Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan first encountered the Philippines and named the islands after King Philip II of Spain.

[3] In 1565, Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi arrived from present-day Mexico and established a European settlement in Cebu.

[4] It was manifested when Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Teodomiro de Aguilar presented his credentials to then-President Manuel Roxas on January 30, 1947.

Aguilar mentioned to Roxas that his government had decided to establish a legation in the country as a living proof of the interest of Spain in this new republic.

[6] On July 1, 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal and his entourage was welcomed by Generalissimo and Mrs. Francisco Franco upon their arrival at Barajas International Airport in Madrid.

King Juan Carlos I and his wife, Queen Sofia, attended the 1998 centennial celebrations in Manila, commemorating 100 years of independence from Spain.

The mediation of the Spanish King is said to have produced the pardon and liberation of two Philippine domestic workers sentenced to death in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

[citation needed] Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, concluded her second state visit in Spain in July 2006, bringing back millions of dollars of Spanish investments, particularly in tourism and information technology.

[19] Since 2002, the Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day is celebrated every June 30, promoted with the aim of strengthening the relationship between both nations that share history, values, and traditions.