Has It always been this hot in the Philippines?

Before we had aircon or electric fans people used manual ones--from the pamaypay made from woven coconut leaves to the Spanish abanico. Some Philippine homes had a "punkah" like a large fan suspended on the ceiling with a string that a servant (or even a trained monkey) can pull to create a breeze, or drive flies away from the dining table.

A replica can be seen in the Casa Manila Museum in Intramuros.