The Philippines Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow
Philippines 1600s Pike and Shot Weapons Pike and Shot tactics defined the battlefield tactics of the late 1500s and early half of the 1600s. This tactic combined pikemen with units carrying firearms. Since smoothbore firearms were inaccurate at long distances, massed infantry with guns firing at the same time increased the chance of hitting targets. … Read more
Philippines Late 1500s Bladed Weapons Warfare during the late 1500s saw the continued development and use of early firearms. However, armies still relied on bladed weapons such as swords and polearms. This was because early firearms were hard to reload, and melee weapons were more reliable during clashes. Swords were prevalent in Manila during the … Read more
Philippines Precolonial Native Canons Manila was witness to the evolution of warfare and the weapons of war in its more than 500 years of existence. Here are some examples of weapons from each important time period in Manila’s history prior to the Second World War. Special thanks to Sir Alexandre Avila of … Read more
FLORES DE MAYO. Let’s fill our flower baskets with gumamela (Hibiscus rosa-sinenses). Called tapulanga in Panay, this flower is a favorite floral offering every Flores de Mayo. Gumamela is a stunning display in most Filipino gardens. It is uncertain where the gumamela originated. However, it was believed that it came from East Africa as it … Read more
The Dutch Invasions of the Philippines 1600s During the first half of the 1600s, the Philippines became a battleground as Spain and the Dutch Republic (having declared independence from Spain), fought for control of the East Indies. Most of the battles were fought on the high seas, making it one of the most active periods … Read more