans were developing their trade with Asia, there existed three trade
routes connecting Asia to Europe. The first was the Northern Route which passed through
Central Asia by land, then to the cities of Samarkand and Bokhara, then around Caspian Sea
and the Black Sea, and finally to Constantinople in the Mediterranean. The second was the
Central Route which started from Malacca in the Malay Peninsula, then to the Indian Ocean and
the Indian ports, then to the Persian Gulf to Baghdad and Constantinople, and finally to Cairo in
the Mediterranean. The third was the Southern Route which also started from Malacca, then to
the Red Sea, and finally to Cairo in the Mediterranean.

EARLY VOYAGES TO ASIA

 Of all European countries, Portugal was the first to send expeditions to the East. One of
the most famous Portuguese navigators was Prince Henry, who was also called, “The
Navigator.” In his desire to make Portugal a sea power, he sent an expedition to the Azores,
near the coast of Africa in 1421.
Prince Henry’s voyage inspired other explorers to sail to the East. In 1987, the
Portuguese navigator Bartholomew Diaz “discovered” the Cape of Good Hope and, continuing
his voyage, reached Calicut, India. This voyage reached marked the first time that a European
country, through her explorer, reached the East by sailing around the southernmost tip of the
continent of Africa. Spain, upon learning of this successful voyage, sent an expedition to what is
now North America. Christopher Columbus, a native of Genoa, which later became a part of
Italy, went to Spain and offered his services to the King and Queen. Sailing from Spain, he
“discovered” North America in 1942. He thought that the large mass of land he had “discovered”
was Asia. Later, Amerigo Vespucci, also an Italian, was sent by the Spanish King and Queen to
explore what Columbus had found. The geographers at the time thought that Amerigo found a
“new world,” and so they named this land, America.

THE DIVISION OF THE WORLD

The fact that Portugal was the first country to sail to the East and establish colonies
earned her the prestige as the first sea power to chart an alternate passage to India. On the
other hand, Spain, which sent explores to the Americas, began to lay claim to these areas.
Thus, a sea rivalry resulted from the “discoveries” made by Spain and Portugal. In order to
make this provision clear, the Pope issued another bull on the same day (May 3) by which an
imaginary line was drawn from north to south at 100 degrees west of the Azores. Lands to be
discovered east of this imaginary line would belong to Portugal, and those on the west would
belong to Spain. But in September of the same year (1493) the Pope, being a Spaniard, nullified
this provision of the second bull by allowing Spain to own lands to be discovered in the East,
which properly belonged to Portugal. The King of Portugal protested the decision of the Pope
because it violated the rights of Portugal as provided for in the second bull of May 3, 1493. To
avoid any conflict between the two nations, they concluded the Treaty of Tordesillas on June 7,
1494. The important provisions of the treaty were the following:
 An imaginary line was drawn from north to south at a distance of 370 leagues west of
the Cape Verde Islands. Lands to be discovered east of this line would belong to
Portugal, and those on the west would belong Spain.
 If Spanish ships discovered lands east of the demarcation line, the said lands should be
turned over to Portugal, and lands discovered by Portuguese ships west of the line
should be turned over to Spain.
 No Portuguese ships shall be sent to lands belonging to Spain, and vice versa, for the
purpose of trading with them.
THE BATTLE OF MACTAN

Meanwhile, a quarrel between two

chieftains of the neighboring island of Mactan
occurred. Rajah Sula asked Magellan’s help to
defeat his rival, Rajah Si Lapulapu, who,
according to Sula, refused to recognize the
King of Spain as his sovereign. Magellan at
once accepted the invitation to interfere in the
local quarrel in order to show might.
He and around sixty of his men, all well-
armed, sailed for Mactan early in the morning
of April 28. Si Lapulapu, who refused to listen
to Magellan’s demand that he pay tribute to
Spain, prepared to fight to the end. In the battle that followed, Magellan was wounded in the leg.
Seeing this, the brave people of Mactan rushed at him and killed him with their spears. With the
death of Magellan, the Spaniards fled to their ships and left. Some of them, however, returned
to Cebu and there, while attending a party given by Rajah Humabon, were massacred by some
Cebuanos. This horrific event happened because some Spaniards robbed the natives and
raped some women.

FIRST SETTLEMENT IN CEBU

Legazpi and his men entered Cebu harbor on April 27. The Cebuanos were hostile to
him probably because in the past, some white men who looked like Spaniards maltreated them.
Legazpi explained to the Cebuanos that the white men who maltreated them were not
Spaniards but Portuguese. He also told them that he wanted the Filipinos and the Spaniards to
be friends. The Cebuano chieftain, Tupas, did not believe him and the Cebuanos and the
Spaniards found themselves in skirmishes. Tupas fled to the mountains after setting all the
house on fire in what is not Cebu.
Legazpi, although victorious, applied a policy of attraction. He invited the Cebuanos to
come down from the mountains and promised not to harm any of them. Convinced that Legazpi
was sincere, Tupas and his men returned to the lowland and entered into an agreement with
Legazpi with the help of ‘Tupas’ brothers, Si Makayo and Si Katapan. The agreement provided
that (1) the Filipinos promised to be loyal to the King of Spain and to the Spaniards; (2) the
Filipinos promised to help the Spaniards in any battle against an enemy; and in return, the
Spaniards promised to protect the Filipinos from all enemies; (3) a Filipino who had committed a
crime against a Spaniard should be turned over the Spanish authorities, while a Spaniard who
had committed a crime against a Filipino should be turned over the Filipino chieftain; (4) goods
to be sold, to either the Spaniards or the Filipinos should be moderately priced; and (5) an
armed Filipino would not be allowed to enter the Spanish settlement.
THE SETTLEMENT IN PANAY

Legazpi was beset with many problems in Cebu. One was the bad feeling of some of his
own men who refused to work. Some of them robbed the graves of the Filipinos. Legazpi acted
justly and punished all those who refused to cooperate with him. There was also a conspiracy
among the Spanish soldiers to seize the ship San Pablo. The captain of the boat informed the
Master of Camp, Mateo del Saz, about it and the conspirators were arrested. The leader of the
conspiracy was beheaded, and the rest were pardoned.
Legazpi also faced the hostility of the Portuguese. The latter realized that the Philippines
lay on the Portuguese side of the demarcation line. The Portuguese captain, Gonzalo de
Pereira, was harassed Legazpi by blockading Cebu in order to starve the Spaniards. With the
help of the Cebuanos, Legazpi succeeded in forcing Pereira to leave the Philippines. Faced with
these problems, Legazpi decided to move to Panay. Upon learning that there was plenty of food
there, he and some of his men sailed for Panay in 1569. On the blanks of the Panay River,
Legazpi founded the second Spanish settlement in the Philippines. He won over the people of
Panay by convincing them of his peaceful intentions. The Spanish missionaries, the Augustinian
friars, converted some natives to Christianity. The friendliness of the Filipinos was shown when
they brought food to Legazpi Consequently, the Spaniards were saved from starvation.

THE FOUNDING OF MANILA

Legazpi was happy to hear from Goiti. He informed his men that the King of Spain
appointed him as governor and captain-general of the islands, which was equivalent to
governor-general. He was, therefore, the first governor-general of the Philippines. Legazpi also
informed them that the King ordered them to colonize the rest of the archipelago. At this time,
however, food became scarce in Panay. Father Diego de Herrera, an Augustinian friar,
suggested that they settle in Luzon instead. So Legazpi decided to leave for Luzon on April 20,
with Manila as the object of his expedition. In Manila, Rajah Sulayman, realizing the fire power
of the enemy, ordered his people to burn their houses and to retreat to the interior. At the same
time, he gathered a force of fierce warriors from the barangays of Pampanga and Bulacan,
fought the enemy in the Battle of Bangkusay in Tondo. He and the warriors were defeated.
What happened to Sulayman was not clear. Some way he died in battle; others say that he
escaped to the interior. At any rate, the Filipino were defeated and Legazpi took over Manila in
1571.
On June 24, 1571, Legazpi made Manila the capital of the Philippines. King Philip II later
called Manila, declared Manila as the capital of the archipelago, a city government or
ayuntamiento was organized. He appointed tow alcaldes or magistrates, an alguacil mayor or
chief constable, twelve regidores or legislative council members, and one escribano or court
clerk. With the founding of Manila as the capital of the Philippines, the foundation of the Spanish
colonial empire in Asia had been laid.

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

1. In your opinion, why do the Philippines imports rice from foreign countries and how can it
be resolve?
We import rice from the neighbor countries is just because we lack stocks here in
mainland, majority of the government doesn’t want to priorities it even though
they know for a fact that Philippines is a great country for rice.

2. Do you agree that the Philippines is not yet an industrialized country? Explain your
answer.
Yes of course, we still need to have an improvement when it comes to
infrastructure, even the hospitals and schools aren’t stable enough for us. Maybe
not now but sooner or later we could be like them.

3. Filipinos have values from your observation and experiences, which among the following
values: hiya, utang na loob and pakikisama involved a lot of issues. Explain your
answer.
 Pakikisama for me has the major impact to us. If you could analyze, people
would rely their actions to others just to be in. Making sure that they won’t hurt
the feelings of their peers.

4. What are the major exports of the Philippines today?

According to www.worldexports.com, the top 10 export products of the
Philippines are:
Electrical machinery, equipment: US$32.9 billion (48.7% of total exports)
Machinery including computers: $9.6 billion (14.3%)
Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $2.2 billion (3.3%)
Fruits, nuts: $2.1 billion (3.1%)
Gems, precious metals: $1.5 billion (2.2%)
Copper: $1.4 billion (2.1%)
Ores, slag, ash: $1.2 billion (1.8%)
Ships, boats: $1.2 billion (1.8%)
Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $1.2 billion (1.7%)
Mineral fuels including oil: $1.1 billion (1.7%)
Philippines top 10 exports accounted for about four-fifths (80.7%) of the overall
value of its global shipments.

5. What are the important natural resources of the Philippines?

Rice and the seafoods are important resources in the Philippines.

6. What are the similarities of the economic lives of the ancient Filipinos and the modern
Filipino?
Ancient Filipinos has more stable economic status than today’s new generation.
Maybe it’s because of the unending innovation of the infrastructure and the
excessive imports of our own resources.

7. Do you see any differences between the religion beliefs of our ancestor and the present
Filipinos?
They all believe in one superior being.

8. What factors encouraged the ancient Filipino to trade with China and Southeast Asian
neighbors?
The Chinese trade in the Philippines greatly improved during the Mind dynasty
During this time Emperor Yung-lo sent a fleet of vessels to the Philippines, under
the command of Admiral Cheng Ho, to visit Lingayen, Manila Bay, Mindoro, and
Sulu in 1405-1406, 1408-1410, and 1417. The Chinese Emperor even tried to
impose its suzerainty over Luzon by sending Ko Ch’a-lao as governor. Emperor
Yung-lo’s death, however, put an end to this ambitious plan.
9. Among the early trade controls of the Philippines during the ancient period, which
country do you think had the most influence on the early Filipinos?
Chinese is the most influential traders we had which ‘til now, we could still feel
that and see them. Chinese do have a china town in our country which they could
still sell and provide goods to us. Some of their products are currently enjoyed by
most of the Filipinos nowadays.

10. Describe the competition between the Arabs and the Chinese for dominance in trade
and who eventually won?
Using the compass on sea voyages, Chinese traders competed with the Arabs
from the elevent to the twelfth century. By the thirteenth century, the Chinese had
overtaken the Arabs in the region.

11. Compare Islam with Christianity. Cite beliefs and practices that are unique only to the
Muslims or to the Christians.
For Christians, this is the biggest week of the year because we are celebrating
Passion week: the week where Jesus was betrayed, arrested, crucified, and rose
again from the dead. Millions of people around the world will celebrate Easter,
millions will not. One large group that will not are Muslims.

The two largest religions in the world are Christianity and Islam (Pew Research
Center). Based on my research and interview with a local Muslim leader,
Nadeem A. Siddiqi, a long-time member of the Muslim Community of Knoxville, I
came up with 4 major differences between Christianity and Islam.

#1) A Different View of Holy Books

Christians view the Old and New Testament as the Holy Word of God. Muslims
view the Quran as the Holy Word of God.

The word Quran means ‘recitation’. Muslims claim that the Quran has been
preserved in its exact, original form in Arabic because large groups would recite it
to other large groups with no variation. Muslims recognize the Torah (law) of
Moses, Psalms of David, and Gospels of Jesus as books from God; however,
they believe these writings have been corrupted over time due to many different
translations. Muslims claim that no manuscript of the Quran in Arabic has any
variation.

Christians believe that the Bible of the Old and New Testament in Its original
language (Hebrew, Greek, Arabic) is God’s Word without error. Our English
Bibles today are still trustworthy and sacred because of textual criticism. To learn
more about textual criticism, check out my blog “Why Our Bibles Today are
Trustworthy.”
The Quran was written by the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad received
revelations from the angel Gabriel for a 23-year period beginning in 609 AD. The
Bible contains 66 books, written by 40 authors, covering a period of
approximately 1,600 years.

bible & quran

#2) A Different View of God

Christians believe in the Trinity: 1 God in 3 persons: God the Father, God the
Son, God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 10:30).

The God of Islam is one God, in 1 Person, not a Trinity. Here are some passages
from the Quran that explain how the God of Islam is not a Father…

“In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Proclaim, “He is the One and only God. The Absolute God. Never did He beget.
Nor was He begotten. None equals Him.” – Surah 112:0-4

“He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and who has
not taken a son and has not had a partner in dominion and has created each
thing and determined it with (precise) determination.” – Surah 25:2

#3) A Different View of Jesus

Christians believe that Jesus is God (John 10:30). Muslims believe He was
merely a prophet and miracle-worker (Surah 3:49; 5:110; 9:30).

Islam would claim that Jesus was born of a virgin, and that He was taken to
Heaven (Surah 4:158). They do not believe that Jesus died on the cross (Surah
4:155-158).

Nabeel Jabour says:

“So they (Muslims) believe that God intervened miraculously and took Jesus up
to Himself and that someone else was placed on the cross. It appeared to the
Jews that it was Jesus, but in reality it was someone else. Some of them believe
it was Judas (The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross).”

Although Muslims hold a high regard for Jesus, they don’t believe He is divine
(How Muslims View Easter).
 #4) A Different View of Sin

Christians believe every human is born with original sin (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians
2:1). Muslims believe when you are born, you have a ‘clean slate.’ Islam claims
that sin exists because of human weakness and forgetfulness (Surah 4:28).

“The original sin concept is not fair…because no one should be made to bear
the burden of someone else’s sin or mistake.”

According to Islam, Satan is responsible for sin, and there is no curse over Adam
or creation. The Bible says Satan tempted Adam & Eve to sin and that God later
cursed Satan, Adam, and Eve (Genesis 3).

One central truth of Christianity is that although we inherited Adam’s sinful

nature, we were given a new nature in Jesus (Romans 5:12-21). Adam was our
representative, and Jesus has now replaced Adam in that role. Where Adam
failed, Jesus succeeded by living a perfect life, dying on the cross and bearing
the punishment for our sins, and rising again from the dead (I Corinthians 15:21-
22).

If you’re a Christian, as you approach Easter Sunday, embrace your faith from
God’s Word. Be thankful that God loved you so much that He sent Jesus to die
on the cross for your sins.

12. Explain why and how the Spaniards and Portuguese came to the East.
Main purpose of the Spaniards and Portuguese during their exploration is the 3G
Gold (expand their colonies) God, (spread the Christianity) and Glory.

13. What was the importance of the Magellan’s expedition?

Magellan had proved that the East could be reached by sailing westward from
Europe. His "discovery" of the Philippines brought the archipelago into the
awareness of Europe. On September 6, 1522, the ship Victoria, under the
command of Sebastian del Cano, reached the Port of Seville. One ship and
eighteen men were all that remained of the Magellan expedition, yet they were
responsible for completing the first circumnavigation of the world
14. Why did Pope Alexander VI divide the world between Spain and Portugal?
Pope Alexander VI published a bull, 'Inter caetera', to divide the New World
between Spain and Portugal. It decreed that all lands west and south of a
meridian line 100 leagues west of the Azores and Cape Verde islands rightfully
belonged to Spain. However, it did not solve the tensions between the two
colonising nations, partly since it failed to specify the lands on the other side of
this line as Portuguese possessions. This led to Spain and Portugal clarifying
matters in the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas.