In the late 1920s, "Eskrima" attained a high level of popularity in Cebu City, the second largest city in the Philippines. In 1932, the most renowned "eskrimadors", mainly from Cebu, founded "Doce Pares" as a society to promote the only original native martial art of the Philippines. The name "Doce Pares" is Spanish, taken from the Twelve Peers or Paladins of Emperor Charlemagne, whose legend ("Doce Pares de Francia") the Spanish transmitted to the Philippines through popular literature and theater. To mirror the Twelve Peers, the Doce Pares school had twelve founding masters.