Tagalog Republic

Republika ng Katagalugan

Republikang Tagalog

**Tagalog (Officially: Tagalog Republic/Republika ng Katagalugan/Republikang Tagalog)** is a nation located in Southeast Asia. It controls over the majority of Philippines. It is lead by President Baldomero Aguinaldo and a Parliament. The country was a Spanish colony prior to it's independence but the Spanish still have control over the Tagalogian economy.

## History

### Colonial Era

The Spanish government had been giving more and more freedoms and liberties to the Filipino populations since the 1870s, such as access to public education, and being allowed to work abroad. The side effect of this was that more and more natives were getting increasingly radical ideas of revolution and independence. Things only escalated as in 1886 the Spanish government suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Confederate States, sending the Spanish Economy and Empire into a free fall.

As things got worse, more and more Filipinos were getting increasingly unhappy with Spanish rule, and it wasn't long before this would evolve into something much bigger. In 1892, a secret organization called the Katipunan formed, which was an organization for planning a revolution, and they slowly and steadily grew until May of 1896, when the leadership of he Katipunan met with the Captain of a visiting Japanese warship in an attempt to secure a source of arms for the revolution, in which the Japanese seeing the winds change for the fading Spanish Empire, agreed to do only after they had started their Revolution. That combined with being discovered by the Spanish in August of that same year, lead to the start of the Tagalog Revolution.

### Tagalog Revolution

The revolutionaries declared the Tagalog republic, with their goal to unify the Philippines under one native and independent government, naming Andrés Bonifacio as their first president. The revolution raged, and as the Japanese promised, weapons and supplies were given to the revolutionaries which allowed them to give the Spanish a run for their money.

In 1897, Andrés Bonifacio was executed after burning down a village, and Emilio Aguinaldo was made the new President. Later that same year, the Spanish had almost entirely lost control of Mindanao, and the Spanish attempted a truce with the rebels. This truce attempt failed however, and the war raged on. Things started to stall in 1898, with the Spanish believing they had finally turned the tides of the war. However it was too soon to celebrate as across Luzon more and more rebellions broke out.

The Spanish had to request British support, and the British agreed to assist by occupying the Palawan island, as well as other islands on the west coast of the nation. By 1899, the entire island of Luzon had fallen into revolutionaries hands except for Baler where the Spaniards held out strong, though in vain. Separate rebellions broke out across the Visayas islands, and it was becoming increasingly clear that Spanish rule was at an end, especially to the British. British Diplomats arrived to speak with the revolutionaries, offering them recognition in return for them ceding the British Palawan. The Revolutionaries, believing this to be the end of the bloodshed, reluctantly agreed. The British keeping their promise, withdrew from the rest of the Philippines, and released a statement recognizing the Tagalog Republic as the legitimate government. The Spanish government was angered and felt betrayed, however it was soon clear which side of history they stood on when Japan, the Qing, CSA and Mexico all followed announcing their recognition.

### Independence

In the year 1900, the Spanish officially signed a treaty, ending their control of the islands, and handing it over to the Natives, with the condition that they bring no harm or discrimination to the Spanish living there, and they allow the Spanish economic access to the nation. The Tagalog agreed, and a free Republic in Asia was declared, the first of its kind to revolt successfully against her colonial overlords. The Tagalog Republic now stands as a symbol of Freedom, Liberty and Perseverance in Asia, with close economic ties to Japan, the United Kingdoms, and China, but it is still the Spanish who Dominate Tagalog markets, but as time goes on that will most likely change. It's been 11 years since the revolution ended, and though they are free, they still have much to do, such as building a proper navy and army, as well as modernizing for if they ever hope to stay free.