The Philippines had Different Names?!

Did you know the Philippines had different names? Before the name ‘Philippines’ existed, the major islands already had names that later developed into Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Then in 1521, Magellan arrived and named a few islands as Las Islas de San Lázaro, in honor of Saint Lazarus. Spain also temporarily used Islas del Poniente, which means ‘The Western Islands,’ as a placeholder on their maps. Then in 1543, Ruy López de Villalobos officially gave Leyte and Samar the name Las Islas Filipinas, in honor of Prince Philip. Over time, this name came to represent the entire archipelago. During the American period, it was called The Philippine Islands, the literal English translation for Las Islas Filipinas. And today, the country is known simply as The Philippines, locally known as Pilipinas. #philippines #interesting #facts #interestingfacts #filipino #didyouknow #education #philippinehistory #history