To understand any language, it would help to get a picture of the geography of the country it is spoken in. You must already know by now that the Philippines is made up of more than 7,000 islands spread over three major island groups – Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao (Northern, Central and Southern Philippines, respectively). So you can just imagine the diversity of the languages and dialects of the Philippines when you consider that there are thousands of ways for words to get lost in translation.
But before you pick up an English-Filipino dictionary and learn to say “Kumusta?” (pronounced “coo-moose-tah” meaning “How are you?”), remember that you will never go wrong if you speak English, or even just a little of it.
English is one of the two official languages of the country, a legacy of American occupation after the Philippine Revolution of 1898. American educators came to the country in 1901 to provide public education. (During the Spanish colonial era, education was at best a privilege and limited only to the elite few.) Since then, English has been used as a medium of instruction and communication in schools and colleges, mainstream media, literature and arts, politics and commerce. Travelers will never get lost even in the remote corners of the country, as signs and directions are printed in English.
The native official language of the Philippines is Filipino. It is mostly Tagalog, the language spoken in Manila and the rest of the National Capital Region. Increasingly, Filipino is becoming more encompassing of the languages and dialects of the Philippines, as Cebuano and Hiligaynon (major languages of the Visayas) words are finding their way into the Filipino lexicon.
The latest census says that the Philippines has 120 languages and 171 dialects if regional variations and mutual intelligibility are considered. (As an example, Cebuano is a major language of the Visayas, but it can be understood by people from some parts of Mindanao albeit differences in accent and certain words.) Of that number, only a handful of languages are spoken across regional boundaries. Here are some of them.
- Tagalog. The chief language of the National Capital Region and Southern Luzon, and widely understood across the country.
- Cebuano. One of the major languages of the Visayas, “Bisaya” as referred to by its native speakers, is spoken in Cebu, Negros Oriental, Northern Negros Occidental, and some parts of Mindanao. People from Bohol speak Cebuano, but pronounce their “y’s” as “j’s”.
- Ilocano. A major language of Northewestern Luzon, it is spoken in Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Cagayan Valley, Babuyan, Mindoro and some parts of Mindanao.
- Hiligaynon (referred to as Ilonggo by its native speakers). A major language of Western Visayas, Ilonggo is spoken in Negros Occidental and Panay, and Ilonggo communities in Mindanao.
- Waray-Waray. Another major language of the Visayas, Waray-waray is spoken in Samar and Leyte.
- Pampanggo or Kapampangan. Spoken in Pampanga, Tarlac, Bataan and some parts of Central Luzon, Kapampangan is understood by Tagalog speakers, and vice versa.
- Bicolano. There are at least 5 regional variations of Bicolano. They are spoken in the province of Bicol, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes.
- Pangasinan (referred to as Pangalatok by its native speakers). This language is spoken in the province of Pangasinan, on the central-western seaboard of Luzon.
- Maranao. This dialect is spoken in Eastern Davao in Mindanao.
- Maguindanao. A major language of Mindanao, Maguindanao is spoken in the province of Maguindanao, North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga del Sur and some parts of Bukidnon.
- Chavacano. Considered by linguists as a Spanish-based Creole language, Chavacano is one of the oldest of its kind in the world, and the only one in Asia. Chavacano is the official language of Zamboanga City and Basilan Province. It is spoken in Davao and Cotabato cities in Mindanao, and in some parts of Cavite in Luzon. Chavacano in Ermita (Manila) is now extinct.
It is fun to break the ice with a Filipino using a Tagalog tongue-twister or two, so learning it is definitely handy.
Photos by Cherry and Atty. Loralee Guevarra
