History of Philippines

The history of the Philippines may be divided into four distinct phases: the pre-Spanish period (before 1521); the Spanish period (1521-1898); the American period (1898-1946); and the years since independence (1946-present).
 

Pre-Spanish Period
The first people in the Philippines the Negritos are believed to have come to the islands 30 000 years ago from Borneo and Sumatra making their way across then-existing land bridges. Subsequently people of Malay stock came from the south in successive waves the earliest by land bridges and later in boats called barangays. The Malays settled in scattered communities also called barangays which were ruled by chieftains known as datus. Chinese merchants and traders arrived and settled in the ninth century A.D. In the 14th century Arabs arrived introducing Islam in the south and extending some influence even into Luzon. The Malays however remained the dominant group until the Spanish arrived in the 16th century.
 

Spanish Period
Ferdinand Magellan, a portuguese, claimed the Philippines for Spain in 1521 and for the next 377 years the islands were under Spanish rule. This period was the era of conversion to Roman Catholicism. A Spanish colonial social system was developed complete with a strong centralized government and considerable clerical influence. The Filipinos were restive under the Spanish and this long period was marked by numerous uprisings. The most important of these began in 1896 under the leadership of Emilio Aguinaldo and continued until the Americans defeated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay on May 1 1898 during the Spanish-American War. Aguinaldo declared independence from Spain on June 12 1898.
 

American Period
Pilipinos initially saw their relationship with the United States as that of two nations joined in a common struggle against Spain. As allies, Filipinos had provided the American forces with valuable intelligence and military support. However, the United States later distanced itself from the interests of the Filipino insurgents. Aguinaldo was unhappy that the United States would not commit to paper a statement of support for Philippine independence. Relations deteriorated and tensions heightened as it became clear that the Americans were in the islands to stay. Hostilities broke out after two American privates on patrol killed three Filipino soldiers in San Juan. This incident sparked the Philippine-American War, which would cost far more money and took far more lives than the Spanish-American War. Malolos, the revolutionary capital, was captured on March 31, 1899. Aguinaldo and his government escaped however, establishing a new capital at San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. Aguinaldo was captured at Palanan, Isabela on March 23, 1901 and was brought to Manila. Convinced of the futility of further resistance, he swore allegiance to the United States and issued a proclamation calling on his compatriots to lay down their arms, officially bringing an end to the war. However, sporadic insurgent resistance continued in various parts of the Philippines, especially in the Muslim south, until 1913. The United States defined its territorial mission as one of tutelage, preparing the Philippines for eventual independence. A Philippine Constabulary was organized to deal with the remnants of the insurgent movement and gradually assume the responsibilities of the United States Army. The elected Philippine Assembly was inaugurated in 1907.

It was only after World War 2 and the Japanese Occupation that Philippines was on its way to Independence. Elections were held in April 1946, with Manuel Roxas becoming the first president of the independent Republic of the Philippines. The United States ceded its sovereignty over the Philippines on July 4, 1946, as scheduled.