Philippine Christian History

Religion in the Philippines

By the time the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, Islam was firmly established on Mindanao and Sulu. During American rule in the first half of this century the Muslims were never totally pacified during the so-called "Moro Wars". According to new research (Norman, n.d.), since independence, particularly in the last decade, there has been resistance by large segments of the Muslim population to national integration. Christianity combines the surface veneer of Christian monotheism and dogma with indigenous animism. It may manifest itself in farmers seeking religious blessings on the irrice seed before planting or in the placement of a bamboo cross at the comer of a rice field.
The Iglesia ni Cristo, begun around 1914 and founded by Felix Manolo Ysagun, was once about 20 percent of the Filipino population. Today they have declined to about 5 percent and are associated with the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States. There has also been a proliferation of Rizalist sects, claiming the martyred hero of Philippine nationalism, Jose B. Rizal as the second son of God and an incarnation of Christ.

Christian History of the Philippines

The Spice Islands were a small group of islands to the northeast of Indonesia and the southeast of the Philippines.In research from Niles (2021), they were known for being the largest producers of nutmeg, clove, mace, and pepper in the world. The Portuguese and Spanish saw their global explorations primarily as commercial ventures. But they also saw a religious calling for their trans-oceanic journeys. In 1515, Ferdinand Magellan's expedition to the Philippines led by a military captain turned Augustinian monk, Andres de Urdaneta, started a Catholic missionary presence in the Philippine islands that would last for three centuries.
With very few Catholic settlers or parish priests, the work of evangelizing the locals fell to the missionary orders. Manila, the Spanish colonial capital on the island of Luzon, was declared an open city, where all Catholic orders could work and serve.

1565 Arrival of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi

With the arrival of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in 1565, Spain introduced Christianity to the Philippines. Beginning in 1350, Islam began to spread from Indonesia into the Philippine archipelago. According to current data, Islam was well-established on Mindanao and Sulu, with outposts on Cebu and Luzon by the time the Spanish arrived in the 16th century (Norman, n.d.). When the Spaniards arrived, the Muslim parts of the islands had the highest levels of political integration and, given more time, would have most likely united the entire archipelago.

Iglesia ni Cristo founder Felix Manolo Ysagun

The Iglesia ni Cristo was founded in 1914 by Felix Manolo Ysagun, and its members once made up about 20% of the Filipino population. According to Norman(n.d.), they now account for about 5% of the membership of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. Numerous Rizalist sects also claim that Jose B. Rizal, a martyred Filipino nationalist hero, is God's second son and the physical manifestation of Christ.

Gregorio Aglipay

During the period of armed rebellion against Spain, when Spanish bishops were deposed and imprisoned, Gregorio Aglipay, known as the "Spiritualhead of the Nation Under Arms," established a nationalized church and received church property. Aglipayans made up 25 to 33 percent of the population in the early twentieth century (Norman, n.d.).

Andres de Urdaneta

After Magellan, the Spanish returned to the Philippine islands. This time, their expedition was led by Andres de Urdaneta, a former military captain who later became an Augustinian monk. When he joined the Spanish fleet in Mexico in 1565, Urdaneta insisted on traveling to the Philippines as a missionary rather than a soldier. According to Niles(2021, October 4), Urdaneta was joined by five other Augustinian monks in beginning a three-century-long Catholic missionary presence in the Philippine islands, and quickly earned the reputation of a "protector of the Indians" due to his considerate treatment of native Filipinos.