Pilipinas or Filipinas? No official position yet - Palace

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang officials have yet to discuss the proposal of a language body to rename the country from "Pilipinas" to "Filipinas," presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said on Friday.

Lacierda said he has already seen an interview of National Artist Virgilio Almario of the Komisyong ng Wikang Filipino, which proposes to revive the use of “Filipinas."

"[I]n terms of kung merong official discussion pa, wala pa ho kaming napag-uusapan tungkol diyan,” Lacierda said at a televised press briefing.

The proposed renaming would promote the official and modern name of the country and could unite Filipinos with a better sense of history, according to the language body.

Lacierda also appealed to those who dislikes the proposal, saying the language body has reasons for its proposal and it is only doing its job.

“We understand kasi ang Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, ‘yun po ang mandato nila. So siyempre, they are just performing their mandate. Ito po ang kanilang recommendation but, as to official position taken by the Palace, we have not discussed it yet,” he said.

The name "Philippines," derived from King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century, was officially adopted during the American occupation of the country.

“Filipinas” was previously the official name of the country but it changed in the course of history.