19 November, 1595
TODAY IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
King Philip II declares through a royal cedula that Manila is the capital of the Philippine archipelago, several decades after colonial Spanish settlements began to be built in the Southeast Asian islands. The Philippine islands were first “discovered” by Spain through the 1521 expedition of explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who would be killed by Lapu-Lapu (early Filipino patriot and Mactan island chieftain).
Philip II ordered other expeditions–in 1542 under Ruy Lopez de Villalobos and in 1559 as the king became convinced that the Philippine Islands are part of the Spanish zone and not of Portugal under the Treaty of Tordesillas’ demarcation.
(Ref: Philippine Islands-Lemuria; Photo from bit.ly/2ejUNOK)
