While we were sleeping, a street was named Gil Tulog
There it was, glowing in neon arrogance and bordering on desecration: “GIL TULOG AVENUE.” Someone in advertising must have thought our sleepless metropolis needed a reminder to catch some Zs—by temporarily renaming one of Metro Manila’s busiest roads to peddle melatonin. Social media exploded with jokes and memes faster than EDSA traffic at rush hour.
But in a city where street names change as often as balimbing politicians flip-flop, Gil Tulog isn’t as farfetched as it seems.
One minute, you’re on Calle Azcarraga (named after Spain’s only Manila-born and part-Bicolano Prime Minister Marcelo Azcarraga), and the next, you’re on Claro M. Recto. Just when you’ve mastered the maze, Calle Rosario (named after the district’s patron saint Nuestra Señora del Rosario) morphs into Quintin Paredes Street. At this rate, I’d bet a hundred pizzas it’s only a matter of time before Taft Avenue turns into TikTok Boulevard.
I don’t have anything against the revered nationalist and independent foreign policy advocate Senator Claro M. Recto or Ilocano politico Quintin Paredes, but why do we need to expunge old street names and history? Aren’t there always new highways and streets needing good names?
Take Gil Puyat Avenue, formerly Buendia. I mistakenly thought Buendia was a despicable Spanish conquistador whom some nationalists wanted to banish into the dustbins, but no—it was named after Nicolas Buendia, a Katipunero and Filipino Senator. Talk about a history lesson with a twist!
Unnecessarily changing old street names is like fixing things that aren’t broken. In the process, we erase part of our local history, our sense of nostalgia, and we unfairly consign notable personalities to oblivion.
Instead of naming the majority of our streets after politicians, why not honor more of the true immortals of our society like poets, teachers, artists, engineers, doctors, musicians and genuine heroes?
There’s something priceless and beautiful about maintaining good old things and names. Not everything old is passé, useless, or bad. If we keep this up, someone’s bound to rename 85-year-old Kamuning Bakery Cafe as Gluten-Free Pandesal Hub.
I’m not against politicians per se, because there are bad politicos and many good political leaders who deserve our remembrance for their exploits and public service. However, can I offer some unsolicited advice to our legislators and city councils?
Instead of naming the majority of our streets after politicians, why not honor more of the true immortals of our society like poets, teachers, artists, engineers, doctors, musicians and genuine heroes? Heck, even Lolo Tony the taho vendor deserves a street if it means honoring the people who genuinely make our lives better every day!
Imagine driving down General Vicente Lim Avenue, dedicated to the first Filipino West Point graduate who fought the Japanese invaders and sacrificed his life. Or strolling down Governor Wenceslao Vinzons Street, honoring the youngest delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention and a fearless guerrilla leader martyred during World War II. These names might actually make you feel a sense of pride rather than confusion on why you ended up in the wrong barangay.
Let’s champion nationalist underdogs like General Macario Sakay with Sakay Avenue or Teodoro Asedillo Street for the teacher-turned-revolutionary. Don’t forget General Jose Ignacio Paua Street for the Chinese immigrant blacksmith turned anti-colonial revolutionary general. These are people who did more than just wave during motorcades.
How about naming streets after literary legends like Francisco Balagtas Avenue, Huseng Batute Street, or Amado V. Hernandez Avenue? Can you imagine the kind of literary inspiration that could bloom on Nick Joaquin Boulevard, or the food blogs that could spring up on Doreen Fernandez Street?
Let’s also honor our visual artists with Botong Francisco Avenue and celebrate our musical icons with Lucio San Pedro Lane or Levi Celerio Street. It’s high time we named streets after musicians who hit the right notes rather than politicians who sing off-key and infuriate the heavens to unleash heavy rains upon us.
By the way, renaming Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City to Fernando Poe, Jr. Avenue was my original suggestion to then QC Councilor Winnie Castelo, but my suggestion was Del Monte Avenue to FPJ Avenue. Changing a colonial vestige name like Roosevelt to Fernando Poe, Jr. is good, but why stop there? Let’s replace colonial governor-generals’ names like Dasmariñas with those of Filipino heroes.
Do you know that the concept of rectifying names (cheng-ming in Mandarin) is important to the moral teachings of Confucius, as it is the basis of establishing social harmony and political order? So please, let’s not bastardize or take lightly the wanton changing of street names. Confucius would probably say, “Rename wisely, young grasshopper.”
Properly renaming some streets to reflect our past would enhance our urban centers and educate the public on the rich diversity of Filipino history and culture. Plus, it might actually give tourists something more interesting to look up on Wikipedia.
Also, maybe there’s a deeper, unintended message in the Gil Tulog mistake? Perhaps it’s a subliminal commentary on our nation—a reminder that some of those in power seem to be in a permanent state of slumber or appear to be “natutulog sa pansitan,” while the rest of us wrestle with chaos, high prices and floods.
Let’s please make naming (or renaming) our street names in the Philippines more sensible. Here’s to a future where street names inspire, educate and uplift, rather than confuse and irritate.