Why do Pinoys abroad refer to the Philippines as PI?

**the_wildthing** · March 14th, 2007 01:31 AM

Which reminds me, my wife's cousin who is based in Fallon, NV did refer to the Phils as PI once or twice. It might be a military thing too. He did grow up in the Phils and joined the Navy in Subic.

**bunge** · March 14th, 2007 02:08 AM

Originally Posted by M54 Powered

diba yun ang tawag ng US sa Pilipinas nung colony pa siya ng US? i could be wrong, since hindi pa ako buhay nung times na yun....

...tanungin kaya natin si nicolodeon o si bunge? :hihihi:

la akong pakialam sa mga tumatawag ng P.I. sa ating Beloved Pinas, wag lang silang magyayabang ng wala namang mga binatbat at trying hard lang na maging Kano o Brit o ano mang lahi at siguradong makakatikim sila ng malutong na PI

langhiya ka Empy, nanglaglag ka na naman! :swear:

**snowbound** · March 14th, 2007 02:09 AM

i just dont like to hear phils being referred to as P.I. feeling ko kasi, colony pa rin tayo ng US. mas feel ko pakinggan ang The Philippines. yong may emphasis on the name of our country. i worked in japan in early 90s, the philippines tawag nila. then, i joined my wife in the UK for 2 years in 2000, the philippines din naman tawag nila. baka sa US lang yong P.I ang tawag. di pako nakarating doon. hehehe.

**Jun aka Pekto** · March 14th, 2007 02:40 AM

Originally Posted by the_wildthing

Which reminds me, my wife's cousin who is based in Fallon, NV did refer to the Phils as PI once or twice. It might be a military thing too. He did grow up in the Phils and joined the Navy in Subic.

Fallon's my hometown. It is a military thing because most Americans who've been to the Philippines are GI's. How does your cousin-in-law like Fallon? Culture shock?

But the wild, desolate country has a charm of its own.

My Dad did the same thing back in the early 50's except he went through Sangley Point in Cavite.

**redorange** · March 14th, 2007 04:13 AM

Originally Posted by mbeige

The only think I don't like is when they call us Philippinos. Darn it they can't spell right.

PI, RP, Pinas, Pilipinas, Philippines, I don't care. Why can't you just admit, it's an archipelago, meaning it's made of islands, so Philippine Islands is perfectly fine.

Meaning? What hidden meaning? If you think it has a meaning, then something's wrong with you.

It's not so much the hidden meaning it's more on the fact that you as Pinoy are using a term which was mainly used by Americans to describe the Philippines before it became a republic. As someone already posted most of the people that use it here in the US that aren't Pinoys are GI's. Yes it means Philippine islands but you don't call Indonesia II for Indonesia Islands or Japan JI for Japanese Islands do you? Maybe it's just me getting old because I think calling it PI shows disrespect for the people who lost their lives making it a republic.

Originally Posted by GlennSter

is "PI" considered colonial in US? im just asking..really dunno this and I really dont mind using PI since PHILIPPINES is too long when i chat with canadian friends.hehehe

The answers above.

**redorange** · March 14th, 2007 04:18 AM

Originally Posted by uls

E yung US of A colony din naman dati yan...

Yes it was, but when was the last time you heard an American refer to their country as colonies?

**oldblue** · March 14th, 2007 04:28 AM

PH na lang ala .com.ph

**Jun aka Pekto** · March 14th, 2007 04:36 AM

Originally Posted by redorange

It's not so much the hidden meaning it's more on the fact that you as Pinoy are using a term which was mainly used by Americans to describe the Philippines before it became a republic. As someone already posted most of the people that use it here in the US that aren't Pinoys are GI's. Yes it means Philippine islands but you don't call Indonesia II for Indonesia Islands or Japan JI for Japanese Islands do you? Maybe it's just me getting old because I think calling it PI shows disrespect for the people who lost their lives making it a republic.

You'll have to narrow down which Pinoys because most Pinoys I know who use "P-I" for the Philippines are GI's themselves, affiliated with the US Armed Forces/DoD, or Pinoys who simply lived with or associated with GI's. To me, P-I has always been based on military jargon.

Most Pinoys who had approached me have asked, "Is your wife from the Philippines?" and not "Is your wife from the PI?" except again for those Pinoys who are stationed at the nearby base.

It's also in pronounciation. J-I sounds more labourous to pronounce than "Japan". Indonesia is aready too long to pronounce plus that country's association with GI's is sketchy at best. If PI is derogatory, I'll ask other Pinoys not to use it. But PI being derogatory has never occurred to me since I also equate PI with Magnum PI.

**Jun aka Pekto** · March 14th, 2007 04:55 AM

If we're going to be sensitive about contractions*, then no one should ever make a contraction of "Kataastaasang Kagalanggalang Katipunan" because of how it would be taken here in the US.

*That should be acronymns

The first Pinoy flag:

In concluding.... I say, cut em a little slack.......

**doriftospeed** · March 14th, 2007 06:37 AM

I did ask a friend of mine before on why they say P.I. in reference to the philippines. Sabi niya Acronym for Philippine Islands. I dont thik they refer to it as P.I. because it was once a colony or whatever.
eitherway, like previously stated by others, P.I. , R.P. its all the same to me, still refers to my motherland. I don't know what the big deal is, It's nothing deregatory(sp?). IMHO.