The Philippines has 130 to 195 languages, depending on which resource you check. With so many languages, communication can sometimes be like a hilarious game of charades.
I was born and raised in Manila, where Tagalog is the primary language. When I visit another island in the Philippines (we have over 7,600!), I don’t understand the local language at all, so I rely on gestures and miming to communicate.
This language diversity is not surprising, though. Two Filipinos growing up speaking different languages is very likely—more than 80%, according to the country’s Greenberg Linguistic Diversity Index.
Brief History of Language Diversity in the Philippines
The Philippines’ wide variety of languages today results from a long history of migrations, Spanish and American colonial rule, and interactions with neighbors from Southeast Asia.
Spanish was the primary language for more than 300 years after Spanish people arrived in 1565.
Later, during a war in 1762, the British brought English to the Philippines, but it became widespread when America ruled from 1898 to 1946.
The Search for a National Language
In the 1930s, the Philippines wanted its own national language. Many people in Manila spoke Tagalog, so it was considered for the national language, but others disagreed because Tagalog was spoken little outside Manila.
In the 1970s, the idea of having a national language emerged again. This time, the government worked on creating “Filipino,” a new language that took words from English, Spanish, Chinese, and Malay and made Tagalog nicer to hear.
For example, the Spanish word “silya” replaced the Tagalog “salumpuwit,” which directly translates to “something that catches one’s bottom” in Tagalog.
In 1937, Filipino was named the national language; by 1946, it also became an official language. That same year, the Philippines started using the 20-letter Abakada alphabet for Filipino.
Official Languages of the Philippines
The Philippines has two official languages– Filipino and English.
Filipino is spoken throughout Metro Manila and is the national language used for communication among people from different islands.
Meanwhile, the country also chose English as an official language due to historical influences, particularly during the American colonization (1898 to 1946). The 1987 Philippine Constitution recognized English as the country’s official language.
Are Tagalog and Filipino the Same?
Tagalog and Filipino are closely related but not the same. I often explain Filipino as the natural evolution of Tagalog. That’s because Filipino incorporates elements from various Philippine languages, including Tagalog, and influences from English and Spanish.
For instance, the Spanish word “diccionario” (English: dictionary) has been adopted into Filipino as “diksyunaryio.” However, the old Tagalog word for this was “talatinigan,” which, honestly, no one uses in daily conversation unless you want to sound like someone from the 1800s.
While Filipino has roots in Tagalog, it has expanded, making it a distinct language that continues to evolve. Filipino is the 23rd most spoken language in the world, with 83 million speakers worldwide.
Why do Filipinos speak English fluently?
Filipinos speak English fluently because American teachers, known as Thomasites, introduced English as the primary language of education in 1901. Today, most Filipinos use English as their second language.
The 2023 English Proficiency Index by EF Education First ranked the Philippines with a “high proficiency” in English, placing it 20th out of 113 countries globally and second among 23 Asian nations, with an unchanged EPI score of 570 from 2022.
Over time, English in the Philippines has absorbed local vocabulary, adapted words for local use, and undergone changes in pronunciation and grammar.
A distinct form of English, known as Philippine English or Taglish, has emerged, blending English with local languages. While some view Taglish as inferior to standard English, others consider it important for social cohesion.
Do People Speak Spanish in the Philippines?
People in the Philippines do not speak or use Spanish in their daily lives.
After the end of the Spanish colonization, Spanish remained an official language in the Philippines until 1987, when it was demoted to an “optional and voluntary language” in the 1987 Constitution. This decision reflected the gradual decline of Spanish fluency among Filipinos over the decades following the American occupation.
While Spanish is no longer widely spoken throughout the Philippines, Filipinos speak a Spanish creole called Chavacano. Around a million people speak Chavacano, particularly in provinces with a strong Spanish heritage, like Zamboanga and Cavite.
Regional Languages of the Philippines
In the Philippines, efforts are ongoing to recognize and preserve regional languages. These languages are valued as important parts of the country’s diverse culture.
The government has taken steps to support education in students’ native languages through the mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTBMLE) program.
Currently, the government has identified 19 regional languages under the MTBMLE:
- Tagalog
- Kapampangan
- Pangasinan
- Iloko
- Bikol
- Ybanag
- Sinugbuanong Binisaya
- Hiligaynon
- Waray
- Bahasa Sug
- Maguindanaoan
- Maranao
- Cahavacano
- Ivatan
- Sambal
- Akianon
- Kinaray-a
- Yakan
- Sinugaonon
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, Tagalog, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, and Ilokano are the top regional languages.
Tagalog
- Estimated number of native speakers: 29 million
Tagalog is a language from the Northern Philippines. The Tagalog homeland, Katagalugan, covers much of the central to southern parts of the island of Luzon, including provinces like Aurora, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Quezon, and Rizal.
It’s also among the most spoken languages other than English in the United States. According to the Census Bureau, Tagalog has more than 1.7 million speakers.
Sinugbuanong Binisaya (Cebuano)
- Estimated number of native speakers: 20 million
Cebuano is primarily spoken in the southern Philippines, particularly in regions like Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Negros Oriental, parts of Leyte and Biliran, and a significant portion of Mindanao.
Cebuano comes from combining “Cebu” and “ano” using Latin-derived language, reflecting the influence of Spain’s colonial history in the Philippines. Speakers of Cebuano outside of Cebu Island refer to it as Bisaya.
Regarding differences, Tagalog and Cebuano have distinct vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. For example, “langgam” in Tagalog means “ants,” while in Cebuano or Bisaya, it means “bird.” Learning Tagalog does not necessarily mean one can easily understand Cebuano, and vice versa.
Hiligaynon (Ilonggo)
- Estimated number of native speakers: more than 9 million
Hiligaynon is spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, particularly in areas like Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, and Capiz. It’s also known as Ilonggo due to the origin of many of its speakers in the province of Iloilo.
Multiple linguistic communities have influenced the Hiligaynon language, incorporating Spanish, English, Tagalog, and Cebuano loanwords. Examples of loanwords:
- Adios – used as a farewell in Hiligaynon, borrowed from the Spanish term “adiós.”
- Kamusta – means “how are you” in English. It’s a standard Tagalog and Hiligaynon greeting derived from the Spanish phrase “¿Cómo está?”
Iloko (Ilokano or Ilocano)
- Estimated number of native speakers: more than 8 million
Ilokano is mainly spoken in the provinces of Northern Luzon, including Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, and La Union.
The Ilokano people once used the ancient kur-itan script (also called baybayin or alibata), derived from Indian Brahmic scripts. However, when the Spanish arrived in the Philippines in the 16th century, the Latin alphabet replaced the kur-itan. Efforts are underway to reintroduce the kur-itan script by incorporating it into the curriculum of Ilokano-majority schools in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.
The Ilokano people have established communities outside the Philippines, notably in Hawaii and California, where the language is spoken and preserved.
The Future of Language in the Philippines
It’s fascinating to know how languages in the Philippines continue to evolve.
There’s a new excitement and appreciation around regional languages, which shows our dedication to keeping our cultural identity alive while embracing influences from other foreign languages.
Preserving our languages is about more than just communication. It’s about celebrating our diverse traditions, stories, and shared experiences that make us uniquely Filipino.
