16/03/2024
Since today, March 16, 2024, marks 503 years since the Europeans landed in the archipelago, here's a thought: What if Magellan hadn't arrived in the Philippines?
𝘽𝙮: 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙇𝙪𝙚𝙞 𝘿𝙚𝙡𝙖 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙯
March 16, 2024, marks the 503rd anniversary of the European discovery of the archipelago. It was led by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. Alongside his crew, Magellan earned the title of the first person to prove that the earth is round. Although Magellan lost his life in the battle of Mactan, European interests continued to grow in the country with the return of Juan Sebastián Elcano, sparking the settlement of the Spanish empire.
June 12, 1898, is an important date for Filipinos as they embraced their independence from their long-time colonizers. But before we delve into theoretical questions, let’s first recap what the Spanish empire brought to us. One of the significant contributions of the empire is the introduction of Christianity to the country. The Philippines is among the top five countries with the most Christian believers in the world, comprising approximately 2.3% of the world’s population. This has led to various religious celebrations, with the Sinulog Festival in Cebu being one of the most prominent. Additionally, language played a vital role in the community’s development, with Spanish words widely integrated into the Filipino vocabulary, still used to this day. The Spanish also introduced the Latin alphabet, which led to the rejection of various indigenous scripts. Governance and administration were opened to the people, including the encomienda, a Spanish labor system, and later the hacienda systems, which altered land ownership and social structure.
With their impressive prowess in both architectural and infrastructural designs, some of their crafts remain even to this day, including forts and government buildings. They also constructed bridges, roads, and crucial infrastructure aimed at community development. The Spanish also provided education to native mestizos and native Filipinos to promote Catholicism in the country. They established primary schools and universities; however, access to education at that time was limited to the elites. These are some of the pros of Spanish colonization, but what if Magellan hadn’t discovered the Philippines?
Although it may sound appealing to us Filipinos, it wouldn't have been easy, as it could have brought numerous implications, leading to a completely different outcome than what we see today. Firstly, if Magellan hadn’t discovered the archipelago, it would have taken the Spanish empire longer to successfully reach Southeast Asia. Secondly, there would have been more diverse cultural influences in the archipelago, as it may have been discovered by neighboring countries such as China, India, or other Southeast Asian empires at that time. Provincial rulers might have retained their autonomy in the region, exercising total control over the production of goods and resources, resulting in a more diverse tribal landscape in the archipelago. Religious diversity might have been more pronounced, with animist beliefs, worshipping nature, remaining prevalent among the people, and the modern identity may have been different. Without foreign influences, natives would have likely maintained their natural features rooted in indigenous heritage.
The absence of Spanish colonization in the archipelago would have altered Philippine history significantly, affecting socio-economic development, political governance, and cultural identity. Additionally, rulers would have faced challenges without the innovative ideas brought by colonization to improve their autonomy in the land. Moreover, the notion that we could have lived freely without colonizers may not hold true, as the Philippines could have been conquered by other European empires such as the Dutch, British, or Portuguese, who were actively engaged in maritime exploration during that time.
The result is unpredictable, and both good and bad outcomes could have arisen. However, what is important now is that the Spanish empire was once part of Philippine history, and any positive changes it may have brought must be valued and preserved. When Magellan’s voyage remained incomplete due to his death in the Philippines, the country contributed to the advancement of global exploration and helped us gain a better understanding of the Earth’s geographic features.
