From their very origins then, Philippines and Filipino are colonial names, and as such, are contradictory to the term nationalism. Simply on the basis of the colonial roots of Philippines, it can already be argued that the country’s name should be changed. Indeed, many former colonies have discarded their colonial appellations and adopted titles that are of more indigenous or un–colonial derivation: Burkina Faso, Namibia, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe.

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.

By Rodel E. Rodis

Many historians and scientists believe that the first inhabitants of the Philippine islands emerged during the Pleistocene period. There are two theories on where the inhabitants came from namely: Beyer’s “Migration Theory” and Jocano’s “Evolution Theory”. Noted social scientist Henry Otley Beyer believes that Filipinos descended from different groups that came from Southeast Asia in successive waves of migration. Each group had a distinct culture, with it’s own customs and traditions. While Jocano believes that Asians, including Filipinos are the result of a lengthy process of evolution and migration.

The Bukidnon are one of the traditionalistic ethnic groups in the southern Philippines. They inhabit the north-eastern part of Mindanao, the second largest island of the archipelago, especially the remote mountainous regions of Bukidnon province and the neighboring provinces. There is no connection with the Bukidnon on the island of Panay in the central Philippines. The term “Bukidnon” (“mountain dweller”) derives from the Cebuano language but nowadays, it is accepted by most members of the ethnic group referred to. The old term recorded by Fay-Cooper Cole in 1915 (1956:5), which was used by the people themselves is “Higaónon” (from the word “gaun”,“to remove from fire or water”).

After an expedition of two months in September, October, and November, 1902, among the people of northern Luzon it was decided that the Igorot of Bontoc pueblo, in the Province of Lepanto-Bontoc, are as typical of the primitive mountain agriculturist of Luzon as any group visited, and that ethnologic investigations directed from Bontoc pueblo would enable the investigator to show the culture of the primitive mountaineer of Luzon as well as or better than investigations centered elsewhere.

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