Philippines
Etymology
Main article: Names of the Philippines
During his 1542 expedition, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the islands of Leyte and Samar "Felipinas" after King Philip II of Castile (then Prince of Asturias).
Eventually, the name "Las Islas Filipinas" would be used for the archipelago's Spanish possessions.[15]:
6 Other names, such as
"Islas del Poniente" (Western Islands),
"Islas del Oriente" (Eastern Islands),
Ferdinand Magellan's name, and
"San Lázaro" (Islands of St. Lazarus),
were used by the Spanish to refer to islands in the region before Spanish rule was established.[16][17][18]
During the Philippine Revolution, the Malolos Congress proclaimed the República Filipina (the Philippine Republic).[19]
American colonial authorities referred to the country as the Philippine Islands (a translation of the Spanish name).[20]
The official title "Republic of the Philippines" was included in the 1935 constitution as the name of the future independent state,[22] and in all succeeding constitutional revisions.[23][24]