"History of thePhilippines" 
It is thought that the earliest inhabitants of the Philippines lived some 40000 years ago. On Palawan, the long and small island in de western Visayas, human bones were found dating to about 22.000 years ago. Stone tools from ancient times were found too on Palawan. The age of the tools is estimated to be about 30.000 years old. A analyses showed that the tools have similar features as tools which were found on Kalimantan (Indonesia).
The original people of the Philippines were ancestors of the people known today as Negritos or Aeta. They are very small people with a dark skin and curly brown hair.
The Aeta came 13000 - 10000 years ago from the Asian continent.
In earlier times they lived widespread throughout the Philippines.
Today they are living in the remote highland areas of Luzon, Palawan, Panay,
Negros and Mindanao.
About 2300 years ago Malayan people arrived from the mainland
in the Philippines and brought a more advanced culture; dairy,
iron melting and production of iron tools, pottery techniques and the system
of sawah's (rice fields).
In the tenth century Muslim traders come from Kalimantan (Indonesia) to the
Philippines.
A few centuries later, the Islam spread out in the southern part of the Philippines.
Until now, the Islam is strong rooted on Mindanao and the other (smaller) islands
of the southern part of the Philippines.
The arrival of the first Spaniards
In 1521 the Spanish
period started with
the arrival of a small
fleet in the coastal
waters of Mactan island,
just east of Cebu island.
It was Fernao de
Magelhaes
(Ferdinand Magellan),
a Portuguese in service
of the Spanish King.
He claimed the country
for the Spanish King.
Lapu Lapu, the national hero
There was great resistance of the local people. In the battle that took place that day, the locals with their leader Lapu Lapu succeeded in forcing the Spaniards to retreat to their ships, after their leader, Magellan, was killed by the spears of the Lapu Lapu warriors. Lapu Lapu became the first Filipino hero.
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In the waters of the Philippines there are more than 2000 different kinds of fish. Added to that figure, the country counts about 200 different kinds of reptiles and 25000 different insects. The smallest monkey and the biggest fish in the world, they both live in the Philippines! Spectacular is the colourful underwater-world. Every year many tourists come to the Philippines to one of the islands, where scuba diving brings them to this amazing underwater-world. The Philippines can show you what a typical tropical country can offer in species of animals. Of course, not all animals are rare or specific for the Philippines. That is for sure if you take the carabao, the cocks or the lizards.
Mga Tokó, as the people in de Visayas call the small lizards, are living in houses and other buildings in every tropical country. |
