Who Were The First Filipinos? A Closer Look (2024)

First Filipinos

When most people think of the first Filipinos, they think of the millions of people who immigrated to the Philippines between the 1950s and 1990s, fleeing poverty in their home countries.

However, this isn’t entirely accurate; the first Filipinos were not poor immigrants but ancient tribes that were native to the Philippines before European colonization.

These groups include Tagalogs, Visayans, Ilongots and Aetas, among others.

The First Filipinos

Until the end of the 19th century, it is unclear who were the first Filipinos. However, colonial rule and economic development in the late 19th century and early 20th century has led to a rise in immigration from other countries such as Hong Kong and Puerto Rico.

This movement from Hong Kong and Puerto Rico led to a surge in nationalism among those living on their own land. The Philippines Assembly was established by Filipino officials for this purpose, but there was still tension between different ethnicities even in the midst of the Spanish rule.

Spanish rule continued until the late 1800s when America seized control over many parts of the world, including Manila Bay.

American officials had not been able to establish themselves before Spanish officials until they finally defeated them in 1878.

They took over all government responsibilities and appointed Manuel L Quezon as Vice President of the Philippine Republic in line with the Philippine Legislature after America won back its territory during the Spanish-American War.

The Spanish colonization of the Philippines

Spain colonized the Philippines in 16th century. In 1898, the Philippine-American War was fought between the United States and Spain.

Way after the 16th century and the Philippine-American war, the United States annexed the Philippines and established colonial governments. That same year, the Philippine legislature was established with a president who had to be a citizen of America.

In 1935, Filipino leaders convened at Ateneo de Manila University Press to form a new national government.

When World War II started in 1941, Japan occupied the Philippines until 1945 when they were defeated by Allied Forces led by General Douglas MacArthur.

The Philippine Islands became an independent republic in 1946 with Manuel Roxas as its first president to rule within the Philippine Islands.

During his term from 1948 to 1953, President Roxas created major social reforms such as free public education for all levels, worker’s compensation for employees injured on the job or suffering from occupational diseases and universal healthcare access for every citizen.

He also instituted free legal assistance for indigent Filipinos and pushed for legislation that would abolish segregation based on race or creed in all educational institutions.

Filipinos under American rule

In 1898, the Philippines became a colony of the United States following the Spanish-American War. T

he Philippine president was appointed by the US to make sure that there was order in Manila Bay and around the country.

This was done in order to keep up with their reputation as being a civilized nation. There were also many major changes to Filipino culture under American rule including switching from Spanish as an official language to English, how money is spent and calculated, and how government officials are elected.

However, these changes did not take away Filipino traditions like the bahay kubo (homey hut), which became more common during this time period. Many Filipinos even learned to speak English well due to living among Americans and speaking it on a regular basis.

Independence and democracy in the Philippines

The Philippines is an East Asian country in the Pacific Ocean. The country gained its independence from the United States of America on July 4, 1946 after a peaceful transition.

This made the Philippines one of the first countries to be colonized by Europeans and was able to successfully gain independence without violence or warfare.

It is also considered one of the first democracies in Asia because there has been more democratic than the authoritarian rule since 1946.

The people of the Philippines are called Filipinos. Filipinos speak Tagalog and English as well as other languages. Know the language spoken in the Philippines.

The population is 95% Christian with only five percent being Muslim. Ninety-eight percent of the population lives in urban areas but about forty-four million Filipinos still live in rural areas.

There are thirteen regions, eighty provinces, and over three hundred seventy-two municipalities that make up this island nation.

Current state of the Filipino identity

As you know, the Philippines is a very diverse country. Filipinos are not just from one race or ethnicity; we have many different cultures and beliefs.

This is because of our history with Spain and America. Spain ruled the Philippines until 1898 when it was taken over by America after the Spanish-American War.

After this, Filipinos were introduced to Christianity for the first time and had their names changed to English versions, such as José becoming Joe.

This led to a mix of cultures in one country that has been working together ever since. When Filipino people immigrated to America during the 1970s, they were called Filipino Americans instead of simply Americans.

In 1976, a new constitution declared Filipinos Filipino citizens which marked an important change in how they identify themselves.

They also began taking pride in their heritage and culture more than before. The younger generation does not see being Filipino as something negative or shameful. Instead, it is something special that makes them unique among other nationalities.

There are now organizations like Kaya Natin where people can go to find resources on Filipino culture and traditions that may be helpful to them.

The most recent census shows there are approximately 15 million Filipinos living in the United States alone, so I think it’s safe to say there will be a lot more changes in how Filipinos see themselves going forward!