The Discovery of the Philippines by Ferdinand Magellan

Today's Blog, is a little bit of history about the Philippines-The Country of My Birth. This was taken from the book of H. Butterworth on the Story of Magellan and Discovery of the Philippines. If you are not a history enthusiast, please do not continue, but if you want to be inform a little bit of Philippine History, please go on.....The video about the Philippines is also worth your time.

" Of the five ships and 270 men that set sail from Spain in September 1519 on a mission to circumnavigate the globe, only one ship and 18 hungry and disheveled men managed to return. On September 6, 1522, one thousand eighty-two days after their departure, the Spanish captain Juan Sebastián de Elcano guided his ship, the Victoria, back to port, completing an exhausting and dangerous journey. It was, in the words of historian Laurence Bergreen, "the greatest maritime journey ever undertaken and the most significant." But the man who conceived the expedition, Ferdinand Magellan, did not live to see its conclusion. He was killed in the Philippines in 1521 at the age of 40.

In 1519, while much of Europe was entangled in religious conflicts arising from the Protestant Reformation, Spain and Portugal were the dominant powers on the continent, competing to extend their influence and authority worldwide amid the Age of Discovery. Magellan, a Portuguese nobleman (born Fernão de Magalhães), was already an experienced navigator and explorer when he offered his services to the Spanish King Charles V, proposing to establish Spanish trade routes to Asia by approaching from the east, instead of through the Indian Ocean.

Magellan's plan was to travel to "the Indies" (Indonesia and India) by first navigating around the "New World" (as the Americas were then called). This had never been done before, and most sailors of the time considered it impossible.

Magellan first crossed the Atlantic and sailed along the coast of South America. While waiting for better weather in what is now Argentina, he had to quell a mutiny. One of his ships was wrecked, and another turned back to Spain. It was an inauspicious start to the expedition.

Magellan managed to find a passage around the treacherous southern tip of South America (which became known as the "Strait of Magellan") and entered a relatively calm ocean that he called the "Pacific Ocean." He expected the crossing of what we now call the Pacific Ocean to take about four days. Instead, it took almost four months. As their food spoiled and the water supply began to dwindle, the men started to starve, and around 30 of them died of scurvy before reaching land. They made a brief stop in Guam but had to leave after the natives took a boat and other supplies from Magellan's ships, leading him to order a brutal retaliation (diplomacy was not Magellan's strong suit).

In March 1521, Magellan's expedition arrived in the Philippines. There, he recklessly involved himself in a rivalry between two chieftains, Humabon on the island of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu on the island of Mactan. Humabon and his followers readily converted to Christianity and allied with Magellan. But on April 26, a messenger from a Mactan chieftain named Zula told Magellan that Lapu-Lapu refused to obey the Spanish king. Magellan and a group of his men, with the support and encouragement of Humabon, set out for Mactan intending to subdue Lapu-Lapu. It was a fatal mistake.

Magellan was confident that with their armor, muskets, and spears, he and his men could easily defeat Lapu-Lapu and his followers, who were armed with bows, arrows, and bamboo spears. When his ship arrived at the island, he sent a demand that Lapu-Lapu and his people swear allegiance to Humabon, pay tribute, obey the Spanish king, and convert to Christianity. Lapu-Lapu and his people flatly refused and prepared for battle.

On April 27, 1521, Magellan and his group landed on Mactan and faced fierce resistance from the local warriors. Despite their technological superiority, the Spaniards were outnumbered and ambushed. During the confrontation, Magellan was wounded in the arm with a spear and then struck in the leg by an arrow. Disabled by his wounds, he was surrounded by the warriors and ultimately killed on the beach.

Magellan's death was a significant blow to the expedition, but his men did not give up. Led by Juan Sebastián de Elcano, they continued the journey and eventually completed the first circumnavigation of the world. On September 6, 1522, the Victoria returned to Spain with its crew, decimated but triumphant.

Despite its tragic end, Magellan's voyage remains one of the most important milestones in the history of maritime exploration. His expedition proved that it was possible to sail around the world and opened new trade routes that would have a lasting impact on global trade and geopolitics. Although Magellan did not live to see the success of his enterprise, his legacy endures, through Juan Sebastián de Elcano, as one of history's great navigators and explorers".

Credits: Miriam Baños

Here's a short video about the Philippines:

💚https://fb.watch/uygEIT5PCi/

The Philippines is one of the most mineral-rich countries in the world, ranking fifth for deposits of gold, nickel, copper, and chromite. This wealth of resources is largely due to the country's volcanic activity, which has resulted in rich mineral deposits. Although the Philippines has substantial copper-gold deposits, it does not hold the title for the largest copper deposit or the second-largest gold deposit globally. Regions like Zambales are particularly noted for their rich mineral resources. The mining industry plays a vital role in the country's economy, emphasizing the importance of responsible and sustainable mining practices.