WI: British Philippines

Can the British run the place? In OTL, most groups were wary of the Spanish;t he ethnic Chiense who hadn't converted to Catholicism supported Britain, but it wasn't a large part of the population.

you can take otl malaysia or borneo as a model.
 
Can the British run the place? In OTL, most groups were wary of the Spanish;t he ethnic Chiense who hadn't converted to Catholicism supported Britain, but it wasn't a large part of the population.

Granted, the Philippines was at the fringes of New Spain/Mexico at this period. Before Madrid took direct control, management of the colony was middling at best. It's said by some scholars that this was where some of the poorer-quality frailes were "assigned."

In any case, uprisings broke out due either to incompetence or harsh injustice. 18th Century rebels likely sought out allies along the lines of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend;" Diego Silang, for instance, did seek help from the British in OTL. The moment Spanish control begins to crumble, it's not difficult to see the dominoes fall.

If anyone's willing to post a map of this scenario, it's welcome.
 
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There's this idea a while back on the brief Anglo-Spanish war in late-18th Century Philippines; the Pacific side of the Seven Years War. In 1762, forces from the East India Company managed to occupy Manila until it was returned to Spain at war's end. Suppose they were more successful, and the Brits absorb (most) of the colony to the Empire? I considered additional assistance from London being part of the POD, but how would an Anglicized Pearl of the Orient look like?

As an added note: is a Spanish enclave in the Zambuanga peninsula (Mindanao) possible?

This is highly possible. However, if we do this, will the British welcome educating Filipinos? Remember, Filipinos were not allowed to be educated by the Spaniards until 1860s. So any early education would mean an enlightened intellectual class in the Philippines earlier than 1860s which caused alot of problems for Spain by the start of 1880s and then the Revolution by the 1890s.

If you have an intellectual class, how would it react if there are local abuses? Will the British be as brutal as the Spanish friars? Remember Spanish Inquisition lasted in the Philippines until the 1890s.

If the Answer is yes to both the above, the Philippine Revolt might come earlier point (around 1790-1810) if Education is 1770 instead of 1860.

In order for the British to maintain the Islands until WW2, it must not replicate any abuses the Spaniards did to Filipinos at OTL.
 
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