A Living History

Water was a determining theme in the early life of the Philippine islands. Surrounded by oceans and lined with rivers and streams inland, its watery lanes defined the character of the lives of people who settled on its coasts. Water yielded the pristine fruits of the sea that formed the basis for much of the early Philippine diet. Water brought the boats of Arab traders from the Middle East, opened the gates to Chinese traders, and finally brought in two colonial powers, Spain and the United States, which would throw the Philippines into the vortex of European intra-colonial fighting and introduce the concepts of nationhood and democracy.