While shopping at the mall one day, I heard a someone calling 
'Baby, Baby' and when finally 'Baby' acknowledged the one 
calling we found out 'Baby' to be a man in his 30s.Baby is a common 
Filipino name that could be a girl or a boy or for that matter, a
man or a woman. Same thing happens with a Filipino nicknamed 'Boy'.
You would of course prefer a more less confusing name than 'Boy' 
or something else if you are in the South, where being called 'Boy' 
means something else.

There was a story told to me along time ago about Richard Nixon. At
one time when Nixon was just a vice president, he visited the 
Philippines. He was shown the rural areas where the American aid
was being used for such projects as farm irrigation and mechanization.
He was such a friendly guy that he introduced himself and asked the
farmer his name. He replied thet he is Timoteo Teotico. Nixon repeated 
the name several times to make it stick to his memory.
And in his speech later on, he said he is happy that a farmer like
"Titimo Titico had been helped by the American assistance to Philippines."
Timoteo Teotico, how will you pronounce it with an American twang 
- I am sure same as Nixon- Titimo Titico. Some of our names are really
tongue twisters to pronounce just like the farmer's name.
      
When we were in the Philippines we call each other with nicknames like 
Bambi, Junior, Ponso, Boboy, Bekbek and so on. Coming over the U.S.
we can no longer use such nicknames in the office. Imagine
someone calling you Popoy and your office mates would not even know 
who is that person is. Chuck is OK because it means Charles but not 
Cocoy because the Americans are not use to such names. It's alright
that your friends will call you 'Nanny' when you're a man but not in
public where you prefer to be called something else. Nanny is what
grandma is affectionately called. It will be awkward to be called 
Nanny in public places because people may think you had a sex changed.

You maybe wondering what your parents were thinking when they named 
you with such a wonderful name. Now that you're stuck with it for 
life, you try to hide your real name from others as much you can
revealing only when you are forced to do it or when necessary 
like filling up a job application form.You also hesitated in showing 
official documents such as your birth certificate or your passport 
that will show your real name.Once known, they'll start calling you
with that name just to irritate you. You just shrugged it and 
ignored them.

As we planted our roots in the U.S., we started calling ourselves 
by more popular American names.Pedring is now Peter, Carlos or 
Carling is now Charles or Chuck, Herminio is now Herman, German
is now Gerry but not Germs or Marcelina is now Marsha. More often
than not, this situation is normally a male issue.I think you 
already know where this story will lead.

I do not fault these names changing, perhaps, its their way of 
discarding the old ways and announcing their new found life by 
making their names more adaptive to the people they will be 
living with from hereon. I am sure being called by the new name 
will make their lives a little easier by not having to correct 
the spelling and where to place punctuations. 

Whatever the reason, I hope their very success with their new names.
This situation is not unique to just Filipinos, I am sure other 
nationalities have similar problems with their names like us.

Here's a game and just for fun. Why don't we reversed the situation. 
Tom Cruise will be called in the Philippines as Tom Cruz, right?,just 
like the Filipino guy who sells cars on TV in a VHF TV station in LA. 
Who knows if that's his real name but good marketing tool - very catchy. 
Anybody else who wants to change their names to more celebrity related 
one?  

Figure out if you can, these persons old Filipino names:


Electronic Ignition

Cashmir Bouquet

Roger Moore

Top Gun

Tutti Frutti

Sam Sonite

Venereal Disease

Frank Furter

Deo Dorant

Remington Steel

Ben Hur

Federal Express

Alzheimer's Disease

Victoria's Secret

Clit Towers

NEW FILIPINO-AMERICANIZED NAMES

George Bush

McDonald's

Ben Hur 

Johnny Walker 

Stevie Wonder

James Bond 

Tiger Woods 

Burger King 

Mary Kay

Frank Furter 

Birth Control

Muscle Control 

Carpool Lanes

Holy Sunday 

Merry Christmas 

Joy T. World 

Happy New Year 

Answers, below:
























 



 
 

Eleoterio Ignacio
Electronic Ignition

Casimiro Bukaykay
Cashmir Bouquet

Rogelio Dagdag
Roger Moore

Topacio Mamaril
Top Gun

Restituto Pruto
Tutti Frutti

Samuel Tampipi
Sam Sonite

Veneracion De Asis
Venereal Disease

Francisco Portero
Frank Furter

Diosdado Durante
Deo Dorant

Remigio Batungbacal
Remington Steel

Bienvenido Jurado
Ben Hur

Federico Hagibis
Federal Express

Alfonso de Asis
Alzheimer's Disease

Victoria Malihim 
Victoria's Secret 

Anacleto Torres
Clit Towers

NEW FILIPINO-AMERICANIZED NAMES

Gregorio Talahib
George Bush

Macario Maldonado
McDonald's

Bienvenido Jurado 
Ben Hur 

Juanito Lakarin 
Johnny Walker 

Esteban Magtaka
Stevie Wonder

Jaime Bondoc
James Bond 

Leon Mangubat
Tiger Woods 

Burgus Bahag-hari
Burger King 

Maria Calas 
Mary Kay

Francisco Portero 
Frank Furter 

Roberto Controlado 
Birth Control

Marcelo Controlado 
Muscle Control 

Carpio Llanes 
Carpool Lanes

Julia Domingo 
Holy Sunday 

Maria Pascua 
Merry Christmas 

Ligaya Almundo
Joy T. World 

Ligaya Añonuevo 
Happy New Year