Names of the Philippines
There have been several names of the Philippines (, ; ) in different cultures and at different times, usually in reference to specific island groups within the current archipelago. Even the name Philippines itself was originally intended to apply only to Leyte, Samar, and nearby islands. It was bestowed by the Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos or one of his captains Bernardo de la Torre in 1543 in honor of the crown prince Philip, later PhilipII. Mindanao, which they reached first and assumed to be the greater land, they named after the reigning emperor CharlesV, who was also Spain's king CarlosI. Over the course of Spanish colonization, the name was eventually extended to cover the entire chain. It has survived with minor changes. The Philippine Revolution called its state the Philippine Republic (). The US military and civilian occupations called their territory the Philippine Islands (). During the Third Philippine Republic, the state's official name was formally changed to the Philippines. Present name The present name of the Philippines was bestowed by the Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos or one of his captains Bernardo de la Torre in 1543, during an expedition intended to establish greater Spanish control