Picture © sami deleon

The original people of the Philippines were  ancestors of the people known today as Negritos or Aeta. They are very small people with a dark skin and curly brown hair.

Picture: © University of Hohenheim

The Aeta came  13000 - 10000 years ago from the Asian continent. In earlier times they lived  widespread throughout the Philippines. Today they are living in the remote highland areas of Luzon, Palawan, Panay, Negros and Mindanao. About 2300 years ago Malayan people arrived from the mainland in the Philippines and brought  a more advanced culture; dairy,  iron melting and production of iron tools, pottery techniques and the system of sawah's (rice fields).

In the tenth century Muslim traders come from Kalimantan (Indonesia)  to the Philippines.  A few centuries later, the Islam  spread out in the southern part of the Philippines. Until now, the Islam is strong rooted on Mindanao and the other (smaller) islands of the southern part of the Philippines.

In 1521 the Spanish period started with the arrival of a small fleet in the coastal waters of Mactan island, just east of Cebu island. It was Fernao  de Magelhaes (Ferdinand Magellan), a Portuguese in service of the Spanish King. He claimed the country for the Spanish King. 

There was great resistance of the local people. In the battle that took place that day, the locals with their leader Lapu Lapu succeeded in forcing the Spaniards to retreat to their ships, after their leader, Magellan, was killed by the spears of the Lapu Lapu warriors. Lapu Lapu became the first Filipino hero.