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| Index > Investor Information > The Philippines > History and Culture |
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The Tabon Caves in Palawan, one of the country's many attractions, are known as the "Cradle of Philippine Civilization" where remains of the 22,000-year old Tabon Man were discovered.
However, an archeological find, 7,000 years older, was unearthed recently in Cagayan Valley. The Angono Petroglyphs, the country's oldest rock art piece, date to as far back as 3,000 B.C. and the alibata, an ancient form of calligraphy developed and used by Filipino ancestors dated 1,000 A.D. speaks of the country's early civilization and ways of life.
The Philippine archipelago was once connected to the Asian mainland. The early inhabitants, the Negritos, were said to have crossed from the mainland to the Philippines through land bridges. Indonesian and Malay migrants subsequently came by sea. Sometime 960 A.D., Filipinos had been trading with the Chinese and Arabs. In 1150 A.D., Islam was introduced in Mindanao.
The archipelago was claimed by the Spanish king when it was discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The Philippines was named after King Philip II of Spain. In 1565, realizing its strategic position as a trading center and military outpost, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi established a Spanish government that placed the country under colonial rule for the next 333 years.
Around 1600-1617, the Dutch staged attempts to claim the country, but were kept at bay by the Spanish forces. In 1762, British forces occupied Manila. In 1834, Manila was opened to world trade.
In 1898, Filipinos declared Philippine independence, hailing Emilio Aguinaldo as the first Philippine president. Towards the end of this year, the treaty of Paris was signed, with Spain yielding the Philippines to U.S.
The Americans took over from 1900 to 1946 with a three-year intervention by the Japanese forces during World War II (1942-1945). In 1946, the Americans granted the Philippines its full independence, leading to the inauguration of Manuel Roxas as President of the Republic of the Philippines. His vice president, Elpidio Quirino, succeeded him following his death in 1948.
"Father of the Masses" Ramon Magsaysay was elected president in 1953, but died in a plane crash after four years in office. He was succeeded by Carlos Garcia, the champion of the Filipino First policy.
Diosdado Macapagal was elected President in 1961, succeeded by Ferdinand Marcos in 1965. It was in 1972 when he declared martial law. Eleven years after, opposition leader Senator Benigno Aquino was gunned down at the airport tarmac upon his return to Manila following several years of exile in the U.S.
February 25, 1986, Aquino's wife, Corazon, formally took over the presidency following the world-renowned People Power in EDSA. Marcos then left the country.
In 1992, Fidel Ramos assumed the presidency, declaring the country's economy as Asia's tiger cub.
In 2001, following the second People Power in EDSA, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took over the presidency, ousting impeached Joseph Estrada. She was reelected during the May 2004 elections.
There are a total of 64 ethnic tribes in the country, most of whom have preserved their centuries-old traditions and way of life. Sculpted from its tribal origins, interactions with other Asian nations, and Western influences, Philippine arts and culture is an eclectic mix of east and west - from religious rituals infused into present-day revelries called fiestas, tribal art finding its way to contemporary media, to colorful customs and costumes.
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