Lapulapu, the Mactan leader who is considered the country’s first hero, should be written without a hyphen, according to an executive order (EO) signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
EO No. 152, signed by Duterte on Monday, amends EO No. 17 and EO No. 55 which created the Order of Lapu-Lapu, an award given to government officials and employees as well as private individuals who rendered extraordinary or invaluable experience in relation to a campaign or advocacy of the President and the National Quincentennial Committee (NCQ), which was tasked to spearhead the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines that include events celebrating the victory in the Battle of Mactan, respectively.
Under the EO, the earliest rendering in the Latin alphabet of the name of the hero of Mactan is “Cilapulapu”, with “Ci” apparently being an honorific title, from which our founding heroes Jose Rizal and Juan Luna derived their own references to him as “Si Lapulapu.”
“Adopting a common rendering of the name of Lapulapu, so as to conform to earlier references, will aid in the education of our youth about Philippine history which is foundational to the formation of national identity,” the EO read.
The EO also states the name Lapulapu is “understood to refer to the Filipino here who bravely and victoriously fought in the Battle of Mactan in the 16th century.”
“Thus, all references to the name ‘Lapu-Lapu’ in EO No. 17, as amended, and EO No. 55, as amended, are hereby amended to read as ‘Lapulapu’,” it added.
The EO directs all government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or –controlled corporations, and state universities and colleges as well as enjoins local government units, non-government organizations, civil society groups, and the private sector to adopt “Lapulapu” when referring to the name of the first Filipino hero.
However, the official names of places such as Lapu-Lapu City, which have been established by statute, shall continue to be respected.
Section 15, Article XIV of the Constitution provides that the State shall conserve, promote, and popularize the nation’s historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as artistic creations.
In January this year, the NQC reminded the public that the Mactan ruler’s name must be written without the hyphen.
The agency said it had to clarify the name because he would be “the central figure of the quincentennial” and standardize the spelling for the proposed renaming of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
Source: Philippines News Agency
