A Philippine TL [need help!]

My goal is to create an Alternate Philippines strong enough to challenge Imperial Japan during world war two. To do this, the Philippine Revolution must succeed. For the Revolution to succeed they must have indigenous support, like a Gun industry for example. For a Gun Industry to flourish a kingdom must support it. So in Mindanao a stable kingdom is require, strong enough to resist the Spanish influence encroaching in their native land, but weak enough so they won’t poses much of a threat in the eyes of the European Colonizers. So I will start early, during one furious clash t in the bloody beach of Mactan as Spaniards clad in Iron fought against the Datu’s horde.

I already have several Point of Divergence before 1900, they look nice but I sorely lack comments and inputs. So comments are greatly appreciated.

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1521 - Magellan survives the battle of Mactan and has gone native. The Datu of Mactan managed to acquire a Portuguese Caravel and learned to use it for trading with his neighbor, he later used it to raid the coastal area of Borneo and the surrounding areas. The riches acquired from this endeavor are used to buy more ships and arms for his warrior. Lapu Lapu would later establish the Rajahate of Sarangani located at the southern part of Mindanao.

1645 – Sultan Kudarat of Magindanao inherits the Sultanate of Sulu from his father who was defeated by the Spaniards. He was more successful in resisted the Spanish influence encroaching into his territories in Mindanao. Kudarat acknowledge the need to expand his influence for him to protect his lands. He managed to secure the fealty of the Rajah of Sarangani and his fleet of ships.

1660 - Kudarat Sultan of Mindanao had begun to train his successor named Karamat an esteemed warrior and a close relative to the prime minister of Brunei. They were discussing the viability of producing fire-arms locally and the persistent encroachment of the Spaniards from the north.

A civil war in Brunei beings. Because of Sabong.

1673 – Karamat now Sultan of Mindanao sent a crack force of musketeers and swordsman to Brunei to help his cousin Muhyiddin win the succession war. The Victorious Muhyiddin becomes the Sultan of Brunei and graciously cedes Sabah to Karamat as a reward for his aid.

1690 – Muhyiddin the Sultan of Brunei dies without a son, but not before declaring his cousin Karamat as his heir. This enrages the council of Muhyiddin as they are unable to accept their Sultan’s decision, what is worse is that they could not decide who should succeed their Sultan. This led to another succession crisis. Karamat orders his most trusted general and successor to go and claim Brunei for Sulu.

1695 – Zahir, Karamat’s protégé becomes the Sultan of Sulu after successfully annexing Brunei. He found himself left with a territory separated by a body of water.
 
The problem with your scenario IMHO is that if Sulu managed to thwart Spanish attempts to conquer Mindanao AND the Philippine Revolution succeeds, the chance of a Catholic Luzon+Visayas merging with a dominant Muslim south will be near zero. The cultural and religious factors are very contrasting.

OTL the Spaniards have some forts in the region and sometimes forged truces with the local Muslim rulers, precipitating several years of peaceful but inconsistent Filipino, Spanish and Mestizo migrations from the Catholic north to the Muslim south. It was furthered when the Americans conquered the Moros and merged Sulu and Mindanao with the rest of the "Philippines".

You'd have to find a way to at least, bring the Muslim south to kindle with the Catholic north, some sort of alliance, trade, else(?), or Sulu existing as a separate protectorate of Spain. There you could have quick and easy transfers and migrations of both Muslim and Catholics to each other's states.
 
I think I dislike your TL because of the premise I would never enjoy this TL and it would be ASB for me..but you did a good job in the narrative of your TL...
 
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The problem with your scenario IMHO is that if Sulu managed to thwart Spanish attempts to conquer Mindanao AND the Philippine Revolution succeeds, the chance of a Catholic Luzon+Visayas merging with a dominant Muslim south will be near zero. The cultural and religious factors are very contrasting.

OTL the Spaniards have some forts in the region and sometimes forged truces with the local Muslim rulers, precipitating several years of peaceful but inconsistent Filipino, Spanish and Mestizo migrations from the Catholic north to the Muslim south. It was furthered when the Americans conquered the Moros and merged Sulu and Mindanao with the rest of the "Philippines".

You'd have to find a way to at least, bring the Muslim south to kindle with the Catholic north, some sort of alliance, trade, else(?), or Sulu existing as a separate protectorate of Spain. There you could have quick and easy transfers and migrations of both Muslim and Catholics to each other's states.

Maybe Sulu is a little bit progressive compared to our timeline. I'm planning for them to open up for trade and welcome some of the Christian Missionary so that Spain won't become so aggressive in expanding south. Since this Sulu is a little bit stronger and capable of producing firearms Spain might consider expanding all the way to North, Maybe Formosa? They are very likely to fail there.

I think I dislike your TL because of the premise I would never enjoy this TL and it would be ASB for me..but you did a good job in the narrative of your TL...

Sorry if I hit a sore topic. But, I'll try to write an interesting timeline.

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Is there any chance for some members of the royal house of Sulu to convert to Christianity later in the far future. Of-course this would create a lot of trouble in the immediately, but the long term prospect seems promising.
 
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