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107-762: The bagakay was usually used to hunt birds before the Spanish Colonial period. It has evolved into a projectile weapon against the Spanish colonists during the colonization era. Bagakay may also connote a long bamboo spear This Philippines -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to weaponry is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Philippines in ASEAN  (dark grey)  –  [ Legend ] Pinoy ( colloquial neutral ) Pinay ( colloquial feminine ) The Philippines , officially

214-470: A shootout with MILF rebels in Mamasapano delayed passage of the law. Growing public frustration with post- EDSA governance led to the 2016 election of populist Rodrigo Duterte , whose presidency saw the decline of liberalism in the country albeit largely retaining liberal economic policies. Among Duterte's priorities was aggressively increasing infrastructure spending to spur economic growth;

321-523: A 17th-century war against the Dutch , 18th-century British occupation of Manila , and conflict with Muslims in the south. Administration of the Philippines was considered a drain on the economy of New Spain, and abandoning it or trading it for other territory was debated. This course of action was opposed because of the islands' economic potential, security, and the desire to continue religious conversion in

428-402: A claim on eastern North Borneo . In 1965, Macapagal lost the presidential election to Ferdinand Marcos . Early in his presidency , Marcos began infrastructure projects funded mostly by foreign loans; this improved the economy, and contributed to his reelection in 1969 . Near the end of his last constitutionally-permitted term, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972 using

535-532: A concerted effort to centralize the administration of Spanish America and more efficiently tax profits from overseas trade. One of these reforms was the granting of trading monopolies for certain regions to trading companies ran by peninsulares , such as the Guipuzcoan Company . Another involved the increased use of registered ships, or navíos de registro , traveling solo outside the fleet system to transport goods. These reforms gradually decreased reliance on

642-567: A major non-NATO ally. Under President Duterte , ties with the United States weakened in favor of improved relations with China and Russia . The Philippines relies heavily on the United States for its external defense; the U.S. has made regular assurances to defend the Philippines, including the South China Sea . Since 1975, the Philippines has valued its relations with China —its top trading partner, and cooperates significantly with

749-635: A more capable defense system. The Philippines has long struggled against local insurgencies , separatism , and terrorism . Bangsamoro 's largest separatist organizations, the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front , signed final peace agreements with the government in 1996 and 2014 respectively. Other, more-militant groups such as Abu Sayyaf and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters have kidnapped foreigners for ransom, particularly in

856-520: A six-year term ) and the House of Representatives , the lower house , with members elected to a three-year term. Senators are elected at-large , and representatives are elected from legislative districts and party lists . Judicial authority is vested in the Supreme Court , composed of a chief justice and fourteen associate justices , who are appointed by the president from nominations submitted by

963-427: A three-tier social structure: nobility, freemen, and dependent debtor-bondsmen. Among the nobility were leaders known as datus , who were responsible for ruling autonomous groups ( barangays or dulohan). When the barangays banded together to form a larger settlement or a geographically looser alliance, their more-esteemed members would be recognized as a " paramount datu ", rajah or sultan , and would rule

1070-399: A tropical maritime climate which is usually hot and humid. There are three seasons: a hot dry season from March to May, a rainy season from June to November, and a cool dry season from December to February. The southwest monsoon (known as the habagat ) lasts from May to October, and the northeast monsoon ( amihan ) lasts from November to April. The coolest month is January, and

1177-644: A tumultuous experience with democracy, which included the overthrow of a decades-long dictatorship in a nonviolent revolution . The Philippines is an emerging market and a newly industrialized country , whose economy is transitioning from being agricultural to service- and manufacturing-centered. It is a founding member of the United Nations , the World Trade Organization , ASEAN , the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, and

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1284-466: A typical year, usually from July to October; eight or nine of them make landfall . The wettest recorded typhoon to hit the Philippines dropped 2,210 millimeters (87 in) in Baguio from July 14 to 18, 1911. The country is among the world's ten most vulnerable to climate change . The Philippines has a democratic government, a constitutional republic with a presidential system . The president

1391-467: Is Quezon City . Both are within Metro Manila . Negritos , the archipelago's earliest inhabitants, were followed by waves of Austronesian peoples . The adoption of animism , Hinduism with Buddhist influence, and Islam established island-kingdoms ruled by datus , rajas , and sultans . Extensive overseas trade with neighbors such as the late Tang or Song empire brought Chinese people to

1498-490: Is head of state and head of government , and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces . The president is elected through direct election by the citizens of the Philippines for a six-year term. The president appoints and presides over the cabinet and officials of various national government agencies and institutions. The bicameral Congress is composed of the Senate (the upper house , with members elected to

1605-658: Is a founding and active member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and a member of the East Asia Summit , the Group of 24 , and the Non-Aligned Movement . The country has sought to obtain observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation since 2003, and was a member of SEATO . Over 10 million Filipinos live and work in 200 countries , giving the Philippines soft power . During

1712-745: Is a priority hotspot for biodiversity conservation ; it has more than 200 protected areas , which was expanded to 7,790,000 hectares (30,100 sq mi) as of 2023 . Three sites in the Philippines have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List: the Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River , and the Mount Hamiguitan Wildlife Sanctuary. The Philippines has

1819-611: Is a national secret. In November 2023 the Colombian government are looking to recover the treasure. The Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas ( de ) (English: Our Lady of Miracles ) which had collided with another ship in the fleet suffered damage to its hull and sunk into a coral reef off the Bahamas in January 1656. The ship's cargo with almost 3.5 million items was recovered between 1650s and 1990s, while latest discoveries would be exhibited at

1926-558: The Reconquista . The Spanish–Moro conflict lasted for several hundred years; Spain conquered portions of Mindanao and Jolo during the last quarter of the 19th century, and the Muslim Moro in the Sultanate of Sulu acknowledged Spanish sovereignty. Philippine ports opened to world trade during the 19th century, and Filipino society began to change. Social identity changed, with

2033-449: The San Pedro from the 1733 fleet , after being found by treasure hunters, are now protected as Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserves . The Capitana ( El Rubi ) was the flagship of the 1733 fleet; it ran aground during a hurricane near Upper Matecumbe Key , then sank. Three men died during the storm. Afterward, divers recovered most of the treasure aboard. The Capitana was

2140-757: The Santa Anna by Thomas Cavendish in 1589, the Encarnación by Woodes Rogers in 1709, the Covadonga by George Anson in 1743, and the Santísima Trinidad in 1762. The attempts to take the Rosario in 1704 and the Begonia in 1710 were foiled. Wrecks of Spanish treasure ships, whether sunk in naval combat or, as was more usually the case, by storms (with the ones which occurred 1622, 1715 , 1733 and 1750 being among

2247-528: The 2022 election . Marcos's renewal of a pro-US foreign policy, however, has been viewed as a reversal of Duterte's cordiality with China, and territorial disputes in the South China Sea have since escalated. The Philippines is an archipelago of about 7,641 islands , covering a total area (including inland bodies of water) of about 300,000 square kilometers (115,831 sq mi). Stretching 1,850 kilometers (1,150 mi) north to south, from

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2354-565: The Batanes Islands (where they built stone fortresses known as ijangs ) and northern Luzon . Jade artifacts have been dated to 2000 BC, with lingling-o jade items made in Luzon with raw materials from Taiwan. By 1000 BC, the inhabitants of the archipelago had developed into four societies: hunter-gatherer tribes, warrior societies, highland plutocracies , and port principalities. The earliest known surviving written record in

2461-671: The Coral Triangle ecoregion, Philippine waters have unique, diverse marine life and the world's greatest diversity of shore-fish species. The country has over 3,200 fish species (121 endemic). Philippine waters sustain the cultivation of fish, crustaceans, oysters, and seaweeds. Eight major types of forests are distributed throughout the Philippines: dipterocarp , beach forest, pine forest, molave forest, lower montane forest , upper montane (or mossy forest ), mangroves , and ultrabasic forest. According to official estimates,

2568-653: The Dutch admiral Piet Hein managed to capture an entire fleet, in the Battle in the Bay of Matanzas in 1628, after which its cargo was taken to the Dutch Republic . The English admiral Robert Blake twice attacked the fleet, in the Battle of Cádiz in 1656 and in the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1657, but he captured only a single galleon and Spanish officers managed to prevent most of

2675-492: The East Asia Summit ; it is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and a major non-NATO ally of the United States. Its location as an island country on the Pacific Ring of Fire and close to the equator makes it prone to earthquakes and typhoons . The Philippines has a variety of natural resources and a globally-significant level of biodiversity . During his 1542 expedition, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named

2782-504: The Judicial and Bar Council . Attempts to change the government to a federal , unicameral , or parliamentary government have been made since the Ramos administration . Philippine politics tends to be dominated by well-known families , such as political dynasties or celebrities , and party switching is widely practiced. Corruption is significant , attributed by some historians to

2889-477: The Moro Gulf and in 1990 on Luzon . The Philippines has 23 active volcanoes ; of them, Mayon , Taal , Canlaon , and Bulusan have the largest number of recorded eruptions. The country has valuable mineral deposits as a result of its complex geologic structure and high level of seismic activity. It is thought to have the world's second-largest gold deposits (after South Africa), large copper deposits, and

2996-686: The Pacific Ocean . From Acapulco, the Asian goods were transhipped by mule train to Veracruz to be loaded onto the Caribbean treasure fleet for shipment to Spain. To better defend this trade, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and Álvaro de Bazán designed the definitive model of the galleon in the 1550s. Spain controlled the trade through the Casa de Contratación based in Seville , a river port in southern Spain. By law,

3103-700: The Philippine–American War . The war resulted in the deaths of 250,000 to 1 million civilians, primarily due to famine and disease. Many Filipinos were transported by the Americans to concentration camps , where thousands died. After the fall of the First Philippine Republic in 1902, an American civilian government was established with the Philippine Organic Act . American forces continued to secure and extend their control of

3210-582: The Republic of the Philippines , is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia . In the western Pacific Ocean , it consists of 7,641 islands , with a total area of roughly 300,000 square kilometers, which are broadly categorized in three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon , Visayas , and Mindanao . The Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to

3317-518: The South China Sea to the Celebes Sea , the Philippines is bordered by the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Sulu Sea to the southwest. The country's 11 largest islands are Luzon , Mindanao , Samar , Negros , Palawan , Panay , Mindoro , Leyte , Cebu , Bohol and Masbate , about 95 percent of its total land area. The Philippines' coastline measures 36,289 kilometers (22,549 mi),

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3424-532: The Taft Commission ; the 1934 Tydings–McDuffie Act granted a ten-year transition to independence through the creation of the Commonwealth of the Philippines the following year, with Manuel Quezon president and Sergio Osmeña vice president. Quezon's priorities were defence, social justice, inequality, economic diversification, and national character. Filipino (a standardized variety of Tagalog) became

3531-540: The Tejeros Convention , at which Bonifacio lost his position and Emilio Aguinaldo was elected the new leader of the revolution. The 1897 Pact of Biak-na-Bato resulted in the Hong Kong Junta government in exile. The Spanish–American War began the following year, and reached the Philippines; Aguinaldo returned, resumed the revolution, and declared independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. In December 1898,

3638-705: The 11 million arriving in 1590, 2 million went to France for imports, 6 million to Italy for imports and military expenses, of which 2.5 went up the Spanish Road to the Low Countries and 1 million to the Ottoman Empire . 1.5 million was shipped from Portugal to Asia. Of the 2 million pesos reaching the Dutch Republic in that year, 75% went to the Baltic for naval stores and 25% went to Asia. The income of

3745-605: The 1990s, the Philippines began to seek economic liberalization and free trade to help spur foreign direct investment . It is a member of the World Trade Organization and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation . The Philippines entered into the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement in 2010 and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade agreement (FTA) in 2023. Through ASEAN,

3852-589: The Americas, most significantly silver from Mexico and Peru , were sent back to Spain. Fleets of fifty or more ships sailed from Spain, one bound for the Mexican port of Veracruz and the other for Panama and Cartagena. From the Spanish ports of Seville or Cádiz , the two fleets bound for the Americas sailed together down the coast of Africa, and stopped at the Spanish territory of the Canary Islands for provisions before

3959-466: The Caribbean coast of Panama to load Peruvian silver. This had been shipped from the Pacific coast port of Callao and transported across the isthmus of Panama by mule. Other ships went to the Caribbean island of Margarita , off the coast of Venezuela , to collect pearls which had been harvested from offshore oyster beds. After loading was complete, both fleets sailed for Havana , Cuba, to rendezvous for

4066-708: The Dutch occupied Curaçao in 1634. Other losses to foreign powers came later. In 1713 as part of the Treaty of Utrecht after the War of the Spanish Succession , the Spanish crown was forced to make concessions which included trading privileges for England that violated the previous Spanish monopoly on legal trade to its colonial holdings. In 1739 during the War of Jenkin's Ear , the British admirals Francis Hosier and later Edward Vernon blockaded Portobello in an attempt to prevent

4173-659: The European economy as a whole. The flow of precious metals made many traders wealthy, both in Spain and abroad. As a result of the discovery of precious metals in Spanish America, Spain's money supply increased tenfold. The increase in gold and silver on the Iberian market caused high inflation in the 17th century , affecting the Spanish economy. As a consequence, the Crown was forced to delay

4280-633: The Muslim minority in the Philippines; concerns have been raised about domestic abuse and war affecting the approximately 2.5 million overseas Filipino workers in the region. The Philippines has claims in the Spratly Islands which overlap with claims by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The largest of its controlled islands is Thitu Island , which contains the Philippines' smallest town . The 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff , after China seized

4387-654: The Philippine Autonomy Act and the Jones Law . The official title "Republic of the Philippines" was included in the 1935 constitution as the name of the future independent state, and in all succeeding constitutional revisions. There is evidence of early hominins living in what is now the Philippines as early as 709,000 years ago. A small number of bones from Callao Cave potentially represent an otherwise unknown species, Homo luzonensis , who lived 50,000 to 67,000 years ago. The oldest modern human remains on

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4494-821: The Philippines (AFP) consist of three branches: the Philippine Air Force , the Philippine Army , and the Philippine Navy . Civilian security is handled by the Philippine National Police under the Department of the Interior and Local Government . The AFP had a total manpower of around 280,000 as of 2022 , of which 130,000 were active military personnel, 100,000 were reserves, and 50,000 were paramilitaries . In 2023, US$ 477 million (1.4 percent of GDP)

4601-547: The Philippines as soldiers and colonists. Spanish Manila became the capital of the Captaincy General of the Philippines and the Spanish East Indies in 1571, Spanish territories in Asia and the Pacific. The Spanish invaded local states using the principle of divide and conquer , bringing most of what is the present-day Philippines under one unified administration. Disparate barangays were deliberately consolidated into towns , where Catholic missionaries could more easily convert their inhabitants to Christianity , which

4708-431: The Philippines becoming ruled by the Crown of Castile, as part of the Spanish Empire , for more than 300 years. Catholic Christianity became the dominant religion, and Manila became the western hub of trans-Pacific trade . Hispanic immigrants from Latin America and Iberia would also selectively colonize. The Philippine Revolution began in 1896, and became entwined with the 1898 Spanish–American War . Spain ceded

4815-409: The Philippines during the 14th century, via the Indianized Hindu Majapahit Empire . By the 15th century, Islam was established in the Sulu Archipelago and spread from there. Polities founded in the Philippines between the 10th and 16th centuries include Maynila , Tondo , Namayan , Pangasinan , Cebu , Butuan , Maguindanao , Lanao , Sulu , and Ma-i . The early polities typically had

4922-473: The Philippines had 7,000,000 hectares (27,000 sq mi) of forest cover in 2023. Logging had been systemized during the American colonial period and deforestation continued after independence, accelerating during the Marcos presidency due to unregulated logging concessions. Forest cover declined from 70 percent of the Philippines' total land area in 1900 to about 18.3 percent in 1999. Rehabilitation efforts have had marginal success. The Philippines

5029-429: The Philippines has signed FTAs with China , India , Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The country has bilateral FTAs with Japan , South Korea, and four European states : Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The Philippines has a long relationship with the United States , involving economics, security , and interpersonal relations. The Philippines' location serves an important role in

5136-461: The Philippines is the early-10th-century AD Laguna Copperplate Inscription , which was written in Old Malay using the early Kawi script with a number of technical Sanskrit words and Old Javanese or Old Tagalog honorifics . By the 14th century, several large coastal settlements emerged as trading centers and became the focus of societal changes . Some polities had exchanges with other states throughout Asia. Trade with China began during

5243-409: The Philippines. Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896, for rebellion, and his death radicalized many who had been loyal to Spain. Attempts at reform met with resistance; Andrés Bonifacio founded the Katipunan secret society, which sought independence from Spain through armed revolt, in 1892. The Katipunan Cry of Pugad Lawin began the Philippine Revolution in 1896. Internal disputes led to

5350-401: The Spanish merchant ship Encarnación , part of the Tierra Firme fleet, was discovered in 2011 with much of its cargo still aboard and part of its hull intact. The Encarnación sank in 1681 during a storm near the mouth of the Chagres River on the Caribbean side of Panama. The Encarnación sank in less than 40 feet of water. The remains of the Urca de Lima from the 1715 fleet and

5457-460: The Spanish colonial period's padrino system . The Roman Catholic church exerts considerable but waning influence in political affairs, although a constitutional provision for the separation of Church and State exists. A founding and active member of the United Nations, the Philippines has been a non-permanent member of the Security Council . The country participates in peacekeeping missions, particularly in East Timor . The Philippines

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5564-463: The Spanish crown from all sources was about 2.5 million pesos in 1550, 14 million in the 1590s, about 15 million in 1760 and 30 million in 1780. In 1665 the debts of the Spanish crown were 30 million pesos short-term and 300 million long-term. Most of the New World production was silver, but Colombian mines produced mostly gold. The following table gives the estimated legal production. It necessarily excludes smuggling, which

5671-442: The Spanish to refer to islands in the region before Spanish rule was established. During the Philippine Revolution , the Malolos Congress proclaimed it the República Filipina (the Philippine Republic ). American colonial authorities referred to the country as the Philippine Islands (a translation of the Spanish name). The United States began changing its nomenclature from "the Philippine Islands" to "the Philippines" in

5778-485: The Spanish: plata meaning "silver"), was a convoy system of sea routes organized by the Spanish Empire from 1566 to 1790, which linked Spain with its territories in the Americas across the Atlantic . The convoys were general purpose cargo fleets used for transporting a wide variety of items, including agricultural goods, lumber , various metal resources such as silver and gold , gems , pearls , spices , sugar , tobacco , silk , and other exotic goods from

5885-417: The Sulu Archipelago and Maguindanao , but their presence has been reduced. The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its military wing, the New People's Army (NPA), have been waging guerrilla warfare against the government since the 1970s and have engaged in ambushes, bombings, and assassinations of government officials and security forces; although shrinking militarily and politically after

5992-413: The United States' island chain strategy in the West Pacific; a Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries was signed in 1951, and was supplemented with the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement and the 2016 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement . The country supported American policies during the Cold War and participated in the Korean and Vietnam wars. In 2003, the Philippines was designated

6099-446: The archipelago as well, which would also gradually settle in and intermix over the centuries. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan , a Portuguese explorer leading a fleet for Castile , marked the beginning of Spanish colonization . In 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of King Philip II of Castile . Spanish colonization via New Spain , beginning in 1565, led to

6206-485: The beginning of the rule of the Bourbon dynasty over the Spanish Empire, which brought with it the Bourbon Reforms . These reforms, designed to halt Spain's decline and increase tax revenue, resulted in a series of changes to the fleet system throughout the 18th century. Philip V began the reforms by sending investigators to report on conditions in Spanish America, who brought back evidence of fraud. He and following Bourbon kings, notably including Charles III , would make

6313-494: The capital city of Manila , is connected to Laguna de Bay (the country's largest lake ) by the Pasig River . On the western fringes of the Pacific Ring of Fire , the Philippines has frequent seismic and volcanic activity. The region is seismically active, and has been constructed by plates converging towards each other from multiple directions. About five earthquakes are recorded daily, although most are too weak to be felt. The last major earthquakes were in 1976 in

6420-472: The colonies could trade only with Seville, the one designated port in the mother country. Maritime archaeology has shown that the quantity of goods transported was sometimes higher than that recorded at the Archivo General de Indias . Spanish merchants and Spaniards acting as fronts ( cargadores ) for foreign merchants sent their goods on these fleets to the New World. Some resorted to contraband to transport their cargoes untaxed. The Crown of Spain taxed

6527-647: The community. Population density is thought to have been low during the 14th to 16th centuries due to the frequency of typhoons and the Philippines' location on the Pacific Ring of Fire . Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521, claimed the islands for Spain, and was killed by Lapulapu 's men in the Battle of Mactan . Unification and colonization by the Crown of Castile began when Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi arrived from New Spain ( Spanish : Nueva España ) in 1565. Many Filipinos were brought to New Spain as slaves and forced crew. Whereas many Latin Americans were brought to

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6634-462: The country (3,500 of which are endemic), Philippine rain forests have an array of flora: about 3,500 species of trees, 8,000 flowering plant species, 1,100 ferns , and 998 orchid species have been identified. The Philippines has 167 terrestrial mammals (102 endemic species), 235 reptiles (160 endemic species), 99 amphibians (74 endemic species), 686 birds (224 endemic species), and over 20,000 insect species. As an important part of

6741-411: The country. Japan is the biggest bilateral contributor of official development assistance to the Philippines; although some tension exists because of World War II , much animosity has faded. Historical and cultural ties continue to affect relations with Spain . Relations with Middle Eastern countries are shaped by the high number of Filipinos working in those countries, and by issues related to

6848-431: The east, and the Celebes Sea to the south. It shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Japan to the northeast, Palau to the east and southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest. It is the world's twelfth-most-populous country , with diverse ethnicities and cultures . Manila is the country's capital , and its most populated city

6955-506: The economy contracted by 7.3 percent annually in 1984 and 1985. On August 21, 1983, opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. (Marcos's chief rival) was assassinated on the tarmac at Manila International Airport . Marcos called a snap presidential election in 1986 which proclaimed him the winner, but the results were widely regarded as fraudulent. The resulting protests led to the People Power Revolution , which forced Marcos and his allies to flee to Hawaii . Aquino's widow, Corazon ,

7062-509: The enactment of the Bangsamoro Organic Law; an intensified crackdown on crime and communist insurgencies; and an anti-drug campaign that reduced drug proliferation but that has also led to extrajudicial killings . In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reached the Philippines, necessitating nationwide lockdowns that caused a brief but severe economic recession . Under a promise of continuing Duterte's policies, Marcos's son, Bongbong Marcos , ran with Duterte's daughter, Sara , and won

7169-473: The escorted convoys of the fleet system. In the 1780s, Spain opened its colonies to freer trade. In 1790, the Casa de Contratación was abolished, bringing to an end the great general purpose cargo convoys. Thereafter small groups of naval frigates were assigned specifically to transferring bullion as required. Every year, two fleets left Spain loaded with European goods in demand in Spanish America; they were guarded by military vessels. Valuable cargo from

7276-457: The first of the 1733 ships to be found again in 1938. Salvage workers recovered items from the sunken ship over more than 10 years. Additional gold was recovered in June 2015. The ship's location: is 24° 55.491' north, 80° 30.891' west. The San José was sunk in 1708 by British forces near Colombian's coasts. Its wreckage was discovered in 2015 and is believed to contain the record 17B US$ in gold, silver, and other precious stones. Its place

7383-408: The fleet, the Armada de Barlovento. Between 1703 and 1705 Spanish corsair Amaro Pargo began to participate in the West Indies Fleet. In this period he was the owner and captain of the frigate El Ave María y Las Ánimas , a ship which he sailed from the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Havana . He reinvested the benefits of the Canarian-American trade in his estates, devoted to the cultivation of

7490-432: The grapevines of Malvasía and Vidueño , whose wine products (mainly Vidueño) were sent to America . Walton gives the following figures in pesos. For the 300-year period the peso or piece of eight had about 25 grams of silver, about the same as the German thaler and Dutch rijksdaalder . A single galleon might carry 2 million pesos. The modern approximate value of the estimated 4 billion pesos produced during

7597-421: The growth in trade was strong in the early years. Numbering 17 ships in 1550, the fleets expanded to more than 50 much larger vessels by the end of the century. By the second half of the 17th century, that number had dwindled to less than half of its peak. As economic conditions gradually recovered from the last decades of the 17th century, fleet operations slowly expanded again, once again becoming prominent during

7704-481: The islands are from the Tabon Caves of Palawan , U/Th-dated to 47,000 ± 11–10,000 years ago. Tabon Man is presumably a Negrito , among the archipelago's earliest inhabitants descended from the first human migrations out of Africa via the coastal route along southern Asia to the now-sunken landmasses of Sundaland and Sahul . The first Austronesians reached the Philippines from Taiwan around 2200 BC, settling

7811-471: The islands of Leyte and Samar " Felipinas " after the Prince of Asturias , later Philip II of Castile . Eventually, the name " Las Islas Filipinas " would be used for the archipelago's Spanish possessions. Other names, such as " Islas del Poniente " (Western Islands), " Islas del Oriente " (Eastern Islands), Ferdinand Magellan's name, and " San Lázaro " (Islands of St. Lazarus), were used by

7918-481: The islands were ceded by Spain to the United States with Puerto Rico and Guam after the Spanish–American War. The First Philippine Republic was promulgated on January 21, 1899. Lack of recognition by the United States led to an outbreak of hostilities that, after refusal by the U.S. on-scene military commander of a cease-fire proposal and a declaration of war by the nascent Republic, escalated into

8025-625: The islands, suppressing an attempted extension of the Philippine Republic , securing the Sultanate of Sulu , establishing control of interior mountainous areas which had resisted Spanish conquest, and encouraging large-scale resettlement of Christians in once-predominantly-Muslim Mindanao. Cultural developments in the Philippines strengthened a national identity, and Tagalog began to take precedence over other local languages. Governmental functions were gradually given to Filipinos by

8132-458: The journey back to Spain. The overland journey by mule train, as well as supplies provided by local farmers to prepare the fleets for long ocean voyages, invigorated the economy of colonial Spanish America. Preparation and the transport of goods required porters, innkeepers, and foodstuffs to help facilitate travel. However, in Mexico in 1635, there was an increase of the sales tax levied to finance

8239-548: The late Tang dynasty , and expanded during the Song dynasty . Throughout the second millennium AD, some polities were also part of the tributary system of China . With extensive trade and diplomacy, this brought Southern Chinese merchants and migrants from Southern Fujian , known as "Langlang" and "Sangley" in later years, who would gradually settle and intermix in the Philippines. Indian cultural traits such as linguistic terms and religious practices began to spread in

8346-467: The maritime region of southern Spain and the Canary Islands because of attacks by pirates and foreign navies. In the 1560s, the Spanish government created a system of convoys in response to the sacking of Havana by French privateers . The main procedures were established based on the recommendations of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés , an experienced admiral and personal adviser of King Philip II . The treasure fleets sailed along two sea lanes. The main one

8453-488: The most successful naval operations in history and, from a commercial point of view, they made possible key components of today's global economy . Spanish ships had carried goods from the New World since Christopher Columbus 's first expedition of 1492. The organized system of convoys dates from 1564, but Spain sought to protect shipping prior to that by organizing protection around the largest Caribbean island, Cuba , and

8560-641: The national language, women's suffrage was introduced , and land reform was considered. The Empire of Japan invaded the Philippines in December 1941 during World War II , and the Second Philippine Republic was established as a puppet state governed by Jose P. Laurel . Beginning in 1942, the Japanese occupation of the Philippines was opposed by large-scale underground guerrilla activity . Atrocities and war crimes were committed during

8667-544: The overseas territories of the Spanish Empire to the Spanish mainland . Spanish goods such as oil , wine , textiles , books and tools were transported in the opposite direction. The West Indies fleet was the first permanent transatlantic trade route in history. Similarly, the related Manila galleon trade was the first permanent trade route across the Pacific. The Spanish West and East Indies fleets are considered among

8774-484: The payment of some major debts, which had negative consequences for its creditors, mostly foreign bankers. By 1690 some of these creditors could no longer offer financial support to the Crown. The Spanish monopoly over its West and East Indies colonies lasted for over two centuries. The economic importance of exports later declined with the drop in production of the American precious metal mines, such as Potosí . However,

8881-484: The period would come to $ 530 billion or €470 billion (based on silver bullion prices of May 2015). Of the 4 billion pesos produced, 2.5 billion was shipped to Europe, of which 500 million was shipped around Africa to Asia. Of the remaining 1.5 billion 650 million went directly to Asia from Acapulco and 850 million remained in the Western Hemisphere. Little of the wealth stayed in Spain. Of

8988-560: The region. The colony survived on an annual subsidy from the Spanish crown averaging 250,000 pesos, usually paid as 75 tons of silver bullion from the Americas. British forces occupied Manila from 1762 to 1764 during the Seven Years' War , and Spanish rule was restored with the 1763 Treaty of Paris . The Spanish considered their war with the Muslims in Southeast Asia an extension of

9095-782: The reign of the Bourbons in the 18th century. The Spanish trade of goods was sometimes threatened by its colonial rivals, who tried to seize islands as bases along the Spanish Main and in the Spanish West Indies . However, the Atlantic trade was largely unharmed. The English acquired small islands like St Kitts in 1624; expelled in 1629, they returned in 1639 and seized Jamaica in 1655. French pirates established themselves in Saint-Domingue in 1625, were expelled, only to return later, and

9202-680: The return of democracy in 1986, the CPP-NPA, through the National Democratic Front of the Philippines , continues to gather public support in urban areas by setting up communist fronts , infiltrating sectoral organizations, and rallying public discontent and increased militancy against the government. The Philippines ranked 104th out of 163 countries in the 2024 Global Peace Index . Spanish treasure fleet The Spanish treasure fleet , or West Indies Fleet ( Spanish : Flota de Indias , also called silver fleet or plate fleet ; from

9309-452: The return sailing of the treasure fleet. In 1741 Vernon's campaign against Cartagena de Indias ended in defeat, with high losses of men and ships. Spain dealt with the temporary British seizures of Havana and Manila (1762–4), during the Seven Years' War , by using a larger number of smaller fleets visiting a greater variety of ports. The end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713 marked

9416-456: The shoal from the Philippines, led to an international arbitration case which the Philippines eventually won; China rejected the result, and made the shoal a prominent symbol of the broader dispute. China has rejected new Philippine maritime laws aimed at strengthening sovereignty in the South China Sea, stating they infringe on Chinese territorial claims and vowing to defend its interests in contested areas. The volunteer Armed Forces of

9523-490: The silver from falling into English hands. The West Indies fleet was destroyed in the Battle of Vigo Bay in 1702 during the War of the Spanish Succession , when it was surprised in port unloading its goods, but the Spanish sailors had already unloaded most of its cargo, including all of its silver. None of these attacks took place in open seas. In the case of the Manila galleons, only four were ever captured by British warships:

9630-594: The specter of communism and began to rule by decree ; the period was characterized by political repression , censorship , and human rights violations . Monopolies controlled by Marcos's cronies were established in key industries, including logging and broadcasting; a sugar monopoly led to a famine on the island of Negros . With his wife, Imelda , Marcos was accused of corruption and embezzling billions of dollars of public funds. Marcos's heavy borrowing early in his presidency resulted in economic crashes , exacerbated by an early 1980s recession where

9737-554: The term Filipino encompassing all residents of the archipelago instead of solely referring to Spaniards born in the Philippines . Revolutionary sentiment grew in 1872 after 200 locally recruited colonial troops and laborers alongside three activist Catholic priests were executed on questionable grounds . This inspired the Propaganda Movement , organized by Marcelo H. del Pilar , José Rizal , Graciano López Jaena , and Mariano Ponce , which advocated political reform in

9844-519: The territory to the United States, and Filipino revolutionaries declared the First Philippine Republic . The ensuing Philippine–American War ended with the United States controlling the territory until the Japanese invasion of the islands during World War II . After the United States retook the Philippines from the Japanese , the Philippines became independent in 1946. The country has had

9951-580: The voyage across the Atlantic. Once the two fleets reached the Caribbean, the fleets separated. The New Spain fleet sailed to Veracruz in Mexico to load not only silver and the valuable red dye cochineal , but also porcelain and silk shipped from China on the Manila galleons . The Asian goods were carried overland from Acapulco to Veracruz by mule train. The Tierra Firme fleet, or galeones, sailed to Cartagena to load South American products, especially silver from Potosí . Some ships went to Portobello on

10058-480: The war, including the Bataan Death March and the Manila massacre . The Philippine resistance and Allied troops defeated the Japanese in 1944 and 1945. Over one million Filipinos were estimated to have died by the end of the war. On October 11, 1945, the Philippines became a founding member of the United Nations . On July 4, 1946, during the presidency of Manuel Roxas , the country's independence

10165-596: The wares and precious metals of private merchants at a rate of 20%, a tax known as the quinto real or royal fifth. By the end of the 16th century, Spain became the richest country in Europe. Much of the wealth from this trade was used by the Spanish Habsburgs to finance armies to protect its European territories in the 16th and 17th centuries against the Ottoman Empire and most of the major European powers. The flow of precious metals in and out of Spain also stimulated

10272-609: The warmest is May. Temperatures at sea level across the Philippines tend to be in the same range, regardless of latitude; average annual temperature is around 26.6 °C (79.9 °F) but is 18.3 °C (64.9 °F) in Baguio , 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) above sea level. The country's average humidity is 82 percent. Annual rainfall is as high as 5,000 millimeters (200 in) on the mountainous east coast, but less than 1,000 millimeters (39 in) in some sheltered valleys. The Philippine Area of Responsibility has 19 typhoons in

10379-456: The world's fifth-longest , and the country's exclusive economic zone covers 2,263,816 km (874,064 sq mi). Its highest mountain is Mount Apo on Mindanao, with an altitude of 2,954 meters (9,692 ft) above sea level. The Philippines' longest river is the Cagayan River in northern Luzon, which flows for about 520 kilometers (320 mi). Manila Bay , on which is

10486-466: The world's largest deposits of palladium . Other minerals include chromium , nickel , molybdenum , platinum , and zinc . However, poor management and law enforcement, opposition from indigenous communities, and past environmental damage have left these resources largely untapped. The Philippines is a megadiverse country , with some of the world's highest rates of discovery and endemism (67 percent). With an estimated 13,500 plant species in

10593-784: The worst), are a prime target for modern treasure hunters . Many, such as the Nuestra Señora de Atocha and the Santa Margarita , have been salvaged . In August 1750, at least three Spanish merchantmen ran aground in North Carolina during a hurricane. The El Salvador sank near Cape Lookout , the Nuestra Señora De Soledad went ashore near present-day Core Banks and the Nuestra Señora De Guadalupe went ashore near present-day Ocracoke . The wreck of

10700-423: Was increasingly important after 1600. The crown legally took one fifth ( quinto real ) at the source and obtained more through other taxes. Despite the general perception that many Spanish galleons were captured by foreign privateers and pirates , relatively few ships were lost to Spain's enemies in the course of the flota's two and a half centuries of operation; more flota galleons were lost to hurricanes. Only

10807-766: Was initially Syncretist . Christianization by the Spanish friars occurred mostly across the settled lowlands over the course of time. From 1565 to 1821, the Philippines was governed as a territory of the Mexico City -based Viceroyalty of New Spain; it was then administered from Madrid after the Mexican War of Independence . Manila became the western hub of trans-Pacific trade by Manila galleons built in Bicol and Cavite . During its rule, Spain nearly bankrupted its treasury quelling indigenous revolts and defending against external military attacks, including Moro piracy ,

10914-468: Was installed as president and a new constitution was promulgated. The return of democracy and government reforms which began in 1986 were hampered by national debt , government corruption, and coup attempts . A communist insurgency and military conflict with Moro separatists persisted; the administration also faced a series of disasters, including the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991. Aquino

11021-538: Was marked by economic growth, but was tainted by corruption and political scandals, including electoral fraud allegations during the 2004 presidential election . Economic growth continued during Benigno Aquino III 's administration, which advocated good governance and transparency. Aquino III signed a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) resulting in the Bangsamoro Organic Law establishing an autonomous Bangsamoro region, but

11128-614: Was recognized by the United States with the Treaty of Manila . Efforts at post-war reconstruction and ending the Hukbalahap Rebellion succeeded during Ramon Magsaysay 's presidency, but sporadic communist insurgency continued to flare up long afterward. Under Magsaysay's successor, Carlos P. Garcia , the government initiated a Filipino First policy which promoted Filipino-owned businesses. Succeeding Garcia, Diosdado Macapagal moved Independence Day from July 4 to June 12—the date of Emilio Aguinaldo's declaration— and pursued

11235-534: Was spent on the Philippine military. Most of the country's defense spending is on the Philippine Army, which leads operations against internal threats such as communist and Muslim separatist insurgencies; its preoccupation with internal security contributed to the decline of Philippine naval capability which began during the 1970s. A military modernization program began in 1995 and expanded in 2012 to build

11342-482: Was succeeded by Fidel V. Ramos , who liberalized the national economy with privatization and deregulation . Ramos's economic gains were overshadowed by the onset of the 1997 Asian financial crisis . His successor, Joseph Estrada , prioritized public housing but faced corruption allegations which led to his overthrow by the 2001 EDSA Revolution and the succession of Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on January 20, 2001. Arroyo's nine-year administration

11449-618: Was the Caribbean Spanish West Indies fleet or Flota de Indias , which departed in two convoys from Seville , where the Casa de Contratación was based, bound for ports such as Veracruz , Portobelo and Cartagena before making a rendezvous at Havana in order to return together to Spain. A secondary route was that of the Manila Galleons or Galeón de Manila , which linked the Philippines to Acapulco in Mexico across

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