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Also, the matters contained in the following were written in accordance with the law, rules, and jurisprudence prevailing at the time of writing and posting, and do not include any future developments on the subject matter under discussion.
AT A GLANCE
- All public places may be named or renamed by the President, through a proclamation, or by Congress, through legislation.
- Public places under the jurisdiction of the local governments with the exception of barangays may be named or renamed by the local government unit concerned.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) is responsible for the conservation and preservation of the country’s historical legacies. NHCP is the primary government agency responsible for history and has the authority to determine all factual matters relating to official Philippine history.
What are the functions of the NHCP?
The law says:
In this regard, the NHCP shall:
(a)conduct and support all kinds of research relating to Philippine national and local history;
(b)develop educational materials in various media, implement historical educational activities for the popularization of Philippine history, and disseminate, information regarding Philippine historical events, dates, places and personages;
(c)undertake and prescribe the manner of restoration, conservation and protection of the country’s historical movable and immovable objects;
(d)manage, maintain and administer national shrines, monuments, historical sites, edifices and landmarks of significant historico-cultural value; and
(e)actively engage in the settlement or resolution of controversies or issues relative to historical personages, places, dates and events. (Section 5, Republic Act No. 10086)
All public places may be named or renamed by the President, through a proclamation, or by Congress, through legislation. Thus, local government units cannot rename public place if the original name was created by an act of Congress or by a proclamation of the President of the Philippines. Moreover, no national road, school, hospital and other national property can be named or renamed by a local government unit. (Section 1, Part I, Revised Guidelines on the Naming and Renaming of Streets, Public Schools, Plazas, Building, Bridges and other Public Structures)
What may be renamed by the local government units?
The law says:
Public places under the jurisdiction of the local governments with the exception of barangays may be named or renamed by the local government unit concerned (e.g. a provincial road cannot be renamed by a municipal or city government)
The change of name of any local government unit shall be effective only upon ratification in a plebiscite conducted for the purpose in the political unit directly affected.
The sanggunians of component cities and municipalities may, in consultation with the National Historical Institute, change the name of streets, roads, schools, health facilities or any other public place or building within its territorial jurisdiction. (Section 2-3, Part I, Revised Guidelines on the Naming and Renaming of Streets, Public Schools, Plazas, Building, Bridges and other Public Structures)
What should the character of names be?
The law says:
- Proposed names must have historical and cultural significance and must contribute to the positive development of national pride through the good example exhibited by the name being used.
- Recommended names for public places should be appropriate in terms of historical value and significance to the place to be named or renamed.
- Indigenous names of roads, streets, barangays and other places should always be preserved especially if that name is unique to the place. (e.g. places named Sampaguita, Tagaytay, Kundiman, Tayuman, etc., should not be renamed).
- Hispanized and foreign terms should be retained if they have attained a degree of historical significance and have been sanctified by usage.
- The use of Filipino words should be encouraged in the naming or renaming of streets, plazas and other public places.
- Names should be short and simple for practical and aesthetic reasons. However, the use of nicknames or aliases in the naming of public places should be discouraged.
- The use of names which are complicated and confusing shall be discouraged. In cases where the name and initials are the same with other prominent personages, the full name of the person intended to be honored should be specified.
- Schools, hospitals and other public structures named after the province or municipality are considered appropriately named and, therefore, shall not be renamed.
- The old name, of streets, schools, hospitals, etc., which have been sanctified by usage by the residents of the community, should be placed underneath the new name in the signage to facilitate the delivery of postal matter and serve as direct guide for people accustomed to the former names.
- Natural features such as islands, rivers, seas, oceans, mountains, plains shall not be renamed, unless there are being reverted to their old indigenous names. (Part III, Revised Guidelines on the Naming and Renaming of Streets, Public Schools, Plazas, Building, Bridges and other Public Structures)
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