Crossroads of History

The Birth of Globalization

At the opening of the 14th century intercontinental economic and cultural exchanges between Europe, Asia and the Americas  were limited. By the end of the 14th century the Spice Trade Routes had brought Arab and Malay merchants to the southern Philippine Islands,  Mindanao and Palawan.  These traders brought their religion – Islam, with them. Islam continues to be a crucial part of Filipino identity in Mindanao and Palawan.

During that same time period scholars and traders from Greater India were also spreading out across southeast Asia, bringing with them a written language (Sanskrit) and a religion (Hinduism.)


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The Spanish colonial period of the Philippines began when explorer Ferdinand Magellan came to the islands in  1521 and claimed it as a colony for the Spanish Empire.  This colonial experience transformed the culture and social structure of the islands dramatically.  The Spanish converted many Filipinos to Christianity, reorganized *barangays into barrios that supported Spanish political goals, and reorganized farming and land use according to their own economic needs. 

However, the languages and traditions of pre-Hispanic Filipinos did not disappear. The Spanish influences were layered over pre-existing traditions as an additive, creating a rich cultural synthesis. For example, many **Filipinos adopted Hispanisized names and the Catholic faith while still retaining family shrines in the home and lavish public festival celebrations. Rather than directly opposing the Spanish, Filipino culture integrated aspects of Spanish culture.  


*Barangays are the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward.

**Filipinos are people who are native to the Philippines or of Filipino descent. Filipino also refers to Tagolg, one of the languages of the Philippines. Philippines always refers to the country, never the people.


China has also shaped the culture of the Philippines since ancient times.  Starting in the 900s CE, trade with China had become more frequent, leading to increased access to Chinese goods as well as intermarriage between Chinese merchants and local Filipino women. 

After the Spainish arrived in 1521 the Philippines attracted even more immigrants from China, and maritime trade between Spain and China, brokered by Filipino middlemen, flourished during the Spanish period. The Philippines became the hub of the galleon trade that linked the new world with the old.

The Spanish also recruited thousands of Chinese migrant workers called *sangleys to build  colonial infrastructure in the islands. Many of those Chinese immigrants converted to Christianity, intermarried with the locals, adopted Hispanized names and customs, and became assimilated.


*Sangley was a term used in the Philippines to describe a person of mixed Chinese and Filipino ancestry.


American influence on the culture of the Philippines began with the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in April 1898, when the Philippines was still a colony of Spain. In June of that year Filipino revolutionary forces declared independence from Spain for the Philippines.

The war between Spain and the United States was ended by the Treaty of Paris in December of 1898. Spain relinquished all claim of sovereignty over the Philippines to the United States. Now the war was between Filipino revolutionary forces and the United States - the Philippine-American War (1899-1902). 

At the close of the Philippine-American War the United States' military remained in the Philippines up until the Japanese occupation of the islands in 1941. The United States' and Philippines' military forces were allies during WWII.

The United States formally recognized the independence of the Republic of the Philippines on July 4, 1946.  American music, movies and fashion still have a strong influence on Filipino popular culture and social institutions. 

Crossroads of History