This law included the catálogo alfabético de apellidos: a list of 61,000 surnames from which every Filipino family had ... Some Filipinos with unique names have wrestled with how and when ...

"In the southern part of the Philippines, a common Filipino surname is 'Basa' ['to read']," Loy shares, adding, "That is actually an influence from the original Sanskrit word 'vac' ['to speak'].

For many, this month is a reminder of the moment most Filipino families started using official surnames, made possible by the decree enacted by Governor-General Narciso Claveria in 1849.