TIME PERIOD

EVENT

BC – 1400 AD

Asian immigrants of Negroid and Malay descent settle into the islands

900 – 1300     

Trade relations established with China and India

1100 -1500

Islamic influences reach the islands and a sultanate established in Mindanao

More than two-third of the population is Christian, predominantly Roman Catholic. The country is the only predominantly Roman Catholic nation in Asia. Christian sects include the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan) and the "Iglesia ni Cristo". A number of main-line Protestant groups are visible in the country such as the Mormons, Adventists, and Anglicans. The rest belong to the Islamic faith of which communities are spread around the country but large concentrations could be found in the island of Mindanao.

1521

Ferdinand Magellan’s exploration reaches the Philippines

1543

Villalobos claims the Philippine islands for Spain and names it “Filipinas” in honor of Philip II

1559

Spain’s King Philip II orders the formation of a new fleet to establish control over the Philippine islands

1571

Conquistador Miguel Lopez de Lagazpi establishes the city of Manila

1574

Chinese pirate Limahong and his fleet of corsair invades Manila, the central Spanish foothold in the islands

1575

Spain takes over non-Islamic territories and monopolizes trade

1646

Dutch forces enter Manila Bay and challenges Spain’s hold over the Philippines

1762

As part of the Seven Year War in Europe, British Admiral Samuel Cornish leads an invading force and takes control over the islands for two years

1815

The Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade across the Pacific ends

1872

Rebels from Cavite province revolts against Spain

Spain's contribution to the Philippine development was the introduction of Roman Catholicism, making the country the largest Catholic country in Asia in terms of population.

1892

Filipinos established the KKK, a secret society committed to forcefully overthrow Spaniards

1896

Spain quells a growing armed revolt and executes nationalist Jose P. Rizal

1898

The Philippines declares independence with its first president Emilio Aguinaldo as the United States “purchased” the islands from Spain ending the Spanish-American War

1899

The Filipinos revolt against American colonial hold over the islands

1900

The U.S. quells the last Filipino resistance, establishes a commonwealth government & pledges to grant Philippine independence in 44 years.

1935

A new constitution is drafted and Manuel Quezon is installed as the first Commonwealth President

1941

On December, Japan bombs the Philippines and begins the invasion of the Philippines

1942

Pres. Franklin Roosevelt orders Gen. Douglas McArthur to withdraw to Australia and secure the safety of Commonwealth President Manuel Quezon. On April 9, Bataan province, the last bastion of Filipino-American resistance to the Japanese falls

1943

A puppet government is established with Jose P. Laurel as President and seeks American recognition of Philippine independence under Japanese influence

1944

With 650 naval vessels, Gen. Douglas McArthur returns to the Philippines via Leyte Province and liberates the islands from the Japanese

1945

The Philippines becomes one of the charter founder of the United Nations

America wanted to make the Philippines a showcase of its democratic structure after purchasing the islands from Spain. America also gave the Philippines the value of education.

1946

The Philippines officially becomes a republic with Manuel Roxas as its President

1947

Roxas dies of a heart attack and is pre-maturely replaced by Vice-President Elpidio Quirino

1950

The Philippines rebuilds its agriculture-based economy and becomes Asia’s second most prosperous nation after Japan

1953

Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay is elected President and initiates land reform and peace initiatives with peasant-run communist insurgency

1954

The Philippines signs-up as member of the Southeast East Asian Treaty Organization, a regional grouping opposing communist expansion in the region and the Laurel-Langley agreement opens the country’s economy to U.S. corporations

1957

Magsaysay mysteriously dies in a plane crash and is replaced by Carlos P. Garcia

1961

Diosdado P. Macapagal is elected President

1965

Ferdinand Marcos assumes the presidency defeating one-term Macapagal

1967

The Philippines joins the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) while a Muslim secessionist movement called Muslim National League is established.

1968

A revitalized Communist Party of the Philippines emerges with the formation of the New People’s Army

1969

Marcos gets re-elected amidst claims of massive election fraud

1970

Youth activism sweeps over the country and a period of political unrests fuels rumors of Marcos’ plans to perpetuate his hold in office

1972

The Philippines is placed under Martial Law, Marcos installs himself as dictator and abolishes Congress, introduces a new Constitution

1976

Civil war erupts in the island of Mindanao as Muslims demand to secede as Marcos officially begins his dictatorship by amending the Constitution, granting himself legislative powers

1977

Filipinos begin to display resistance against Marcos’ Martial Law regime and the so-called “New Society”

1981

Martial Law is lifted under a new Constitution and a newly re-elected Marcos amidst widespread election fraud

1983

Opposition leader Benigno Aquino is assassinated

1985

Civil disobedience and street protests rage through the nation calling for Marcos’ resignation and calls for snap elections

1986

Corazon C. Aquino, widow of Benigno Aquino is swept into the Presidency with a bloodless People Power revolution, supported by the military after Marcos allegedly cheated in elections

1987

A new Constitution is ratified and the first free election in two decades is held. A bi-cameral Congress is re-established and the start of a series of failed military coups begins

1989

Limited autonomy granted to Muslim controlled regions of Mindanao island as the last and the most bloodiest coup is staged against Aquino and fails

1990

Mount Pinatubo erupts and 20,000 families are rendered homeless

1991

U.S. military presence in the region ends when the Philippine Senate voted not to renew leases for Clark Airbase and Subic Naval Base

1992

Former military leader Fidel V. Ramos is elected as President as the last of the American forces leave the country. A new economic plan called Philippines 2000 is implemented

Under the administration of Fidel Ramos, peace was extensively pursued with the Moro National Liberation Front and all Islamic cessasionist forces. Billions of pesos worth of development fund was finally poured into Mindanao.

1994

A cease-fire is signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), partly ending decades of Muslim insurrection and the country emerges from decades of economic blight

1997

An Asian financial crisis halts the Philippine economic recovery

1998

The Philippines celebrates 100 years of declaring independence and movie actor Joseph Estrada is elected President, receiving the most number of votes in the nation’s history

1999

Muslim rebels turned into bandits as a wave of kidnappings and terrorist attacks against civilians and the government sweeps across Mindanao

2000

Joseph Estrada faces impeachment for allegedly receiving funds from illegal gambling, cronyism and pocketing bribes

2001

Vice-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is sworn in as President amidst a repeat of People Power Revolution. President Joseph Estrada is arrested and incarcerated, placed under trial for corruption.

2004

The Philippines undertakes its 3rd national election since 1986; Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gets elected as the country’s 14th President with Noli de Castro as her Vice-President. The population reaches 84 million.