King Carlos marks RP independence

King Carlos marks RP independence

MACTAN, Philippines (AFP): King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain arrived here yesterday to join Philippine celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of almost four centuries of Spanish colonial rule.

The monarch's private plane landed at an air base in this small central island where the couple were met by provincial governor Pablo Garcia and town mayor Ernest Weigel in formal ceremonies.

The choice of Mactan as an entry point is filled with symbolism. It was here that Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer in the employ of the Spanish throne, was killed on April 27, 1521 at the hands of a native tribe, 42 days after reaching the Southeast Asian archipelago which he claimed for Spain.

The royals toured a Roman Catholic church, known as the Basilica del Santo Nino Minore, in the nearby island of Cebu.