With his suggestion to change the name of the Philippines into “Ophir,” after the Biblical land of gold, Santa Rosa City Representative Dan Fernandez has inadvertently raised an important question: Why do Filipinos still keep on believing in debunked myths of hidden gold in the country?
Here we go again.
That was the sentiment of experts and ordinary people alike at the latest move of Santa Rosa City in Laguna Representative Dan Fernandez to change the name of the Philippines to “Ophir.”
Not only does the proposed name change reflect the penchant of so-called “traditional politicians” to endlessly change the names of public edifices, Fernandez’s suggestion came off for many as yet another attempt to perpetuate the endless myths of “hidden gold” that was supposed to be located in the Philippines.
Name symbolizes colonial past
In a privilege speech before the House of Representatives last Monday, July 31, Fernandez came up with the suggestion to change the Philippines’ name to “Ophir.”
For almost 25 minutes, the solon reportedly spouted a hodgepodge of Philippine and Biblical history as he tried to connect the dots to prove that the Philippine archipelago is the “land of gold” described in the Holy Scriptures.
Delving into the argument that the name “Philippines” was given by the Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in the 1540s, after King Philip II of Spain, Fernandez claimed that the country’s current name carries the taint of colonization and discrimination.
“Kung ang pangalan ng Pilipinas ay may bahid ng pananakop at diskriminasyon, at ang Maharlika ay kapulungan ng mga tao sa isang balangay o tribo sa ating bansa bago dumating ang mga Kastila, meron pa kayang higit na karapat dapat na pangalan para sa ating bansa?” the solon added, referring to the “Maharlika” title of the feudal warrior class in ancient Tagalog society that was used as a propaganda tool during the time of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.
Land of gold
But not content to use the country’s history, the congressman suddenly also became a religious expert of sorts after claiming that the country was the mythical place of “Ophir.”
According to Biblical lore, “Ophir” is a faraway land famed for its abundance of wealth, particularly in gold.
Various places have been asserted as the locale of Ophir, including Africa, the Philippines, Indonesia, and even Australia.
“Sa tapat daw ng China ay pulo pulong isla, tayo lang naman ang pitong libong isla sa tapat ng China… mayaman sa ginto at according to Pigafetta [Antonio Pigafetta, who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan during the latter’s voyage to the Philippines in 1521], ang pangalan ng mga islang ito Ophir,” he said.
It should be noted, by the way, that even some religious leaders have refuted the claims that "Ophir" is located in the Philippines.
In January 2022, Pastor Jun Divierte of Victory Church Alabang posted a lengthy article on Facebook disproving that claim.
“A detailed study of the Bible reveals that the Philippines is not referred to in the Scriptures as the isle in the east… The Ophirian religious cult's argument is easily refuted, as a careful study of the biblical map reveals that the Philippines is not the one mentioned in the Old Testament,” Diverte asserted in his post.
And as far back as 1976, a group of experts came to the conclusion that the Mahd adh Dhabab (Cradle of Gold) in Saudi Arabia, known in ancient times for its gold deposits, could have been the most likely location of Ophir.
Gold myths
Some historians, on the other hand, have drawn comparisons between Fernandez’s claims with other “myths” of hidden gold in the Philippines.
One particular myth that still persists is the so-called “Tallano Gold” that was allegedly possessed by the family of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.
Even after his son, incumbent President Bongbong Marcos, has repeatedly disavowed the “Tallano Gold” claims, diehard supporters of the Marcos family still perpetuate the myth in the stubborn belief that the “gold bars” allegedly owned by the family will be used for the betterment of the Philippines.
But why are these “gold myths” still popular?
One reason, according to some academicians, is that the current socio-economic situation in the country have made Filipinos vulnerable to “get-rich-quick” schemes as a way of getting out of poverty.
Then there’s also the “mystical” attributes of these myths which, in a “deeply religious” country, have enabled people to believe in them despite all evidence to the contrary.
“Why are we fond of these gold stories? Because we know in our past that we once knew we are a rich islands [sic] but colonialism, corruption and greed deprived us of that wealth, and so we continue to dream of that past and hoping that these narratives like Tallano and Ophir are true,” historian Michael Charleston “Xiao” Chua said in his Facebook page.
Local tourism officials in Laguna, who are also in charge of preserving their cities’ historical heritage, have declined to comment on the issue.
Focus on something else
The prevailing opinion among ordinary Lagunenses, on the other hand, is that Fernandez’s push to change the name of the Philippines reflected the tendency of “trapos” to focus on nonsensical issues to avoid discussion on the more pressing issues of socio-economic development.
“Unnecessary. Better focus on making laws that would benefit the people for progress’ sake," netizen Berns Trovela commented on OpinYon Laguna's social media page.
The view that changing the Philippines' name was an "unnecessary" distraction was also shared by some Lagunenses interviewed by OpinYon Laguna.
"Hindi naman kailangan na yan, nandon na established na yung pangalang Pilipinas. Matagal nang binabago yan dati gusto palitan ng maharlika hindi matuloy. Established na e, nagsisimula palang tayong makilala sa ibang bansa papalitan mo nanaman, walang mangyayari dyan tama na yan. Walang mangyayari dyan," Mang Herdiy from San Pedro City said.
As of press time, Rep. Fernandez’s office has yet to reply to OpinYon Laguna’s queries regarding the issue.
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