Gemma Cruz Araneta
Who was Pi y Margall? There is a street in Sampaloc named after him and when last I saw the sign, the name was misspelled. Not even the City Administrator could tell whether Margall wasa famous or an obscure Spanish colonial official, or someone’s birth place in a god-forsaken corner of Spain. None of us pronounced the name correctly; apparently, the double “ll” is pronounced “I,” so it is Margai.
Francesc (Francisco) Pi y Margall is totally unknown in Sampaloc, but when the young Jose Rizal arrived in Spain in 1882, the old philosopher-politician, 34 years his senior, was an eminent political philosopher known for his progressive, liberal policies.