Thread by @jesusvalbuena

Since 2003, Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day is celebrated every year in Baler 🇪🇸🇵🇭 This time has a special meaning, as it marks five centuries of shared #memories between Spain and the ‘Pearl of the Orient’. New post on baleria.com: baleria.com/wordpress/en/j… [THREAD]

On March 2021, 500 years have gone by since the Spanish expedition, led by Ferdinand Magellan, arrived in the archipelago of the current Philippines, after 17 months of sailing into the unknown in search of a new route to the Spice Islands (Malaku or the Moluccas) (2/11)

That first meeting between the East and the West in Suluan and Homonhon was very cordial. Pigafetta described it as “... to celebrate a ceremony of our worship. The King [of Samar] approved everything and sent us two recently slaughtered pigs”. It was Easter Sunday (3/11) 🙏

This adventure of the 'First of the Philippines', culminated by Juan Sebastián Elcano with the first circumnavigation, demonstrated the sphericity of the Earth and drew a new world map @Ruta_Elcano en.rutaelcano.com/la-primera-vue…🗺️🌊 (4/11)

Spanish rule over the Philippine archipelago ─whose name originates from King Philip II─ ended almost 4 centuries later, when the United States shattered the desire for Philippine independence and occupied colonial power in 1898 @alt_historian @Noahpinion (5/11) 🇵🇭🇺🇸🇪🇸

Blinded by hunger, disease and threats, 3 Spanish officers, 50 soldiers, a medical lieutenant and an assistant locked themselves in the remote church of Baler, refusing to believe that the twilight of the Empire on which the sun never set had taken place in a few weeks (6/11)

Having overcome their agonizing adventure for 337 days of confinement in subhuman conditions ─19 soldiers died inside the church─, the 35 starving survivors finally laid down their arms on June 2, 1899. Manila had capitulated 10 months before (7/11)

It was Aguinaldo, the Philippine leader himself, who defined their feat in a safe-conduct with no precedent in military historiography. The Spaniards were not prisoners but friends, because of the determination and heroism worthy of the legendary valor of El Cid and Pelayo (8/11)

"We commemorate that what began with death, war and fatality ended in friendship and mutual respect. It is better that, as a nation, we remember that almost four centuries of Spanish rule concluded with reconciliation, friendship, compassion and camaraderie” @sonnyangara (9/11)

The legacy of the heroes of Baler, known as Últimos de Filipinas, contains a universal code of honor, based on imperishable values such as empathy, sense of duty, attachment to life, magnanimity, gratitude, dignity in defeat and humility in victory baleria.com/wordpress/en/1… (10/11)

Both countries look into the future on the basis of this background, with its lights & shadows, like all #History worthy of being prolonged for centuries. The documentary 'The Last of the Philippines. Return to Baler' is dedicated to that purpose 🇪🇸🇵🇭vimeo.com/ondemand/thela… [END]