Philippines

The **Province of the Philippines**, also known as the **Spanish East Indies** are a Spanish overseas province that comprises the Spanish territories in Southeast Asia and Oceania, located approximately 400 kilometers south of the Japanese island of Formosa.

Although nominally a part of the Province and the Captaincy General, the Sultanate of Sulu functions as a protectorate with control over its internal affairs.

## History

The Philippine Islands were first sighted by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, who claimed the islands for Spain and then was killed in the Battle of Mactan. In 1542 explorer Ruy López de Villalobos baptized the islands as "Felipenas" in honor of Philip II, then the Prince of Asturias. Effective colonization started in the year 1565, when Miguel López de Velázquez, after claiming the island of Guam for Spain, proceeded with the colonization of Cebu, Samar, Mazaua, Leyte, and Bohol, before conquering Manila.

Several Pacific islands were claimed by Spain during the 16th century, including the Caroline Islands by Toribio Alonso de Salazar in 1526, Palau by Ruy López de Villalobos in 1543, Bonin Islands by Bernardo de la Torre in 1543, New Guinea by Yñigo Ortiz de Retez in 1545, Solomon Islands by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa in 1568, New Hebrides by Pedro Fernandes de Queirós in 1606, and Marquesas Islands by Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira in 1595, although Spain did not make any serious attempt to establish permanent settlements in them until the 18th century. In 1574, the Captaincy General of the Philippines was created as a dependency of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. In 1584, the Real Audiencia of Manila was established by King Felipe II, who appointed as its President the same governor of the Captaincy General of the Philippines. The Captaincy General had its capital in Cebu from 1565 to 1595, and in Manila from 1595 until 1898.

As part of the extensive governmental reforms during the early Bourbon period throughout the overseas possessions, an Intendencia was established in Manila by Royal Decree of July 17, 1784 that handled issues regarding the government finances and to promote the economy. Ciriaco González Carbajal was appointed as Oidor of the Audiencia of Manila and was instructed to abide by the Royal Ordinance of Mayors of 1782, that had been enacted in Rio de la Plata. Carbajal proposed the establishment of more Intendencias in Ilocos, Camarines, Iloilo and Cebu, and although they were created on November 24, 1786, they were later abolished by the Royal Decree of November 20, 1787. A month earlier, on October 23, the Intendencia of Manila had been attached to the Captaincy General of the Philippines. Until 1819, all General Captains were civilians, but after that year they were always chosen among the military. Throughout the second half of the 19th century, there were established many dependent local government offices and military settlements, very numerous due to a large number of islands and the extent of the districts.

Throughout the 1800's, the ideas of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution circumvented the globe, and the Philippines was not to be an exception. In 1819, with the independence of Mexico, the Viceroyalty of New Spain ceased to exist and the government of the islands was transferred to the authority in Madrid. During Xavier I's reign, a series of Spanish captain-generals in the Philippines carried out a series of military campaigns that ended with the subjugation of most of the archipelago under Spanish rule, ending the Muslim sultanates in the South, with the notable exception of the Sultanate of Sulu, which after a brief war and submitting to a protectorate status, collaborated with Spanish forces in the conquest of Lanao and Maguindanao. In 1879 the Protocol of Batavia was signed, dividing the island of Borneo between the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. During the period of instability following the abdication of King Alfonso XII, a criollo-led mutiny in Cavite succeeded in taking over Cavite and parts of Luzon and Mindanao, proclaiming the Republic of Maharlika. However, Spanish forces gained the upper hand in the following years, and by 1903 had pacified the archipelago. In 1882 a diplomatic crisis with the United Kingdom ensued after Spanish troops took possession of the Caroline Islands and captured British missionaries in the area. This was solved by the signing and ratification of the Anglo-Spanish Treaty, by which Spain kept the right over the Palau, Caroline, and Pintado Islands in exchange of allowing for the British to establish two coal supply bases by archipelago. In 1895 Isabel II, supported by a great deal of Philippine ilustrados and after approval from the Spanish Cortes, promulgated a decree by which the Province of the Philippines was established, separating the Captaincy General from the administrative role of the archipelago and limiting it to military affairs..