ENCOUNTER WITH THE WEST (1400-1600)

THE COMING OF THE SPANIARDS

Europe 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. The
Europeans admired the wonders of the East and know more about the Orient,
they were already trading with Asian countries. The Venetians or citizens of
Venice enjoyed the monopoly at the start. The Portuguese , the Spaniards
and other people of Europe began to trade with Oriental countries.
Commercial rivalry led to European expeditions to Asia.

THE TRADE ROUTES

Three trade route connecting Asia to Europe:
 Northern Route - passed through Central Asia by land, then to the cities of
Samarkand and Bokhara, then around the Caspian Sea and the black Sea,
and finally to Constantinople in the Mediterranean.
 Central Route - started from Malacca in the Malay Peninsula, then to the
Indian Ocean and the Italian ports, then to the Persian Gulf to Baghdad and
Constantinople, and finally to Cairo in the Mediterranean.
 Southern Route - started from Malacca, then to the Indian Ocean and to the
ports of India, then to the Red Sea, and finally to Cairo in Mediterranean.
1453 - the Turks captured the city of Constantinople through which the two
routes passed.

EARLY VOYAGE TO ASIA

Portugal was the first to send expeditions to the East. Prince Henry,
"The Navigator" one of the most powerful Portuguese navigators and desire to
make Portugal a sea power, he sent an expedition to the Azores, near the
coast of Africa in 1421. Using the instruments for navigation, Prince Henry
developed like the astrolabe, the windrose compass, and the caravel which
was a kind of ship. In 1487, the Portuguese navigator Bartholomew Diaz,
discovered the Cape of Good Hope . Christopher Colombus, a native of
Genoa, went to Spain and offered his services to the King and Queen and
discovered North America in 1492. Amerigo Vespucci an Italian who was sent
by the Spanish King and Queen to explore what Colombus had found.
Amerigo found a new world and they named this land America. Vicente
Pinzon discovered what is now Brazil in 1500 and Nunez de Balboa crossed
what is now Panama and discovered the Pacific Ocean.

DIVISION OF THE WORLD

Sea rivalry resulted from the discoveries made by Spain and Portugal.
To avoid a possible war between two great nations, Pope Alexander VI , a
Spaniards, whose family name Borja was Italianized into Borgia issued a bull
in 1493 dividing the world into two. All lands south and west of the Azores and
Cape Verde Islands were belong to Spain. Portugal, on the other hand, was to
take possession clear, the Pope issued another bull on the same day. Land to
be discovered east of the imaginary would belong to Portugal and west
belong to Spain. The King protested the the decision of the Pope. To avoid
conflict, June 7, 1494 , they concluded the " Treaty of Tordesillas " and its
provisions. . An imaginary line was drawn fron 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 to
Spain.
If Spain ship discovered land east of the demarcation line, the said line would
be turned over to Portugal, and the lands discovered by Portuguese ship 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 MAGELLAN EXPEDITION

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese who went to Spain to offer

services to the Spanish King. He had seen the battles in Malacca and Africa
for the King of Portugal, who ignored Magellan rather than reward for his
service to the crown. Magellan was being hurt so he left Portugal for Spain.
He was able to see King Charles I of Spain with the help of his father-in- law
and Don Juan de Aranda who has occupying a high position in Spanish India
House of Trade in 1518. Magellan command the expedition to Moluccas. The
expedition consisted the five ships : the flagship Trinidad, Concepccion,
Victoria, Santiago, and San Antonio. September 20, 1519, the expedition
left port and sailed southward across Atlantic. March 1521, Magellan crossed
the Pacific and reach the Landrones Islands. He ordered his men to rest and
get some fresh food and water but the natives stole their boats so Magellan
named the island, Islas de Landrones or Islands of Thieves. On March 17,
1521, Magellan sighted the mountains of what is now Samar. They land at
Homonhon islet so the sick men could be taken care of, then proceeded to
the islet of Limasawa and meet Rajah Kulambu and be friend to him and his
brother Si Agu. They sealed their friendship with a blood compact and that
was the first blood compact between Filipinos and Spaniards. March 31,
Magellan ordered a Mass to be celebrated on the islet it was Easter Sunday
and officiated by Father Pedro de Valderrama. Magellan called the island
Archipelago of St. Lazarus for it was on St. Lazarus he found the islands.

THE FIRST BAPTISM

Magellan stayed on a week in Limasawa because there was not
enough food in the islet and sail to Cebu guided by Rajah Kulambu on April
8, 1521. Rajah Humabon welcome them and soon a blood compact between
him and Magellan. April 15, 1521, Mass was celebrated at Cebu and
persuaded the Cebuanos to become Christian. 800 natives became
Christians among them Rajah Humabon who was given the Christian name
Carlos in honor to king Charles of Spain and his wife as given a Christian
name Juana in honor to King Charles' mother and presented the image of the
infant Jesus who is now Patron of Cebu.

BATTLE IN MACTAN
Quarrel at Mactan between the two chieftain, the Rajah Sula and Rajah
Lapu Lapu who refused to recognize the King of Spain as his sovereign.
Rajah Sula asked Magellan's help to defeat his rival and Magellan accepted
the invitation. April 28, Magellan sailed for Mactan with sixty well-armed men.
Magellan was wounded in the leg and be killed for this reason the Spaniards
fled to their ship and some of them returned to Cebu. While attending the
party of Rajah Humabon, the Cebuanos massacred them because some
Spaniards robbed the natives and rape some women.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPEDITION

The remaining Spaniards decided to leave Cebu and three ships was
burned and two ships remained, the Victoria and the Trinidad. The Victoria
was sail to Europe by way of Africa and Trinidad by way of Pacific but
captured by the Portuguese, while the Victoria commanded by Sebastian del
Cano, succeeded in reaching the Spain. For Filipinos, Magellan's expedition
was significant because it led to other Spanish expeditions to the Philippines.

THE VILLALOBOS EXPEDITION

Victoria returned to Spain and won the admiration of the King and the
Spanish people. The King was encouraged to send other expeditions but it
failed. The Loaysa expedition of 1525 - 1526, commanded by Father Juan
Garcia Jofre de Loaysa; the Cabot expedition of 1526-1530, commanded by
Sebastian Cabot; and the Sayavedra expedition of 1527-1528, commanded
by Alvaro de Sayavedra were reached the Mindanao but did not succeed in
settling in at islands. April 22, 1529, Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of
Zaragoza under which the Portugal won the Possesion of the Moluccas after
paying the Spain the sum of 350,000 gold of ducats. After the conclusion of
the Treaty of Zaragoza, Spain the provisions in 1538-1541, King Charles
agreed with his viceroy ii Guatemala that expedition should be sent to the
East, particularly to the Moluccas Islands. On November 1, 1542, Villalobos
left Mexico crossed the Pacific Ocean and reached Mindanao in February
1543.

LEGASPI EXPEDITION
The King choose Father Andres de Urdaneta as pilot of new mission
and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi was appointed as the head of the expedition
with four ships and about 380 men. Legaspi sailed from the Mexican port of
Navidad on November 21,1564. The expedition reached Cebu in February
1565. Legaspi sailed to Cibabao (Leyte) then to Samar and concluded a blood
compact with Datu Bankaw of Limasawa. Then he sailed to Camiguin Island,
to Butuan in Mindanao and then to Bohol and entered blood compact with
Datu Si Katuna and Si Gala and later sailed to Cebu.

THE DISCOVERY OF NEW ROUTE

Legaspi ordered the return of the ship San Pedro to Mexico,
accompanied by his grandson, Felipe de Salcedo. June 1, 1565, Father
Urdaneta steered the ship Northeastward from the Philippines in a wide arc
through the Pacific and ended in Santa Catalina, in California. From Navidad,
the ship sailed to Acapulco and Father Urdaneta discovered a new route,
which the Manila galleons would follow in later years.

FIRST SETTLEMENT IN CEBU

April 27, Legaspi and his men entered the Cebu harbor. The Cebuanos
were hostile to him probably because in the past some white men who look
like Spaniards maltreated them. Legaspi explained that the one who
maltreated them is not a Spaniard but a Portuguese and they wanted to be
friend with them. Tupas the chieftain of Cebuanos did not believe them and
fled to the mountains. Legaspi applied a "Policy of Attraction ". He invited
the Cebuanos to come down from the mountain and promised not to harm
them. The agreement provided: 1. The Filipinos promised to be loyal to the
King of Spain and to the Spaniards.; 2. The Filipinos promised to help in any
battle against an enemy.; 3. A Filipino who had committed a crime against the
Spaniards should be turned over to the Spanish authorities, while the
Spaniard who had committed a crime against a Filipino should be turned over
to the Filipino chieftain.. 5. An armed would not be allowed to enter the
Spanish settlement.

SETTLEMENT IN PANAY
Because of many problems in Cebu, Legaspi decided to move to
Panay upon learning that there was plenty of food there in 1569. On Panay
River, Legaspi founded the second settlement in the Philippines. He won over
the people of Panay by convincing of his intentions.

THE FIRST SPANISH VOYAGE TO MANILA

Legaspi decided to spread Spanish rule to other islands of archipelago.
He sent small expeditions to other Islands of the Visayas. Captain Enriquez
de Guzman sailed for Southern Luzon and reached Albay. Juan de Salcedo ,
led the small expedition to the North. With a few Spanish soldiers and about
500 Visayans, Salcedo sailed to Talim Island claim it for Spain. He reached
Lubang, and fought the Filipinos who refused to recognized him. He returned
to Panay after reaching the outer rim of Manila Bay. And reported to his
grandfather. The voyage to Manila was divided into two. One was headed by
Martin de Goiti, succeeded Mateo del Saz as Master of Camp and the other
was succeeded by Salcedo. At that time, Manila or Maynila as it was called by
the natives was a thriving Muslim kingdom ruled by Rajah Sulayman or
Soliman. Sulayman thought with his men that it was a sign of Spanish hostility
and so they were answered with shots of native cannons called lantaka.

THE FOUNDING OF MANILA

Legaspi was happy to hear from Goiti and 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 the first governor -general
of the Philippines. Father Diego de Herrera, an Augustinian friar suggested
that they settle in Luzon instead. Legaspi began laying the foundation of a
new city. On June 24, 1571, Legaspi made Manila the capital of the
Philippines. King Philip II later called Manila, "Distinguished and ever loyal
city." On the same day that Legaspi declared Manila as the capital of the
archipelago, a city goverment or ayutamiento was organized. He appointed
two alcaldes or magistrates, an alguacil mayor or chief constable, twelve
regidores or legislative council members, and one escribano or court clerk.
The founding of Manila as the capital of the Philippines, the foundation of the
Spanish colonial empire in Asia had been laid.