Spanish expeditions and colonization

Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines on March 16, 1521.

Although they were not the first Europeans in the Philippines, the first well documented arrival of
western Europeans in the archipelago was the Spanish expedition led by Portuguese Ferdinand
Magellan, which first sighted the mountains of Samar at dawn on 16 March 1521 (Spanish calendar),
making landfall the following day at the small, uninhabited island of Homonhon at the mouth of the Leyte
Gulf.[1] Magellan had abandoned his Portuguese citizenship and became a Spanish subject prior to his
contract with Spain. On Easter Sunday, 31 March 1521 (Spanish calendar), at Masao, Butuan, (now
in Agusan Del Norte), he solemnly planted a cross on the summit of a hill overlooking the sea and
claimed possession of the islands he had seen for Spain, naming them Archipelago of Saint Lazarus.[2]

Magellan sought friendship among the natives beginning with Datu Zula, the chieftain of Sugbu
(now Cebu), and took special pride in converting them to Catholicism. Magellan got involved with political
rivalries among the Cebuano natives and took part in a battle against Lapu-Lapu, chieftain of Mactan
island and a mortal enemy of Datu Zula. At dawn on 27 April 1521, Magellan invaded Mactan Island with
60 armed men and 1,000 Cebuano warriors, but had great difficulty landing his men on the rocky shore.
Lapu-Lapu had an army of 1,500 on land. Magellan waded ashore with his soldiers and attacked the
Mactan defenders, ordering Datu Zula and his warriors to remain aboard the ships and watch. Magellan
seriously underestimated the Lapu-Lapu and his men, and grossly outnumbered, Magellan and 14 of his
soldiers were killed. The rest managed to reboard the ships. (See Battle of Mactan)

The battle left the Spanish too few to man three ships so they abandoned the "Concepcin". The
remaining ships - "Trinidad" and "Victoria" - sailed to theSpice Islands in present-day Indonesia. From
there, the expedition split into two groups. The Trinidad, commanded by Gonzalo Gmez de Espinoza
tried to sail eastward across the Pacific Ocean to the Isthmus of Panama. Disease and shipwreck
disrupted Espinoza's voyage and most of the crew died. Survivors of the Trinidad returned to the Spice
Islands, where the Portuguese imprisoned them. The Victoria continued sailing westward, commanded
by Juan Sebastin de El Cano, and managed to return to Sanlcar de Barrameda, Spain in 1522. In
1529, Charles I of Spain relinquished all claims to the Spice Islands to Portugal in the treaty of Zaragoza.
However, the treaty did not stop the colonization of the Philippine archipelago from New Spain.[3]

After Magellan's voyage, subsequent expeditions were dispatched to the islands. Four expeditions were
sent: that of Loaisa (1525), Cabot (1526), Saavedra (1527), Villalobos (1542), and Legazpi(1564).[4] The
Legazpi expedition was the most successful as it resulted in the discovery of the tornaviaje or return trip
to Mexico across the Pacific by Andres de Urdaneta.[5] This discovery started the trade of the
famous Manila Galleons which lasted two and a half centuries.

In 1543, Ruy Lpez de Villalobos named the islands of Leyte and Samar Las Islas Filipinas after Philip II
of Spain.[6] Philip II became King of Spain on January 16, 1556, when his father, Charles I of Spain,
abdicated the Spanish throne. Philip was in Brussels at the time and his return to Spain was delayed until
1559 because of European politics and wars in northern Europe. Shortly after his return to Spain, Philip
ordered an expedition mounted to the Spice Islands, stating that its purpose was "to discover the islands
to the west". In reality its task was to conquer the Philippines for Spain. [7]
On November 19 or 20, 1564 a Spanish expedition of a mere 500 men led by Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi departed Barra de Navidad, New Spain, arriving off Cebu on February 13, 1565, not landing
there due to Cebuano opposition.[8]:77

In 1569, Legazpi transferred to Panay and founded a second settlement on the bank of the Panay River.
In 1570, Legazpi sent his grandson, Juan de Salcedo, who had arrived from Mexico in 1567,
to Mindoro to punish Moro pirates who had been plundering Panay villages. Salcedo also destroyed forts
on the islands of Ilin and Lubang, respectively South and Northwest of Mindoro.[8]:79

In 1570, Martn de Goiti, having been dispatched by Legazpi to Luzon, conquered the Kingdom of
Maynila (now Manila).[8]:79 Legazpi then made Maynila the capital of the Philippines and simplified its
spelling to Manila. His expedition also renamed Luzon Nueva Castilla. Legazpi became the country's first
governor-general. With time, Cebu's importance fell as power shifted north to Luzon. The archipelago was
Spain's outpost in the orient and Manila became the capital of the entire Spanish East Indies. The colony
was administered through the Viceroyalty of New Spain (now Mexico) until 1821 when Mexico achieved
independence from Spain. After 1821, the colony was governed directly from Spain.

During most of the colonial period, the Philippine economy depended on the Galleon Trade which was
inaugurated in 1565 between Manila and Acapulco, Mexico. Trade between Spain and the Philippines
was via the Pacific Ocean to Mexico (Manila to Acapulco), and then across the Caribbean
Sea and Atlantic Ocean to Spain (Veracruz to Cdiz). Manila became the most important center of trade
in Asia between the 17th and 18th centuries. All sorts of products from China, Japan, Brunei, the
Moluccas and even India were sent to Manila to be sold for silver 8-Real coins which came aboard the
galleons from Acapulco. These goods, including silk, porcelain, spices, lacquerware and textile products
were then sent to Acapulco and from there to other parts of New Spain, Peru and Europe.

The European population in the archipelago steadily grew although natives remained the majority. They
depended on the Galleon Trade for a living. In the later years of the 18th century, Governor-General
Basco introduced economic reforms that gave the colony its first significant internal source income from
the production of tobacco and other agricultural exports. In this later period, agriculture was finally opened
to the European population, which before was reserved only for the natives.

During Spains 333 year rule in the Philippines, the colonists had to fight off the Chinese pirates (who lay
siege to Manila, the most famous of which was Limahong in 1574), Dutch forces,Portuguese forces, and
indigenous revolts. Moros from western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago also raided the coastal
Christian areas of Luzon and the Visayas and occasionally captured men and women to be sold as
slaves.

Some Japanese ships visited the Philippines in the 1570s in order to export Japanese silver and import
Philippine gold. Later, increasing imports of silver from New World sources resulted in Japanese exports
to the Philippines shifting from silver to consumer goods. In the 1580s, the Spanish traders were troubled
to some extent by Japanese pirates, but peaceful trading relations were established between the
Philippines and Japan by 1590.[9] Japan's kampaku (regent), Toyotomi Hideyoshi, demanded
unsuccessfully on several occasions that the Philippines submit to Japan's suzerainty.[10]

On February 8, 1597, King Philip II, near the end of his 42-year reign, issued a Royal
Cedula instructing Francisco de Tello de Guzmn, then Governor-General of the Philippines to fulfill the
laws of tributes and to provide for restitution of ill-gotten taxes taken from the natives. The decree was
published in Manila on August 5, 1598. King Philip died on 13 September, just forty days after the
publication of the decree, but his death was not known in the Philippines until middle of 1599, by which
time a referendum by which the natives would acknowledge Spanish rule was underway. With the
completion of the Philippine referendum of 1599, Spain could be said to have established legitimate
sovereignty over the Philippines.[11]

Spanish rule

Political System
The Spanish quickly organized their new colony according to their model. The first task was the reduction,
or relocation of native inhabitants into settlements. The earliest political system used during
the conquista period was the encomienda system, which resembled the feudal system in medieval
Europe. The conquistadores, friars and native nobles were granted estates, in exchange for their services
to the King, and was given the privilege to collect tribute from its inhabitants. In return, the person granted
the encomienda, known as an encomendero, was tasked to provide military protection to the inhabitants,
justice and governance. In times of war, the encomendero was duty bound to provide soldiers for the
King, in particular, for the complete defense of the colony from invaders such as the Dutch, British and
Chinese. The encomienda system was abused by encomenderos and by 1700 was largely replaced by
administrative provinces, each headed by an alcalde mayor (provincial governor)[12] The most prominent
feature of Spanish cities was the plaza, a central area for town activities such as the fiesta, and where
government buildings, the church, a market area and other infrastructures were located. Residential areas
lay around the plaza. During the conquista, the first task of colonization was the reduction, or relocation of
the indigenous population into settlements surrounding the plaza.

As in Europe, the church always had control over the state affairs of the colony. The friars controlled the
sentiments of the native population and was more powerful than the governor-general himself. Among the
issues that resulted to the Philippine revolution of 1898 that ended Spanish rule was the abuse of power
by the religious orders.[citation needed]

National Government
On the national level, the King of Spain, through his Council of the Indies (Consejo de las Indias),
governed through his sole representative in the Philippines: the Governor-General (Gobernador y Capitn
General). With the seat of power in Intramuros, Manila, the Governor-General was given several duties:
he headed the Supreme Court (Royal Audiencia), was Commander-in-chief of the army and navy, and
was the economic planner of the country. All known executive power of the local government stemmed
from him and as vice-regal patron, he had the right to supervise mission work and oversee ecclesiastical
appointments. His yearly salary was P40,000. For obvious reasons, the Governor-General was usually
a Peninsular (Spaniard born in Spain) to ensure loyalty of the colony to the crown.
Provincial Government
Main article: Provinces of the Philippines

On the provincial level, heading the pacified provinces (alcaldia), was the provincial governor (alcalde
mayor). The unpacified military zones (corregimiento), such as Mariveles and Mindoro, were headed by
the corregidores. City governments (ayuntamientos), were also headed by an alcalde mayor. Alcalde
mayors and corregidores exercised multiple prerogatives as judge, inspector ofencomiendas, chief of
police, tribute collector, capitan-general of the province and even vice-regal patron. His annual salary
ranged from P300 to P2000 before 1847 and P1500 to P1600 after it. But this can be augmented through
the special privilege of "indulto de commercio" where all people were forced to do business with him.
The alcalde mayor was usually an Insulares (Spaniard born in the Philippines). In the 19th century,
the Peninsulares began to displace the Insulares which resulted in the political unrests of 1872, notably
the execution of GOMBURZA, Novales Revolt and mutiny of the Cavite fort under La Madrid.

Municipal Government
Main articles: Municipalities of the Philippines and Cities of the Philippines

The pueblo or town is headed by the Gobernadorcillo or little governor. Among his administrative duties
were the preparation of the tribute list (padron), recruitment and distribution of men for draft labor,
communal public work and military conscription (quinto), postal clerk and judge in minor civil suits. He
intervened in all administrative cases pertaining to his town: lands, justice, finance and the municipal
police. His annual salary, however, was only P24 but he was exempted from taxation. Any native or
Chinese mestizo, 25 years old, literate in oral or written Spanish and has been aCabeza de Barangay of 4
years can be a Gobernadorcillo. Among those prominent is Emilio Aguinaldo, a Chinese Mestizo and who
was the Gobernadorcillo of Cavite El Viejo (now Kawit). The officials of the pueblo were taken from
the Principala, the noble class of pre-colonial origin. Their names are survived by prominent families in
contemporary Philippine society such as Lindo, Tupas, Gatmaitan, Liwanag, Pangilinan, Panganiban,
Balderas, and Agbayani, Apalisok, Aguinaldo to name a few.

Barrio Government
Main article: Barangay

Barrio government (village or district) rested on the barrio administrator (cabeza de barangay). He was
responsible for peace and order and recruited men for communal public works. Cabezasshould be literate
in Spanish and have good moral character and property. Cabezas who served for 25 years were
exempted from forced labor. In addition, this is where the sentiment heard as, "Mi Barrio", first came from.

The Residencia and The Visita

To check the abuse of power of royal officials, two ancient castilian institutions were brought to the
Philippines. The Residencia, dating back to the 5th century and the Visita differed from theresidencia in
that it was conducted clandestinely by a visitador-general sent from Spain and might occur anytime within
the officials term, without any previous notice. Visitas may be specific or general.

Maura Law
The legal foundation for municipal governments in the country was laid with the promulgation of
the Maura Law on May 19, 1893. Named after its author, Don Antonio Maura, the Spanish Minister of
Colonies at the time, the law reorganized town governments in the Philippines with the aim of making
them more effective and autonomous. This law created the municipal organization that was later adopted,
revised, and further strengthened by the American and Filipino governments that succeeded Spanish.

Economy
Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade
The Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade was the main source of income for the colony during its early years.
Service was inaugurated in 1565 and continued into the early 19th century. The Galleon trade brought
silver from New Spain, which was used to purchase Asian goods such as silk from China, spices from the
Moluccas, lacquerware from Japan and Philippine cotton textiles. [13]These goods were then exported to
New Spain and ultimately Europe by way of Manila. Thus, the Philippines earned its income through the
trade of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon. The trade was very prosperous and attracted many merchants to
Manila, especially the Chinese. However, initially it neglected the development of the colony's local
industries which affected the Indios since agriculture was their main source of income. In addition, the
building and operation of galleons put too much burden on the colonists' annual polo y servicio. However,
it resulted in cultural and commercial exchanges between Asia and the Americas that led to the
introduction of new crops and animals to the Philippines such as corn, potato, tomato, cotton and tobacco
among others, that gave the colony its first real income. The trade lasted for over two hundred years, and
ceased in 1815 just before the secession of American colonies from Spain.

Royal Society of Friends of the Country[edit]

Jos de Basco y Vargas, following a royal order to form a society of intellectuals who can produce new,
useful ideas, formally established the Real Sociedad Economica de Amigos del Pais. Composed of
leading men in business, industry and profession, the society was tasked to explore and exploit the
island's natural bounties. The society led to the creation of Plan General Economico of Basco which
implemented the monopolies on the areca nut, tobacco, spirited liquors and explosives. It offered local
and foreign scholarships and training grants in agriculture and established an academy of design. It was
also credited to the carabao ban of 1782, the formation of the silversmiths and gold beaters guild and the
construction of the first papermill in the Philippines in 1825. It was introduced on 1780, vanished
temporarily on 1787-1819, 18201822 and 1875-1822 and ceased to exist in the middle of the 1890s.

Royal Company of the Philippines[edit]

On March 10, 1785, Charles III created the Royal Philippine Company with a 25 year charter.[14] It was
granted exclusive monopoly of bringing to Manila, Philippines; Chinese and Indian goods and shipping
them directly to Spain via the Cape of Good Hope. It was stiffly objected by the Dutch and English who
saw it as a direct attack on their trade of Asian goods. It was also vehemently opposed by the traders of
the Galleon trade who saw it as competition. This gradually resulted into the death of both institutions:
The Royal Philippine Company in 1814 and the Galleon trade in 1815. [15]

Taxation[edit]
To support the colony, several forms of taxes and monopolies were imposed. The buwis (tribute), which
could be paid in cash or kind (tobacco,chickens, produce, gold, blankets, cotton, rice, etc., depending on
the region of the country), was initially was fixed at 8 reales (one real being 8 centavos) and later
increased to 15 reales, apportioned as follows: ten reales buwis, one real diezmos prediales (tithes), one
real to the town community chest, one real sanctorum tax, and three reales for church support.[16]

Also collected was the bandal (from the Tagalog word mandal, a round stack of rice stalks to be
threshed), an annual enforced sale and requisitioning of goods such as rice. Custom duties and income
tax were also collected. By 1884, the tribute was replaced by the Cedula personal, wherein colonists were
required to pay for personal identification. Everyone whose age was over 18 were obliged to pay.[17] The
local gobernadorcillos had been responsible for collection of the tribute. Under the cedula system,
however, taxpayers were individually responsible to Spanish authorities for payment of the tax, and were
subject to summary arrest for failure to show a cedula receipt. [18]
Forced Labor (Polo y servicios)[edit]
The system of forced or corve labor known as polo y servicios evolved from the encomienda system,
introduced into the Latin American colonies by the Conquistadores and Catholic priests who accompanied
them. Polo y servicios is the forced labor for 40 days of men ranging from 16 to 60 years of age who were
obligated to give personal services to community projects. One could be exempted from polo by paying
the falla (a corruption of the Spanish falta, meaning "absence"), a daily fine of one and a half real. In
1884, labor was reduced to 15 days. The polo system was patterned after the Mexican repartimento,
selection for forced labor.[19]

Culture[edit]
See also: Filipino culture

By the 19th century, the Philippines had become an important possession. The early small number of
European settlers, soldiers and missionaries brought with them aspects of European life, i.e. the Spanish
menu,[20] religious festivals, manner of clothing and fashion. The colonists used the Gregorian calendar,
the Latin script and used theocentric art, music, literature. Likewise, the European settlers and their
descendants, known as Insulares (lit. "islanders"), also adapted to oriental culture learning to eat rice as
their staple and use soy sauce, coconut vinegar, coconut oil and ginger. Today, Filipino culture is a blend
of many different cultures.

British invasion[edit]

Main article: British occupation of Manila

In August 1759, Charles III ascended the Spanish throne. At the time, Britain and France were at war, in
what was later called the Seven Years War. France, suffering a series of setbacks, successfully
negotiated a treaty with Spain known as the Family Compact which was signed on 15 August 1761. By an
ancillary secret convention, Spain was committed to making preparations for war against Britain. [21]

On 24 September 1762,[22] force of British Army regulars and British East India Company soldiers,
supported by the ships and men of the East Indies Squadron of the British Royal Navy, sailed into Manila
Bay from Madras in India and after a battle, took possession of Manila and its port, Cavite. [21] The
expedition, led by Brigadier General William Draper and Rear-Admiral Samuel Cornish, captured Manila,
"the greatest Spanish fortress in the western Pacific", and attempted to establish trade with China. [23]

The early success at Manila did not enable the British to control the Philippines. Spanish-Filipino forces
(made up mostly of Filipinos) kept the British confined to Manila. Nevertheless, the British were confident
of eventual success after receiving the written surrender of captured Catholic Archbishop Rojo on 30
October 1762.[24]

The surrender was rejected as illegal by Don Simn de Anda y Salazar, who claimed the title of Governor-
General under the statutes of the Council of Indies. He led Spanish-Filipino forces that kept the British
confined to Manila and sabotaged or crushed British fomented revolts. Anda intercepted and redirected
the Manila galleon trade to prevent further captures by the British. The failure of the British to consolidate
their position led to troop desertions and a breakdown of command unity which left the British forces
paralysed and in an increasingly precarious position.[25]

The Seven Years War was ended by the Peace of Paris signed on 10 February 1763. At the time of
signing the treaty, the signatories were not aware that the Manila was under British occupation and was
being administered as a British colony. Consequently no specific provision was made for the Philippines.
Instead they fell under the general provision that all other lands not otherwise provided for be returned to
the Spanish Crown.[26]

Resistance against Spanish rule[edit]

Spanish rule of the Philippines was constantly threatened by indigenous rebellions and invasions from
the Dutch, Chinese, Japanese and British.

The previously dominant groups resisted Spanish rule, refusing to pay Spanish taxes and rejecting
Spanish excesses. All were defeated by the Spanish and their Filipino allies. In many areas, the Spanish
left indigenous groups to administer their own affairs but under Spanish overlordship.

Early resistance[edit]
Main articles: Philippine revolts against Spain and Spanish-Moro Conflict

Resistance against Spain did not immediately cease upon the conquest of the Austronesian cities.
After Tupas of Cebu, random native nobles resisted Spanish rule. The longest recorded native rebellion
was that of Francisco Dagohoy which lasted a century.[27]

During the British occupation of Manila (17621764), Diego Silang was appointed by them as governor
of Ilocos and after his assassination by fellow natives, his wife Gabriela continued to lead the Ilocanos in
the fight against Spanish rule. Resistance against Spanish rule was regional in character, based on
ethnolinguistic groups.[28]

Hispanization did not spread to the mountainous center of northern Luzon, nor to the inland communities
of Mindanao. The highlanders were more able to resist the Spanish invaders than the lowlanders.

The Moros, most notably the sultanates, had a more advanced political system than their counterparts in
the Visayas and Luzon. Spanish cities in Mindanao were limited to the coastal areas
ofZamboanga and Cagayan de Oro.

The opening of the Philippines to world trade[edit]

In Europe, the Industrial Revolution spread from Great Britain during the period known as the Victorian
Age. The industrialization of Europe created great demands for raw materials from the colonies, bringing
with it investment and wealth, although this was very unevenly distributed. Governor-General Basco had
opened the Philippines to this trade. Previously, the Philippines was seen as a trading post for
international trade but in the nineteenth century it was developed both as a source of raw materials and
as a market for manufactured goods. The economy of the Philippines rose rapidly and its local industries
developed to satisfy the rising demands of an industrializing Europe. A small flow of European immigrants
came with the opening of the Suez Canal, which cut the travel time between Europe and the Philippines
by half. New ideas about government and society, which the friars and colonial authorities found
dangerous, quickly found their way into the Philippines, notably through the Freemasons, who along with
others, spread the ideals of the American, French and other revolutions, including Spanish liberalism.

Rise of Filipino nationalism[edit]

Main article: Filipino nationalism

The development of the Philippines as a source of raw materials and as a market for European
manufactures created much local wealth. Many Filipinos prospered. Everyday Filipinos also benefited
from the new economy with the rapid increase in demand for labor and availability of business
opportunities. Some Europeans immigrated to the Philippines to join the wealth wagon, among them
Jacobo Zobel, patriarch of today's Zobel de Ayala family and prominent figure in the rise of Filipino
nationalism. Their scions studied in the best universities of Europe where they learned the ideals of liberty
from the French and American Revolutions. The new economy gave rise to a new middle class in the
Philippines, usually not ethnic Filipinos.

In the early 19th century, the Suez Canal was opened which made the Philippines easier to reach from
Spain. The small increase of Peninsulares from the Iberian Peninsula threatened the secularization of
the Philippine churches. In state affairs, the Criollos, known locally as Insulares (lit. "islanders"). were
displaced from government positions by the Peninsulares, whom the nativeInsulares regarded as
foreigners. The Insulares had become increasingly Filipino and called themselves Los hijos del pas (lit.
"sons of the country"). Among the early proponents of Filipino nationalism were the Insulares Padre Pedro
Pelez, archbishop of Manila, who fought for the secularization of Philippine churches and expulsion of
the friars; Padre Jos Burgos whose execution influenced the national hero Jos Rizal; and Joaqun
Pardo de Tavera who fought for retention of government positions by natives, regardless of race. In
retaliation to the rise of Filipino nationalism, the friars called the Indios (possibly referring
to Insulares and mestizos as well) indolent and unfit for government and church positions. In response,
the Insulares came out with Indios agraviados, a manifesto defending the Filipino against discriminatory
remarks. The tension between the Insulares and Peninsulares erupted into the failed revolts
of Novales and the Cavite Mutiny of 1872 which resulted to the deportation of prominent Filipino
nationalists to the Marianas and Europe who would continue the fight for liberty through the Propaganda
Movement. The Cavite Mutiny implicated the priests Mariano Gmez, Jos Burgos, and Jacinto
Zamora (see Gomburza) whose executions would influence the subversive activities of the next
generation of Filipino nationalists, Jos Rizal, who then dedicated his novel, El filibusterismo to the these
priests.

Rise of Spanish liberalism[edit]

See also: Liberalism and radicalism in Spain

The Liberals won the Spanish Revolution of 1869. Carlos Mara de la Torre was sent to the Philippines to
serve as governor-general (18691871). He was one of the most loved governors-general in the
Philippines having implemented reforms in the colony. At one time, his supporters serenaded him in front
of the Malacaan Palace. Among those who serenaded were Padre Burgos and Joaqun Pardo de
Tavera. When the Reactionaries regained power in Spain, de la Torre was recalled and replaced by
Governor-General Izquierdo who vowed to rule with an iron fist.

Freemasonry[edit]
Freemasonry had gained a generous following in Europe and the Americas during the 19th century and
found its way to the Philippines. The Western World was quickly changing and sought less political control
from the Roman Catholic Church.

The first Filipino Masonic lodge was Revoluccion. It was established by Graciano Lopez Jaena in
Barcelona and was recognized in April 1889. It did not last long after he resigned from being its worshipful
master on November 29, 1889.
In December 1889, Marcelo H. del Pilar established, with the help of Julio Llorente, the Solidaridad in
Madrid. Its first worshipful master was Llorente. A short time later, the Solidaridad grew. Some its
members included Jos Rizal, Pedro Serrano Laktaw, Baldomero Roxas, and Galicano Apacible.

In 1891, Del Pilar sent Laktaw to the Philippines to establish a Masonic lodge. Laktaw established on
January 6, 1892, the Nilad, the first Masonic lodge in the Philippines. It is estimated that there were 35
masonic lodges in the Philippines in 1893 of which nine were in Manila. The first Filipina freemason
was Rosario Villaruel. Trinidad and Josefa Rizal, Marina Dizon, Romualda Lanuza, Purificacion Leyva,
and many others join the masonic lodge.

Freemasonry was important during the time of the Philippine Revolution. It pushed the reform movement
and carried out the propaganda work. In the Philippines, many of those who pushed for a revolution were
member of freemasonry like Andrs Bonifacio. In fact, the organization used by Bonifacio in establishing
the Katipunan was derived from the Masonic society. It may be said that joining masonry was one activity
that both the reformists and the Katipuneros shared.

Revolution

Filipino Ilustrados in Spain.

The mass deportation of nationalists to the Marianas and Europe in 1872 led to a Filipino expatriate
community of reformers in Europe. The community grew with the next generation of Ilustrados taking
graduate studies in European universities. They allied themselves with Spanish liberals, notably a certain
Spanish senator named Morayta and formed the La Solidaridad. Among the reformers was Jos Rizal,
who wrote his two famous novels while in Europe. Among the manuscripts of the reformers, his novels
were considered the most influential causing further unrest in the islands particularly the founding of the
Katipunan. A rivalry developed between himself and Marcelo H. del Pilar for the leadership of La
Solidaridad and the reform movement in Europe. Majority of the expatriates supported the leadership of
del Pilar.

Rizal then returned to the Philippines to organize La Liga Filipina and bring the reform movement to
Philippine soil. He was arrested just a few days after founding the league. In 1892, Radical members of
the La Liga Filipina, which included Bonifacio and Deodato Arellano, founded theKataastaasang
Kagalanggalang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK), called simply the Katipunan, which had the
bold objective of having the Philippines seceding from the Spanish Empire. From the Insular uprisings of
the early 19th century of Fathers Pelez and Burgos, the Filipino discontent eventually escalated to a full-
blown armed revolution in August 1896.

The Philippine Revolution

Main article: Philippine Revolution

By 1896 the Katipunan had a membership by the thousands. That same year, the existence of the
Katipunan was discovered by the colonial authorities. In late August Katipuneros gathered in Caloocan
and declared the start of the revolution. The event is now known as the Cry of Balintawak or Cry of Pugad
Lawin, due to conflicting historical traditions and official government positions. [29]

Andrs Bonifacio called for a general offensive on Manila [30] and was defeated in battle at the town of San
Juan del Monte. He regrouped his forces and was able to briefly capture the towns of Marikina, San
Mateo and Montalban. Spanish counterattacks drove him back and he retreated to the mountains of
Balara and Morong and from there engaged in guerrilla warfare.[31] By August 30, the revolt had spread to
eight provinces. On that date, Governor-General Ramon Blanco declared a state of war in these
provinces and placed them under martial law. These
were Manila,Bulacan, Cavite, Pampanga, Tarlac, Laguna, Batangas, and Nueva Ecija. They would later
be represented in the eight rays of the sun in the Filipino flag.[32][not in citation given] Emilio Aguinaldo and the
Katipuneros of Cavite were the most successful of the rebels [33] and they controlled most of their province
by SeptemberOctober. They defended their territories with trenches designed byEdilberto Evangelista.[31]

Many of the educated ilustrado class such as Antonio Luna and Apolinario Mabini did not initially favor an
armed revolution. Rizal himself, whom the rebels took inspiration from and had consulted beforehand,
disapproved of a premature revolution. He was arrested, tried and executed for treason, sedition and
conspiracy on December 30, 1896. Before his arrest he had issued a statement disavowing the
revolution, but in his swan song poem Mi ltimo adis he wrote that dying in battle for the sake of one's
country was just as patriotic as his own impending death. [34][page needed]

While the revolution spread throughout the provinces, Aguinaldo's Katipuneros declared the existence of
an insurgent government in October regardless of Bonifacio's Katipunan, [35] which he had already
converted into an insurgent government with him as president in August. [36][37] Bonifacio was invited to
Cavite to mediate between Aguinaldo's rebels, the Magdalo, and their rivals theMagdiwang, both chapters
of the Katipunan. There he became embroiled in discussions whether to replace the Katipunan with an
insurgent government of the Cavite rebels' design. To this end, the Tejeros Convention was convened,
where Aguinaldo was elected president of the new insurgent government. Bonifacio refused to recognize
this and he was executed for treason in May 1897.[38][39]

By December 1897, the revolution had resulted to a stalemate between the colonial government and
rebels. Pedro Paterno mediated between the two sides for the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. The
conditions of the armistice included the self-exile of Aguinaldo and his officers in exchange for $800,000
to be paid by the colonial government. Aguinaldo then sailed to Hong Kong for self exile.

On April 25, 1898, the Spanish-American War broke out. On May 1, 1898, the Spanish navy was
decisively defeated in the Battle of Manila Bay by the Asiatic Squadron of the U.S. Navy led by
Commodore George Dewey, which meant that Spain lost the ability to defend Manila and therefore the
Philippines. On May 19, Emilio Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines aboard an Americannaval ship and
on May 24 took command of Filipino forces. Filipino forces had liberated much of the country from the
Spanish. On June 12, 1898 Aguinaldo declared independence and established the First Philippine
Republic. Filipino forces then laid siege to Manila, as had American forces. Aguinaldo however failed to
take the city. The United States had promised to recognize Philippine independence and the Americans
requested Aguinaldo to wait for American reinforcements so that they could enter the city together. The
Americans had asked Aguinaldo to turn over to them vital entries to the capital city, which he did. The
Americans entered into a secret pact with the Spanish governor-general in which they agreed to fight a
mock battle before surrendering Manila to the Americans. The Battle of Manila took place on August 13
and Americans took control of the city. In the Treaty of Paris (1898) ending the Spanish-American War,
the Spanish agreed to sell the Philippines to the United States for $20 million. With this action, Spanish
rule in the Philippines formally ended.On February 4 1899, the PhilippineAmerican War began with
the Battle of Manila (1899) between Americans forces and the declared Philippine Republic.