05/09/2024
๐๐ป๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ด๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ป ๐ธ๐๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ด๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐น๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ด๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ-๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐ถ ๐๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐บ๐๐น๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ธ ๐ป๐ฎ '๐', ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ด๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ-๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ '๐ฅ' ๐ฎ๐ '๐ ' ๐๐ฎ ๐บ๐ด๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ-๐ฅ๐ผ๐บ๐ฏ๐น๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ด๐๐๐๐ถ๐ป?
The letters "F," "R," and "M" in the surnames of the people of Romblon have a history that spans over one hundred years from the Spanish period.
On November 21, 1849, Spanish Captain and Governor General Narciso Claverรญa y Zaldรบa issued a decree mandating that all Filipinos should choose a surname. The adoption of new surnames was necessary for the efficient implementation of census and taxation processes, as well as to monitor unusual or unauthorized migration throughout the Philippines. The decree was accompanied by a 141-page book called the "๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ผ ๐ฎ๐น๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ผ๐" (Alphabetical Catalogue of Surnames), which was used to distribute surnames based on geographical locations.
The Catรกlogo alfabรฉtico de apellidos (English: Alphabetical Catalog of Surnames) is a book of surnames that was published in colonial-era Philippines after a decree for the systematic distribution of family names and the implementation of the Spanish naming system.
Per the decree, a copy of the catalog was mandated to be circulated to the provincial leaders throughout the archipelago. A specific number of surnames, based on the population, were sent to the parish priests of each barangay. Subsequently, the leaders of each barangay, along with other town officials, oversaw the process as the head of each family or the eldest member selected a surname. Several groups were also exempted from having to choose new surnames.
Sibuyan natives received most surnames starting with "R." Surnames beginning with "F" are common in Banton, Corcuera, and Concepcion. Friars tore pages with "F" surnames from the "Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos" and posted them on church doors, forcing natives of Banton, Corcuera, and Concepcion to adopt them. The letter "M" surname was dedicated to the people of the Romblon and Badajoz (now San Agustin).
How interesting our history is, isn't it?
Sources:
Siscar, Edgar H. (2012, March 25). On November 21, 1849 Governor General Narciso Claverรญa ordered a systematic distribution of family names for the natives to use. [Notes]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/legacy/notes/413497488676089/
Ocampo, A. (2013). A sense of order. The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from http://opinion.inquirer.net/46885/a-sense-of-order. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
