Felipe Segundo
(Philip II)
King of Spain

• Following the discovery of the islands for Spain by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, the archipelago was made a colony of Spain.

• The islands became known as the Philippines, named after the King of Spain, Felipe II (Philip II).

• The Spaniards were able to conquer the archipelago with little bloodshed due to the absence of centralized authority and very low population that was scattered all over the 7,000 islands

• Spanish rule was principally based in Manila, which became the center of the Galleon trade between Mexico and the Philippines.

• Manila became the transshipment port for trade between Mexico and China:  the Chinese sent silks to Manila in exchange for Mexican silvers.

• The Spaniards based in Manila were the middle men in the Galleon trade.

• In the 19th century, agricultural exports of the Philippines grew, which were made of up sugar, rice, hemp, indigo, bananas, coconuts and pineapple.