When Magellan Discovered the Philippines

ON Sat urday 16 March 1521, Ferdinand Magellan w as sailing w est w ard looking for t he Moluccas or Spice Islands w hen he sight ed an island t hat had very loft y m ount ains

He and his fleet have just left the islands of Canoyas, which was later called the Ladrones, named after the thievish propensities of its inhabitants (It is now known as the Marianas Islands)

Soon after, they learned that the mountainous island was called Zamal which is the present-day Samar Island, a distant three hundred leagues from the islands of the Ladrones On the following day, the sea-worn expedition, landed on a little uninhabited island south of Samar, which Antonio Pigafetta (Magellan?s chronicler) called Humunu, and is known today as

Homonhon, a barangay in Guiuan, Eastern Samar

On 17 March while still anchored, they were visited by several canoes or praus carrying the principal chiefs of Suluan named Inaroyan, Limbas, Bucad, Layong, Calipay, Badiao Cabuling and the Datu Garas-Garas Suluan is an island about 20 kilometres off to the east from Homonhon facing the Pacific Ocean

These men came aboard, and Magellan explained to them through an interpreter, that the King of Spain had sent them not to do any damage, but to spread the Faith of Christ and convert them to the True Religion As they were so well received, they called Homonhon "Nueva Providencia"

The next day was stormy and nothing was done until March 19 when most the Spaniards disembarked, leaving only enough men to guard the vessels Mass was celebrated and after the ceremony a tall cross was raised near the shore Datu Garas-Garas, Iranoyan, and the others then entered into a treaty of friendship with Don Fernando de Magallanes (Ferdinand Magellan), representing His Majesty, which was drawn up by Leon de Espeleta, Secretary and Notary of the expedition

Antonio Pigafetta said that they stayed on the island of Homonhon for eight days but had great difficulty in securing food The natives brought them a few coconuts and oranges, palm wine, and a chicken or two, but this was all that could be spared, so on the 25th, the Spaniards sailed again, and near the south end of Leyte landed on the little island of Limasaua Here, there was a village, where they met two chieftains, whom Pigafetta calls "Kings", and whose names were Raja Calambú and Raja Ciagu These two chieftains were visiting Limasaua and had their residences, one at Butúan and one at Cagayan, on the island of Mindanao

On the island of Limasaua, the natives had dogs, cats, hogs, goats and fowls They were cultivating rice, maize, breadfruit, and had coconuts, oranges, bananas, citron, and ginger Pigafetta tells how he visited one of the chieftains at his home on the shore The house was built raised on posts and thatched Pigafetta thought it looked "like a haystack"

It had been the day of San Lazarus when the

Spaniards first reached these islands so that Magellan gave the group the name of the Archipelago of Saint Lazarus, the name under which the Philippines were frequently described in the early writings, although another title, Islasdel Poniente or Islands of the West, was more common up to the time when the title Filipinas became fixed Magellan?s people were getting desperately in need of food and the population on Limasaua had very inadequate supplies; consequently, the natives directed him to the island of Cebu, and provided him with guides

Leaving Limasaua, the fleet sailed for Cebu, passing several large islands, among them Bohol and reaching Cebu harbour on Sunday, 7 April A junk from Siam was anchored at Cebu when Magellan?s ships arrived there; and this, together with the knowledge that the Filipinos showed the surrounding countries, including China on the one side and the Moluccas on the other is evidence of the extensive trade relations at the time of the discovery

Cebu was a large town and it was reported that more than two thousand warriors with their lances appeared to resist the landing of the Spaniards but assurances of friendliness finally won over the Cebuanos, and Magellan formed a compact with the Datu of Cebu, whose name was Hamalbar, identified in Philippine history today as Rajah Humabon

Source: The Kahim yang Project Phot o Cred t s: Manila Bullet in