LAPULAPU. One word, not hyphenated.
This was what Executive Order (EO) 152, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, December 6, 2021, stressed when referring to the Filipino hero who fought Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan in the 16th century.
In his EO 152, Duterte said adopting a common rendering of the name of Lapulapu, so as to conform to earlier references, "will aid in the education of our youth about Philippines history, which is foundational to the formation of national identity."
EO 152 amended all references to the name Lapu-Lapu in EO 17 (series of 2017) and 55 (series of 2018). The name will now be written as Lapulapu.
Duterte directed all government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or -controlled corporations, as well as state universities and colleges to adopt "Lapulapu" when referring to the name of the Filipino hero.
The same directive was addressed to local government units, non-government organizations, civil society groups and the private sector.
The EO 152 clarified, however, that the official names of places, such as Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu, should be respected, with the name having been established by statute.
The EO also noted that the earlier rendering in the Latin alphabet of the name of the Mactan hero is "Cilapulapu," with "Ci" apparently being an honorific title from which heroes Jose Rizal and Juan Luna derived their own references to him as "Si Lapulapu."
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, in the same EO, said the directive will take effect upon its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.