Languages of the Philippines

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Languages of the Philippines
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There are some 130 to 195 languages spoken in the Philippines, depending on the method of classification.[3][4][5][6] Almost all are Malayo-Polynesian languages native to the archipelago. A number of Spanish-influenced creole varieties generally called Chavacano along with some local varieties of Chinese[7][8][9] are also spoken in certain communities. The 1987 constitution designates Filipino, a standardized version of Tagalog, as the national language and an official language along with English. Filipino is regulated by Commission on the Filipino Language and serves as a lingua franca used by Filipinos of various ethnolinguistic backgrounds.[10]

Republic Act 11106 declares Filipino Sign Language or FSL as the country's official sign language and as the Philippine government's official language in communicating with the Filipino Deaf.[11]

While Filipino is used for communication across the country's diverse linguistic groups and in popular culture, the government operates mostly using English. Including second-language speakers, there are more speakers of Filipino than English in the Philippines.[12] The other regional languages are given official auxiliary status in their respective places according to the constitution but particular languages are not specified.[13] Some of these regional languages are also used in education.[2]

The indigenous scripts of the Philippines (such as the

Spanish and American colonial experience. Baybayin, though generally not understood, is one of the most well-known of the Philippine indigenous scripts and is used mainly in artistic applications such as on current Philippine banknotes, where the word "Pilipino" is inscribed using the writing system. Additionally, the Arabic script is used in the Muslim areas
in the southern Philippines.

Tagalog and Cebuano are the most commonly spoken native languages, together comprising about half of the population of the Philippines. Filipino and English are the only official languages and are taught in schools. This, among other reasons, has resulted in a rivalry between the Tagalog and Cebuano language groups.[14]

National and official languages

Language map of the 12 recognized auxiliary languages based on Ethnologue maps.

History

universal education, creating free public schooling in Spanish.[15] It was also the language of the Philippine Revolution, and the 1899 Malolos Constitution effectively proclaimed it as the official language of the First Philippine Republic.[16] National hero José Rizal wrote most of his works in Spanish. Following the American occupation of the Philippines and the imposition of English, the use of Spanish declined gradually. Spanish then declined rapidly because of the Japanese occupation in the 1940s. [17]

Under the U.S. occupation and civil regime,

Manuel L. Quezón appointed native Waray speaker Jaime C. De Veyra to chair a committee of speakers of other regional languages. Their aim was to select a national language among the other regional languages. Ultimately, Tagalog was chosen as the base language on December 30, 1937, on the basis that it was the most widely spoken and developed local language.[18] Quezon himself was born and raised in Baler, Aurora
, which is a native Tagalog-speaking area.

In 1939,

Manuel L. Quezón renamed the Tagalog language as Wikang Pambansa ("national language" in English translation).[19] The language was further renamed in 1959 as Pilipino by Secretary of Education José E. Romero. The 1973 constitution declared the Pilipino language to be co-official, along with English, and mandated the development of a national language, to be known as Filipino. In addition, Spanish regained its official status when President Marcos signed Presidential Decree No. 155, s. 1973.[20]

The

UP Diksyonaryong Filipino
in which words from various Philippine languages were also included. The present constitution is also the first to give recognition to other regional languages.

Republic Act No. 7104, approved on August 14, 1991, by President Corazon Aquino, created the Commission on the Filipino Language, reporting directly to the President and tasked to undertake, coordinate and promote research for the development, propagation and preservation of Filipino and other Philippine languages.[22] On May 13, 1992, the commission issued Resolution 92–1, specifying that Filipino is the

...indigenous written and spoken language of Metro Manila and other urban centers in the Philippines used as the language of communication of ethnic groups.[23]

In 2013, President

mother tongue-based multi-lingual education program for students in kindergarten to Grade 3, effectively reviving the usage and proliferation of various indigenous languages in the country.[24] The program also strengthened the Filipino language and English language learning capabilities of students.[25] In 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11106, declaring Filipino Sign Language (FSL) as the country's official language for the Filipino deaf community.[26]

Usage

Sign in Palawan in English, Filipino, Cebuano, Chinese, Korean and Russian.
A warning sign in Banton, Romblon in English, Filipino, and Bantoanon.

Filipino is a standardized version of

overseas Filipino communities, and is the dominant language of the armed forces (except perhaps for the small part of the commissioned officer corps from wealthy or upper-middle-class families) and of a large part of the civil service
, most of whom are non-Tagalogs.

There are different forms of diglossia that exist in the case of regional languages. Locals may use their mother tongue or the regional lingua franca to communicate amongst themselves, but sometimes switch to foreign languages when addressing outsiders. Another is the prevalence of code-switching to English when speaking in both their first language and Tagalog.

The

Bikol-speaking area, and Davao in the Cebuano-speaking area. As of 2017, the case of Ilocano and Cebuano are becoming more of bilingualism than diglossia due to the publication of materials written in these languages.[citation needed
] The diglossia is more evident in the case of other languages such as Pangasinan, Kapampangan, Bikol, Waray, Hiligaynon, Sambal, and Maranao, where the written variant of the language is becoming less and less popular to give way to the use of Filipino. Although Philippine laws consider some of these languages as "major languages" there is little, if any, support coming from the government to preserve these languages. This may be bound to change, however, given current policy trends.[38]

There still exists another type of diglossia, which is between the regional languages and the minority languages. Here, we label the regional languages as

basilect. In this case, the minority language is spoken only in very intimate circles, like the family or the tribe one belongs to. Outside this circle, one would speak in the prevalent regional language, while maintaining an adequate command of Filipino for formal situations. Unlike the case of the regional languages, these minority languages are always in danger of becoming extinct because of speakers favoring the more prevalent regional language. Moreover, most of the users of these languages are illiterate[specify] and as expected, there is a chance that these languages will no longer be revived due to lack of written records.[citation needed
]

In addition to Filipino and English, other languages have been proposed as additional nationwide languages. Among the most prominent proposals are Spanish[39][40] and Japanese.[41][42]

Regional languages

Major languages by region. Regions marked with black diamonds denote the language comprises only a substantial minority of the populace.
Regional languages of the Philippines.

According to

Mandarin), all of the languages belong to the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian
language family.

The following are the four Philippine languages with more than five million native speakers:[44]

In addition, there are seven with between one and five million native speakers:

One or more of these is spoken natively by more than 90% of the population.

A

North Bornean languages spoken in southern Palawan
.

Eskayan is an artificial auxiliary language created as the embodiment of a Bohol nation in the aftermath of the Philippine–American War. It is used by about 500 people.

A theory that the Brahmic scripts of Sumatra, Sulawesi and the Philippines are descended from an early form of the Gujarati script was presented at the 2010 meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society.[45]

Mutual intelligibility

Philippine languages are often referred to by Filipinos as dialects, partly as a relic of the inaccurate vocabulary used in literature during the American period (1898–1946).[19] While there are indeed many hundreds of dialects in the Philippines, they represent variations of no fewer than 120 distinct languages, and many of these languages maintain greater differences than those between established European languages like French and Spanish.

The vast differences between the languages can be seen in the following translations of what has been asserted to be the Philippine national proverb:[46]

Language Translation
English A person who does not look back at where they came from will not get to their destination.
Spanish El que no mira hacia atrás de donde vino, no llegará a su destino.
Philippine Hokkien (Lán-nâng-ōe) Hit-gé lâng ná kiâⁿ ná bô khòaⁿ kāi-kī ǎu-piah tùi só͘-chǎi tǐ lō͘, ě bô thang kàu lō͘.「彼个人那行那無看家己後壁對所在佇路，會無通到路。」
Malaysian & Indonesian (Malay
) 		Orang yang melupakan asal-usulnya tak mungkin mencapai tujuannya.
Aklanon Ro uwa' gatan-aw sa anang ginhalinan hay indî makaabut sa anang ginapaeangpan.
Asi (Bantoanon)
 Kag tawong waya giruromroma it ida ginghalinan, indi makaabot sa ida apagtuan.
Bolinao Si'ya a kai tanda' nin lumingap sa pangibwatan na, kai ya mirate' sa keen na.
Bontoc (Ifuntok) Nan Adi mang ustsong sinan narpuwan na, adi untsan isnan umayan na.
Botolan Hay ahe nin nanlek ha pinag-ibatan, ay ahe makarateng ha lalakwen.
Butuanon Kadtong dilì kahibalo molingì sa iyáng gigikanan, dilì makaabot sa iyáng adtu-an.
West Miraya Bikol (Ligao) Kan idî tatao magkiling sa inalian, idî makaabot sa papaidtuhan.
Buhinon Bikol (Buhi) Yu di nikiling sa pinagalinan, dì makaantos sa pupuntahan.
Central Bikol (Canaman)
 An dai tataong magsalingoy sa saiyang ginikanan, dai makakaabot sa padudumanan.
Gubatnon Bikol (Gubat) An diri maaram mag-imud sa pinaghalian, diri makaabot sa pakakadtu-an.
East Miraya Bikol (Daraga) Su indî tataw makarumdom nung ginitan, indî makaabot sa adunan.
West Miraya Bikol (Oas) Kan na taw na idî tataw maglinguy sa sanyang inalian, idi man maka abot sa sanyang paidtunan.
Rinconada Bikol (Iriga)
 A dirī tattaoŋ maglīlî sa pinaŋgalinan, dirī makaaābot sa pig-iyānan.
Capiznon Ang indî kabalo magbalikid sa iyá ginhalinan, indî makalab-ot sa iyá palakadtuan.
Cebuano Bohol (Binol-anon) Sijá nga dì kahibawng molíngì sa ijáng gigikanan, dî gajúd makaabót sa ijáng padulngan.
Cebuano (Metro Cebu Variety) Ang dì kahibáw molingis' iyáng gigikanan, dì gyud makaabots' iyáng padulngan.
Cebuano (Sialo-Carcar Standard) Ang dilì kahibaló molingì sa iyahang gigikanan, dilì gayúd makaabót sa iyahang padulngan.
Chavacano Caviteño Quien no ta bira cara na su origen no de incarsa na su destinación.
Chavacano Ternateño Ay nung sabi mira i donde ya bini no di llega na destinación.
Chavacano Zamboangueño El Quien no sabe vira el cara na su origen, nunca llega na su destinación.
Cuyonon Ang ara agabalikid sa anang ing-alinan, indi enged maka-abot sa anang papakonan.
Ibanag I tolay nga ari mallipay ta naggafuananna, ari makadde ta angayanna.
Ilokano Ti tao nga saan na ammo tumaliaw iti naggapuanna ket saan nga makadanon iti papananna.
Itawis Ya tolay nga mari mallipay tsa naggafuananna, mari makakandet tsa angayanna.
Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) Ang indi kabalo magbalikid sang iya nga ginhalinan, indi makaabot sa iya nga pakadtuan.
Jama Mapun
 Soysoy niya' pandoy ngantele' patulakan ne, niya' ta'abut katakkahan ne.
Kapampangan Ing e byasang malikid king kayang penibatan, e ya miras king kayang pupuntalan.
Kabalian An dili kahibayu mulingi sa ija gigikanan, dili makaabot sa ija pasingdan/paduyungan.
Kinaray-a
 Ang indî kamaán magbalikid sa ana ginhalinan, indî makaabót sa ana paaragtunan.
Manobo (Obo) Iddos minuvu no konnod kotuig nod loingoy to id pomonan din,
konna mandad od poko-uma riyon tod undiyonnan din.
Maranao So tao a di matao domingil ko poonan iyan na di niyan kakowa so singanin iyan.
Masbateño An dilì maaram maglingì sa ginhalian, kay dilì makaabot sa kakadtuhan.
Pangasinan Say toon agga onlingao ed pinanlapuan to, agga makasabi'd laen to.
Romblomanon (Ini) Ang tawo nga bukon tigo mag lingig sa iya guinghalinan hay indi makasampot sa iya ning pagakadtoan.
Sambali
 Hay kay tanda mamanomtom ha pinangibatan, kay immabot sa kakaon.
Sangil Tao mata taya mabiling su pubuakengnge taya dumanta su kadam tangi.
Sinama
 Ya Aa ga-i tau pa beleng ni awwal na, ga-i du sab makasong ni maksud na.
Surigaonon Adtón dilì mahibayó molingì sa ija ing-gikanan, dilì gajód makaabót sa ija pasingdan.
Sorsoganon An dirì mag-imud sa pinaghalian dirì makaabot sa kakadtuan.
Tagalog (Tayabas) Ang hindi maalam lumingon sa pinaroonan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.
Tagalog (Manila) Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating (makakarating) sa paroroonan.
Tausug In di' maingat lumingi' pa bakas liyabayan niya, di' makasampay pa kadtuun niya.
Waray (Leyte) An diri maaram lumingi ha tinikangan, diri maulpot ha kakadtoan.
Waray (Northern Samar) An diri maaram lumingi sa tinikangan, diri maabot sa kakadtuan.
Yakan Mang gey matau mamayam si bakas palaihan nen, gey tekka si papilihan nen.

Dialectal variation

The amount of dialectal variation varies from language to language. Languages like Tagalog, Kapampangan and Pangasinan are known to have very moderate dialectal variation.

For the languages of the Bicol Region, however, there is great dialectal variation. There are cities and towns which have their own dialects and varieties. Below is the sentence "Were you there at the market for a long time?" translated into certain varieties of Bikol. The translation is followed by dialect and corresponding language, and a city/town in Bicol where they are spoken. The final translation is in Tagalog.

Comparison chart

Below is a chart of Philippine languages. While there have been misunderstandings on which ones should be classified as language and which ones should be classified as dialect, the chart confirms that most have similarities, yet are not mutually comprehensible. These languages are arranged according to the regions they are natively spoken (from north to south, then east to west).

English one two three four person house dog coconut day new we (inclusive) what and
Ivatan asa dadowa tatdo apat tao vahay chito niyoy araw va-yo yaten ango kan
Ilokano maysa dua tallo uppat tao balay aso inyog aldaw baro datayo ania ken
Ifuntok əsang tswa Tulo əpat tacu Afong aso inyog acəw falu tsattaku ngag ya
Ibanag tadday dua tallu appa' tolay balay kitu inniuk aggaw bagu sittam anni anne
Gaddang tata addwa tallo appat tolay balay atu ayog aw bawu ikkanetem sanenay e
Pangasinan sakey duara talora apatira too abong aso niyog agew balo sikatayo anto tan/et
Kapampangan métung adwá atlú ápat taú bale ásu ngungút aldó bayu ikátamú nanú ampong/at
Sambal saya rwa tolo àpat tawu balè aso ungut awro bâ-yo udèng ani tan
Tagalog isá dalawá tatló apat tao bahay aso niyóg araw bago tayo / kamí anó at
Coastal Bikol
 saro duwa tulo apat tawo harong ido niyog aldaw ba-go kita ano asin, buda
Rinconada Bikol əsad darwā tolō əpat tawō baləy ayam noyog aldəw bāgo kitā onō ag, sagkəd, sakâ
West Miraya Bikol
 sad duwa tulo upat taw balõy ayam nuyog aldõw bâgo kita, sato uno dangan, mî, saka
East Miraya Bikol
 usad duw tulo upat taw balay ayam nuyog aldaw bâgo kita, satun, kami uno dangan, mî, saka, kina
Masbateño usád duhá tuló upát tawo baláy idô buko, lubí aldaw bag-o kita, kamí, amon nano kag
Romblomanon isá duhá tuyó upát tawo bayay ayam niyóg adlaw bag-o kitá, aton ano kag
Bantoanon usa ruha tuyo upat tawo bayay iro nidog adlaw bag-o kita, ato ni-o ag
Onhan isya darwa tatlo apat tawo balay ayam niyog adlaw bag-o kita, taton ano ag
Kinaray-a
 sara darwa tatlo apat taho balay ayam niyog adlaw bag-o kita, taten ano, iwan kag
Hiligaynon isá duhá tatló apat tawo baláy idô lubí adlaw bag-o kitá anó kag
Cebuano usá duhá tuló upát tawo baláy irô lubí adlaw bag-o kitá unsa ug
Kabalian usá duhá tuyó upát tawo bayáy idô lubí adlaw bag-o kitá unó ug
Waray usá duhá tuló upát tawo baláy ayam lubí adlaw bag-o kitá ano ngan, ug
Surigaonon isá duhá tuyó upát tao bayáy idû niyóg adlaw bag-o kamí unú sanan
Maguindanao isa duwa telu pat taw walay aso niyug gay bagu tanu ngin engu
T'boli sotu lewu tlu fat tau gunu ohu lefo kdaw lomi tekuy tedu ne
Tausug hambuuk duwa tu upat tau bay iru' niyug adlaw ba-gu kitaniyu unu iban
Chavacano uno dos tres cuatro gente casa perro coco dia nuevo Zamboangueño: nosotros/kita;
Bahra: mijotros/motros;
Caviteño: nisos 		cosá/ qué y/e
Spanish uno dos tres cuatro persona casa perro coco día nuevo nosotros que y/e
Philippine Hokkien
 it / tsi̍t (一) dī (二) / nňg (兩) saⁿ (三) sì (四) lâng (儂) tshù (厝) káu (狗) iâ (椰) / iâ-á (椰仔) di̍t (日) sin (新) lán (咱) siám-mih (啥物) kap (佮) / ka̍h (交)

There is a language spoken by the Tao people (also known as Yami) of Orchid Island of Taiwan which is not included in the language of the Philippines. Their language, Tao (or Yami) is part of the Batanic languages which includes Ivatan, Babuyan, and Itbayat of the Batanes.

English one two three four person house dog coconut day new we what
Tao ása dóa (raroa) tílo (tatlo) ápat tao vahay gara ngata araw vayo tata vela
Ivatan asa dadowa tatdo apat tao vahay chito niyoy / gata araw va-yo yaten ango

Native speakers

Below are the numbers of Filipinos who speak the following 20 languages as their native languages based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing[44] by the Philippine Statistics Authority. The number of speakers of each language is calculated from the reported number of households by assuming an average household size of 4.1 persons as of 2020.[47][discuss]

Native languages in the Philippines

  Tagalog (39.9%)
  Cebuano/Bisaya/Binisaya/Boholano (22.5%)
  Hiligaynon (7.3%)
  Ilocano (7.1%)
  Bicolano (3.9%)
  Waray (2.6%)
  Kapampangan (2.4%)
  Maguindanao (1.4%)
  Pangasinan (1.3%)
  Tausug/Bahasa Sug (1%)
  Maranao (1%)
  Others (9.6%)
Language ISO 639–3 Native speakers
Tagalog tl 43,142,279
Cebuano/Bisaya/Binisaya/Boholano ceb 25,584,734
Hiligaynon hil 7,927,399
Ilocano ilo 7,639,977
Bicolano
 bik 4,237,174
Waray
 war 2,864,855
Kapampangan pam 2,622,717
Maguindanao mdh 1,496,631
Pangasinan pag 1,372,512
Tausug tsg 1,129,419
Maranao mrw 1,123,851
Karay-a
 krj 601,987
Aklanon
/Bukidnon/Binukid-Akeanon 		akl, mlz 545,796
Masbateño msb 524,341
Surigaonon sgd 466,022
Zamboangueño
 cbk 428,327
Kankanaey kne 291,125
Sama/Samal
 ssb, sml, sse, slm 274,602
B'laan/Blaan bpr, bps 272,539
Ibanag ibg 257,628
Iranon/Iranun/Iraynon ilp 230,113

By households

Below are the country's top ten languages by the number of households in which they are spoken, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. There are a total of 26,388,654 households in the country.[44]

Language Number of Households %
Tagalog 10,522,507 39.9
Bisaya/Binisaya 4,214,122 16.0
Hiligaynon/Ilonggo 1,933,512 7.3
Ilocano 1,863,409 7.1
Cebuano 1,716,080 6.5
Bikol 1,033,457 3.9
Waray 698,745 2.6
Kapampangan 639,687 2.4
Maguindanao 365,032 1.4
Pangasinan/Panggalato 334,759 1.3
Others^ ~2,950,000 11.2

^Boholano, Tausug/Bahasa Sug, Maranao, Karay-a/Kinaray-a, Bukidnon/Binukid-Akeanon/Aklanon, Masbateño/ Masbatenon, Surigaonon, and Zamboagueño-Chavacano

Negrito languages

Main article: Philippine Negrito languages

Language vitality

2010 UNESCO designation

Endangered and extinct languages in the Philippines are based on the 3rd world volume released by UNESCO in 2010.

Degree of endangerment (UNESCO standard)

  • Safe: language is spoken by all generations; intergenerational transmission is uninterrupted
  • Vulnerable: most children speak the language, but it may be restricted to certain domains (e.g., home)
  • Definitely endangered: children no longer learn the language as mother tongue in the home
  • Severely endangered: language is spoken by grandparents and older generations; while the parent generation may understand it, they do not speak it to children or among themselves
  • Critically endangered: the youngest speakers are grandparents and older, and they speak the language partially and infrequently
  • Extinct: there are no speakers left. These languages are included in the Atlas if presumably extinct since the 1950s
Vulnerable languages
Language Speakers
(in 2000) 		Province Coordinates ISO 639–3 Code(s) Source
Central Cagayan Agta 779 Cagayan 17°59′21″N 121°51′37″E / 17.9891°N 121.8603°E / 17.9891; 121.8603 agt UNESCO 2000
Dupaninan Agta 1400 Cagayan 17°58′06″N 122°02′10″E / 17.9682°N 122.0361°E / 17.9682; 122.0361 duo David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Definitely endangered
Language Speakers
(in 2000) 		Province Coordinates ISO 639–3 Code(s) Source
Bataan Agta 500 Bataan 14°25′57″N 120°28′44″E / 14.4324°N 120.4788°E / 14.4324; 120.4788 ayt David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Mt. Iraya Agta 150 Camarines Sur 13°27′32″N 123°32′48″E / 13.459°N 123.5467°E / 13.459; 123.5467 atl David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Batak 200 Palawan 10°06′29″N 119°00′00″E / 10.1081°N 119°E / 10.1081; 119 bya David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Severely endangered
Language Speakers
(in 2000) 		Province Coordinates ISO 639–3 Code(s) Source
Faire Atta 300 Ilocos Norte 18°01′37″N 120°29′34″E / 18.027°N 120.4929°E / 18.027; 120.4929 azt David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Northern Alta 200 Aurora 15°42′58″N 121°24′31″E / 15.7162°N 121.4085°E / 15.7162; 121.4085 agn David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Camarines Norte Agta 150 Camarines Norte 14°00′49″N 122°53′14″E / 14.0135°N 122.8873°E / 14.0135; 122.8873 abd David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Critically endangered
Language Speakers
(in 2000) 		Province Coordinates ISO 639–3 Code(s) Source
Alabat Island Agta 30 Quezon 14°07′15″N 122°01′42″E / 14.1209°N 122.0282°E / 14.1209; 122.0282 dul David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Isarog Agta 5 Camarines Sur 13°40′50″N 123°22′50″E / 13.6805°N 123.3805°E / 13.6805; 123.3805 agk David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Southern Ayta (Sorsogon Ayta) 150 Sorsogon 13°01′37″N 124°09′18″E / 13.027°N 124.1549°E / 13.027; 124.1549 ays David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Extinct
Language Speakers
(in 2000) 		Province Coordinates ISO 639–3 Code(s) Source
Dicamay Agta
(Dumagat, Dicamay Dumagat) 		0 Isabela 16°41′59″N 122°01′00″E / 16.6998°N 122.0167°E / 16.6998; 122.0167 duy David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Arta 0 near Isabela-Quirino Border 16°25′21″N 121°42′15″E / 16.4225°N 121.7042°E / 16.4225; 121.7042 atz David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Katabaga 0 Quezon 13°26′12″N 122°33′25″E / 13.4366°N 122.5569°E / 13.4366; 122.5569 ktq David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)
Ata 0 Negros Oriental 9°36′29″N 122°54′56″E / 9.6081°N 122.9155°E / 9.6081; 122.9155 atm David Bradley (UNESCO 2000)

2014 North Dakota study

In a separate study by Thomas N. Headland, the Summer Institute of Linguistics in Dallas, and the University of North Dakota called Thirty Endangered Languages in the Philippines, the Philippines has 32 endangered languages, but 2 of the listed languages in the study are written with 0 speakers, noting that they are extinct or probably extinct. All of the listed languages are Negrito languages, the oldest languages in the Philippines.[48]

Language General location
of speakers[48] 		Population of speakers
in the 1990s[48] 		Bibliographic source[48]
Batak
Palawan Island
 386 Elder 1987
Mamanwa
Mindoro Island
 1000 Grimes 2000
Ati Northern
Panay Island
 30 Pennoyer 1987:4
Ati Southern Panay Island 900 Pennoyer 1987:4
Ata
Negros Island
 450 Cadelina 1980:96
Ata
Mabinay, Negros Oriental
 25 Grimes 2000
Atta Pamplona, western Cagayan 1000 Grimes 2000
Atta Faire-Rizal, western Cagayan 400 Grimes 2000
Atta
Pudtol, Kalinga-Apayao
 100 Grimes 2000
Ayta Sorsogon 40 Grimes 2000
Agta (extinct, unverified) Villaviciosa, Abra 0 Grimes 2000; Reid, per. com. 2001
Abenlen Tarlac 6000 K. Storck SIL files
Mag-anchi Zambales Tarlac, Pampanga 4166 K. Storck SIL files
Mag-indi Zambales, Pampanga 3450 K. Storck SIL files
Ambala Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan 1654 K. Storck SIL files
Magbeken Bataan 381 K. Storck SIL files
Agta
Isarog, Camarines Sur
(noted as nearly extinct) 		1000 Grimes 2000
Agta
Mt. Iraya & Lake Buhi
east, Camarines Sur (has 4 close dialects) 		200 Grimes 2000
Agta
Mt. Iriga
& Lake Buhi west, Camarines Sur 		1500 Grimes 2000
Agta Camarines Norte 200 Grimes 2000
Agta Alabat Island, southern Quezon 50 Grimes 2000
Agta Umirey, Quezon (with 3 close dialects) 3000 T. MacLeod SIL files
Agta Casiguran, northern Aurora 609 Headland 1989
Agta
Maddela, Quirino
 300 Headland field notes
Agta
Divilacan, Isabela
 856 Rai 1990: 176
Agta San Mariano-Sisabungan, Isabela 377 Rai 1990: 176
Agta (noted as recently extinct) Dicamay, Jones, Isabela 0 Headland field notes, and Grimes 2000
Arta Aglipay, Quirino 11 (30 in 1977) Headland field notes, and Reid 1994:40
Alta Northern Aurora 250 Reid, per. comm.
Alta Northern Quezon 400 Reid, per. comm.
Agta eastern Cagayan, Supaninam (several close dialects) 1200 T. Nickell 1985:119
Agta central Cagayan 800 Mayfield 1987:vii-viii; Grimes 2000

Proposals to conserve Philippine languages

Stair risers showing some of the different regional languages used in the Philippines, from top to bottom: Filipino, Tagalog/ Filipino (written in Baybayin), Cebuano, Bicolano, Ilocano, Kapampangan, and Hiligaynon. The statement, when roughly translated to English, means "[Let us] meet and join. Christmas is fun in UP Manila."

There have been numerous proposals to conserve the many languages of the Philippines. According to the

Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino
, there are 135 ethnolinguistic groups in the country, each having their own distinct Philippine language.

Among the proposals include (1) "establishing a dictionary & sentence construction manual" for each of the 135 living languages in the country, (2) "video documentation" of all Philippine languages, (3) "revival of the ancient scripts of the Philippines" where each ethnic group's own script shall be revived and used in schools along with the currently-used Roman script in communities where those script/s used to be known, (4) "teaching of ethnic mother languages first" in homes and schools before the teaching of Filipino and foreign languages (English, Spanish, and/or Arabic), and (5) "using the ethnic mother language and script first in public signs" followed by Filipino and foreign languages (English, Spanish, and/or Arabic) and scripts, for example, using Cebuano first followed by Filipino and English underneath the sign.

Currently, only the fourth proposal has been made by the national government of the Philippines.[49] A National Script bill has been filed in Congress in support of the third and fifth proposal, however, the bill only mandates the usage of the ancient script compatible with the national language, which is Filipino.[50]

Major immigrant languages

French, German, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Spanish are taught in some public and private schools.[51][52]

Arabic

Arabic is used by some

liturgical and instructional capacity since the arrival of Islam and establishment of several Sultanates in the 14th century. Along with Malay, Arabic was the lingua franca of the Malay Archipelago among Muslim traders and the Malay aristocracy.[citation needed
]

The

1987 Constitution mandates that Arabic (along with Spanish) is to be promoted on an optional and voluntary basis. As of 2015 Arabic is taught for free and is promoted in some Islamic centres predominantly in the southernmost parts of Philippines. It is used primarily in religious activities and education (such as in a madrasa or Islamic school) and rarely for official events or daily conversation. In this respect, its function and use is somewhat like the traditional roles of Latin and Spanish in Filipino Catholicism
vis-à-vis other currently spoken languages.

Islamic schools in Mindanao teach Modern Standard Arabic in their curriculum.[53]

English

Main articles: Philippine English, Taglish, and Bislish

The first significant exposure of Filipinos to the

American rule between 1898 and 1946, and remains an official language
of the Philippines.

On August 22, 2007, three

Nueva Écija, Batangas, Rizal, and Metro Manila.[54]

English is used in official documents of business, government, the legal system, medicine, the sciences and as a medium of instruction. Filipinos prefer textbooks for subjects like calculus, physics, chemistry, biology, etc., written in English rather than Filipino.[

Philippine Broadcasting Service. However, a 2009 article by a UNICEF worker reported that the level of spoken English language in the Philippines was poor. The article reported that aspiring Filipino teachers score the lowest in English out of all of the subjects on their licensing exams.[55]

A large influx of English (American English) words have been assimilated into Tagalog and the other native languages called Taglish or Bislish. There is a debate, however, on whether there is diglossia or bilingualism, between Filipino and English. Filipino is also used both in formal and informal situations. Though the masses would prefer to speak in Filipino, government officials tend to speak in English when performing government functions.[according to whom?] There is still resistance to the use of Filipino in courts and the drafting of national statutes.

In parts of Mindanao, English and Tagalog blend with Cebuano to form "Davao Tagalog".[56]

Hokkien

Main article: Philippine Hokkien

Diplomatic ties with the

Teochew, and Hakka are spoken among a minority of Chinese Filipinos whose ancestral roots trace all the way back from the Guangdong or Guangxi provinces of Southern China. Most Chinese Filipinos raised in the Philippines, especially those of families of who have lived in the Philippines for multiple generations, are typically able and usually primarily speak Philippine English and/or Filipino (Tagalog) and/or other regional Philippine languages (i.e. Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, etc.), or the code-switching or code-mixing of these, such as Taglish or Bislish, but Philippine Hokkien is typically or occasionally used within Chinese Filipino households privately amongst family or acts a heritage language among descendants of such. Hokaglish
is the code-switching equivalent of the above languages.

As with Spanish, many native languages have co-opted numerous

cuisine, household objects, and Philippine kinship terminology
.

Japanese

The Japanese first came to the Philippines around the 11th century CE, the first country they emigrated to, as well as in waves from the 15th century (as depicted in the

Laguna province, Baguio, and in the Davao Region
. Davao City is a home to a large population of Japanese descendants. Japanese laborers were hired by American companies like the National Fiber Company (NAFCO) in the first decades of the 20th century to work in abaca plantations. Japanese were known for their hard work and industry. During World War II to present, Japanese schools are present in Davao City, such as Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International School (PNJK IS).

Korean

Korean is mainly spoken by the expatriates from South Korea and people born in the Philippines with Korean ancestry. The Korean language has been added under the Department of Education (DepEd) Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL) curriculum, together with Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Japanese.[62]

Malay

Main article: Malay language in the Philippines

Malay is spoken as a second language by a minority of the

Zamboanga down to Tawi-Tawi.[citation needed] It is also spoken as a daily language by the Malaysians and Indonesians who have settled, or do business in the Philippines. It is also spoken in southern Palawan to some extent. It is not spoken among the Maranao and Maguindanao peoples. Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and the southern Philippines are largely Islamic and the liturgical language of Islam is Arabic
, but the vast majority of Muslims in the Philippines have little practical knowledge of Arabic beyond limited religious terminology.

The

Malayo-Polynesian language alongside the Philippine languages, has had an immense influence on many of the languages of the Philippines. This is because Old Malay used to be the lingua franca throughout the archipelago, a good example of this is Magellan's translator Enrique using Malay to converse with the native Sugbuanon (Cebuano
) during this time period.

An example of

Old Malay spoken in Philippine history can be seen in the language of the 10th century Laguna Copperplate Inscription
.

When the Spanish had first arrived in the Philippines in the 16th century, Old Malay was spoken among the aristocracy.

It is believed that

Cebu Island
, confirming to Magellan his arrival in Southeast Asia.

Today, Indonesian is taught as a foreign language in the Department of Linguistics and Asian Languages in the University of the Philippines. Also, the Indonesian School in Davao City teaches the language to preserve the culture of Indonesian immigrants there. The Indonesian Embassy in Manila also offers occasional classes for Filipinos and foreigners.

Since 2013, the Indonesian Embassy in the Philippines has given basic Indonesian language training to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.[63]

In an interview,

Malaysian
, which are both related to Filipino and other Philippine languages. Thus, the possibility of offering it as an optional subject in public schools is being studied.

South Asian languages

Since pre-Spanish times, there have been small Indian communities in the Philippines. Indians tend to be able to speak Tagalog and the other native languages, and are often fluent in English. Among themselves,

Urdu is spoken among the Pakistani community. Only few South Asians, such as Pakistani, as well as the recent newcomers like speakers of Tamil, Nepali and Marathi retain their own respective languages.[58][64][65][66][67][68]

Spanish

Main articles: Philippine Spanish and Spanish language in the Philippines

Chabacano
have also emerged. The current 1987 constitution makes mention of Spanish in which it provides that Spanish (along with Arabic) is to be promoted on an optional and voluntary basis.

In 1593, the first printing press in the Philippine islands was founded and it released the first (albeit polyglot) book, the

Ilustrados, such as José Rizal. Some of these scholars participated in the Philippine Revolution and later in the struggle against American occupation. Both the Malolos Constitution and the Lupang Hinirang (national anthem
) were written in Spanish.

Under U.S. rule, the English language began to be promoted instead of Spanish. The use of Spanish began to decline as a result of the introduction of English into the public schools as a language of instruction.[15] The 1935 constitution establishing the Philippine Commonwealth designated both English and Spanish as official languages. The 1950 census stated that Filipinos who spoke Spanish as a first or second language made up only 6% of the population. In 1990, the census reported that the number had dwindled to just 2,500 native speakers. A 2020 estimate indicated that about 400,000 Filipinos (less than 0.5% of the population) have working knowledge of the language.[70]

Spanish briefly lost its status as an official language upon promulgation of the 1973 constitution but regained official status two months later when President Marcos signed Presidential Decree No. 155.

University of Santo Tomás in Manila and the University of San Carlos
in Cebu.

Up until recently, many historical documents, land titles, and works of literature were written in Spanish and not translated into Filipino languages or English. Spanish, through colonization has contributed the largest number of

Academia Filipina de la Lengua Española (Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language), established in 1924, is a founding member of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language; an association of the various Spanish academies of the world which cooperate in the standardizing and promotion of the Spanish language. Among its past and present academics are former President Arroyo, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, and Archbishop of Cebú Cardinal Ricardo Vidal
.

Spanish creoles

Main article: Chavacano

There are several Spanish-based creole languages in the Philippines, collectively called Chavacano. These may be split into two major geographical groups:

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, Article XIV, Section 7
  2. ^ a b "DepEd adds 7 languages to mother tongue-based education for Kinder to Grade 3". GMA News Online. July 13, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  3. ^ "Philippines". Ethnologue. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  4. ISSN 0048-3796
    .
  5. Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino
    enumerated 134 Philippine languages and 1 national language (Filipino) present in the country through its Atlas Filipinas map published in 2016.
  6. ^ "What languages are spoken in the Philippines?". www.futurelearn.com. Future Learn. July 11, 2022.
  7. ^ Tsai, Hui-Ming 蔡惠名 (2017). Fēilǜbīn zán rén huà (Lán-lâng-uē) yánjiū 菲律賓咱人話（Lán-lâng-uē）研究 [A Study of Philippine Hokkien Language] (PhD thesis) (in Chinese). National Taiwan Normal University.
  8. ^ Wong Gonzales, Wilkinson Daniel (May 2016). "Exploring trilingual code-switching: The case of 'Hokaglish' (PDF Download Available)". Retrieved October 24, 2016 – via ResearchGate.
  9. ^ Palanca, Ellen H. (2002). "A Comparative Study of Chinese Education in the Philippines and Malaysia*" (PDF). Asian Studies. 38 (2): 1 – via Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia.
  10. ^ Filipino, not English, is the country’s lingua franca, Inquirer, Feb 27, 2014
  11. ^ "[Republic Act No. 11106] An Act Declaring the Filipino Sign Language as the National Sign Language of the Filipino Deaf and the Official Sign Language of Government in All Transactions Involving the Deaf, and Mandating Its Use in Schools, Broadcast Media, and Workplaces" (PDF). Official Gazette. Government of the Philippines. October 30, 2018.
  12. ^ Eberhard, David M.; Gary F. Simons; Charles D. Fennig, eds. (2021). "Philippines". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (Twenty-fourth ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.
  13. ^ The regional languages are the auxiliary official languages in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein... Article XIV Section 7.
  14. ISBN 978-90-272-2081-3
    .
  15. ^ a b "Philippines – Education". CountryStudies.us. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  16. ^ Article 93 of the Malolos Constitution reads, "Art. 93. The use of languages spoken in the Philippines shall be optional. This use cannot be regulated except by virtue of law, and solely for acts of public authority and in the courts. For these acts the Spanish language will be used in the meantime."
  17. ^ https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2018/10/22/inenglish/1540219578_899934.html
  18. ^ Manuel L. Quezon (December 1937). "Speech of His Excellency, Manuel L. Quezón, President of the Philippines on Filipino national language" (PDF). p. 4. Retrieved January 14, 2009.
  19. ^
    doi:10.1080/01434639808666365. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on June 16, 2007. Retrieved March 24, 2007.
  20. ^ a b "Presidential Decree No. 155 : Philippine Laws, Statutes and Codes". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  21. ^ Article XIV, Sec 7: For purposes of communication and instruction, the official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English. The regional languages are the official auxiliary languages in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein. Spanish and Arabic shall be promoted on a voluntary and optional basis.
  22. ^ "Commission on the Filipino Language Act". Chan Robles Law Library. Retrieved July 19, 2007.
  23. ^ "Resolusyon Blg. 92–1" (in Filipino). Commission on the Filipino Language. May 13, 1992. Retrieved March 24, 2007.
  24. ^ "DepEd adds 7 mother-tongue languages in K to 12". July 12, 2013.
  25. ^ "K to 12 and beyond: A look back at Aquino's 10-point education agenda". June 24, 2016.
  26. ^ "Republic Act No. 11106" (PDF). Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  27. ISBN 978-1-317-45572-1
    .
  28. ISBN 978-0-262-52333-2
    . Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  29. ISSN 0024-3841
    .
  30. doi:10.13185/KK2017.02803
    .
  31. ISSN 0031-7802
    . Thus, Arabic words became integrated into Philippine languages through Spanish (e.g., alahas (alhaja, al- haja), alkalde (alcalde, al-qadi), alkampor (alcanfor, al-kafiir), alkansiya (alcancia, al-kanziyya), aldaba (aldaba, al-dabba), almires (almirez, al-mihras), baryo (barrio, al-barri), kapre (cafre, kafir), kisame (zaquizami, saqf fassami), etc.)
  32. ISBN 978-3-11-021843-5
    .
  33. ^ a b Rainier Alain, Ronda (March 22, 2013). "Bahasa in schools? DepEd eyes 2nd foreign language". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  34. ISBN 978-0-85883-225-1
    . The number of loanwords in the domain of cookery is rather large, and they are, by far, the most homogeneous of the loanwords.
  35. OCLC 976189040
    .
  36. ISBN 978-1-326-61579-6
    .
  37. ^ "Mexico, our older sister". Manila Bulletin News. Archived from the original on April 13, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  38. ^ Ricardo Ma. Nolasco. "Maraming Wika, Matatag na Bansa – Chairman Nolasco" (in Filipino). Commission on the Filipino Language. Retrieved October 4, 2007.
  39. ^ Felongco, Gilbert (December 5, 2007). "Arroyo wants Spanish language in schools". GulfNews. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  40. ^ Weedon, Alan (August 10, 2019). "The Philippines is fronting up to its Spanish heritage, and for some it's paying off". ABC News. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  41. ^ Gonzales, Richard DLC. "Nihongo No Benkyou: Why and How Filipinos Learn Japanese Language". Academia.edu.
  42. ^ "Similarities and Differences between Japan and Philippine Cultures". www.slideshare.net. June 26, 2012.
  43. ^ Lewis, M. Paul; Simons, Gary F., eds. (2015). "Ethnologue: Languages of the World" (18 ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.
  44. ^ a b c "Tagalog is the Most Widely Spoken Language at Home (2020 Census of Population and Housing)". Tagalog is the Most Widely Spoken Language at Home (2020 Census of Population and Housing). March 7, 2023.
  45. ISSN 2377-1666
    .
  46. ^ "National Philippine Proverb in Various Philippine Languages". iloko.tripod.com.
  47. ^ "Household Population, Number of Households, and Average Household Size of the Philippines (2020 Census of Population and Housing)". Household Population, Number of Households, and Average Household Size of the Philippines (2020 Census of Population and Housing). March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  48. ^
    doi:10.31356/silwp.vol47.01
    .
  49. ^ "Mother Tongue-Based Learning Makes Lessons More Interactive and Easier for Students" (Press release). DepEd. October 24, 2016.
  50. ^ See, Stanley Baldwin (August 15, 2016). "A primer on Baybayin". GMA News Online. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  51. ^ DepEd to continue teaching French in select public schools in 2013. Philippine Daily Inquirer. December 6, 2012.
  52. ^ What you need to know about DepEd's foreign language electives. Rappler. November 19, 2018.
  53. ^ Muslim education program gets P252-M funding. Philippine Daily Inquirer. July 13, 2011.
  54. ^ Reyes, Carmela (August 22, 2007). "3 Bulacan courts to use Filipino in judicial proceedings". Inquirer.net. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007.
  55. ^ a b Adriano, Joel. "The Philippines: still grappling with English". Safe-democracy.org. Forum for a safer democracy. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  56. ISBN 978-0-7425-1024-1
    .
  57. ^ Afable, Patricia (2008). "Compelling Memories and Telling Archival Documents and Photographs: The Search for the Baguio Japanese Community" (PDF). Asian Studies. 44 (1).
  58. ^ a b "Philippinealmanac.com". Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  59. ^ Paul Kekai Manansala (September 5, 2006). "Quests of the Dragon and Bird Clan". Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  60. ^ "Ancient Japanese pottery in Boljoon town". May 30, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  61. ^ "Philippines History, Culture, Civilization and Technology, Filipino". Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  62. ^ "Korean, foreign languages not Filipino subject replacement: DepEd". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  63. ^ "Indonesian Language Club – Embassy of Indonesia – Washington D.C." Archived from the original on April 30, 2016.
  64. ^ "Going Banana". Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  65. ^ "KINDING SINDAW". tabacofamily.com.
  66. ^ "The Indian in the Filipino". Inquirer.net. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  67. ISBN 9789812307996
    . Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  68. ISBN 9789812304186
    . Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  69. ^ "Estadisticas: El idioma español en Filipinas". Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  70. ^ Gómez Armas, Sara. El español resiste en Filipinas, El País, 19 May 2021
  71. ^ "Spanish language in Philippines". Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.

General references

Further reading

External links

Media related to Languages of the Philippines at Wikimedia Commons

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