1.

What do you think are the lasting legacies left behind by the Spanish colonization of
the Philippines?
- The time that the Philippines was under Spanish rule makes up a major part of their history.
Spain had control of the Philippines for more than 300 years, so it’s no surprise that there are
many Filipino customs, traditions, and cultural norms that can be traced back to the Spanish.
They left their mark probably more so than any other foreign nation to which the Philippines
was subjected.
- LANGUAGE the Spanish language made its way into the Filipino dialects. Today it is
estimated that about 20% of Tagalog words are Spanish. In fact, the common Tagalog
greeting “Kumusta” was derived from the Spanish “Como esta” (How are you).
- RELIGION It was part of the Spanish conquest to convert all the natives to Christ through
their Catholic tradition. Today as a result, the Catholic church still remains a very powerful
force in the Philippines. For example, divorce is illegal there because of the Catholic church’s
influence in the government and law-making. Filipinos still celebrate and participate in many

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Catholic holidays and customs. Practically everywhere you go you will see big Catholic

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cathedrals. In many homes, you’ll see pictures of the virgin Mary or the last supper, and

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many people carry around rosaries with them. On public transportation are plastered posters

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of Jesus and Mary and religious sayings. Because of the Spanish conquest, there is a strong

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tradition of Christianity among the Filipino people.
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- SURNAMES One very interesting thing that the Spanish changed about the Philippines
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was the use of native last names. In 1849, the Governor sent out an order that all families
were to choose a new last name from a list of Spanish last names (in order to create a more
organized system of keeping track of people). As a result, today there are many Spanish last
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names still in use, such as Garcia, Cruz, Reyes, Mora, Vasquez, Valdez, Flores, Ramos,
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Perez, Villanueva, Ortiz, etc.

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- COUNTRY NAME Also interesting to note is that the Spanish were the ones who
appointed Manila as the capital city of the Philippines. They also named the islands
“Filipinas” after Prince Philip os Asturias, who later became the King of Spain.
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- During the Spanish rule, westernized culture gradually began to seep into the Filipino way
of life. Western music, dance, art, recreation and customs were adopted by Filipinos. Even
their beliefs and perspectives about life experienced a bit of a drift away from Eastern muslim
philosophies to a more westernized perspective. One example of this was the abolishment of
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slavery. Classes between the rich and poor, however, remained.

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- SCHOOL During the Spanish reign, they established Catholic-run schools. Friars and nuns
were the teachers at these schools. The Filipino people were literate before the Spanish ever
arrived, but the Spanish added new subjects to their academia such as math, Spanish, and
business. In time, the Spanish also set up colleges (segregated by gender). One of the more
well-known of these colleges is the university of Santo Tomas, which was established back in
1611.

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 2. Choose one aspect of the Spanish cultural heritage legacies and discuss its
importance in the development of our culture today?

3. What is the galleon trade and how did it transform Philippine society during the
Spanish period and Philippine society today?
- Manila galleon, Spanish sailing vessel that made an annual round trip (one vessel per year)
across the Pacific between Manila, in the Philippines, and Acapulco, in present Mexico,
during the period 1565–1815. They were the sole means of communication
between Spain and its Philippine colony and served as an economic lifeline for the Spaniards
in Manila.

- During the heyday of the galleon trade, Manila became one of the world’s great ports,
serving as a focus for trade between China and Europe. Though Chinese silk was by far the
most important cargo, other exotic goods, such as perfumes, porcelain, cotton fabric (from
India), and precious stones, were also transshipped via the galleon. After unloading at

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Acapulco, this cargo normally yielded a profit of 100–300 percent. On its return voyage, the

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vessel brought back huge quantities of Mexican silver and church personnel bearing

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communications from Spain.

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- The Spaniards in Manila came to depend on the annual vessel so much that when
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a ship went down at sea or was captured by English pirates, the colony was plunged into
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economic depression. The galleon trade had a negative effect on economic development in
the Philippines, since virtually all Spanish capital was devoted to speculation in Chinese
goods. The importance of the trade declined in the late 18th century as other powers began to
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trade directly with China.

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4. How does religion play an important role in the everyday life of the Filipinos during
the present time?
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NOTES:
The Spanish colonial period of the Philippines began when explorer Ferdinand Magellan
came to the islands in 1521 and claimed it as a colony for the Spanish Empire. The period
lasted until the Philippine Revolution in 1898. The U.S. then fought Spain during the
Spanish-American war and took possession of the Philippines, which prompted the
Philippine-American war that took place from 1899 to 1902.
Legacy
Planting of the first cross – painting by vicente Manansala (Spanish chapter)

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 Miguel lopez de legazpi and andres de urdaneta (statue) – Both of them arrived in 1665
Introduction of the first Christian image – carlos v Francisco (santonino was given)

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