http://www.rappler.com/nation/32495-filipinas-kwf-almario
So apparently the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (Filipino Language Commission) has released a resolution to change the official spelling of the country to Filipinas, the original name given by Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in honor of King Felipe II. They have resolved that Philippines, the westernized, or rather Americanized version of the country's name, and Pilipinas, the current and most widely-used name for the country, are both incorrect. In the resolution, KWF chairman Virgilio Almario cited his 1992 Diyaryo Filipino article (http://www.kwf.gov.ph/?page_id=2803). In it he writes that the name "Philippines" was coined by the Americans and should not be used as it implies colonial mentality. On the case of the Tagalog "Pilipinas", Almario writes that it became official only in the 20th Century, due to the propagation of the original Filipino alphabet, the A-ba-ka-da, which did not include F. Most literature before the 20th Century either in Spanish or in the local languages, refer to the country as Filipinas.
I have to admit, Virgilio has made some valid arguments for the use of Filipinas as the official name of the country. While I am no historian or linguist, I would still like to offer my humble opinion as part of the Filipino masses.
What has not been discussed in the article was the intent of the inclusion of the letter F in the current Filipino alphabet. It is meant to be used for borrowed words, or to be used when using foreign words such as English or Spanish when there is no direct Filipino equivalent. They are also used in names. This would not be necessary if the Filipino language had adequate vocabulary, but that is simply not the case. Even Almario's article for Diyaryo Filipino, where he discusses his arguments for the use of "Filipinas", was not written exclusively in Filipino. Hence, the original Abakada alphabet would not have sufficed, especially in these globalized times. The addition of letters allowed Filipino writers to utilize and borrow words from other languages. On the other hand, Filipino, or more particularly Tagalog words, do not need the additional letters.
Maybe it is historically more accurate for the country to be called Filipinas, however would that not undermine the original Filipino language which did not include the letter F? Or would that not indicate that we have simply accepted the subjugation of our indigenous culture and national identity?
The fact is, Filipinas has been the name of the country since the Spaniards have named it so, and the Philippines is so called because the Americans did. But the name Pilipinas, that is the name that the people chose. That is how we say it, and that is how we write it. Like the old military jeeps of the American occupation that we repurposed and turned into jeepneys, we have made something foreign, the name of our country, our own by making it suit our needs. The local tongue is not used to pronouncing the letter F, so most have elected to use the letter P. Historically, yes, the country has been called Filipinas far longer than Pilipinas, but that is the name given by the countrymen to their country.
In my opinion changing the spelling of the country would only cause further confusion, not only in the country but with the rest of the world as well. Arguing that the name "Philippines" is given by a foreigner is not sufficient basis to insist to erase it. After all, it is used in English, and that language is not ours. It has been used in English since the language stormed our shores, in the same way as China is not called Zhongguo in and Japan is not called Nihon in English. And would that not invalidate further the argument that we should use Filipinas, a name given by another foreign power? The change from Filipinas to Pilipinas is not just a simple letter-swap in favor of easier pronunciation; it is the local language, as well as the local culture permeating through an object of foreign origin. Sa manlulupig, di ka pasisiil.
