 After Magellan, Miguel López de Legazpi conquered the Islamised Kingdom of Maynila in 1570.The Spanish missionaries were able to spread Christianity in Luzon and the Visayas, but the diverse array of ethno-linguistic groups in the highland areas of Luzon avoided Spanish annexation owing to their remote and difficult mountainous region.Sultanates in Mindanao retained the Islamic faith, which had been present in the southern Philippines since some time between the 10th and 12th century, had slowly spread north throughout the archipelago, particularly in coastal areas.