The Philippines is an island nation in East Asia. The country has a long history of being invaded and conquered. The Spanish first took control of the Philippines in 1521. Following the Spanish-American War of 1898, the US invaded and conquered the from the Spanish. In World War Two, Japan invaded the Philippines and controlled the country until 1945. The Philippines finally gained independence in 1946. But what about today? Could we see another attempt to try and invade the Philippines? Almost certainly not, and we’ll explain why…
1. The Philippines Islands Makes It Impossible To Invade
A first reason why the Philippines could never be invaded is because it has so many islands.
The Philippines is an island archipelago. The nation has over 7,600 islands, some of which are large with major population canters on them, such as Luzon, Cebu and Mindanao, but there are many smaller islands that make up the Philippines. The simple fact that the Philippines is an island nation makes it almost impossible to invade.
Any army aiming to conquer the Philippines would need to land forces on its islands, and then continuously fight between more islands in order to subdue the entire nation. Amphibious landings and supporting troops stationed across oceans is notoriously difficult. Defenders have a huge advantage over attacking forces and supply lines are highly vulnerable.
The fact that the Philippines is an entirely island nation makes it essentially impossible to invade.
2. The Philippines Military Is Too Strong
A second reason why the Philippines could never be invaded is because of the strength of its military.
The Philippines is a significant military power in Asia. The armed forces of the Philippines have 143,000 active duty-personnel and over one million reservists. They also have hundreds of combat vehicles. The Philippines Navy is also strong, with 82 warships and the Philippines Air Force adds over 200 combat aircraft to the overall strength of the Filipino armed forces. The fact that the Philippines has a large military is a major reason why the country could not be conquered.
As well as having a large military, the Filipino armed forces is also well trained and equipped. Recent increases in defence spending, combined with new training techniques and support from the US, has meant the Philippines military is a modern fighting force.
The Philippines military would strongly defend the nation against an invading army. This would be a major factor in why any attempt to conquer the Philippines would almost certainly fail.
3. The Large Filipino Population Would Resist An Invasion
A third reason why the Philippines couldn’t be invaded is because of the size of the country’s population.
The Philippines has a population of over 113 million people. This makes it the 12th most populous country in the world. If any army attempted to conquer the Philippines, the entire population would likely resist. This would mean on top of having to defeat the Philippines Armed Forces, and invading army would need to deal with local armed groups and militias, as well as widespread civil disobedience. The fact that so many people would work against any attempt to conquer the Philippines, means it would almost be impossible to do.
For any invading force to succeed in conquering the Philippines, it would need to subdue the entire civilian population. This would require extreme brutality, which would in-turn fuel further resentment and resistance by the Filipino people, as well as widespread condemnation from the international community. Almost no force would be willing to enact the extreme measures needed to overcome a population as large the Philippines, and this is a big reason why the country could never be invaded.
4. The Philippines Has A Strong Network Of Alliances
Another reason why the Philippines could not be invaded is because of the country’s strong network of alliances.
The Philippines is a member of ASEAN – the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. This means it is formally allied to other nations in South East Asia. Although ASEAN is not a defensive alliance, it is likely that if the Philippines were attacked that other nations in South East Asia would come to its defence. The Philippines also has strong diplomatic ties with the democracies of North East Asia – Japan and South Korea especially, as well as Taiwan. These countries would also likely come to the Philippines aid if the country was attacked. The strong alliances the Philippines has with other nations in Asia makes invading the country extremely difficult.
As well as key alliances in the region, the Philippines is also a strong ally of the United States. The US acts in many ways as a guarantor of Filipino security. If the Philippines was invaded, it is almost certain that America would intervene. This is a further reason why it would be almost impossible to successfully conquer the Philippines.
5. The Geography Of The Philippines Would Deter An Invasion
One reason why the Philippines could never be invaded is because of the country’s tough geography.
As well as being an island archipelago, the Philippines also has a range of geographical features throughout the nation that would make any invasion extremely difficult. The Philippines has many mountain ranges and jungles. These are very challenging for an attacking army to move across, but are much easier for defenders to use to harass and repel any invading force. The harsh terrain of the Philippines is a key factor in why any attempted invasion would almost certainly fail.
Alongside the tough geography of the Philippines, the climate of the country would also make an attempt to conquer it challenging. Not only is the Philippines climate hot and humid – difficult weather for fighting in, but the country is also prone to extreme weather events, such as typhoons. These factors combined would add to the difficulties faced by an invading army and contribute to why the Philippines would be essentially impossible to invade.
6. There Is No Incentive To Invade The Philippines
A final reason why the Philippines could never be invaded is actually because no country has the incentive to.
There are almost no countries that would be inclined to attack, or try and invade, the Philippines. As we said, the country is allied to most other nations in the region. Although tensions between the Philippines and China are heightened at the moment, there is no reason for China to try and conquer the Philippines. As a result, there really isn’t any country that would be motivated to go to war with the Philippines and to try and invade it.
Although it is obviously impossible to predict how the geo-political tensions in East Asia may progress, and there are, albeit small, chances that the situation deteriorates and conflict breaks out in the region. Even if this where to happen, there is still essentially no incentive for a country to launch an invasion of the Philippines. This is a major reason why an attempt to conquer the Philippines just isn’t going to happen.