Philippines (Cromwell the Great)

Government of the Philippines Gobierno de las Filipinas (Spanish) Gubyerno ng Pilipinas (Tagalong) Gobyerno sa Pilipinas (Cebuano) Timeline: Cromwell the Great OTL equivalent: Philippines, Palau, Mariana and Caroline Islands, Guam and northeast of Borneo
Anthem:  Perla del mar de oriente
Status		Overseas semi-autonomous territory of Iberia
Capital (and largest city)		Manila
Other cities		Davao, Cebu, Zamboanga and Cagayan de Oro
Official languages		Spanish (Official) and Portuguese (Cofficial)
Regional languages		Tagalog, Cebuano, Chavacano (Spanish-based creole language), Dutch, Ilocano and other Malayo-Polynesian languages
Ethnic groups		Multiracial (White-Mestizo, Visayan, Tagalog, Ilocano, Bicolano and Others)
Religion		Secular state (Official), Roman Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism, Judaism, Syncretic Catholicism, and Philippine traditional religions
Demonym		Philippine (Filipino)
Government		Overseas semi-autonomous territory
-	President of the Iberian Federation	Ulisses Fildalgo
-	Governor-General	Juan Luis Venegas
-	First Minister	Santiago Castro
Legislature		General Juntas
Key Events
-	Colony	1565-1833
-	semi-autonomous territory	1833 to date
Currency		Philippine peso
Time zone		UTC+8 (Philippines) UTC+9 (Palau) UTC+10 (Mariana and Caroline Islands and Guam)
Date formats		dd/mm/yyyy (CE) Uses the Italo-Iberian Civil Calendar
Drives on the		right

The Philippines (Spanish, Tagalog Cebuano and Chavacano: Pilipinas or Filipinas), is an archipelagic Iberian territory in Southeast Asia. Situated in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of about 7,641 islands that are categorized broadly under four main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and Sulu-Borneo.

Bounded by the South China Sea on the west, the Philippine Sea on the east and the Celebes Sea on the southwest, the Philippines shares maritime borders with Dutch Formosa to the north, northeastern side of Borneo, Vietnam to the west, Palau to the east and Dutch Malaysia and Indonesia to the south.

History

The Philippines had two major Creole revolts - Novales Revolt (1823) and Palmero Conspiracy (1828) - that the Spanish Republic answered by declaring Manila an open port and later establishing full freedom of trade ending the last existing monopolies and privileges given to Spanish merchants. These measures favored the interests of the Commonwealth, France and Dutch Republic. In 1833 it was installed a limited local government under supervision of the Governor-General and the Metropolis. Later, various reforms would give larger transfer of powers for self-government.

Economy

Following the opening of Philippine ports to world trade in 1833 it meant and the formal opening of the ports of Manila, Iloilo, and Cebu to international trade and the decline of the Manila Galleon trade. These two major shifts contributed in the domestic economy. Communal land became privatized to meet international demand for agricultural products.

Government

The administration of the Government of the Philippine is vested in the Governor-General and the Supreme Council (Consejo Supremo), composed of a First Minister and five Secretaries. The Governor-General has power of veto on the orders and decisions of the Supreme Council and legislation of General Juntas. Also names the provincial governors.

The Iberian Governor-General conducts relations, names the political chiefs (jefes políticos) and issues decrees for the protectorates of the Sultanates of Sulu, Maguindanao and Lanao. The Spanish Pacific Islands, that include the Mariana and Caroline Islands, Guam and Palaos, are administered by the Governor-General.

The Philippines and the Spanish Pacific Islands

The Junta General, the legislature, is integrated by deputies named by the provincial juntas for a five-year mandate. The Junta General has limited legislative powers and passes the General Budget of the Government. The Government Charter can only be modified by the Iberian Cortes.

The Real Audiencia became the Audiencia Territorial with two branches, civil and criminal. Supreme Court of Spain, later Iberia, as the final appellation on criminal cases.

Administrative division

The Philippines is divided in governorates, provinces and districts. each administered by a Governor, Provincial Governor and Delegate - named by the Governor-General- At provincial level there are a provincial council and a provincial board (junta provincial).

The governorates are:

• Luzon
• Islas Adyacentes (Palawan)
• Visayas
• Mindanao
• Borneo

Later divided into

• North Luzon
• South Luzon
• Islas Adyacentes (Palawan)
• Western Visayas
• Eastern Visayas
• Mindanao
• North Borneo

Territory of the Spanish Pacific Islands

• Mariana Islands
• Caroline Islands
• Guam
• Palaos

The Government of the Philippines includes the protectorates of:

• Sultanate of Sulu
• Sultanate of Maguindanao (Mindanao)
• Confederation of sultanates in Lanao
• Sultanate of Bulungan. Disputed by the Dutch, Brunei and Iberia. The latter argues that is a vassal of Sulu and therefore part of the Protectorate of Sulu. The Dutch claim it is under its influence by a treaty with the Sultan of Bulungan that establishes a protectorate. Brunei claims it is as vassal state.