ABSTRACT
Long before Magellan landed on Philippine shores on 16 March 1521, the Philippines’ first inhabitants were a nomadic people, the Aeta tribe. They were followed by Nusantao seafarers and finally western Malayo-Polynesian groups (Solheim II 1981: 16–20; Solheim II 1984–1985: 77–85; Bellwood et al. 2006: 1–5; Solheim II 2006: 1–5). Later came immigrant traders from Fujian and Guangdong provinces in Southern China who settled before the Spanish conquest. In fact, many indigenous leaders (datus and rajahs) in the Philippines were of mixed Filipino and Chinese ancestry. Given this cultural mix and a deeply entrenched colonial regime of nearly four centuries (De Bevoise 1997: 113–124), the Filipino people are defined by their history and diverse geographical, social, cultural, economic and political characteristics. These pose unique challenges for public health.
