The "Age of Exploration,' which began around 1500, opened Asia, Africa, and the Americas to Europe. One result of this was a meeting of the two very different civilizations of Spain and the Philippines. Over the years both Spaniards and Filipinos involved in this encounter acted as they did because members of neither group could escape the influence of their history and their national character. And today the Philippines and Filipinos continue to show the effects of this meeting of civilizations.