What?!?!?!?
I’ve lived in the Philippines for a while and been there off and on for a decade, I have never heard or seen this.
First, there are far more last names, both Spanish and native origin, than in Korea for example (Lee, Park, Kim).
I work on computer directories, so last names and name conflicts are a big deal to me. Korea was a mess with ~80% having one of 4 last names.
That problem does not exist in the Philippines. There are scores of different languages and ethnic tribes, many of which have unique surnames.
Second, most Hispanic families (I lived in Mexico for a while too) give kids nicknames, and some would be considered offensive in the US (like “Negrito” or “Gordito” or “Chivis” for example).
The nicknames I know of Filipinos, just off the top of my head:
- Jay Ar (about 40 variations of this)
- Bong for Melchor
- Precious for Mary Grace
- Dhatz for Mohammad
- Tisoy for Melvin
- Tyson for Roby
- Ross for Roseando
- Boy is used in many nicknames
...these are not off the wall, offensive, or based on major Nazi figures.
I don’t know where you saw or read this, but it is something I’ve never seen in the parts of Luzon where I spend most of my time.
The article was in the Wall Street Journal, well sourced. Our experiences are just that - our experiences which don’t cover the entire universe.