Over the years, I have heard some talk among other foreigners about language and the Philippines. There is some minor misunderstanding among many foreigners when it comes to language. Most foreigners decide not to try to learn any local language when they move here, while others struggle with the question of which language to learn.
First, let’s look at the question of National Language. Well, the reality is that there really isn’t a “national language” except under the law. There is not any national language in terms of a language that everybody in the nation speaks with regularity. Under the law, the National Language is Pilipino. No, it’s not Tagalog. A few decades ago, lawmakers decided that instead of forcing everybody to learn Tagalog, they would create a new language, and call it “Pilipino,” which sounds so inclusive of everybody.
This new language was supposed to incorporate words and sayings from all of the various languages used around the country. Did you know that there are over 80 different languages used in the Philippines? So, a team was assembled to begin creating this wonderful new language that would be so inclusive. Funny thing happened along the way, though. Basically, Pilipino became Tagalog! Why? I don’t know for sure, although I have been told that most of the people who were officially tasked with creating this new language were Tagalogs, and that probably resulted in the “new language” of Pilipino basically just coming out as Tagalog under a different name. As a matter of fact, if you look at many references, they will list “Tagalog” as the official language of the country, even though by law it is not.
Based on Census data, do you know what the most widely spoken language is in the Philippines? I am talking the most widely spoken first language now. It is Bisaya, by about 5 million people. Yes, there are around 5 million more Bisaya speakers than Tagalog speakers! If you look at the data from a standpoint of the language that can be spoken by the most people that is Tagalog, but if you look at the number of people who report their first language (language of choice), Bisaya is the clear winner.
Next choice, for a foreigner who wants to learn some language is – “Which language should I learn?” Well, in my opinion, that depends on where you plan to live. If you are going to live in the Visayas or Mindanao, I would encourage you to choose Bisaya. Be it Cebuano or one of the other Bisayan languages in the region. I mean, no doubt if you live in Bohol, you should learn Boholano instead of Cebuano most likely. But, if you live anywhere in the Visayas or Mindanao, my recommendation would be to learn Bisaya. If you live in Luzon, learn Tagalog, Ilocano or whatever language is spoken in the part of Luzon where you choose to settle.
Think of it like this… You are probably wanting to learn a bit of language so that you can communicate with as many people as possible in your chosen region. So, learn the language that they speak regularly. If you were going to live in Brazil, would you learn Spanish? Probably not, because they speak Portuguese there! Spanish and Portuguese are similar to each other, even share some words, and almost all of South America speaks Spanish, so why not learn Spanish? Well, because Spanish is not the language that is spoken in Portugal! Thus, if you want to live in the Visayas or Mindanao, why not learn that language that is widely spoken in that region. And, if you are going to live in a Tagalog area, by all means, learn Tagalog!
Now, let’s look at another question. Do you have to learn the language to live here? Absolutely not! You can speak English here and live a happy life, no doubt about that. That said, however, I believe that you will lead a more enriched life, be better accepted in the new society that you have chosen to live in, and overall have a better quality of life if you make the effort to learn to converse in the local language. I know that I went for more than 7 years without learning the language. When I started formally learning to speak Bisaya last year, I saw that a lot of doors into the culture opened for me. I have gotten where I better understand what is going on around me, and I have a better appreciation of life here. So, no, you don’t have to learn the language at all, but I recommend that you learn at least some. Actually, living here, I don’t think it would be possible to not learn some, I mean when words are spoken in front of you on a daily, even hourly basis, you can’t help but learn what some of those words mean.
I have had a few questions on what language I recommend for people to learn. That is why I have written this piece. Of course, this is just my opinion as is everything else that I write. I just feel, though, that if you want to live in Davao or elsewhere in the south, Bisaya is the way to go.
What do you think?
Ya Bob I have to agree with you about having a richer life,it makes sense to me. I have been wondering which language to learn in Western Samar, Tagalog or Waray? I should learn Waray which is what my family speaks. Thanks!
nice piece, bob. it's safe to say, when in doubt, learn tagalog. it's mainstream talk because of TV, movies, press use it. the "Pilipino" subject taught in schools (when it's not english) is tagalog – before they break to local dialects during recess 🙂
still, english is no problem (newspapers, signs & even legal courts are in english). in some cases, a blank reply doesn't mean they don't understand, just being self-conscious of using the language.
personally, i do wish the philippines kept its spanish roots (i did not care for this when i was younger – thinking it was an older generations language). it would have been nice to have 3 languages (2 being a major global language).
Hi john – I am a strong believer in learning the local language! I think that you cannot go wrong with learning waray, I predict that in the long run you'll be happy that you made that decision.
Hi macky – Hey, I just went to your blog, and I was trying to leave a comment there, but got error message saying that "Google Blogspot service is unable to accept comments at this time." Strange! Anyway, Yeah, I was just looking at some Chavacano learning materials, and I was so shocked to see that on the words that I looked at it was a direct copy of Spanish! I thought that it was similar to Spanish, but with more differences. Ah, if I could only remember how to speak Spanish, but it's been years!
Hi Bob – thanks for your thoughts on this. As you know, I've wondered about this very question and even posted about it on my blog. I already knew your feelings, since you expressed it when me met and were the one that got me thinking about it in the first place.
A couple of questions:
1) Aren't all TV shows and other media in Tagalog? If I were to learn Bisayan, I wouldn't understand any of that would I?
2) How do you perceive things in 10 years (crystal ball)? Do you still feel that 90% of the population in that area will speak Bisayan?
Hi Randy C – No, not all the media is in Tagalog. Local radio stations are both. Some are Tagalog, some are Bisaya. On TV, there are more English channels than Tagalog, although pretty much all the channels that speak in a local language are in Tagalog. Here is my question for you, though – are you planning to watch Tagalog TV? I have never had a time when I wanted to watch TV shows in Tagalog. Of course, we all have different interests, so it is a personal choice. There is plenty of English programming on TV, though, to satisfy my TV needs.
Second question – well, this issue has been going on for hundreds of years, I don't think that another 10 years will decide anything! 😆 Yes, here in Davao, throughout Mindanao and the Visayas, Bisaya will still be the language of choice throughout our lifetimes, and well beyond that. I have no doubt at all about that.
By the way, when I wrote this column, I kind of had you in mind, based on our previous conversations! 😉
Hi Bob – I certainly find this an interesting subject and your opinion is valued to me. Thanks for writing about it.
In regards to TV, based on my current viewing habits it wouldn't be an issue at all with regard to language. But things could change when I'm retired I suppose. I found it interesting while visiting the province that they spoke almost exclusively Ilonggo but the shows and news were in Tagalog. No one had any problem understanding them, excepting me of course. It's kind of amazing to realize that most filipinos speak at least three languages.
So if I understand correctly, in schools in that area, kids would be taught Filipino and English but not Bisaya? Is there no formal training in Bisaya for most of the population?
Hi Randy C – Yeah, the language skills of Filipinos always make me jealous! 😆
Yes, some parts of Southern Mindanao, especially all around SOCSKSARGEN there are pockets of Ilonggo communities. Very prevalent.
Bisaya is not taught in schools anywhere in the Country, except possibly in Cebu. The law is that schools throughout the country are to teach Pilipino (essentially Tagalog) to students. In Cebu, though, they are the most militantly anti-Tagalog in the Country, and there was a time when they defied the law and taught Cebuano (Bisaya) in the schools. I am not sure where that stands now, though.
Hi Randy C – I just want to add one other thing to what I already said in response to you. Regarding things like TV shows in Tagalog – I do like to watch ANC for a while almost every day. ANC is "ABS-CBN News Channel" which is a CNN type service for the Philippines. Most of their broadcast is in English, although it switches into Tagalog sometimes. When they are talking in Tagalog I still watch, because having lived here and hearing Tagalog a lot, I can understand enough of it to follow along with the conversation. You will be like that too. You don't understand every single word, but you understand enough of the words to have a good idea of what is being said. Given that, and also the fact that lot of "Taglish" (mixture of Tagalog and English) is used, you will be able to follow Tagalog TV shows and such at the times when you want to do that.
hi bob – i just left a reply comment on my blog. seems like everything is ok now. feel free to visit & leave comments if you wish.
yes, chabacano seems closest to spanish of all the dialects. it's "pidgin" spanish (like hawaiian pidgin english), basically. the chabacano word is actually a translation of "poor taste" in spanish. though i don't necessarily agree with that, it certainly speaks of its cultural history & roots.
an added bonus of learning a filipino dialect is that it will be very easy to learn spanish (or even bahasa indonesian).i plan to do so this year and learning it seems like a breeze compared to other foreign languages. walking around mexico & spain, it was quite easy to adjust & understand the essentials.
by the way, it's interesting to note that bisaya in davao has some slight modifications with the cebuano dialect (mixed with tagalog words). its from northern filipinos who migrated to the city early 20th c. there are interesting (albeit slight) differences. certainly easier in my opinion to adjust to manila or cebuano sensibilities.
Hi macky – Yeah, in my learning of Bisaya, I am kind of on a "dual track" – we learn the straight Cebuano, and we also learn "Davao Bisaya" which, as you say is different on many words. For example, when I learn "market" that is "mercado" – but then I also learn that in Davao it is "palengke." The differences are not huge, so far anyway.
ah, perfect example:
through learning the "davao bisaya" of the word "market", you learn the tagalog word "palengke" & that the cebuano equivalent "mercado" is the spanish word as well. 3 languages!
i'm sure you agree with me, that learning these things allows you to understand our culture as well. how things are perceived but difficult to explain.
Hi macky – You know, I have lived here for 8 years as of about a week from now. I started seriously learning Bisaya only last August. In that time, I have come to understand cultural aspects of the Philippines much more than ever before. Learning the language is the best thing that I've done in relation to living here. It opens up all kinds of doors. I made attempts before, but after a month or two, I would quit. I have been going for almost 9 months now, and I can see the end in sight as far as being able to carry on a conversation and such. It's a good feeling, and makes this feel more like home to me than ever.
Hi , when my wife first came to Holland she speaks Bisaya and English,
and she has to learn Dutch.
So we speak only English and Dutch.
Later we speak only Dutch and when we visited Philppine people here it was the same.
When in Iligan my wife speaks with her family i understand a little [ because of the spanish words ]
But now after 24 years married and planning go live in Iligan i feel
unhappy that i did not learn Bisaya ,because most of her brothers and sisters speak no English.
So , i think , when i come to live , i will try to learn Bisaya.
Gr. Anton
Hi Anton – You can do it! For me, I just have one lesson per week, usually about 1 1/2 hours, and I spend maybe 30 minutes a few times per week studying, and it is going well for me. Part of this is by basically being immersed in the language all around me, I'd say.
Good luck!
Amazing Bob!! The wife and I were just having a lenghty(very lengthy) talk about this subject of tagolish, Bisayish and whatever 'ish's. She says when I think someone is speaking Bisayis, because of the English words being inserted in the conversation, it not Bisayish. It's mostly because there are no translation for some of the words. I also have noticed that when someone rich/important or a celebrity type are speaking on TV, they start in Tagalog, switch to English,then back to Tagalog. It they start in English, they switch to Tagalog, then end in English…general speaking.
The predominant language in my area, is Bisayan but, most alll speak tagalog and English(to varying degrees). When we went to Manila, my wife conversed very well with the locals there and many would switch to Bisayan once they learned of her home province.
Most all the local schools here use Bisayan and even though there are signs all over a local college that read, 'speak English", it seems no one does. English is spoken in the government offices and courts as the official language.
Learning the local dialect, for me, is the second best thing I am doing here. It does open a lot of doors. but, of late, I've noticed that most of the people that I am acquainted with now, prefer to speak English when we talk and they are always asking if they are saying things correctly. My Australian brother-in-law seems to want to always remind them that he speaks English and I speak American. This sometimes confuses them to no end.
BTW, in this region mercado is usully reference to the huge public market and palengke is reference to a small store. Tindahan used to reference the sari-sari store.
Hi Bob
How are you all doing? As you know I already speak Bisaya, but as we live in UK and most of my wife`s friends speak Tagalog, that is what I am learning now.There are similarities but also major differences!
Keep up the good work and give our best to Feyma
Malcolm
Hi Bob, as some know, you and I have discussed this often. This is your best article yet. My cut very much parallels yours … if you want to 'get on' well where you are going to be living, then by all means study the language most common there. My language skills are coming along very slowly, but being able to chat in whatever is comfortable to tghe people you are going to be around every day is a _great_ enhancement to the fun of living here.
The one thing I would urge anyone on the fence is, learn something! After all, even if you wonder if bawal umihi dito is Bisayan or Tagalog, it will pay dividends to know what it means 😉 (and like a lot of everyday words, palengke and mercado are neither Bisayan nor Tagalog, they are Spanish, just like the 'distancia, amigo' we all study on the back of trucks while caught in traffic, or the 'rotundas' and 'monumentos' which often cause the traffic jams.
Bob,
Here in Bohol Tagalog TV channels are the popular ones. Although, they do show English movies part of the time. Or it was that way a little over a year ago. I'm not much for TV. As for the languages I agree with learning the local language. But then there's people like me. My time is divided between 4 different Islands that speak 4 different languages (Tagalog, Boholano, Bisaya and Palawano). The good thing is Cebuano and my limited Tagalog is understood by most of them.
Hi Frank – I always get a kick out of it when I write a column, and somebody said "I was just thinking about that subject" or something of the sort. It is so coincidental! In many respects your wife is so correct. On many items there is no Bisaya word for an English word. This is especially true for very modern things like "computer" and such, there just never was a bisaya word, so they just adopted the english word! Amazing, isn't it?
Hi Malcolm – Yeah, I'm a little jealous of your Bisaya, and now you are taking up Tagalog! Oh my, I will never catch up with you! Honestly, your Bisaya is very good, and you should be quite proud of that!
Hi Dave Starr – Thanks for the compliment about the article, I'm glad that you liked it. I wrote the article last weekend, and frankly, I've been worrying about this particular article all week long. I was worried that it was going to be looked at as too controversial, kind of a Tagalog vs. Bisaya thing, if you know what I mean. I don't feel it is, nor did I write it with that in mind, but I was worried that it would be taken that way. So far, I haven't seen any comments that would indicate such, though, which I am happy about!
Hi Mike K – Yeah, Tagalog channels are the most popular here too. What I was talking about is that the English channels are the channels that I personally watch. For any foreigners that can't understand Tagalog, it doesn't impede your ability to watch TV, because there are plenty of English channels on cable or satellite. 😆
You certainly do get around the Philippines a lot!!
<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/apr2008/db20080424_496359.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives" rel="nofollow">Check this article!
not to change the thread Bob but I know you would be intereted in it ( CNN rice story)
When I said we mostly have Tagalog channels I should have also stated that is by antenna only. We hardly ever turn on the TV anyway so why waste the money on cable/satellite.
😀 I have been to more places in the Philippines then my wife has. I have been all over Manila, Pampanga, Zambales, Bulacan, Driven from Bagio-Lucena, Palawan and parts of Mindanao.
Hi brian – Thanks for sharing that article. Very interesting!
Hi Mike K. – Ha ha.. I understand about the TV.
I lived in Davao for two years I was a bit lazy but managed to pick up some words. I would however when i go back soon like to learn properly, whats the best method, can i learn it at a college there?
further when ever someone asks me if i can speak there language i always replied gamay lang but to this day i don't know why when i say that people always laugh 😯 anyone tell me why ❓
gamay=small/little(size)
little bit/few(number/amount)=dyutay
Hi graham – There are colleges that offer such courses, but not regularly, because the demand for a course in Bisaya is not in huge demand. I personally have a private tutor who comes to my house and teaches me one day per week. Originally, I wanted to do it more often, but I find that I am quite comfortable with this schedule.
Yeah, people do tend to laugh when they hear you speak a little bisaya. I am not 100% certain why, but I feel that it is probably because they are just shocked to hear it, so the first thing they do is a giggle a bit. Don't worry about that, though!
Hi rseneris – Thanks for sharing that! For me, I never heard that word "dyutay" before, maybe it's just because I haven't gone far enough with my lessons. Before, if somebody would ask me if I speak Bisaya, I would also reply "gamay lang." Now, though, I have pushed the bar up a bit! It's "medyo lang" for me now! 😆 😉
Hi Bob,
You dissect the issue better than our own academicians who insist we have a national language 🙂 The truth is, learning the national language (as if there is actually one) is just forced on us Filipinos. In Cebu, people will not mind a foreigner who would speak in English – as you have said, a blank reply does not necessarily mean inability to understand, but may just indicate self-consciousness in using the language. But be a foreigner and speak in Tagalog in Cebu, and you are bound to get something in return. You see, the language issue is a very hot issue in Cebu, and we insist on using our own instead of that fictive national language.
All in all, a good article and recommended reading for those who want to understand the complex language politics in the Philippines, from the viewpoint of a foreigner who would like to learn a language. Just one note though: there is a Boholano language, and there is a Boholano dialect of the Cebuano language. Most people in Bohol speak the Boholano dialect of the Cebuano language, which is technically Cebuano. However, I can understand your confusion, since we usually use the term Boholano to refer to both varieties. Even the census-takers in 2000 had a problem with this language reality 🙂 Also, for those who would like to retire in the Philippines (you're very much welcome :smile:) and is considering a language to learn, your suggestion is correct: learn the language of the locals. If you intend to stay in Metro Manila and Luzon, learn Tagalog. If you intend to stay in the Visayas and Mindanao, learn Bisaya.
Thanks for the insights. 🙂
Respectfully yours,
Vincent Isles
Moderator, The DILFED Forum
Hi Bob, good article! I spoke Spanish before coming to Mindanao 20 years ago and it was a great foundation for my learning to speak Cebuano. Many of the nouns are the same, or similar (often a corruption of the Spanish word). It is interesting to notice which things were 'named' during the time of the Spanish, and what things are original, having local names. Having learned Spanish was a real advantage in vocabulary, but not in the area of grammar. As I understand it, Chanacano is a lot of Spanish vocabulary with a Filipino grammar. All Filipino language share the same 'grammatical bones,' even thought the vocabulary and outworking of that grammar varies widely.
I am a real champion of learning local dialects! The looks of relief when people find out I am not a 'walking English test' are worth the efforts! But when you mention the giggles, I have to agree! People do giggle and laugh sometimes when I speak Bisaya. It is kind of funny to me. It is not because I speak it so badly, but because people seem to find it so incongruous to hear Cebuano coming out of an American mouth! But I am okay with that. After a while they get used to it! 🙂
Hi Vincent Isles – Thank you so much for your very kind comment! I really appreciate everything you had to say. I hope you will come back to my site and visit many times in the future! It's good to hear your input!
Hi AmericanLola – Thanks for sharing your thoughts too! I don't know for sure ifI will attempt to learn other dialects or other languages altogether after I complete my Bisaya studies. My feeling is that I would be happy with Bisaya only, but you never know!
Hi Bob good article,i would like to ask you if there is a good sourse for vitamins in davao as i will be moving there in july.Thank you jim.
Hi jim – Oh, sure! There are lots of places in Davao where you can purchase vitamins!
Great article Bob.
I have given in and just use English and to be honest 99 percent of the time if I am clear I am misunderstod, however I do not always understand the English coming back to me
Hi John – Ha ha… if you stay longer, I predict that you will try to learn some Bisaya or Tagalog. Also, the longer you stay, the more you will learn without even trying.
Just want to make sure – you are saying that when you are clear, 99% of the time you are misunderstood? 😆
Hi Bob,
Very good article….
If you know English and the Pilipino language, you can go almost anywhere in the Philippines. Learning the dialect of the region you want to live or stay is a big plus specially for being accepted as one of the locals.
You have a good and informative web site. I've been following your site for a few years now. Some day I might see you in Davao….
Hi Boyet S – Thanks for visiting my site again, and for your previous visits! You are quite welcome anytime you wish! If you do see me in Davao, please do say Hi and let me know who you are! I'll be looking out for you! 😉
Thanks Bob..I down loaded a translator,english to tagalog for free . I’m working on it …and I only stay if they come to see me and my wife translates for me ..
Hi Bob .. Yes some doors open and then some close too When some friends of my wife's come over to visit they talk in there dialect . I sit and listen, don't under stand a word they say . After sitting there for about a half hour my wife tell them that I can understand what they are saying but i have a hard time pronouncing the words so i don't speak front of them and be embarrassed they pertty much quit talking and watch me then they left 10 minutes later …they never come back while I was there ..they come back after i left and stayed for 3 hours or so …I think it can go eather way.. what u think ..?
Hi phil c – In your position, if you want to have an enjoyable life here in the Philippines, I think that you have two choices to consider:
1. Learn the local language so that you can participate in the conversation.
2. Don't sit there and listen, since you are unable to join the conversation. Get up and go do something else. It is obvious that they are not trying to include you in the conversation, so I see no rudeness in leaving them to talk with your wife while you go do something else that you enjoy.
I personally feel that doing either of these choices is far better than sitting there and getting mad because you are not part of the conversation.
Hope this helps!
Hi phil c – I don't recall what part of the Philippines you are living in, but if you are in a Tagalog area, downloading that software might be a good first step. My recommendation would be to hire a tutor, though. Trying to learn a language on your own is very difficult, and I find that with a tutor it is quite a bit easier.
Sitting around talking with people and having your wife translate, based on my experience, is not a viable solution, it never seems to work in the long term
Good luck!
Yea like the spelling of Gingoog city but pronounced – HIN – HO – OG CITY…..?
Hi Phil C – Learning Tagalog won't help much, because in Gingoog they speak Bisaya. Even if you know Tagalog through the items you downloaded, you won't be able to understand the conversation. You need to learn some Bisaya.
Hi Bob,
Although all of the above comments make sense, I still believed what we learned in school many moons ago that TAGALOG/PILIPINO is the national language of the Phils. It is the most wide-spoken language whether you are in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. All the other 80 are called DIALECTS.
Of course, others are biased wherever they live but rest assured, no matter where the Pilipino is originally from, you can definitely converse in Tagalog, if you cannot speak his dialect. Talking through my own experience in my travels in the Phils. and even now outside the country. I meet a lot of kababayans who come from all corners of the Phils. who speak various dialects and yet other than English, we can converse well in Tagalog.
Just my thoughts……thanks
Hi Veechee – Linguistically, Bisaya is not a dialect of Tagalog. They are each distinct languages. But, as I've said in the past on this site, I don't want to get into the language/dialect debate – nobody ever wins on that.
Yes, I agree, most people speak Tagalog, because that is the language that they have been educated in. However, what I said was that more people speak Bisaya as their first language, and according to census figures that is correct.
I am not talking about learning a language so that you can talk to somebody in an emergency or something, I am talking about blending into society. If you are living in an area where Tagalog is the primary language of the streets, by all means that person should learn Tagalog. Same for Bisaya too.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Veechee.
With all due respect, Bob. I think I know what I'm talking about here!
For the record(in case I haven't mentioned) I was born, raised, lived, educated and worked in the Phils., more than half of my life, before I left. Just wondering about the accuracy of info ? I don't wish to mislead my non-Filipino husband as well. I'm not here to argue but there's nothing in my comment earlier(#44) that specifically mentioned "bisaya"? What I'm trying to point across here is the fact that Filipino(based on Tagalog) is the official language of the Phils and there are distinct indigenious languages and dialects, Tagalog and Bisaya are examples. Afterall, I was primarily responding to your question- the title of your article.
So you are saying that amongst the 88.57 million Filipinos(census of Aug 2007), majority of them speak Bisaya? and this is why you wrote it is now the first language? How about the Ilocanos, Kapampangan, Pangasinans, Bicolanos, Maranao, Hiligaynon, Tausug among others. I'm sure they will strongly object to that? For certain though, most of these regional groups can speak Tagalog, in every little way they can, other than their own.
Nevertheless, it is a fact that Filipino is still the official language and some will even state Filipino and English are the two official languages.
http://www.gov.ph/aboutphil/general.asp
http:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines
Hi Veechee – I am not saying that you don't know, and not being disrespectful.
I never said that a majority speak Bisaya. A plurality of 22 Million people speak Bisaya as their first language. 18 Million people speak Tagalog as their first language.
As I said previously, almost everybody can speak Tagalog (Pilipino).
Yes, you are 100% right that Pilipino is the National Language. I said that in the article. I said that by law, Pilipino is the official language of the country. I said that by practice it is not what people "officially speak."
What the first language is varies from person to person. Feyma, for example, can speak both Tagalog and Bisaya, but Bisaya is her first language – it is the language that she chooses to speak when she has her choice.
Please understand me before you get angry… I never said, and never would say that the majority of people speak Bisaya, because only roughly 1/4 of the Population can speak Bisaya. But, more people choose Bisaya as their first language than the number who choose Tagalog as their first language. Philippine Census Data from the 2000 Census backs that up.
I am not mad at you, Veechee, not sure why you seem to be pretty upset at me.
Yes, the Ilocanos, Kapampangan, Pangasinans and all the others CAN also speak Tagalog. I have no quarrel with that. But, their first language is that which is named (Ilocano, Kapampangan, etc). Tagalog is simply their second language.
Hi Veechee – I just want to clarify three things:
1. I know that you didn't mention Bisaya in your comment. But, when I wrote the article it had a lot to do with the fact that I am living in a Bisaya region (Bisaya language), and that I am learning Bisaya. That is why I brought up Bisaya in my comment response to you.
2. In the article, I quote what I said:
"First, let’s look at the question of National Language. Well, the reality is that there really isn’t a “national language” except under the law."
You see, I said that under the law, there is a national language, and I went on to say that the legal national language is Pilipino. I only said that in practice there is not a "national" language (not a language that all the people speak all the time).
3. When I wrote the title of the article, by putting the title in the form of a question, I wasn't asking people to tell me what the national language was – I used my article to answer the question that I had asked, because I already knew the answer. Of course, I always invite people to discuss what I have written, and that is no problem. But, if the title is in the form of a question, that doesn't necessarily mean that it is a question that I am asking for people to answer. I hope you understand what I mean when I say that, because I don't mean it in a condescending way.
I am just surprised, Veechee, that it seems like you are quite upset at what I said, and I am not sure why. I, honestly, am not trying to pick a fight with you. I hope you understand that. I also feel that everything that I wrote is factual, and everything that you wrote is factual too! 😀