Name Change for the Philippines
When I visited Manila in January of 2006, a city councilor I knew excitedly informed me that his council had just voted to change the name of the Philippines. What? The country would no longer be named after a ruthless Spanish despot? We would finally be rid of this last vestige of colonialism? Hallelujah!
Breathlessly, I asked my friend, Councilor Cassie Sison, to pray tell me what name the good City Council of Manila had proposed.
“The Philippine Islands,” he replied.
After I recovered from my disappointment and picked up my jaw from the floor, I heard Cassie explain that Manila Mayor Lito Atienza believed that the country would draw more tourists if a more exotic name could replace the staid “Republic of the Philippines.” The proposed name, Cassie said, would conjure dreamy images of palm trees, cool breezes and sandy beaches.
While the country’s name change would be at or near the bottom of the nation’s immediate priorities, it should not be ignored because there is no other country in the world that is named after a mass murderer.
If Ceylon could be changed to Sri Lanka , Mongolia to Ulan Bator , Siam to Thailand , Leningrad to St. Petersburg , Peking to Beijing , why can’t the Philippines change its name?
When Ferdinand Magellan “discovered” the islands on March 16, 1521, he named it the Archipelago de San Lazaro. We would have been called “Lazaroans” if Magellan had survived the Battle of Mactan against LapuLapu on April 27, 1521.
Three unsuccessful Spanish expeditions followed Magellan but all failed to reach “San Lazaro.” The fourth expedition, led by Capt. Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, reached Sarangani Island off the eastern coast of Mindanao on February 2, 1543. He renamed the islands “Felipinas” after the crown prince of Spain, Felipe II, the son of Spanish King Carlos V.
Villalobos left “Las Islas Felipinas” after eight months and sailed to the Moluccas where he died. It would not be until 1572 when the Felipinas islands would become a colony of the Spanish empire.
By then, the crown prince had become King Felipe II and he was to rule Spain from 1556 to 1598. He would also rule the Netherlands and Portugal (starting in 1581) as well as the kingdoms of Milan, Naples and Sicily. In his time, Felipe II was the most powerful monarch in the world and it was said that the sun did not set on his empire.
When he became master of the Netherlands, Felipe II reenacted the Edict of 1550 which prohibited the printing, copying, keeping, buying or giving of any book written by Luther, Calvin or other “heretics” condemned by the Holy Church or the breaking or damaging of any image of the Holy Virgin or any Vatican-canonized saints. The penalty for Edict-breakers would be death by the sword for men and burning at the stake for women. Informers against suspects were to be entitled on conviction to half the property of the accused.
Before burning his opponents at the stake, this Catholic King insisted on going through an “Auto da Fe,” a religious ceremony which accompanied the sentencing of heretics by the Inquisition. Among the victims of Felipe’s inquisition were more than 10,000 Lutherans and more than 80,000 Andalucian Moriscos, Spanish Moors who had converted to Catholicism but who had violated Felipe’s edict prohibiting the speaking of the Arabic language or retaining of any of their ethnic culture.
While he was still crown prince, Felipe II married his first cousin, Princess Maria of Portugal, who provided him with a son, Don Carlos of Spain (1545-1568). Following Maria’s death in 1546, he married Catholic Queen Mary I of England in 1554 to cement an alliance with England .
After Queen Mary died in 1558, Felipe wanted to marry her successor, the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I but the plan failed. He blamed his son, Don Carlos, for the failure of the planned marriage and had him imprisoned where he later died.
Felipe then married his son’s fiance, Princess Elisabeth of Valois, daughter of Henri II of France. Elisabeth provided him with two daughters, but no son. So Felipe married Anne, daughter of the Emperor Maximilian II, who provided him with an heir, Felipe III.
While he was engaged in wars with the Dutch, Felipe II put together the largest Spanish fleet (Armada) ever assembled, more than 100 ships with more than 30,000 men, to invade England in 1588. The pretext was Queen Elizabeth’s execution of Mary, the Catholic Queen of Scots. But English guile and the “Protestant Wind” thwarted Felipe’s ambitions, and destroyed the Spanish fleet.
When Felipe died in 1598, Spain was bankrupt and in decline as a European power.
What does it mean then to be named after Felipe, to be called Felipinos (later changed to Filipinos), to be “like Felipe”, to be intolerant of other people and other religions?
Changing the name would also end all the confusion about the spelling of the country (Phillipines) or the people (Philippinos).
When Andres Bonifacio formed the Katipunan revolutionary organization against Spain in 1896, he refused to use the term “Filipinas”, preferring Tagalog or “Katagalugan” to refer to the country.
Others objected on the grounds that Pilipinas sounded too much like “Alipinas” (land of slaves). Some have proposed “Kapatiran” (brotherhood) or “Katipunan”. Others have suggested “Luzvimind” referring to the country’s three major group of islands.
In the late 1970s, the Dictator Ferdinand Marcos (who should have been named after Felipe the despot) seriously attempted to change the name of the country to “Maharlika,” the “warrior-noble” in pre-colonial Felipinas who, like the Samurai class of Japan, rendered military service to his feudal lord. But his proposal went nowhere.
If countries like Bolivia could be named after their liberators, why can’t the Pilipinas be named after Rizal? We would all be Rizalians.
My personal preference would be to call the country “Bayanihan” and we would all be “bayanis” (heroes) bound together in the “Bayanihan” spirit of working for the common good.
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I think we should rename the Philippines to “Otot” sinced there are many slum areas and smelled like fart when we pass by so maybe it’s best to name it after it known as the “Otot land”
Ummmm i like more Maharlika which came from a derivative word “maja” which means “noble” or “dakila” in Pilipino and “lika” the root word “Likas” or “natural” in English so it means “natural noble” or “LIKAS NA DAKILA.”
Well, i’m also in favor of your proposal it sounds great
If Kapatiran – then we’re Kapatirans or Kapatiranos
If Maharlika – then we’re Maharlikanos or Maharlikanas
If Bayanihan – then we’re Bayanihans or Bayanis
Sigh
nice article you got.. it left me thinking… a very well said article.. The problem is, do all filipinos feel the same way you do? your article is an “eye-opener” to some. very good article.. i give you two thumbs up
fellow countrymen.. mabuhay tau men!
Last night Dec 5 the final jeopardy question on the popular TV program was “what Asian country named after an European king no has some movement to change the name to an indigenous name of Maharlika?
only 1 of the 2 finalist got it right.
I think “Rizal” is very good. We’d be the Rizalians. It sounds good, and we’d be honoring Jose Rizal.
=)
Felipe II fue el monarca mas poderoso de su tiempo y el dueño del imperio mas grande de la historia. Luchó contra la pirateria y contra las herejias de Cavino y Lutero que causaron miles de muertos en la hoguera en Inglaterra, Holanda, Francia y la mayor parte de los paises de Europa. Ayudo a los catolicos de Irlanda y Escocia, muchos refugiados en España escapando de la tirania de la cruel reina Elizabeth. Algunos de los mayores artistas de todos los tiempos, como Velazquez, El Greco o Tiziano, trabajaron en la corte de Felipe II.
El nombre de Filipinas es parte orgullosa de la historia de nuestro pais, nos une con nuestros hermanos hispanos de todo el mundo
I think we should change the name to LAPU LAPU and not be part of Asia or SE Asia and join micronesia or Melanesia.
For me, I think we should change the name to Spratly’s Island so that the island would be undeniably ours… hehehe..
-david
i think this is B——T!!!!!!
I agree with NKB, I think we should rename the Phillippines LAKAS ISLANDS, and NOT be part of asia or SE asia. We can do business with them, but we should join the rest of our island brothers and sisters in MICRONESIA or MELANESIA.
Allo??
May we suggest
Mindanesian Islands
or
Luzonesian Islands
after the two largest islands in
The Former Commonwealth of
The Philippines/Philippine Islands.
Thank you.
Monday, 18th of May, 2009 CE
Monday, 26th of May, 6009 XIII
@ 8:12 UTC .
I like the sound of “The Philippine Islands” or simply “P.I.” like most Americans calls it, will sounds really attractive.
I wonder if the U.S. will annex Philippines again? and make it “The 51st States of United States of America.” I don’t know if the our new generation will changes or stranded with their own past? I will leave it for people to debate.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1349175/posts
But if we do and became the 51st States, we will exposed ourselves into alot of dreams of oppurtunities.
That means:
>We can kept our own flag similar to other 50 States in the US,
>We can ran for Congress and competes among high class of US Citizens,
>Be the first filipino President of the USA,
>and so-on…
70 million Filipino-American and growing
GOD BLESS THE U.S.A…!!!
GOD BLESS THE USA
by Lee Greenwood
If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.
I’d thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can’t take that away.
And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.
From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there’s pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.
That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.
And I’m proud to be and American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-9_fDEsv-Q
National Anthem of the Philippines (English)
Land of the Morning (Lupang Hinirang) is the English translation commissioned by the American colonial government in the 1920s. The song was translated from the Spanish by Camilo Osias and A.L. Lane.
Land of the morning
Child of the sun returning
With fervor burning
Thee do our souls adore.
Land dear and holy,
Cradle of noble heroes,
Ne’er shall invaders
Trample thy sacred shores.
Ever within thy skies and through thy clouds
And o’er thy hills and seas;
Do we behold thy radiance, feel the throb
Of glorious liberty.
Thy banner dear to all hearts
Its sun and stars alright,
Oh, never shall its shining fields
Be dimmed by tyrants might.
Beautiful land of love, oh land of light,
In thine embrace ’tis rapture to lie;
But it is glory ever when thou art wronged
For us thy sons to suffer and die.
First of all, the Philippines has so many problems to deal with, it’s hard enough figuring out where to start. But from my own personal experiences in the Philippines (as well as amongst my fellow countrymen), we as a nation must strengthen our cultural and ethnic ties. Most Filipinos these days are so enamored with people of foreign cultures and nations, that they themselves have no interest learning about their own people’s history and culture; especially amongst the young (hell, even the elderly folks of our country – and they’re supposed to be the role models!). There definitely needs to be a change in the Philippines, first and foremost is the typical “Filipino mindset” – how Filipinos think and view themselves as a nation/people – and their perception towards foreign nations and peoples.
Filipinos that are fortunate enough to find out the truth about our nation’s history should know that there was no country in the Southeast Asian region that was so-called “The Philippines” prior to the confrontation between Kaliph Pulaka (Datu Lapu-Lapu) and Ferdinand Magellan (including the encounter with the Spaniards and so forth). In fact, during the times of our pre-colonial past, the indigenous people of our archipelago (Tagalogs, Visayans, Mindanaons, etc.) were never united as a single entity, but instead were separated by ethnic and cultural backgrounds. However, there was some form of “unity” amongst our indigenous ancestors (although perhaps they may have never realized it or acknowledge this) when they experienced and fought against the colonial forces of Spain (for nearly 3½ centuries). Adding to that, it was the Spaniards that founded the nation of Filipinas (Filipinas being coined after a Spaniard king), consisting of Luzon and Visayas, but excluding some areas of Mindanao (correct me if I’m wrong). Now, the term “Philippines” is an English translation or exonym of the Spanish term “Filipinas,” but I won’t elaborate any further pertaining to the history about the definitive meaning of our past and present names; I’m sure readers can study more about the history of the Philippines in order to find out for yourselves. And of course, let’s not forget that after nearly 3½ centuries of Spanish colonialism, our ancestors fought yet another conflict, this time against the Americans during the Filipino-American War, and shortly thereafter, the Imperial Forces of Japan during World War II (ironically, with the cooperation of the Americans).
But even after all the hardships and turmoil that our people and indigenous ancestors have been through, there is still no sense of unity amongst us “Filipino people,” and this is a problem that we must address NOW. By strengthening our ethnic and cultural relations, acknowledging and facing our problems, and creating better solutions for our country, then we can further progress as a nation/people. I’m sure that all Filipinos would love to witness their own country progress from a 3rd World status to a powerful 1st World – a feat that South Koreans accomplished in only about 50 years time (South Koreans were much less fortunate than Filipinos back then, believe it or not). Back in the 1950s – 1960s, the Philippines was a prosperous and progressive nation, well on its way to becoming an economic power, and second only to Japan in terms of development in Asia…. but now it’s the year 2010 and take a look at the situation of the Philippines today – a 3rd World hellhole, with education in decline, overpopulation, people struggling to survive, poverty, war… the list can go on and on. This seems to be true as well for other nations that have experienced Spanish colonialism – Mexico, Honduras, Chile, as well as many other Hispanic nations that the Spaniard pigs have set foot on and bastardized. It’s time for the Filipino people to move on and FORGET the colonial past of Spain and the United States (although I know for a fact that the influences are here to stay), and create a better and brand new future.
As an aspiring Filipino-American (and NO – American is NOT a race and NEITHER is Filipino) from the Philippines (but raised in America), I am concerned about our country’s current situation. To my fellow Filipinos (especially to my fellow Filipino men) from across the world that happen to stumble across this post of mine, I’m calling out to those special individuals who have the same ambitions and dreams that I share, in order to make our country progress to further achieve a greater accomplishment. Let us unite (although we may never meet in person) in order to fulfill a prosperous and wealthy nation – a much better future for our country. Let’s say for example you have a Master’s degree or a Ph.D. in business administration; use that opportunity to establish a business in the Philippines. Our country is ripe for economic development, and you never know… your business might just grow into a multi-million dollar, global conglomerate. Let’s not waste or give that opportunity to a damn foreigner – what a disappointment that would be. Filipinos aspiring to become politicians or political leaders can replace those stupid morons in our current government by actually doing what’s RIGHT, and using their empirical knowledge when it comes to politics. Our country needs strong, ambitious, intelligent leaders who will lead the people in the right direction.
Other than that, there are many other problems that we must face, and I believe that only the intelligent, open-minded Filipinos out there are qualified to resolve those issues. Like I mentioned in the beginning of this post, Filipinos (especially from the homeland) must change their perceptions towards foreign peoples, and especially, amongst themselves. It makes me sick how local Filipinos have little to no respect for their fellow countrymen (let alone themselves), but have the utmost respect towards a foreigner, especially if they’re “white” (and by the way, not all white people are American – a typical ignorant Filipino would think so). You would often hear these “typical Filipinos” addressing these “white people” as “Sir” or “Ma’am,” as if they were like slaves to kings and queens – which is absolutely pathetic. Learn to respect yourself, your country, and your people before you go on showing your respect to others. In fact, Americans are one of the most ignorant groups of people in the world when it comes to other countries (even to their own country); and that might as well be the same for Filipinos, if they intend to stay stupid and uneducated. As a reminder to my Filipino people, the United States of America is NOT the center of the world – we have our own country to worry about.
Now, when it comes to changing our country’s national name and our people’s demonym that should be one of the first things we should do to rid ourselves of our colonial imprint, which I would like to discuss further below.
The term(s) “Philippines/Filipinas/Pilipinas” just sound so out of place in the Southeast Asian region, compared to our neighboring countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Singapore, etc.), and it just doesn’t “fit in” with the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) peoples of our country. In fact, as a further insight about our people as a “race,” we share common genetic and ancestral ties with the aboriginal people of Taiwan (Formosa), the Indonesians, Bruneians, Malaysians, as well as other nations in the Southeast Asian region; even as far out as the Pacific Islands and Madagascar. For additional information about the indigenous peoples of our country and the Southeast Asian region, search “Austronesian” on YouTube or on the web.
In order to come up with a new name for our country in which our people as a whole can truly accept, all ethnic groups in the Philippines must agree on a common term. For example, this term must have a definitive meaning that is mutual and acceptable to all of our ethnic groups; it must be a native word that is evident throughout our languages; and the name should be easy to pronounce and spell. This new name for our country should have a definitive relation with neighboring countries in the Southeast Asian region. Adding to that, this new name must coincide well with the rules of our languages, and also an exonym in which foreign nations can refer to us by.
An example of this would be Japan. In their native language they refer to their country as “Nippon-koku” or “Nihon-koku” (Nippon/Nihon), and as a people, they refer to themselves by their autonym/endonym, “Nihon-jin,” and their language, “Nihongo.” The definition of their nation’s name (Nippon/Nihon) can translate into “the sun’s origin,” and their people (Nihon-jin) as “the people of the sun.” On the other hand, the terms “Japan/Japanese” are English exonyms, which belong to the English language.
Instead of having a name for our country that denotes a foreign king (which is absolutely embarrassing and disgraceful), we should replace our nation’s name and people’s demonym with an indigenous name (autonym/endonym), which again, should be MUTUAL to all present “Filipino” ethnic groups.
Examples of autonyms/endonyms (indigenous/native names):
> Tagalog: Taga- (Taga/From), -log (Ilog/River) — “People of the Rivers”
> Tausug: Tau- (Tau/People), -sug (Sug/Current) — “People of the Current”
> Iloka-non, Sugbua-non, Marana-on, Maguindana-on, Waray-non, Hilagay-non, etc.
Using our languages as a guide, these are just some examples that “Filipinos” can use to form a new national name.
As for our native languages, I believe that with a new national name, we should also create a new national language by merging or fusing our native languages/dialects. For those familiar with the history of the English language, the modern English vernacular has borrowed hundreds of words from various languages throughout Europe, Asia, etc.
Here’s a good example:
> Boondocks – A rural area. Derived from Tagalog, “bundok (mountain).”
> Cootie/Cooties – Louse; another term for germs (usually childish). Derived from Tagalog and Malay, “Kuti/Kuto/Kutu (louse/flea).”
Filipinos have over a hundred different languages and dialects from various different ethnic groups across the Philippines, and with all that, we can form a new language. For example, there are words in Tagalog that cannot be found in Sugbuanon (Cebuano/Visayan); there are words in Waray that cannot be found in Maranaon, Maguindanaon, Ilokano, etc., and vice versa. Creating a new language is a daunting new task (primarly due to our various languages and differences), but this can be a possible proposition to resolve the language problem in the Philippines, since no one seems to be in favor of “Tagalog imperialism,” we might as well merge our languages into ONE; and besides, Tagalog is a difficult and tedious language to learn and use. We must create a common language that is easy to use and mutually intelligible amongst the inhabitants of our “New Nation,” but however, this does NOT mean that we should destroy or forget about our original languages and dialects. We will preserve our ancestral vernaculars and rid our languages of Spanish vocabulary, while developing a new common tongue. This is in somewhat what our neighboring country (Indonesia) did to solve their language problem, and Indonesia has more than over 300 different languages and dialects that are still in use today, along with the use of their common language – Bahasa Indonesia. If our Indonesian brothers and sisters can create a common language for themselves, then we can as well – and we SHOULD.
We “Filipinos” should get rid of our colonial names, and take a name change into consideration, as well as a truly new beginning for the entire nation.