On March 16, 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan "discovered" the Philippine archipelago while seeking the famed Spice Islands for Spain.
Or so we've all been taught in our textbooks for years.
However, some sectors, in an effort to "decolonize" Philippine history, are now challenging the accepted version of events that ultimately led to the Spanish colonization of the country.
The Eastern Samar provincial government, for instance, wants to focus not on Magellan but on the native Filipinos who graciously received the strangers from across the ocean who set foot on their soil more than 500 years ago.
Residents of Eastern Samar, particularly those of Suluan Island in Guiuan, commemorate the landing as a show of compassion by locals to a group of ailing strangers.
When Magellan’s fleet, weakened by a grueling four-month voyage across the Pacific Ocean, landed on the uninhabited shores of Homonhon Island, the Suluanon responded with aid, not battle. They found men on the brink of death, suffering from scurvy and exhaustion.
To honor this act of our ancestors’ generosity, the Eastern Samar provincial government, in partnership with Guiuan, held the 504th Anniversary of the First Circumnavigation of the World with wreath-laying ceremonies on Suluan Island March 16 and Homonhon Island March 17.
“The significance of the occasion should not be overlooked for it is when the Filipinos first showed hospitality to foreigners,” said Eastern Visayas Philippine Councilors League President Board Member Ralph Vincent “RV” Evardone, who led the ceremonies.
“In the succeeding events after Magellan, our ancestors also displayed their strength when the Spanish people overstepped and showed oppression, our people showed heroism to achieve the peace that we are currently enjoying.”
Evardone emphasized the importance of remembering the Suluan ancestors’ compassion, a legacy passed down through generations.
The celebration included a community feast, with residents sharing food with visitors, mirroring the hospitality shown to Magellan’s crew, who stayed on Homonhon for eight days to recover.
Jhonny Lopez, 69, a Homonhon Island resident, has attended the annual commemoration with his family for years.
“I am proud because there are many islands, but he landed here with us in Homonhon,” he said. “And I always attend to hear Mass and give thanks to the Lord for all the blessings.”
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