1. During the late 1400s, the Dynasty of Tondo was
attacked by the Sultanate of Brunei because the former was monopolizing trade
with China.
2. Some Filipinos are descendants of the Aztecs and Mayans of
Mexico. It was in 1565 when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi brought Aztec and Mayan
warriors to the country through the Galleon Trade. These warriors eventually
settled down in the north where most chose to live in a town in Pampanga they later called Mexico. Although not many people would believe this, Aztec and
Mayan influence can still be seen today thanks to the chico plantations in the
area. There are also many chico trees in the northern provinces of Ilocos Norte
and Ilocos Sur. The chico is a fruit native only to Mexico. (Photo via antiguadaily.com)
3. A street in San Francisco, CA was named after
the Philippine hero Lapu-Lapu but detractors say that it must have been named
after the fish which is of course highly unlikely since it is right next to
Andres Bonifacio Street. (Photo via ningroge.com)
4. The Philippines was a British colony for a
certain period in the 18th century but the Britons sailed away from
Manila and left Indian soldiers behind. These Indian soldiers settled in
Cainta, Rizal. This explains why most of the people from the area have
distinctive Indian features.
5. The first ever bank in the country is the Bank
of the Philippine Islands hence the graffiti that’s seemingly old world in some
BPI branches.
Hi Sigrid! I just learned from Chanda that you wrote this article. Thank you so much for sharing it! I especially like the explanation for why the town Mexico was called that way. (Incidentally, my maternal grandfather was born there.) I grew up in Mexico City eating chicos and was particularly happy to find the fruit in the Philippines, too! I'll be posting it on my timeline with Chanda's permission. :D
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