Rey E. de la Cruz: Hello. My name is Rey E. de la Cruz. I am originally from the Philippines. My first name is Rey. My middle initial is E for Edrozo, which was my mother's maiden name. In the Philippines, our mothers' maiden names automatically become our middle names. My last name is de la Cruz.

Rey de la Cruz are Spanish words, because the Philippines was colonized by Spain for 333 years. Rey means "king" in Spanish. I was named Rey because my birthday was on the 5th of Christ the King, a Roman Catholic holiday. De la Cruz means "of the cross." Rey de la Cruz means "king of the cross."

It is very difficult to dictate my name on the phone, and I get all kinds of spelling. But somehow, people remember my name, maybe because it is long, maybe because it is hard to spell, or maybe because they love it. What can I say?