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AbstractContrasting colonial experiences shaped regional cleavages in the Philippines. Spain converted natives to Christianity but struggled with converting the Muslim population. Spain only succeeded in driving them further south. American colonialism also perpetuated this regional divide: Christians were under civilian rule while Muslims were under military rule. These administrative regional divides happened concurrently, but a cohesive Christian identity developed much sooner than a Muslim identity in the south. Why do some regional identities develop sooner than others? I argue that variation in the onset of identity formation is the result of contrasting colonial education policies that fell along regional lines. Christians experienced a penetrative education policy, which cultivated a shared experience and facilitated the development of a national identity. Muslims experienced a shallow education policy, which did not have a unifying objective. These factors maintained fragmentation, rather than fostering a cohesive Muslim national identity.