How did the Philippines get its name?

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The Philippines was named in honor of Philip II, who was the king of Spain during the 16th century when the Spanish began their colonization of the islands. The Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi established the first permanent Spanish settlement in the Philippines in 1565, and the city of Manila was founded in 1571, becoming the capital of the new Spanish colony. This period of Spanish rule lasted for 333 years.312