Philippines or Las Islas Filipinas is a name given by Roy Lopez de Villalobos, a Spanish navigator, in honor of Prince Philip of Asturias later King Philip II of Spain.
Long before Villalobos called the islands as "The Philippines" it had various names:
Ophir - the land which supplied gold to King Solomon of Israel, when Israel conquered Rome.
Maniolas - appeared in magazine edition of the geographical word of Rome by Claudius.
Ma-I - according to ancient Chinese records the islands are called Ma-I meaning Land of Barbarians. Other Chinese named the islands: Chin San, mountain of God; Lui Sung, land adjacent to mainland China and San Tao, three islands.
La Agunda de Buenas Senales - named by the first European to set on the islands which means Watering Place of God omens.
Archipelago of Saint Lazarus - in 1521 Ferdinand Magellan name this it archipelago of St. Lazarus.
Islas de Poniente - Western islands
Islas de Oriente - Eastern islands
Islas de Lazarus - island of mortars
Archipelago of Magellan
Archipelago de Celebes
Pearl of the Orient Seas - Jose Rizal named it in his poem "Mi Ultimo Adios" or my last farewell.
Tip me so i can continue my writings here!
Different name of same place..
First time that I seeing something like this.