The over 7,000 islands that make up the Philippines share a
culture that is deeply influenced by Spanish culture, having
been a Spanish colony for three centuries; the Philippines
remain the largest Catholic country in Asia. The Spanish-
American war ended Spanish rule and led to the inauguration of
Emilio Aguinaldo as the first President of the Philippines until
1901, when the United States claimed the Philippines as its
colonial territory. Full independence was granted in the Treaty
of Manila in 1946. Prominent political figures from the
Philippines include Imelda Marcos, the extravagant and
controversial wife of President Ferdinand Marcos, and Corazon
Aquino, who was a powerful voice for reform and the first woman
to become President of the Philippines. The literature of the
Philippines richly reflects its historical development. Jose
Rizal, who was executed by the Spanish colonial government in
1896, was a Filipino patriot who strongly advocated for reform
through political activism and in literature. His