The " Christian Problem " and the Philippine South

Historically, the fact that the people of Mindanao and Sulu were able to successfully resist all attempts to subjugate them only increased the obsession of the Spanish colonial government and of the church hierarchy to conquer the south and to convert the people to Catholicism. Thus was created the "Moro Problem" which, in the mind of colonial officials, was simply the problem of creating effective strategic and tactical programs that would ensure the ultimate subjugation and conversion of the Muslims.