It was named in memory of US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
But that may change soon.
Talking about Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City.
The Senate on Monday approved on second reading a bill that aims to have it renamed to Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue.
Fitting?
Well, Quezon City is known to some as “The City Of Stars” and FPJ is, no doubt, among biggest of them all.
He isn’t called “Da King” for nothing.
Note, however, it wasn’t supposed to be.
House Bill No. 7499 initially targeted Del Monte Avenue for renaming.
Several religious groups opposed this, though.
The Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines – Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission (AMRSP-JPICC) cited how “renaming Del Monte Avenue, will negate the historical, cultural, religious, and social importance of the first settlement in Quezon City.”
Former-comedian-now-Senate President Vicente Sotto III concurred, going on to introduce an amendment to Section 1 of the bill.
Sotto said: “It has come to our attention that there is really very strong clamor from the people and also the religious sector that there is a very historical reason for having Del Monte Avenue called Del Monte Avenue...And we looked at the history and indeed, they are correct.”
So why Roosevelt?
Sotto shared, “Roosevelt Avenue as we know it now is really the residence of Fernando Poe Sr. That is where Fernando Poe Jr. grew up.”
Hopefully, no one will disagree this time and further prolong the issue.
Many of our streets were named after iconic Filipinos: Bonifacio, Rizal, Amorsolo, Recto, Nakpil, Epifanio delos Santos, to name a few.
Surely, FPJ deserves one.
But there’s more to life and living than pondering and debating on street names.
It’s not as if we’re done with the pandemic.