(A) ** an independent country
(B) Japanese Colony
(C) American protectorate
(D) American commonwealth
EXPLANATIONS BELOW
Concept note-1: -Philippines Independence Day (1898): June 12, 2022 From history.com, THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 1898 June 12, Philippine independence declared: “During the Spanish-American War, Filipino rebels led by Emilio Aguinaldo proclaim the independence of the Philippines after 300 years of Spanish rule.
Concept note-2: -Philippines, island country of Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. It is an archipelago consisting of more than 7, 000 islands and islets lying about 500 miles (800 km) off the coast of Vietnam. Manila is the capital, but nearby Quezon City is the country’s most-populous city.
Concept note-3: -The Philippine Declaration of Independence (Filipino: Pagpapahayag ng Kasarinlan ng Pilipinas; Spanish: Declaración de Independencia de Filipinas) was proclaimed by Filipino revolutionary forces general Emilio Aguinaldo on June 12, 1898, in Cavite el Viejo (present-day Kawit, Cavite), Philippines.