How do Filipinos practice and value their Catholic faith from the Spanish Era to the present time?
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How do Filipinos practice and value their Catholic faith from the Spanish Era to the present time?
How do Filipinos practice and value their Catholic faith from the Spanish Era to the present time?
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Answer:
Prior to the arrival of Catholic missionaries and explorers from Spain, Islam had been introduced in the Philippines in the late 14th century through trade with merchants from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Middle East. It was only later in the 16th century that the voyages of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) first brought Catholicism to the archipelago, originally named St. Lazarus’ Islands by Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos (1500? – 1544), but later changed to the present name in honor of Philip II of Spain who reigned from 1556-1598. Commissioned by King of Spain, Magellan arrived on Homonhon Island on March 17, 1521, claiming lands in the name of Spain after months navigating through what is now known as the Strait of Magellan at the southern part of Chile and Argentina. At Homonhon, Magellan and his crew made first contact with the inhabitants who offered the foreign visitors provisions to help them regain their strength. This seemed to replenish their desire to push westward to the original destination of their Homeric voyage to the Spice Islands, an Indonesian archipelago in the Banda Sea where cloves, nutmeg, and cloves originated.