В 1521 году португальский мореплаватель Фернан Магеллан достиг Филиппинских островов

The navigation across the Pacific Ocean proved to be hard for Magellan. The reason did not lay in storms, as the expedition was lucky to avoid them. It is for that very fact that the navigator called the ocean Pacific. Other troubles were coming in on them – hunger, stale water, diseases. Yet, Magellan believed in his goal – the country of spices – being close. On March 17, 1521, he saw an island ahead, and the second one a bit later. No, these were not the Moluccas, but other islands unknown to Europeans. Magellan named them San Lasaro, yet twenty years later the new Spanish province would receive the name of Philippines in honor of Spanish King Felipe II, son of Carlos I, who had equipped the expedition. By an unfortunate twist of fate, the Tagalog language (the one mainly spoken in the Philippines) has neither letter, nor sound F, so the native call their motherland Pilipinas. However, this discovery did not make Magellan happy. He suddenly lost his caution and vision, got involved into a feud war of local rulers, and was killed. Local raja Cilapulapu who fought against Magellan is regarded with reverence today as the fighter for independence of Philippines. However, the murder of the European navigator was of no help for the local people, as they lived under the Spanish rule over 350 years, more than any other colony. Moreover, the headless expedition was looking for spices for several months, though the Moluccas are located not far from Philippines.