Juan Dela Cruz History -
In 1973, Ravelo reinvented the character again for Banana Split comics, giving him a red suit, a mask, and the ability to fly—literally turning him into "The Flying Filipino." For a generation born under Martial Law (1972–1981), this Juan dela Cruz represented the dream of escape and liberation. Under Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship, the name "Juan dela Cruz" took on dangerous life. The regime used it in propaganda to mean "the loyal, simple Filipino who supports the New Society." But student activists and underground newspapers used it as a code for the ordinary citizen suffering under martial law.
Rizal’s character Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra (a play on the name) was not the lazy indio of Spanish caricature. He was educated, passionate, and wronged by the friars. More directly, Rizal’s essays in La Solidaridad began using "Juan dela Cruz" as a placeholder for the oppressed Filipino. He asked his readers, "Does Juan dela Cruz have a right to justice?" juan dela cruz history
However, a quiet debate is brewing. Some modern historians and gender advocates argue that "Juan dela Cruz" is exclusionary. They ask: What about Juana dela Cruz? In 1973, Ravelo reinvented the character again for
Today, many government forms now add "Juana dela Cruz" to represent Filipinas. In 2020, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) officially used "Juan and Juana dela Cruz" for its national ID system. This marks a new chapter: a more inclusive history of the Filipino everyman. At first glance, the story of a generic name might seem trivial. But the five-century journey of Juan dela Cruz—from Spanish insult to Rizal’s muse, from a tattered comic book hero to the face of People Power, and now to a gender-inclusive symbol—mirrors the story of the Philippines itself. Rizal’s character Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra (a play on
He is not one man. He is every farmer who tilled the land under the sun, every ilustrado who read Rizal in exile, every guerrilla fighter in World War II, every protester who faced water cannons on EDSA, every overseas Filipino worker (OFW) sending money home from a foreign land.
This article traces the 500-year journey of Juan dela Cruz—from colonial mockery to superhero status—and explores why he remains the most enduring figure in Philippine history. The etymological roots of Juan dela Cruz are deceptively simple. During the Spanish colonial era (1565–1898), the Catholic Church required newly converted Filipinos to adopt Christian names. "Juan" (the Spanish equivalent of John) became a common first name, while "de la Cruz" (of the Cross) was a ubiquitous religious surname, often given to indios who had no family name of their own.
Unlike his American counterparts (Superman, Batman), Ravelo’s Juan was distinctly Filipino. He lived in a barong-barong (shanty), spoke Taglish, and always helped his kapitbahay (neighbor) before himself. The comic became a wartime and post-war sensation because it gave a battered nation a hero who looked like them.
