2 FEBRUARY

Ruy Lopez de Villalobos

1543 - Explorer-for-the-Spanish-crown Ruy Lopez de Villalobos reaches Baganga Bay, Davao Oriental in the island of Mindanao, Philippine archipelago, and names it Cesarea Caroli in honor of King Charles I; Villalobos' expedition was the fourth Spanish colonization attempt of the Pacific region after the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan who was slain by the chieftain of the Mactan, Lapu-Lapu; Villalobos left Mexico in November the previous year, commanding a fleet of six ships and approximately 400 men with royal instructions to avoid the Spice Islands (islands in present-day Indonesia) en route to the Philippines, which was then called Islas del Poniente (the Sunset Islands); Villalobos, who would be met by hostility by the natives, would sail further south, and remain between Mindanao and Celebes for a year before famine and illness force them to seek refuge in Moluccas and surrender to the Portuguese on April 24, 1544. 

Filipino patriot, Col. Luciano S. San Miguel confers with imperialists

1899 - Imperialist United States Gen. Arthur MacArthur ridiculously protests the  presence of Filipino soldiers under Col. Luciano S. San Miguel within the  American line in Luzon, Philippines islands; the protest comes amidst the growing tension between the Filipino and Bald Eagle forces two days after the last meeting between the two sides failed to materialize and two days before the bloody and protracted Philippine-American War erupts (1899-1914) upon vile orchestration by U.S. William McKinley; earlier, Filipino revolutionary leader Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo stupidly trusted the Americans as ally against colonial Spain and allowed the Americans to freely enter the archipelago, allowing the enemy forces to position themselves for the impending invasion.


Photo credits:

http://umwblogs.org/wiki/index.php/Philippines_1850-1990
http://www.yonip.com/archives/history/Colonel%20Luciano%20San%20Miguel%20with%20Colonel%20John%20Stotsenberg%20189.jpg