Why did the US seize the Philippines in 1898?

The United States seized the Philippines in 1898 primarily as a result of the Spanish-American War, which was sparked by the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana harbor and growing American sympathy for Cuban independence. The U.S. aimed to eliminate Spanish colonial rule in the Caribbean and Pacific, viewing the Philippines as a strategic location for military and trade purposes. Following the war, the Treaty of Paris ceded the Philippines to the U.S., marking the beginning of American colonial rule and expanding U.S. influence in Asia. This move was also driven by a sense of Manifest Destiny and a desire to compete with other imperial powers.