Breaking My Silence

I got into a fight with a Portuguese dude because he wanted to call the Philippines, Filipinas, and I kept correcting him because we were speaking in the ENGLISH language and so I wanted it to be just that. It would have been nice if he just dropped it off and said he is Portuguese and that is how they call it in their country but he crossed the line when he said it seems he knows more about my country’s origin , than me. I then remarked I did know about my country’s origin and showed him proof, screenshots and where the name came from (King Philip II of Spain). He actually replied, “YOU.ARE.NOT.ENGLISH. YOU. SURE. LOVE.KISSING.ENGLISH.ASS.CUNT.”
Names do not translate. He said.
The loophole in this is this: IF NAMES DO NOT TRANSLATE, THEN WHY WAS HE SO FIXATED ON CALLING Pilipinas as either Philippines or Filipinas?
I know this is all pointless since we are both correct. He is right when he said the name was from King Felipe (the Spanish name) and I am still correct when I said King Philip II (the English name). And Philippines = Filipinas = Republika ng Pilipinas.
WHAT IS BUGGING AND IS IRRITATING ME (making me rant and write this lengthy post despite having had a very exciting and fun-filled day) is the fact that I WAS INSULTED. It was not … is not my fault we were taught history in the ENGLISH language. It is not my fault the names in the books are translated and variations get passed on from one edition to another. What’s really frustrating is the fact that we are Filipinos; speakers of the Filipino language, and yet we cannot defend our country when people criticize us for Americanizing it too much. It being the universal language, everything has to be in English. I know I am going to piss people off with this post but I do not care. In a society like ours, where everything is said to be taught in English, it’s not surprising why people tend to correlate history with the English words (aka translations) for uniformity, universality, and easy understanding. But we forget that history is not solely based on one culture, heritage, or language. And neither is identity. The sad part is that we are not aware. I was not insulted because he mocked my knowledge of MY history. He was mocking me because I.AND. EVERY.SINGLE.ONE.OF.US. do not have… would not recognize our own identity, if we rely so much on the history books not written by Filipinos.

Why I kept on urging PHILIPPINES and he, FILIPINAS.
That is why we worship a dictator and call him a hero. That is why we do not understand the importance of territorial disputes. That is why so many, despite the many that voted for him, hate our present president.

Fellow Filipinos, even this message is written in English. I now understand what Bob Ong feels.
Mabuhay ang Republika ng Pilipinas!