I can't help but observe the stark contrast between the population levels in Nueva Espana (Mexico) and Las Filipinas prior to and after Spanish colonization. While the former's native population plummeted , the latter experienced a population boom from some 300,000 as documented by Spanish dominican friars to around 8 million by the ending of the 19th century.
The native Malays' immunity to diseases such as small pox, yersinia pestis (bubonic plague) and other hosts of diseases indicates an early exposure. This validates the maritime history of the Malays that inhabited the Philippines prior to Hispanization. The extensive contacts with Arab, Indian and Chinese traders, most probably was a blessing for the Malays, in terms of immune health.
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