Philippine history : reassessed / Isidro Escare Abeto.

Naming of the Infant. Names of the infants were derived from significant occurrences at the time of their birth. Thus, a baby born amidst
lightning was named Maglinti. An old man of the village could also give a
name. His eyes covered with cloth, he would walk around making loud
utterances. When he got hold at a thing, he would uncover his eyes and named
the baby with that thing. The mother of a baby was also allowed to name the
baby at her discretion but depending upon the prevailing circumstances at the
baby's birth. If the baby was healthy and strong, the name given was
Makusog. If a native bird catches the mother's fancy, she would name her
child Punay.
Ancestors Had No Surnames. Filipino ancestors did not have surnames. A prefix or suffix was added to the name given at birth. Thus, Amay
ni Makusog orNanay ni Makusog refer to the father or mother of Makusog,
respectively. Even today, a person is identified by his relation, like Si Maria
balo ni Jose (Maria, Jose's widow). Females were made different from the
males by the suffix "in". Thus "Ilog" for a man, is "Ilogin" for a woman.
Sometimes, a female and a male were distinguished from each other by the
physical quality of the objects with which they were named, like "Lawa-an"
for a woman and "Apitong" for a man.
Gods That Natives Worship. The ancient people of the Visayan Islands
as well as of the most parts of the country worshipped different gods.
Natives, according to Spanish historian Diego Lope de Povedano, gave the
following names:
Kabunyan - The most highly respected and revered god, He was
believed to be the loftiest of all because he lived in the highest confines of
the sky.
Makinid - He held a power over evil, although himself was also considered an evil. He gave bad harvests and bad weather. It was believed that
the Bisayans invoked this god when going to war or on a plundering expedition.
Aropayang - the most favorite god of the Filipino ancestors. They
invoked him for rains to water their fields and to safeguard them from pests
and calamities. The poeple usually gave him offerings of rice and other
things of high value.

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