Further Amending EO No. 17 (S. 2017) and EO No. 55 (S. 2018), to Change the Rendering of the Name of the Filipino Hero from "Lapu-Lapu" to "Lapulapu"

December 6, 2021

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 152

FURTHER AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER (EO) NO. 17 (S. 2017) AND EO NO. 55 (S. 2018), TO CHANGE THE RENDERING OF THE NAME OF THE FILIPINO HERO FROM "LAPU-LAPU" TO "LAPULAPU"

WHEREAS, 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;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 10086 or the "Strengthening Peoples' Nationalism Through Philippine History Act," the State shall provide the means to strengthen people's nationalism, love of country, respect for its heroes and pride for the people's accomplishments by reinforcing the importance of Philippine national and local history in daily life, with the end view of raising social consciousness;

WHEREAS, EO No. 17 (s. 2017), as amended by EO No. 35 (s. 2017), created the Order of Lapu-Lapu which is awarded to officials and employees of the government as well as private individuals who rendered extraordinary or invaluable service in relation to a campaign or advocacy of the President;

WHEREAS, EO No. 55 (s. 2018), as amended by EO No. 103 (s. 2020), created the National Quincentennial Committee, which was tasked to spearhead the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines that include events celebrating the victory in the Battle of Mactan;

WHEREAS, 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";

WHEREAS, 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;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Recognition of the Name Lapulapu. — The name Lapulapu is understood to refer to the Filipino hero 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."

All government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or -controlled corporations, and state universities and colleges, are hereby directed, and local government units, non-government organizations, civil society groups, and the private sector, are hereby enjoined to adopt "Lapulapu" when referring to the name of the first Filipino hero.

The foregoing notwithstanding, the official names of places such as Lapu-Lapu City, having been established by statute, shall continue to be respected.

SECTION 2. Repeal. — Except for the foregoing amendments, all other provisions of EO Nos. 17 and 55, and their amendatory EOs shall remain unchanged. All other orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are contrary or inconsistent with this Order are hereby modified accordingly.

SECTION 3. Effectivity. — This Order shall take effect upon its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 6th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-One.

 

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 117, No. 50, p. 11640 on December 13, 2021.