Other articles where History of Philippines is discussed: The Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia that was subjected to Western colonization before it had the opportunity to develop either a centralized government ruling over a large territory or a dominant culture. read more
The history of the Philippines is believed to have begun with the arrival of the first humans using rafts or boats at least 67,000 years ago as the 2007 discovery of Callao Man suggested. Negrito groups first inhabited the isles. read more
The Philippines was a prize catch for Spain, which, at that time, was locked, in a fierce struggle for world colonization with Portugal. Spanish Colonization Colonization began when a Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi arrived from Mexico and formed the first European settlements of San Miguel in Cebu, one of the premiere centers of trade in the region. read more
The establishment of the capital at the Bay of Manila was a signal for the start of the following era of Spanish colonization in the Philippines which lasted more than 3 centuries. Legazpi founded with the, enforced to convert to Christianity, native rulers a city council. read more