Pepe Rizal Day
Coming up on Thursday, June 19, is the birthday of Jose Rizal (1861-1896), whose heroism makes it difficult for people to refer to him by his nickname Pepe Rizal.
Pepe is a nickname found throughout the Hispanophone, countries whose culture and language were influenced by Spanish colonialism. That includes Spain and Latin American countries. I recently wrote about Jose Mujica, the much-beloved president of Uruguay who passed away recently (see “‘El Pépé,’” 5/27/25). He was often referred to as El Pepe.
The Philippines is a Hispanophone saling pusa, a tag-along accidental participant, the Hispanic reflected in the many Filipinos born and christened Jose and nicknamed Pepe. Our split personality from our two colonial masters is reflected in names and in the use of Pepe—if you’re named Jose, then usually you’ll carry Pepe, while if your parents are Americanized, you’d be Joseph, and nicknamed “Joe.”
I like the nickname Pepe, which comes closer to being a Filipino everyman, paired off with Pilar. Better, I feel, than “Juan and Juana de la Cruz.”
I have wondered, as I suspect many Filipinos do, why Jose is abbreviated as Pepe, which is extended to Pepito, little Pepe. That’s another Hispanic influence; thus Carlito, Manuelito, and many more. Oh, if we have Pepito as little Pepe, the English Joe also has “Joey” or little Joe. It’s cute, too, that joey means a baby kangaroo, whether male or female.
Back to Pepe.
Turns out others in the Hispanophone world were wondering too about the Jose-Pepe link, but I’ve seen this explained only once in a local internet post, on the well-written El Filipinismo website, which helps us understand the Hispanic nuances in our culture. El Filipinismo traces Pepe back to the Latin pater putativo or putative father, honoring St. Joseph as Jesus’ putative (assumed) father.
I did a bit more research and learned that in convents and monasteries, readings of the Sacred Scriptures referred to St. Joseph in Latin as Sanctus Josefus Pater Putativus Christi, i.e., St. Joseph, the putative (that is, recognized, acknowledged, assumed) father of Christ, shortened to “P.P.” with the Spanish “p” pronounced as “pe.”
But it turns out, though, that this “Pater Putativus” theory is disputed. The Diccionario de la Lengua Española (DLE or “Dictionary of the Spanish Language,” published by the Royal Spanish Academy), does not include this putative father origin for Pepe and the academy is considered the most authoritative for matters of language.
As an anthropologist, I think dictionaries should better reflect popular culture. The Oxford English Dictionary stands in contrast to the DLE, always adding new words, including those that now constitute many World Englishes, including Filipino English, so that words like mani-pedi and gigil can now be considered variations of English.
I also like the way Pepe Rizal’s birthday in June comes close to the Philippines’ observation of Father’s Day, on the third Sunday of June. There are so many meanings that can be drawn from these proximities of dates, including Rizal as the father of the nation. (Note though, that there is no official proclamation of Rizal as the father of the nation, or even as the national hero).
Rizal was actually a biological father. While in exile in Dapitan, he was accompanied by Josephine Bracken, who delivered a child prematurely and stillborn early in 1896. Rizal had wanted to marry Bracken but was forbidden by the friars because of his radical views around religion as well as his politics.
Rizal seemed to have been very much affected by his son’s short life. Shortly after Francisco’s birth, he volunteered to go to Cuba as a military doctor and was given permission by the Spanish governor-general. Before leaving Dapitan, he burned down a hut that he had built. He had buried his son Francisco close to the hut.
Rizal left the Philippines but was arrested in Barcelona, where he was to board a ship for Cuba. Sent back to the Philippines, he was accused of being part of the revolutionary activities against Spain, found guilty, and executed.
We might want to think of Rizal as a Pepe, in the sense of a pater putativo for the Philippines.
I think, too, that recognizing Pepe can mean recognizing the many putative fathers in the Philippines, who take up the role of fathering when the biological father is absent. We all know elder brothers, uncles, grandfathers, as well as other men who may not even be biologically related, becoming adoptive fathers (legally or not) to sons and daughters.
Might we better prepare more young Filipinos to take up Pepe roles, responsible putative fathers, whether biologically or in adoptive roles? Next Father’s Day, or even this coming Thursday on Jose Rizal’s birthday, let’s show our appreciation for the men who have already taken up and poured their lives into Pepe roles.
Happy Pepe Rizal Day!
