The Philippines Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow
1870-1898 Spanish Period Rifles Rifled barrels increased the accuracy of guns, which meant soldiers could accurately shoot up to 500-600 yards (more or less 500 meters). Massed infantry formations gave way to firing lines with less concentration of men. In the Philippines, during the late Spanish period, Spanish forces were equipped mainly with these weapons. … Read more
Philippines 1700s Flintlock Muskets Firearms continued to develop during the 1700s, an age defined by the global clash between Spain, France, and Great Britain, as well as revolutions. One such innovation was the use of flint to create the spark to ignite the powder in the pan, removing the match. Thus emerged the flintlock weapons, … Read more
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