From Pilipinas to Filipinas: The Senseless Mockery of History and Prudence

The Komisyong ng Wikang Filipino recently released a memo in which the name Pilipinas will be replaced with Filipinas. According to the commission, the change is in line with the changing dynamics of the Filipino language. I DISAGREE.

While indeed the Filipino language is an evolving language, the name "Filipinas" is just too Spanish, too foreign, and too inappropriate for the way Filipino languages are actually spoken! First of all, the national language of the Philippines is rightly called and spelled "Filipino" to reflect its goal of assimilating all the Philippine languages into its fold as well as adopting many words of foreign origin, particularly English and Spanish. However, the name of the country in Filipino should not be changed to "Filipinas" for the following reasons:

1. Keeping "Pilipinas" is keeping our original pronunciation of the country as it is comfortably spoken by Filipinos. Keeping "Pilipinas" is keeping one of the last vestiges of our history intact. "Filipinas" was never and will never be comfortably spoken by the "masang Filipino."

2. The culture, language, history of the Philippines can properly be called "Filipino" to reflect the dynamism and living nature of our collective past, present and future.

3. The name of the country however, should remain "Pilipinas" to preserve a delicate vestige of ourselves, that is, we really do not have an "F" in any Philippine language. Keeping the "P" is keeping true to our way of pronouncing things, at least on the aspect of our country's name.

4. Finally, I do not believe in the KWF rationale that changing the name of "Pilipinas" to "Filipinas" is in keeping with the dynamics of modern Philippines, indeed, we already did that by calling our language, our culture, our way of life "Filipino." Let us keep that one last vestige of our original speaking nature - that is crucial to provide an anchor for moving on with the dizzying pace of modern life.

The KWF's reasoning on the matter is poorly thought of, lamelessly expressed and frankly, intellectually absurd, not to mention bankrupt.

LET US KEEP "PILIPINAS" but move on with "FILIPINO," our language, our culture, our people, our life.