Changing the name to Austronesia would represent the different Austronesian groups in the Philippines uniting regardless of differences in religon, culture and beliefs. The idea that Filipinos are only "united" through Spanish exertion is a slap to every Filipinos face.
Contrary to popular belief, Spain wasn't the reason why the philippines was a united front. Pretty much Filipinos owes much to Indo- Malay, American, French, Chinese, Indian and Arab methods as well. The Spanish owe a lot to Moorish methods of a unified country because they were conquered by the Moors for seven hundred plus years. TWICE the length of time of Spanish presence in the Philippines... BEFORE the Spanish even arrived on the islands.
What is often confused is that because Spanish terminology was used for the Tagalog or Spanish provinces in the Philippines, it is taken as if those regions unification existed during that time.Filipinos merely altered the way they called some things into Spanish, the same way Filipinos alter the way they describe some things into English today.
Not that no Spanish influence was involved, but to say the Philippines is a Spanish construct is incorrect. If that were true, then Spain NEVER would of made it a point to make sure that Moor influence was negligible when it came to introducing the Spanish version of history among native cultures during their Conquesta.
