As early as the 9th century, Chinese traders came to the Philippines. Their junks docked on the shores of the islands, bringing porcelain, silk, beads and lead sinkers for which Filipinos traded cotton, yellow wax, pearls, betel nuts, tortoise shells, coconuts, sweet potatoes, obacc cloth and coconut leaf mats. Chau Ju Kuo, a Chinese merchant, paid tribute to Filipino honesty. In an account written in 1225, the merchant stated that Filipinos would carry off Chinese goods to be sold inland and they would always return to bring back whatever payment was agreed upon.

 INTRODUCTION OF ISLAM, CIRCA 1300 A.D. The history of Southeast Asia indicates that Islam may have filtered into Sulu and Mindanao as early as the 9th century. In the Philippines, early evidence is furnished by a tombstone found in Mt. Data, Jolo, Sulu. The tombstone bears the inscription 710 A.D., or 1310 in the Christian calendar. The Maguindonoo of Cotabato maintain a tradition that Shorif Muhammad Kabungsuwan, a nobleman from Malacca, ancient Malaysia, brought Islam to them in 1515 and established the Sultanate.

 FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES, 1521 On Sunday, 31 March 1521, the first mass was celebrated on the island of Limasawa by Fr. Pedro de Vaiderroma, chaplain of Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese seaman who sailed in the name of the Spanish King. The mass was attended by Magellan, Raja Awi, Raja Kolambu, members of the Spanish expedition and inhabitants of the island. After the moss, a cross was erected on the island.

BATTLE OF MACTAN, 1521 Magellan sailed to Cebu where he was warmly received by its ruler, Raja Humabon, At that time, Raja Humabon was having problems with one of his vassals, Lapu-Lapu, the chief of Mactan, a small island off Cebu, Magellan decided to sail to Mactan to subdue its rebellious chieftain and impress his native friend with his superior fighting prowess. The Battle of Mactan, the first violent encounter between Filipinos and Spaniards, took place in the early morning of 27 April 1521. Magellan was killed in that encounter. Lapu-Lapu became the first Filipino hero.

 
LEGAZPI - SIKATUNA BLOOD COMPACT, 1565 The fourth Spanish expedition to the Philippines reached its destination in 1564. It was led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi who was assisted by the Augustinian friar, Andres de Urdaneta. The fleet dropped anchor in Samar in February 1565, but continued to sail to Leyte, Manicani, Limasawa and Camiguin where the hostile inhabitants refused to give them food. Finally, the Spaniards reached Bohol where friendly islanders met them. Legazpi, acting out of goodwill, entered into a blood compact with the native ruler, Raja Sikatuna.

PANDAY PIRA, THE CANNON MAKER, 1571 In 1571, the Spaniards led by Martin de Goiti took Manila. The native inhabitants set their village on fire leaving its charred remains to the Spaniards who rebuilt and fortified it. Later the Spaniards would call the settlement lntramuros meaning 'within the walls.Depicted in the diorama is the legendary metaismith Panday Pira whom the Spaniards recruited to help build the city. In Lomayan (Santa Ana), he set up a foundry for cannons and other artillery for the defense of the newly founded city of Manila. Moro History: William Hamden Sage, Major General, United States Army served as Adjutant General, 1st and 2nd Brigades, 1st Division, XIII Army Corps; Adjutant General, 3rd District, Mindanao and Jolo, Philippines; Malsbang, Philippines, 1906; Japanese Vice Admiral Takahashi's naval forces invade Jolo 24 Dec 1941 Japanese Navy establish bases in the Philippines for further conquest. Even before the end of December the Japanese were building bases at Davao (on Mindanao) and at Jolo (in the Sulu Archipelago) for their next attacks. On December 27th the US Army Air Patrol Wing TEN sent six PBY's north to attack shipping at Jolo, but Japanese fighters intercepted them and shot down four. Fortunately many of our US men were saved. The Japanese yellow tide was rolling on. The United States submarines were being forced to operate farther to the south in their attacks on the Japanese enemy communications. But they were doing better. On January 7th 1942, The US Seawolf came into Soerabaja after having sunk four Japanese ships off Hainan, thus equaling the record of the most successful Dutch submarines. Japanese tactics were becoming clear. They depended heavily upon air power. After building up their force at some base like Jolo, their planes proceeded to overcome Allied air opposition (when there was any) at the next point of attack. Sometimes this was done by seaplanes, sometimes by carrier planes, or, if the distance was not too great, by land-based planes. Then they sent down heavily loaded transports, keeping to shallow water and screening them heavily against submarines, and landed men and even heavy equipment without wharves. Generally the distance was too short to permit United States naval forces to attack them en route. As soon as they were in control of the new area, they repaired the air field and set about gathering force for the next advance. These Japanese tactics were well adapted to the nature of the Islands. The absence of interior communications in most of the islands-outside Java and Sumatra there are only about 50 miles of railroad in the whole group, and very few roads-meant that it was necessary to seize only a few coastal points and to control the sea and air in their vicinity. Since the Japanese maintained the initiative it was simple for them to build up a local sea and air superiority for each move. On February 25, 1942 word was received from Unites States General MacArthur that on the 20th nearly 100 Japanese ships had assembled at Jolo. The same day (25th) a reconnaissance plane reported about 80 ships (evidently the same force) on a southerly course in the Strait of Makassar. Unfortunately the reporting US plane was attacked and shot down before it could transmit further details.