The Philippines

Migration, Trade, Colonialism & Warfare

The Philippines had been colonized by Spain for over three hundred years, followed by annexation by the United States for forty-eight years after the Spanish-American War. Then came a short occupation by the Japanese during World War II, the end of which finally resulted in peace and the country’s liberation. Prior to colonialism, trading with neighboring countries had been carried out by the native Filipino people even before the Spanish came. But colonialism forever changed the lives of the natives, both in terms of culture and mentality. These changes were both good and bad, depending on one’s perceptions and understanding. For the “Old World” empires, competing for maritime trade with Asia, the Philippine archipelago’s strategic location could not have been better.