Biyahero

The Philippines is a multi-lingual country. According to findings by University of North Dakota’s Summer Institute of Linguistics (headed by Dr. Richard S. Pittman), there are 55 languages and 142 dialects spoken in the country.  However, the 1916 work of German anthropologist Dr. H. Otley Beyer lists only 43 major languages and 87 significantly different dialects (50 of which claim more than 10,000 speakers.

There are eight major dialects: Tagalog (23.82%), Cebuano (24.39%), Ilocano (11.14%), Ilonggo (9.99%), Bicolano (6.96%), Waray (4.62%), Kapampangan (3.43%) and Pangalatok (2.26%). 

Pilipino (the national language) and English are official languages. Due to five decades of American occupation in the country, the Philippines is the third largest English-speaking nation in the world after the U. S. and the United Kingdom.  However, we may soon lose this distinction due to the marked decline of its use in recent years.  It remains as language of mass media, commerce and politics in the country.

The concept of a national language was first formed in 1898, but it wasn’t until January 12, 1937, a year after the formation of the Philippine Commonwealth of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon, that the Institute of National Language was established to unite this multi-lingual country.  In 1940, Commonwealth Act No. 570 was passed, providing that Pilipino, based on Tagalog, would be the official national language effective July 4, 1946. An appropriate bill was incorporated in the 1946 Philippine constitution and it was also confirmed in the 1973 constitution.   Since 1978, it was taught in schools and universities and is now used as the compulsory language of instruction in schools. Pilipino is highly structured grammatically.  Its vocabulary was enriched further by words from Spanish, English and other native dialects.  It is also used as a language of business and discussion among different Filipino groups.

Due to 333 years of Spanish rule, Spanish is also spoken by about 2.1% of the population, making the Philippines the only Spanish-speaking nation in Asia.  It is, however, one of the few former Spanish colonies where Spanish hasn’t become the national language.  This dying language is only spoken by the wealthy, land-owning, Spanish-Filipino mestizo class. Spanish was abolished as a compulsory subject in colleges in 1968.  However, its influence on the local dialects can still be found in our numerical system, time and some culinary terms.  The Chavacano dialect of Zamboanga City, which is 70% Spanish (especially unconjugated verbs) and 30% ethnic dialects, is as close to Spanish as any other dialect. 

Cantonese and Fukinese is spoken by the Chinese community while many Muslims understand Arabic.