Actually, if you check out the forums where Filipino people have had their genes tested, you would find out that the vast majority of them have European genes popping up but they tend to be small in number ranging from 1&2% to 15%. This is consistent among all Filipinos I've sampled. Some of them even have Caucasian admixture running as high as 25%.
The myth that only 3.6% of Filipinos have European genes arose 4 to 5 years ago, when wikipedians used a study focusing on the ancestry of people in the Pacific Islands...
The study was about people in the pacific islands but the study also included a token amount of Filipinos in the samplings. They used 28 people in Cebu as examples, and from there, they found out that they posses a 3.6% European admixture on the average.
Soon, the 3.6% citation morphed into an internet urban legend used by Anti-Filipinists to disparage Filipinos claiming Spanish ancestry. When in reality, people should not even use that 3.6% citation at all. It sampled a mere 28 people from only one location and then they misapplied that towards the population of a country composed of 100 Million inhabitants. Using 28 people to represent 100 million people is wrong because it doesn't even pass the statistical margin of error.
And in the forums where Filipinos have had their genes sampled: i.e. Anthroscene and 23andme, a significant majority of them have reported European introgression from 1/2% to 15% of their genome. The low percentage but persistent frequency of European introgression is easily explained by historical facts. Most, of those with Spanish blood, who have mated with Filipinos were not pure Spaniards but were in fact, Latinos from Mexico or Peru. Since Latinos were already half Caucasian, when they married with local women, their children would only be 1/4 Caucasian. When the Manila Galleons stopped circulating between the Philippines and Latin-America (Due to the american independence movements). Latino immigration was cut-off and the European admixture among Filipinos began to dwindle with the increasing local population and the unmitigated immigration from China and India. Thus explaining why many filipinos who have had their genes tested have that small but persistent European component.
My findings are not based on mere conjecture; Spanish census records say so. According to Fedor Jagor in the book entitled "The Former Philippines through Foreign Eyes". He cites census records which states that:
“The castes bearing a
mixture of the Spanish blood are in Luconia alone at least 200,000. The Sangleys, or Chinese descendants, are upwards of 20,000, and Indians, who call themselves the original Tagalas, about 340,000, making a total population in that island of about 600,000 souls. What may be the respective numbers in the other Philippine Islands I never had any opportunity of learning.”
So, 200 thousand out of the 600 thousand inhabitants (roughly 1/3rd of the whole population) were confirmed to have Spanish admixture...
Furthermore, in the year 1796 to 1797, majority of the soldiers transplanted to Philippine soil, were not pure Spaniards at all, but instead, Latin Americans of varying ancestries.
"Of native Spaniards, accordingly, settled in the Philippine Islands, the total number may be stated at 2,000 not military. The military, including all descriptions, men and officers, are about 2,500, out of which number the native regiments are officered These last, in 1796-7, were almost entirely composed of South Americans and were reckoned at 5,000 men, making a military force of about 7,500."
You can read the full text here:
http://www.authorama.com/former-philippines-b-8.html
So, considering the modern genetic evidence from Filipinos themselves and from historical Spanish census records. The myth that only 3.6% of Filipinos have European genes should be wholly repudiated and we in the wikipedia community have already discussed this and removed the 3.6% citation in our articles. Just kindly inform everyone of this, lest many people will get hurt and falsely accused as liars claiming Spanish ancestry, when at least 1/3rd of Filipinos really do have Spanish ancestry, mostly from Latin America. Thank You.
Originally Posted by ButlerKing
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