Philippine History
The Land and People
• The Philippines is an archipelago compassed of 7,110 islands and islets.
• It belongs to the northern hemisphere and part of the South East Asian region.
• The largest island is Luzon(40,814 sq.miles) followed by Mindanao (36,906 sq. miles), and Samar
• Mt. Apo is the highest peak.
• The mountain ranges are Sierra Madre (longest continuous), Western Caraballo, Caraballo de Baler, Zambales Range, Tagaytay Ridge, and Central Eastern, Central Western and Western mountain range.
• The rivers in Luzon as follows: Cagayan River(longest), Agno River, Abra River and Pampanga River, whereas in Mindanao, Mindanao and Agusan River.
• There are 17 regions, 80 provinces, 122 cities and 1,512 municipalities. The following are the regions: I - Ilocos Region, II - Cagayan Region, III - Central Luzon, IVA- CALABARZON, IVB MIMAROPA, V - Bicol Region, VI - Western Visayas, VII - Central Visayas, VIII - Eastern Visayas, IX - Zamboanga Peninsula, X - Northern Mindanao, XI - Davao Region, XII - SOCCSKSARGEN, XIII - CARAGA, CAR, NCR, and ARMM. • In 19th century Rizal and other Filipinos propagandists used the term Filipino to refer to the natives.
• Filipino myth and folklore state that the first Filipinos were Malakas and Maganda.
• Dr. Robert Fox discovered the Tabon Man (22,000 BC) considered as the First Filipino.
Pre colonial Life and Culture • The Bahay Kubo (nipa hut) made of bamboo, wood nipa palm, cogon and whatever native materials found in the area. • The Kalingas and Igorots built their houses on tops.
• The badjaos (sea gypsies) at Sulu lived in boat-houses.
• The male Filipino wore kanggan ( short-sleeved jacket) and bahag (s strip of clothe wrapped around the waist and in between the legs.)
• The Filipino women wore baro or camisa (wide sleeved-jacket and saya patadyong (skirt or lower part.
• The social classes were nobles (gat or lakan), free men and dependent (aliping namamahay and aliping sagigilid)
• Maragtas code- easiest example of the written law.
• The political unit was the barangay which was composed of 30 to 100 families.
• The barangay was a monarchy ruled by a chieftain called Datu, Hari or Raja.
• The chieftain had great powers: chief executive and chief judge with the counsel and adviser from village elders.
Timeline of the Philippines
• 25,000 B.C. Ancient Negroid people immigrate to the Philippines over a land bridge. • 5,000 B.C. to 3,000 B.C. The "New Stone Age". Sea faring Malays from what is today Indonesia come to the archipelago.
• 3,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. A second wave of Malay immigrants arrives in the Philippines by sea. Each of their ships accommodated one small clan. Such a ship load of people was called a barangay, a term which was revived by Marcos to describe an organized neighborhood of more than 1000 people.
• 1200 to 1300. Migrants from Borneo spread into the Southern Philippines.
• 1300 to 1400. The Hindu empire of Majapahit on Java gains influence over parts of the islands.
• 1380. Islam reaches the Southern Philippines via Borneo.
• 1521, Mar 16. A Spanish expedition, sailing across the Pacific Ocean from east to west, and led by the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan (died Apr 27, 1521) lands on Homonhon Island east of Samar with three small ships, named the Concepcion, Trinidad and Victoria. Magellan calls the place San Lazaro Island since March 16 is Saint Lazarus day.
