Center for Babaylan Studies Amaya - Meet the Karakoa Four Waves - History & Tattoos Who discovered the Philippines?
The Karakoa was a sleek Philippine warship that was smooth and swift in compariason to the Spanish galleons. Father Combes, one of the first Spanish Fryars to document early Philippine history (1667-70) said, "The care and technique with which they build them makes their ships sail like birds, while ours are like lead in comparison."
Above is a CAD model I created of the VISAYAN Karakoa warship the Spanish used to navigate around the Philippines. Model was created from a sketch depicted in the book Barangay by William Henry Scott. © 2010 Ted Visaya

Since most documented history was written through the eyes of the colonizers I often wondered what first contact was really like between the Spanish and the indigenous people of the Philippines, especially the Visayan clans. I read that the Cebuanos welcomed them with hospitality and were easily converted to Christianity and pledged allegiance, without bloodshed, to the king of Spain. 

Except chief Lapu-Lapu from Mactan island who basically told Magellan to stick it where the sun don't shine and sent him to his demise. Hahaha, I'm sorry I know I shouldn't laugh ;-)
I wonder what the warrior is saying to the Spanish soldier below? They can't understand each other because of the language barrier. Maybe it's some kind of rude Pinoy sign language... ;-)

From the book Barangay
by William Henry Scott

Fig 6. Classic Philippine karakoa (Artist's reconstruction by Raoul Castro, under the supervision of W. H. Scott; from Philippine studies vol.30, 3d quarter)

 
Finally! With all the fascination and research I obsessively pursued, the dreams of my efforts have finally come true in a new Philippines television series called AMAYA! Aired to show it's first episode on May 30th 2011 on the Filipino channels, GMA has went all out on historical research and even built an actual Karakoa warship. This will be the most expensive series budgeted by GMA but I believe in return it will prove to be rewarding to GMA in many ways.