Playing Cards from Philippines

The Philippines, that belonged to Spain until 1898, were so-called in honour of Philip II. During his reign, throughout the 16th century, the phrase “Spain, the empire on which the sun never sets” became popular, as his kingdom included territories in Italy, the Netherlands, the French Roussillon, the North of Africa, the newly-discovered Americas and, to the east, the Philippines and other archipelagos.

In December 1898, the islands were ceded by Spain to the United States with Puerto Rico and Guam after the Spanish–American War. The First Philippine Republic was promulgated on January 21, 1899. During the 20th century the Philippines moved from an American colony to an independent democratic nation with a complex legacy shaped by colonialism, war, dictatorship and efforts to establish stable governance and economic growth.