Religious groups call for a stop to changing the name of a street dedicated to Saint Francis
A bill has been presented to dedicate San Francisco del Monte Avenue to Fernando Poe Jr., the "King of Philippine Movie". Franciscan missionaries want Congress to choose another street for the movie celebrity. As far as they know, Poe's family lived on Roosevelt Avenue.
Manila (AsiaNews) – Several religious groups are asking the Philippine government to leave Del Monte Avenue as it is. The road is named after San Francisco Del Monte, a district in Quezon City.
Senator Manuel "Lito" Lapid is behind Senate Bill no. 1822, which would turn Del Monte Avenue (pictured) into Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue.
The Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP) is opposed to the proposal, saying that the current name is of historical value.
“To rename Del Monte Avenue is to start the process of denying 400 years of history that is San Francisco Del Monte, from which Del Monte Avenue is derived,” the AMRSP said in a statement.
Heaven Almazan, OFM explained that the name comes from San Francisco del Monte, a secluded place founded by a friar named Pedro Bautista in the year 1590 in honour of Saint Francis, the founder of his missionary order.
Del Monte was added to the name because it was located on a hilly area and to differentiate it from San Francisco de Manila.
For Franciscan missionaries, the site holds great historical value. “Almost five centuries ago, Fray Pedro Bautista built a house in this area, a place where the missionaries could find solitude and recharge the physical and spiritual vigor spent in bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the natives of the area.”
hence, “Quezon City's first church was built here, in San Francisco del Monte. Therefore, this area and their historical names are sacred to the civic and religious history of Quezon City,” Almazan said.
Senate bill no. 1822 was introduced to make new generations aware of Fernando Poe Jr.'s contributions to the Philippine film industry. Known as the "King of Philippine Movie," and nicknamed Da King, he starred in more than 300 films, some of which he produced, directed and wrote.
As an alternative, the Franciscan missionaries urged the Philippine Congress to choose another street to call Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue. As far as they know, the Poe family lived on Roosevelt Avenue.
In view of the situation, Senate speaker Vicente Sotto III is trying to switch Del Monte Avenue to Roosevelt Avenue, where Poe lived.
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