The Philippines is a very diverse country when it comes to its linguistics. So, here we are to find out “what language do they speak in the Philippines?” keep reading, and you will know all about it.
Which Languages are spoken in the Philippines?
The Philippines is one of those countries that have a very rich linguistic scene. So, instead of asking what language do they speak in the Philippines, you must be asking exactly how many languages are spoken in the Philippines? First, the Philippines has two official languages: English and Filipino. When it comes to the number of speakers, Filipino is the most spoken language in the country. There are also many indigenous languages spoken in the country, from Tagalog to Waray to Cebuano and many more. While English and Spanish are the two mainstream languages spoken a lot.
Spanish
Spanish was the official language of the country for over three centuries. It came to Philippines with conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi back in 1565. The Spanish colonizers spread, and with them, their language also spread. It became the language of trade, religion, and education, as well as the government’s language. After introducing free schooling by the Spanish in 1863, the language spread even more.
English
English came to the Philippines rather recently. It came with the American occupation of their islands when the US government acquired the country from Spain in December 1898 through the Treaty of Paris.
English replaced Spanish and was used for instruction in schools. As a consequence, the number of Spanish speakers dropped by 6% by 1950. Today, the Filipinos rarely speak Spanish, with only around 450,000 native Spanish speakers left. The introduction of English has helped Filipinos to get access to the international job market, though, which has been an advantage for them.
Most Spoken Native Filipino Languages
Here is the further answer to your question, “what language do they speak in the Philippines?”
Tagalog
Tagalog is the most spoken language in the Philippines, even including the second language. It is spoken by 26.3 million Filipinos as their first language. It is also related to many other Filipino languages very closely.
Cebuano
Cebuano is yet another native language spoken by many in the Philippines. Around 25.55% of the Filipino people speak Cebuano, which makes up around 21.3 million people. There is a slight rivalry between the Tagalog speakers and the Cebuano speakers since Tagalog became even more popular than the latter.
Other indigenous languages include the following:
- Ilocano
- Hiligaynon
- Waray
- Central Bikol
- Kapampangan
- Pangasinan
- Maranao
- Tausug
- MaguindanaoZamboangueño
- Kinaray-a
- Surigaonon
Besides these, many of the Philippines’ languages are on the verge of extinction now, while others are already extinct. The immigrants have also brought their share of languages to the land ranging from Arabic, Japanese, and Korean to Hokkien and Malay.
Did you enjoy the amazing and enriched linguistic tapestry of the Philippines? We find it very fascinating. If you know any more facts about what language do they speak in the Philippines, let us know in the comments below.
