Philippine History, Geography and

Institutions (SOSC4)
Fourth Lesson (IV. SPANISH COLONIZATION)
SPANISH
EXPLORATION

I. Treaty of Tordesillas

Treaty of Tordesillas to avoid any

conflict between the Spain and Portugal,
this treaty was concluded on June 7,
1494 with the following provisions.
Three (3) important provisions of the
Treaty of Tordesillas
1.An imaginary line was drawn from
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.
2.If Spanish ships discovered lands
east of the demarcation line, the
said lands should be turned over to
Portugal, and lands discovered by
Portuguese ships west of the line
should be turned over to Spain.

3.No Portuguese ships shall be sent to

lands belonging to Spain, and vice
versa, for the purpose of trading
with them.
Portugal the first country to sail to the
east and establish colonies earned her
the prestige as the first sea power to
chart an alternate passage to India.
According to the papal bull, they were to
take possession of the continent of
Africa.
Spain sent explorers to the Americas
and began to lay claim to these areas.
According to the papal bull, all lands
south & west of the Azores and Cape
Verde Islands belong to them.
Sea Rivalry result of the claim
discoveries by the Spain and Portugal.
Pope Alexander VI a Spaniard, whose
family name Borja was Italianized into
Borgia, issued a bull (law from the Pope)
in 1493 dividing the world into two. In
order to make this provision clear, he
issued another bull on the same day
(May 3) by which an imaginary line was
drawn from north to south. Lands to be
discovered east of this imaginary line
would belong to Portugal, and those on
the west would belong to Spain. But in

September of the same year (1493) the

Pope, being a Spaniard, nullified this
provision of the second bull by allowing
Spain to own lands to be discovered in
the East, which properly belonged to
Portugal. The King of Portugal protested
the decision of the Pope because it
violated the rights of Portugal as
provided for in the second bull of May 3,
1493.
II. Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan a Portuguese who
went to Spain to offer his services to the
Spanish King. He had seen battles in
Malacca and Africa for the King of
Portugal, who ignored Magellan rather
than reward him for his services to the
Crown. This hurt Magellan, so he left
Portugal for Spain.
with the help of visual aids like maps
and illustrations, he explained to the
young King of Spain that he could reach
the Moluccas, then known as the Spice
Islands, by sailing west. Moreover, he
told the King that the Moluccas
belonged to the Spanish side of the
demarcation line, drawn according to
the Treaty of Tordesillas. So impressed

was the youthful King that he agreed to

send an expedition to the Spice Islands
under the command of Magellan.
Don Juan de Aranda the father-in-law
of Magellan who has a very high position
in the Spanish India House of Trade. He
helped Magellan to see King Charles I of
Spain. The meeting between the two
was held in 1518.
Trinidad, Concepcion, Victoria,
Santiago, and San Antonio five
ships in Magellans expedition.
Church of Santa Lucia de la Victoria
the church where Magellan and his men
heard Mass, after which, the captains
and the crew of the ships took an oath
of loyalty to Magellan as their
commander-in-chief. Amidst the cheers
of the people and the ringing of the
church bells, the ships sailed down the
Quadalquivir River to San Lucar de
Barrameda.
September 20, 1519 date when
Magellans expedition left port and
sailed southward across the Atlantic.
Pernambuco in Brazil after two
months of difficult voyage, hardship,
and hunger, the Magellan expedition

reached what is now Pernambuco in

Brazil. From here, Magellan continued
his voyage to Rio de Janeiro and reached
the Rio de la Plata in February 1520.
Port St. Julian the southern tip of South
America, where a mutiny of his captains
took place. Magellan suppressed the
mutiny and punished the rebels
severely. Continuing his voyage,
Magellan reached the southernmost tip
of South America.
Strait of Magellan located at the
southernmost tip of South America. He
crossed a strait to the Pacific Ocean.
This strait now bears his name. By this
time, he only had three ships remaining.
Ladrones Islands now the Marianas,
Magellan crossed the Pacific and
reached this place in March 1521. He
ordered his men to rest and to get some
fresh food and water. Some of the
natives there stole one of his boats. In
anger, Magellan named the islands Islas
de Ladrones (Islands of Thieves).
Samar (March 17, 1521) the first place
in this islands where the Spaniards set
their foot. This event marked the coming
of the first Spaniards in the Philippines.

Homonhon islet Magellan ordered his

men to land to this islet so the sick men
could be taken care of.
Limasawa islet - Magellan proceeded to
this islet, which at that time was ruled
by Rajah Kulambu. He befriended the
rajah and his brother, Si Agu.
Magellans sanduguan with Rajah
Kulambu and Si Agu the first blood
compact between Filipinos and
Spaniards.
Father Pedro de Valderrama (March
31-Eastern Sunday) with Magellans
order, he led the first mass celebrated in
the Philippines, specifically held in
Limasawa Islet. Afterwards, Magellan
ordered that a large cross be planted on
the top of a hill overlooking the sea.
Pigafetta said, After the cross was
erected in position, each of us repeated
a Pater Noster and an Ave Maria, and
adored the cross; and the kings
[Kulambu and Si Agu did the same.
Archipelago of St. Lazarus the
islands name given by Magellan due to
the fact that it was on St. Lazarus day
that he found the islands.

 Rajah Sula vs. Rajah Si Lapulapu the

two chieftains of the neighboring island
of Mactan who quarrel because Rajah
Sula asked Magellans help to defeat his
rival, Rajah Si Lapulapu, who, according
to Sula, refused to recognize the King of
Spain as his sovereign.
Battle of Mactan. Magellan at once
accepted the invitation to interfere in
the local quarrel in order to show his
might. He and around sixty of his men,
all well-armed, sailed for Mactan early in
the morning of April 28. Lapulapu, who
refused to listen to Magellans demand
that he pay tribute to Spain, prepared
fight to the end. In the battle that
followed, Magellan was wounded in the
leg. Seeing this, the brave people of
Mactan rushed at him and killed him
with their spears. With the death of
Magellan, the Spaniards fled to their
ships and left. Some of them, however,
returned to Cebu and there, while
attending a party given by Rajah
Humabon, were massacred by some
Cebuanos. This horrific event happened

because some Spaniards robbed the

natives and raped some women.

III. Christianization
(now) Cebu rich island not far away
Limasawa. Since, Magellans group
experienced food insufficiency in
Limasawa islet. Hearing of this island,
he ordered his captains to sail to this
island. Guided by Rajah Kulambu, the
ships entered the harbor of Cebu on
April 28, 1521. Magellan told his Malay
slave, Enrique, to assure the people of
Cebu that they came as friends and not
as enemies.
Rajah Humabon Cebu chieftain who
welcomed the Spaniards and soon a
blood compact ensued between him and
Magellan. Gifts were exchanged
between the parties of the blood
compact.
April 15, 1521 a mass was
celebrated in Cebu. A cross was erected
and Magellan persuaded the Cebuanos

to become Christians. Some 800 natives

became Christians that day.
Carlos Christian name given to Rajah
Humabon, in honor of King Charles of
Spain.
Juana Christian name given to the
wife of Rajah Humabon, in honor of King
Charles mother.
Image of the Infant Jesus presented
by Magellan to Juana for the purpose of
commemorating the said momentous
event. The Infant Jesus is now the Patron
of Cebu.
IV. Subsequent Expeditions
a.The Importance of the Expedition
Importance of Magellans
Expedition
1.It put an end to the Venetian
monopoly of the Southern Route. From
this time on, Spain became supreme
in the building of a colonial empire
that only Great Britain in later modern
times was able to equal.
2.Insofar as geography was concerned,
Magellans voyage proved
conclusively that the earth was round.

3.Insofar as Filipinos was concerned, it

led to other Spanish expeditions to
the Philippines. These expeditions,
especially that of Legazpis, led to the
Spanish colonization of the Philippines
and with this, contacts between
Europeans and Filipinos were
established.
Victoria and the Trinidad the two
ships remained because of the three
ships, one was burned because it had
become useless. The Trinidad was to
return to Europe by way of Pacific and
was captured by the Portuguese.
Sebastian del Cano commanded the
ship Victoria, which sailed to Europe by
way of Africa and succeeded in reaching
Spain.
b.The Villalobos Expedition
Further Expeditions
1.Loaysa expedition (1525-1526)
commanded by Father Juan Garcia
Jofre de Loaysa.
2.Cabot expedition (1526-1530)
commanded by Sebastian Cabot.
3.Saavedra expedition (1527-1528)
commanded by Alvaro de Sayavedra,
which reached Mindanao but did not

succeed in settling in any of the

islands.
Encouraged by the result of the
Magellan expedition, King Charles
sent other expeditions, which,
however, failed.
Treaty of Zaragoza (April 22, 1529)
Spain and Portugal signed this treaty
under which Portugal won possession of
the Moluccas after paying Spain the sum
of 350,000 gold ducats. To avoid future
misunderstanding between the two
countries, another imaginary line was
drawn from north to south at 297
leagues east of the Moluccas. Lands to
be found on the west of this line would
belong to Spain, while those on the east
would belong to Portugal. In paying
Spain a sum to get the Moluccas,
Portugal bought what was rightfully hers
in the first place. The Moluccas Islands
lay east of the demarcation line as
provided in the Treaty of Tordesillas.
Ruy Lopez de Villalobos Expedition
(1538 to 1541) he is the brother-in-law
of the Viceroy of Mexico who was
chosen to lead the expedition ordered
by the King Charles of Spain agreed with
the viceroys in Mexico and Guatemala to

the East, particularly to the Spice or

Moluccas Islands. With six ships,
Villalobos left Mexico on November 1,
1542, crossed the vast Pacific, and
reached Mindanao in February 1543.
Bernardo de la Torre he was one of
Villalobos men who was sent to
Tandaya (now Samar) to get some food.
De la Torre met the local chieftain,
Makandala, who gave him enough
food.
Felipinas name of the islands of Samar
and Leyte, given by Villalobos since he
was pleasured of the generosity of the
natives in this place. This is in honor of
Prince Philip of Spain, who later on
became King Philip II.
To Mollucas leaving the Philippines,
Villalobos sailed for the Moluccas where
they were captured by the Portuguese.
They were later set free and Villalobos
tried to sail for Mexico but died in
Amboina in 1546.
c. The Legazpi Expedition
Purpose of the expedition many
years passed before another expedition
was sent to the Philippines. In 1556,
upon the suggestion of the Viceroy of

Mexico, an expedition to the East was

sent by King Philip II, who succeeded his
father, King Charles I. King Philip
emphasized that the expedition should
not enter territories belonging to
Portugal.
Two (2) purposes of the expedition are
as follows:
1.to survey the trade in spices and
make a report on it.
2.to discover a new return route from
the Oriental islands to Mexico.
Father Andres de Urdaneta
appointed pilot of the mission who was a
member of the Loaysa expedition.
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi appointed
head of the expedition.
Expedition per se. With four ships and
about 380 men, Legazpi sailed from the
Mexican port of Navidad on November
21, 1564. One of the ships got lost on its
way but was found later and ordered to
head back to Mexico after reaching
Mindanao. The expedition reached Cebu
in February 1565. Later, Legazpi sailed
to Cibabao (Leyte) then to Samar.
Bankaw datu of Limasawa, one of the
chieftains of Samar of whom Villalobos
entered into a blood compact.

Datu Si Katuna (and Si Gala) datu

of Bohol of whom Villalobos entered into
a blood compact. From Samar, early in
March, he sailed to Camiguin Island,
then to Butuan in Mindanao, and then to
Bohol. The scarcity of food in Bohol led
Legazpi to order his men to sail for
Cebu.
Discovery of a new route. Having
settled in Cebu, Legazpi ordered the
return of the ship San Pedro to Mexico. It
was to be piloted by Father Urdaneta
and accompanied by Legazpis
grandson, Felipe de Salcedo. Sailing
from the port of Cebu on 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. After
overcoming many difficulties, the ship
sailed down the California coast to
Mexico, arriving at the port of Navidad
on October 1. From Navidad, the ship
sailed to Acapulco. With this return
voyage, Father Urdaneta discovered a
new route, which the Manila galleons
would follow in later year.
V. Settlements

a.Cebu first Spanish settlement

First encounter with the Cebuanos.
Legazpi and his men entered Cebu
harbor on April 27. The Cebuanos were
hostile to him probably because in the
past, some white men who looked like
Spaniards maltreated them. Legazpi
explained to the Cebuanos that the
white men who maltreated them were
not Spaniards but Portuguese. He also
told them that he wanted the Filipinos
and the Spaniards to be friends.
Tupas the Cebuano chieftain who did
not believe Legazpi. The Cebuanos and
the Spaniards found themselves in
skirmishes. Tupas fled to the mountains
after setting all the houses on fire in
what is now Cebu City.
Policy of attraction method applied
by Legazpi, hence, he invited the
Cebuanos to come down from the
mountains and promised not to harm
any of them. Convinced that Legazpi
was sincere, Tupas and his men returned
to the lowlands.

Tupas, Si Makayo and Si Katapan

(Tupas brothers) - entered into an
agreement with Legazpi.
The agreement contains the
following:
1.the Filipinos promised to be loyal to
the King of Spain and to the
Spaniards;
2.the Filipinos promised to help the
Spaniards in any battle against an
enemy; and in return, the Spaniards
promised to protect the Filipinos
from all enemies;
3.a Filipino who had committed a
crime against a Spaniard, should be
turned over to the Spanish
authorities, while a Spaniard who
had committed a crime against a
Filipino should be turned over to the
Filipino chieftain;
4.goods to be sold, to either the
Spaniards or the Filipinos should be
moderately priced; and
5.an armed Filipino would not be
allowed to enter the Spanish
settlement.

 Fort San Pedro fort constructed in

Cebu. This is a land, donated by Tupas
and other Cebuano chieftains, which
was used as Spanish settlement. This
was in the form of a triangle one side of
which faced the land and other sides
faced the sea. Initially, this Spanish
settlement was called San Miguel.
City of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
the renamed label given by Legazpi to
the Fort San Pedro settlement due to the
fact that on the day after the skirmish
between Spaniards and natives of Cebu,
a Spaniard found the image of the Infant
Jesus which Magellan gave to Juana,
Rajah Humabons wife, fourty-four years
earlier. The image was not burnt.

Problems encountered in Cebu

1.Some of his own men who refused
to work. Some of them robbed the
graves of the Filipinos. Legazpi
acted justly and punished all those
who refused to cooperate with him.
2.Some conspiracy among the
Spanish soldiers to seize the ship

San Pablo. The captain of the boat

informed the Master of Camp,
Mateo del Saz, about it and the
conspirators were arrested. The
leader of the conspiracy was
beheaded, and the rest were
pardoned.
3.Hostility of the Portuguese. The
latter realized that the Philippines
lay on the Portuguese side of the
demarcation line. The Portuguese
captain, Gonzalo de Pereira,
harassed Legazpi by blockading
Cebu in order to starve the
Spaniards. With the help of the
Cebuanos, Legazpi succeeded in
forcing Pereira to leave the
Philippines.
b.Panay - second Spanish settlement and
the home base
Reasons for moving In Panay
1.Problems faced in Cebu
2.Plenty food in Panay
Method used for the second
Spanish settlement
1.Though convincing the natives of
Legazpiss peaceful intentions.

2.The Spanish missionaries, the

Augustinian friars, converted some
natives to Christianity. The
friendliness of the Filipinos was
shown when they brought food to
Legazpi. Consequently, the
Spaniards were saved from
starvation.
Other islands of the Visayas,
Masbate, Burias, and Ticao were
also claimed in the name of the King
of Spain.
c. Manila
Captain Enriquez de Guzman
headed the same expedition as
mentioned above, sailed for southern
Luzon and reached Albay.
Juan de Salcedo the younger
grandson of Legazpi, led a small
expedition to the north, at almost the
same time. With a few Spanish soldiers
and about 500 Visayans, Salcedo sailed
to Talim Island and claimed it for Spain.
Then he continued his voyage until he
reached Lubang Island, near Mindoro,
and fought the Filipinos who refused to

recognize him. Defeating the people of

Lubang, Salcedo returned to Panay after
reaching the outer rim of Manila was a
prosperous Muslim kingdom. Legazpi
then decided to send an expedition to
Manila. This expedition left Panay for
Mindoro on May 8, 1570, and stayed
there for five days. Then the voyage to
Manila Bay was continued.
Two (2) Division of Spanish Forces
1.Martin de Goiti succeeded
Mateo del Saz as Master of Camp.
When they reached Batangas, he
explored Balayan.
2.Juan de Salcedo when they
reached Batangas, he explored
the Bonbon River in what is now
Taal. In Taal, Salcedo had an
armed encounter with some
Filipinos. He was wounded in the
leg, but the Spaniards with their
superior weapons won the
skirmish in the end. Then Salcedo
rejoined Goiti and the two
proceeded to Manila by sea.

 Rajah Sulayman (Soliman) ruled the

thriving Muslim kingdom in Manila or
Maynila, as the natives called it. The
kingdom was south of the Pasig River in
what is now Fort Santiago. Goiti
demanded that Sulayman paid him
tribute, but the ruler of Manila refused.
Reason for the departure of the
natives in Manila. On May 24, Goiti
fired a cannon shot to recall a boat he
had sent on an errand. Sulayman and
his men thought that it was a sign of
Spanish hostility, and so they answered
with shots from their native cannons
called lantaka. The superior firepower of
the Spaniards led the Filipinos to burn
down their houses and left Manila in the
hands of the enemy. But Goiti did not
stay in Manila. He returned to Panay to
report to Legazpi what happened.
Legazpi was happy to hear from Goiti.
First governor-general of the
Philippines Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.
Legazpi was happy to hear from Goiti.
He informed his men that the King of
Spain appointed him as governor and

captain-general of the islands, which

was equivalent to governor-general.
Legazpi also informed them that the
King ordered them to colonize the rest
of the archipelago. At this time,
however, food became scarce in Panay.
Father Diego de Herrera an
Augustinian friar, suggested that they
settle in Luzon instead. So Legazpi
decided to leave for Luzon on April 20,
with Manila as the object of his
expedition.
Battle of Bangkusay (Tondo) - In
Manila, Rajah Sulayman, realizing the
firepower of the enemy, ordered his
people to burn their houses and to
retreat to the interior. At the same time,
he gathered a force of fierce warriors
from the barangays of Pampanga and
Bulacan, and fought the enemy in this
battle. He and the warriors were
defeated. What happened to Sulayman
was not clear. Some say he died in
battle; others say that he escaped to the
interior. At any rate, the Filipinos were

defeated and Legazpi took over Manila

in 1571.
Manila was declared by Legazpi as
the capital of the Philippines on June 24,
1571. King Philip II later called Manila,
Distinguished and Ever Loyal City.
Ayuntamiento a city government was
organized on the same day that Legazpi
declared Manila as the capital of the
archipelago. He appointed two alcaldes
or magistrates, an alguacil mayor or
chief constable, twelve regidores or
legislative council members, and one
escribano or court clerk. With the
founding of Manila as the capital of the
Philippines, the foundation of the
Spanish colonial empire in Asia had
been laid.
d.Other Parts of Luzon
Lakan Dula Sulaymans uncle who
cooperated with the Spaniards, after the
defeat of Sulayman.
Further Expeditions of the two (2)
Division of Spanish Forces
1.Martin de Goiti Legazpi
thought of sending expeditions to

2.

other parts of Luzon, he sent Goiti

to explore Central Luzon, as far
as Pangasinan.
Juan de Salcedo was sent to
the towns on the south of Manila.
He conquered Taytay, Cainta,
and other towns of what is now
Rizal Province. Then in 1572, he
went to northern Luzon and
defeated the Filipinos in
Zambales, Pangasinan, and the
Ilocos region. In what is now
Vigan, Salcedo founded the town
of Villa Fernandina in honor of
Prince Fernando, the first-born son
of King Philip II. From the Ilocos,
Salcedo proceeded to the
northeastern coast of Luzon,
marched along the Pacific coast of
what is now Quezon Province,
sailed to Polillo Island, back to
the shore of Luzon, and from there
returned to Manila over trails,
hills, and mountains. Tragedy
greeted him in Manila, for he was
informed that his grandfather,

Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, had died

on August 20, 1572.