BRIEF historical highlights on Independence Day in various countries of the world indicate interesting experiences in different nations. Particularly for Filipino researchers, much information is gathered in various Asian Countries which have been visited by world explorers, gained particularly by Spanish colonial travels mostly in Asia. This is where Filipinos have experienced visits from worldwide explorers from various European countries.
For the Philippines, these historic experiences of visits from European explorers are widely described. In particular, the most notable travels in the ancient Philippine Archipelago by Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer working for Spain, led the first expedition bringing his crew and a fleet of five ships. He wanted to expand Spanish territory and spread Christianity. He explored areas in Asia, and the Philippine Archipelago had become a notable exploration area, especially by Spanish and Portuguese travelers.
Interestingly, Magellan traveled in the name of Spain and incidentally to Catholic Churches in Europe. Apart from Magellan who was the head of the Spanish explorers, other Spanish travelers visited various Philippines and other Asian areas especially in March 1521.
They erected a cross at the Isla Lazaro and claimed it for Spain and later named it Filipinas (Philippines) in honor of King Philip of Spain. This date was highly historic for ancient Spain and the Philippine Archipelago as well. Notable celebratory visits were held by Magellan and Catholic Missionaries. Unfortunately however, the historicity of the early Spanish visits in the Philippines was tragic with the battles of Mactan where Magellan was killed by poisoned arrows led by a native chieftain, Lapu-Lapu. The battle was considered the first Filipino resistance against foreign invaders. Nevertheless, the Spanish explorers continued with their travels in the Ancient Philippine areas which were visited for more than 300 years by Europeans.
The succeeding three centuries in ancient Philippines experienced visits from European countries with Spain leading the explorations. On the later part of the Spanish visits, many Filipinos were educated in Spanish schools, including many notable Filipinos who were schooled in Spain and Europe.
One of the most memorable of these Filipinos was Jose Protacio Rizal, whose historic books, "Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo" and other writings against the abuses of the Spanish visitors. He was a Filipino writer, activist, doctor and political martyr His death for the crime of rebellion was the turning point for the country he strove to defend. Notably, the western ideas of Rizal were used by other Filipino revolutionaries like Mabini, Bonifacio and other patriots.
At the tail end of the Spanish three centuries colonization of the Philippines saw the historic arrivals of the American explorers in the Philippines and their colonial forces from 1898 to the Japanese occupation in 1941. The many western ideas of the arrival of the American colonizers eventually led to the introduction of various American traditions, including the now famous "Independence Day Celebration" led by the US Colonial Forces.
Historically, Japan and Germany also made attempts to establish colonies in the Philippines. The tradition of independence introduced by the US in the Philippines grew roots in many other countries and interestingly, the American traditions were established in the Philippines and have grown in the former American Colony. The brief colonial occupation of the United States established historic concepts such as Independence Day and related democratic traditions in the Philippines. For Negrenses, the historic Cinco de Noviembre Independence Day is another important event that happened in the history of Negros.