The Anglo Filipino Relations

I woke up this morning feeling positive and energised - so here is the outcome. I researched and wrote this article in 2001 while I was volunteering!

The Anglo-Filipino alliance dated back during the Spanish conquest and settlement in the third quarter of the 16th century. The four hundred years of Spanish administration fuelled considerable number of revolutions, which resulted to the proclamation of the Philippine Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. Meanwhile, the four centuries of Anglo-Filipino relations dated back from 1577 and at present Filipinos are making considerable contributions in British society. The following are the main historical events, which highlight the Anglo-Filipino relationship.

1577 Sir Francis Drake sailed from England to the western coast of South America despoiling Spanish shipping from Valparaiso to Panama. He sailed across the Pacific and touched the coast of Mindanao and eventually explored the southern part of the archipelago.

1587 Another explorer which followed Drake was Thomas Cavendish. His interest was mainly the coast of South America primarily due to its growing trade industry. The Spanish Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade was the origin of the global maritime industry. Cavendish and his men successfully apprehended 'Santa Ana' and 'Nuestra Senora de Cavadonga which were the Galleons who traded off the coast of Samar. In addition to this, the region of Iloilo was later on invaded due to its growing galleon trades. After the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, both English and Dutch explorers controlled the oceans and preyed on the Spanish Galleons who transported goods from Asia to Europe via Manila.

1762 English admiral Cornish and General Draper together with 5,000 British and Indian soldiers conquered the walled city of Manila and successfully gained authority. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris gave way to the Spanish settlement in the Philippines after paying $4,000,000.00 to the English. The 19th century was the marking point whereby England became the Philippine's biggest trading partner outside Spain.

Spanish - Filipinos

1808 The first trading house was established in the city of Manila. Spain, which ruled the Philippines through Mexico, administered and traded directly with the country after Mexico proclaimed independence in 1820. In 1837 the port of Manila was officially opened for foreign trade and was later on followed by Pangasinan, Iloilo and Zamboanga in 1855 and Cebu in 1863. John Foreman, an English chronicler, stated that by 1858 there were fifteen establishments whereby seven belonged to the English, three were from the Americans, and the rest were from other foreign nationals.

1841 English adventurer James Brookes sailed to the coast of Borneo. After several violent encounters, the sultan of was forced to surrender the Island of Sarawak. He was later on given the title as the White Rajah of Sarawak. Bookes visited Zamboanga which resulted to a treaty with the sultan of Sulu. His ambition was to gain power over the Dutch possession of the South and the Spanish possession of the North, which included Sulu and Mindanao. In 1887, North Borneo was ceded to the English. Meanwhile, East India and the province of Sabah, owned by the Sultan of Sulu, were leased to the same group by the Sultan.

1850 Robert McMicking, another British chronicler, stated that The import trade of Manila was almost entirely in the hands of the British merchants which were established in the city. Record shows that British exports to the Philippines ranged from long-cloths, drills, cambric, printed and white twills, lace, cotton velvet, sewing thread, chintz, ginghams, iron, lead, canvas, spelter, steel, cutlery, ironmonger, glassware and Indian beer. Britain was the biggest importer of Philippine goods followed by continental Europe. Top of the import list included sugar, sapan wood, hemp, cigars, hide, tortoise shell, indigo, coffee, pearl, ebony, and cordage.

1857 Hong Kong based correspondent, CW Andrews visited the Philippines and published accounts of life in Manila during this period. He travelled along the provinces of Luzon and illustrated scenes of the Filipino's daily life.

1869 Fr Faustino Villafranca was the first Filipino to write about his experiences while travelling in Europe. He later on wrote a book entitled 'Desde Manila a Europa' which included famous sights he visited while he was in London. His London experience was during the Industrial Age and included the Thames Tunnel, the London Underground, and Crystal Palace - which was moved from it's original site in Hyde Park to South London.

1880 The first cable linking Manila with the rest of the world via Hong Kong was laid by Eastern Extension Australasia and China Telegraphic company Ltd. The company was later on renamed Cable and Wireless but had undergone privatisation in the 1980's and finally renamed Mercury Telecommunications.

1886 Juan Luna, who emerged to be the Philippines' most famous artist visited Britain during this period. His portfolio included sketches of Brighton particularly its famous beach, English facial types, scenes from Richmond and Kew, figures from Parthenon friezes and Egyptian statuary in the British Museum.

1887 Jose Rizal, the Philippine National Hero, visited the British Museum Library while working on his research. He stayed in Primrose Hill where a commemorative blue plaque is now in place. 1887 was the period where Msssrs Het, Mayler and Co (London) was contracted by Manila Railway Company to build the railway system for the country. The rails, locomotives, coaches, wagons, and ironwork for bridges were all from England.

1898 James Earle Stevens, a Manila representative for the American firm Henry Peabody & Co (Boston and New York) in 1894 wrote in his book (Yesterdays In The Philippines) the following lines:

'In one of my shopping expeditions for photographic materials, I was introduced to the Botica Ingles or EnglishChemist's shop, which seems to be the largest variety store in town. Here it is possible to buy anything from a glass of soda to a full fledge lawnmower, items also ranged from toothbrushes to photographic cameras'.

1964 Davis Medalla and Paul Keeler set up Signals, which became one of the biggest venues of modern and contemporary art in London. Medalla introduced Takis, Jesus Rafael Soto, Vasarely and other contemporary artists and experimenters to London audiences. Signals became a lively forum of artistic political and social ideas. In addition, articles by Dore Ashton, Lewis Mumford, Pablo Neruda, the crystallographer JD Bernal and the Philosopher-Physicist Heisenberg were published in the journal.

1989 Theatre impresario and producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh imported Filipino artists to perform in the now legendary musical Miss Saigon-which opened up the West End theatres and other theatres within Europe to talented Filipino performers.

Today Britain is the Philippines' fourth largest trading partner after the US and Japan, and remains the biggest among the European countries. By 1987 several British corporations established sites in Manila. Among these companies are Unilever, Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ), Glaxo Wellcome, Beecham, Sun Alliance, Standard Chartered Bank, Shell, Allied Thread, Boots, and Cable and Wireless. These companies make up for thousands of Filipino employment.

Large scale immigration to Britain started in the 1970s when skilled and semi-skilled labour force was recruited from the Philippines. Areas of recruitment included hotels, restaurants, private residences, and hospitals. The recent recruitment of Filipino nurses to assist the National Health Service increased the number of Filipino migrant workers in Britain. There are now around 100,000 Filipinos in the UK with a possible further increase due to the increasing number of second and third generation Filipinos. The majority of this statistics are concentrated in the multicultural city of London.

Some Filipino immigrants have successfully established themselves in businesses such as shipping, travel, remittances, and food stores. Others particularly the second generation British Filipinos have entered the entertainment industry and are gradually making their own name.

There are many Filipino social organisations that hold public activities for the Filipino community. In addition, the community in Britain is constantly on an increase due to the growing number of second and third generation British Filipinos who are growing exclusively for Britain. The rest of the community comprises of Filipino post graduates and undergraduate students who are currently studying in British universities around the country.