TEN: The 51st State

What if the Philippines had become the 51st state of the United States of America? Here are some possibilities:

1. The University of the Philippines would be named "Philippine State University," or "PSU." Its basketball team wouldn't do very well in the US NCAA, but would be respected for being a scrappy bunch. Its alumni, on the other hand, would make waves in all intellectual fields. PSU grads become trailblazers in the fields of law, medicine, journalism, fine arts, and information technology. Its students would be the US' most feared debaters, with Fil-Ams representing the US in international tournaments
2. The Cordilleras would be accessible via well-paved, picturesque roads that make driving to the Banaue Rice Terraces, Sagada, and Mt. Data as easy as driving up to Baguio. Battles between conservationists and pro-development groups are waged over the development of eco-tourism sites in the Cordilleras, Palawan, Bohol, and other parts of the Philippine State. Unchecked logging leads to the passage of legislation to protect the archipelago's forest cover and the designation of certain areas as environmental reserves.
3. The Philippines becomes the top destination for retirees and senior citizens. The coastline of La Union up to Vigan is developed for this purpose. Many Fil-Ams are tapped to work in retirement homes, many of which are established around the country. Despite the proliferation of these, many Filipino families continue to take care of their elderly.
4. The steady supply of competent Fil-Am professionals like doctors and nurses to the US mainland ensures that US hospitals do not want for medical professionals. Because of the Philippine State's huge population, and because of the quality workforce it produces, the US State Department limits the issuing of working VISAs to foreign nationals to stop a glut in the US labor market.
5. Corporations owned by rich Fil-Am families like the Cojuangcos and the Ayalas are eaten up by American conglomerates. The landed elite slowly lose their hold over their haciendas as Corporate America buys them off and institutes modern farming methods that destroy the old Haciendero models. Filipino farmers have never been more productive. The US becomes the biggest exporter of rice in the world.
6. Manila gets its own NBA team, the Manila Matadors (I know, lame name). The Matadors sell out every game and establish NBA records for attendance and gate receipts. The fanaticism of Manila fans and the chance to play in one of the US' most beautiful states attracts the best NBA players, giving the Matadors a slew of NBA championships.
7. Numerous Fil-Ams make their mark in the US entertainment industry, with Oscar, Grammy and Tony Awards given to Americans of Philippine descent. When American Idol goes to Manila, judges are wowed by Fil-Am talent, and many go on to Hollywood to try their luck. Simon Cowell predicts that at least half of the finalists will be Fil-Ams, and that the next American Idol will definitely be from the Philippine State. Fil-Ams win the first American Idol. And the second. And the third. And the fourth...
8. The US expands its bases in Clark and Subic, and establishes new ones in Visayas and Mindanao. The presence of the US in the Pacific leads to various diplomatic run-ins with the Chinese and North Koreans, who resent American military presence in the Pacific. American bases in the Philippine Islands are frequently the victims of terrorist attacks, leading to increased security around the cities of Olongapo and Angeles.
9. The Roman Catholic Church loses many of its faithful to competing religions, with the Mormons gaining many converts among Fil-Ams. Concerned with the growing population of the Philippine Islands, the US mounts an aggressive birth-control campaign, distributing free birth-control pills and condoms to families across the archipelago. The Catholic Church urges its members to reject these campaigns, to no avail. It is successful, however, in blocking the passage of state laws that would allow abortion, same-sex marriage, and the death penalty.
10. A Filipina becomes the first Vice-Presidential candidate in US Election history, running and winning under the Democratic Party. A Filipina is also named the first woman to the US Supreme Court.