Manila (AFP) – Overlooking Manila Bay, the replica of a Spanish galleon stands as the centerpiece of a new museum dedicated to the odyssey of Filipino sailors, unwilling pioneers of globalization in the 17th century.

Published on: 04/28/2026 - 10:05

The Galleon Museum, which honors the imposing “Espiritu Santo”, traces the history of 250 years of transpacific trade under the Spanish Empire. But here, the story adopts the point of view of the Filipinos who built and operated these giants of the seas.

The Philippines is "a land with a great maritime tradition, but often in inhumane and degrading conditions", describes the museum's executive director, Manuel Quezon, to AFP, stressing that Filipinos still represent a quarter of the world's sailors.

“And it’s a story we don’t hesitate to tell,” he explains.

Built by forced labor in 1603, the Espiritu Santo was one of 181 “treasure ships” that made hundreds of voyages between Manila and the Mexican port of Acapulco between 1565 and 1815. Epics made in appalling conditions that, according to historians, cost the lives of one in three crew members.

“It was the first global trade, connecting three continents,” said Francis Navarro, director of archives at Ateneo de Manila University.

“Thanks to him, the world became smaller,” he adds.

Beyond money, the galleons imported ideas, diseases, food, religion (Catholicism) and fashions of clothing to the Philippines. So many influences which, according to Manuel Quezon, have “made what we are today”.

Ravaged forests

This colonial trade, however, ravaged the forests of the archipelago and disrupted local communities.

Able-bodied men were forced into 40 days of unpaid labor felling trees and building ships under the orders of Spanish foremen.

Others were forcibly conscripted as sailors for periods of up to ten years.

Crowded into holds overloaded with valuable cargo, crew members survived on a miserable diet of biscuits and salted meat or fish. These foodstuffs, which frequently rotted, caused serious illnesses.

“The mortality rate was frightening, around 30% per trip,” underlines Mr. Quezon.

These extreme conditions have triggered bloody rebellions in several construction zones, notably on the coast of Cavite, along Manila Bay, specifies Francis Navarro.

This intercontinental trade only ended with Mexico's struggle for independence from Spain.

One billion pesos

From May 1, visitors will be able to walk the decks of the replica of the ship and immerse themselves in a huge panoramic LED screen, representing a night sky dotted with stars.

Objects from the voyages are displayed all around the ship, such as a piece of a Chinese tomb that once served as ballast in the hold of a galleon.

“With this museum, we are filling the gaps” in History, Manuel Quezon told AFP during a preview visit.

“We want the children who come here to realize that a lot of the things they take for granted hide absolutely incredible stories,” he explains.

The financing of this project worth one billion pesos (more than 14 million euros) was provided by the richest people in the Philippines, after the failure of attempts with the government and a Mexican billionaire.

But while the Espiritu Santo is an architectural marvel, it will never set sail.

Manuel Quezon, historian and grandson of a former Philippine president, bitterly discovered that local wood species, known for their water resistance, have long since disappeared.

A wooden galleon the size of the Espiritu Santo would have required 800 trees, which today are only found in Burmese forests, according to him.

© 2026 AFP

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