What made the Philippines so attractive to the Western people that they even colonized our country for centuries?
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There were many factors unique to each coloniser. Magellan was said to have heard of this part of the East Indies that had so much gold as big as eggs that you can just pick it up from the ground. Pigafetta had questioned Magellan that he was off course north from the spice islands. Magellan admitted that he had heard of yhese islands bedore and wanted to see. True enough, his men were so bedazzled but Magellan ordered them not to accept gold for payment for Spanish merchandise and that they will just return to colonise. Ironically, when Legaspi returned in 1565, he made no effort to exploit the gold but instead developed the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade.
In 1896, the Spanish were nit so keen to let go of the Pjilippines because it had become so rich when it was opened to global trade in 1800. So by 1898, Spain's reason for wanting the Philippines was Manila Bay, which was among the best ports in Asia, being central and close to China.
The Americans, and other Europeans coveting the Philippines, was after Manila Bay for it's commerical importance in global commerce. By 1920s, America had lost interest in the Philippines as a holony as it turned out to be a liability. It was better off a free country allied to America. After 1945, the Philippines wanted it only for location of its military bases.
As for Japan, it was military location. It served as a vital communication line between Japan/Taiwan and Indonesia, where it was getting its oil. In 1944, Japan mustered all its might to keep it from falling back to American hands.
