Spanish Filipinos
Spanish Filipino (Spanish: hispanofilipino / español filipino / español insular / criollo; Filipino/Tagalog: Kastílâ / Espanyól / Español; Cebuano: Katsílâ / Español Hiligaynon: Katsílà / Español) is a term encompassing Filipinos of Spanish descent, or via the Spanish diaspora in Hispanic nations. Many trace their ancestry to early settlers from Spain and New Spain who settled in the Philippines during the Spanish Crown’s ownership of the territory which was ruled through Mexico City, and later, Madrid.
A Spanish Filipina mestiza wearing the traditional Maria Clara gown of the Philippines and the long hair tradition of Filipino women during the colonial era. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 4.852 Self-identified as "Spanish" 2.1% of all foreign ethnicities (2020 census) 5% of all the population that were paying tribute during the Spanish colonial era (1700s). | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Philippines, Spain, United States | |
| Languages | |
| Filipino, other Philippine languages, Spanish, Chavacano, English | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (Catholicism) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Filipinos, Filipino mestizos |
Flag of the Hispanic people | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Metro Manila, Zamboanga City, Cebu City, Vigan, Iloilo City, Bauang | |
| Languages | |
| Spanish (Philippine), Filipino, English, Chavacano | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholic |
| Part of a series on the |
| Spanish people |
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Rojigualda (historical Spanish flag) |
| Regional groups |
Other groups
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| Significant Spanish diaspora |
| Languages |
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Other languages |
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Category Spain portal |
The conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi sailed from Mexico, conquered parts of the islands, and founded the first Spanish settlement in Cebu in 1565. Later he established Manila as the capital of the Spanish East Indies in 1571. The Philippine Islands were named after King Philip II of Spain and it became a territory of the Viceroyalty of New Spain which was governed from Mexico City until the 19th century, when the First Mexican Empire obtained independence. From 1821, the Philippine Islands were ruled directly from Madrid, Spain.
Spaniards are referred to by Filipinos as "Kastila" (Castilian), in the Malay fashion, from the Portuguese name for the former Kingdom of Castile, now a region of Spain.
They are also referred to as "Spanish Filipino", "Español Filipino" and "Hispano Filipino".
Sometimes, they are also referred to colloquially as Tisoy, derived from the Spanish word mestizo, as over time, a lot of them have intermarried with the locals or the Chinese settlers. But among the middle-class or upper-class “racial purists’ this particular practice may be frowned upon.