April 14, 1521 is a memorable day for Cebu and for the Philippines.
Admiral Ferdinand Magellan, who was on his way to the Molucca Islands, baptized Rajah Humabon of Cebu as a Christian on this day.
After Admiral Magellan's fleet entered the port of Cebu a week earlier on April 7 and fired blanks, he sent a messenger to Raja Humabon to explain to the king, who was startled by the sound of the cannons, that they were "courtesy guns for peace, friendship, and courtesy to the king of the land," and that the purpose of their entry was to replenish food and water.
At that time, the information about the Portuguese occupation of Calcutta and Malacca in India by force had already reached Cebu, and a Siamese merchant who was visiting Cebu at that time advised the king to grant the wishes of Magellan's party.
Magellan's emissary said that our king is not only the emperor of Spain but also of the Christians, and that he has a more powerful armed force than Portugal. He stated that he would show no mercy if King Humabon refused to be friendly.
It's not so easy when they say they will attack us if we don't comply with their demands.
In the end, King Humabon accepted Admiral Magellan's request, and both sides came to respect each other and establish friendly relations.
Admiral Magellan spoke to the royal family and other residents of the island about Christianity.
When they heard about it, they said they would gladly become Christians.
However, the Admiral said, "Don't become a Christian because you are afraid of us or to please us. It is important that you become a believer of your own free will.
With the admiral's encouragement, the king declared his Christian faith and was baptized on Sunday, April 14.
Raja Humabon was the first Filipino to become a Christian by his own will, without being forced to do so.
Magellan named the baptized king's Christian name, Don Carlos, after the Spanish emperor.
Humabon's wife, the queen, was reluctant to be baptized at first, but when she saw the statues of St. Mary, St. Nino and the cross, she suddenly burst into tears and wanted to be baptized.
At the queen's request, Magellan decided to present the statue of St. Nino to her.
The statue was miraculously found intact in the burnt ruins of Cebu, which was later destroyed by Legazpi, and became the guardian deity of Cebu, and is now the mainstay of Cebu's biggest festival.
On April 7, 2021, the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Admiral Magellan's ship in Cebu, Cebu City declared this day as Rajah Humabon Day.
On Sunday, April 11, a church in Cebu is also baptizing 100 babies to commemorate the 500th anniversary.
The priest who conducted the baptism said that when these children grow up, they will be very proud to know that they were baptized on the day that marks exactly 500 years since Christianity was introduced to the Philippines.
Raja Humabon seems to have respected Admiral Magellan's character, but later, when Magellan died in the battle against King Lapu-Lapu of Mactan Island, he turned around and invited some of his remaining commanders and men to breakfast and killed them.
Why he did so is a mystery, but Pigafetta, who sailed with Magellan and wrote "The First Voyage Around the World," speculates that Enrique, a slave in Magellan's service, may have told King Humabon something inadvisable.
This murder by King Humabon led to the destruction of the city of Cebu in 1565 by the Spanish conquistador Legazpi.
In the Philippines, where most of the people are Catholics, I think the 500th anniversary is an important one to commemorate, but when I think about the subsequent history of the Philippines, as a Japanese, I can't say I'm simply happy about it.
The encounter with Christianity was "good", but the encounter with the Spaniards must have been "bad".
